Meet and Exceed the Standards You Ask of Others: Lead From the Front

From Chapter 1

True leaders are less concerned about the rewards of being a leader and more aware of the responsibility the role brings -- a responsibility to serve as a role model to those around them. In other words, direct reports do not a leader make. We have seen managers with huge staffs fail miserably at leading their teams, and have to endure high turnovers and poor performance from their employees. On the other hand, we've witnessed women without management responsibility whom others in the department looked to for guidance and direction -- an administrative assistant, an executive receptionist, and a newly promoted sales rep. They were achieving results for their employer despite the fact that they hadn't officially been designated leaders. Titles don't really define leaders; behavior and attitude make the difference.