Welcome to the first workshop in my leadership development series for online business owners, Dream Your Team! 

This series is all about helping you smash the lie that you are not meant to lead, that you’re not cut out to be a leader, that you’re not ready to be a leader, and help you get ready for your future team. 

Because here’s the truth – your team is getting ready for you as we speak. No matter what stage of business you’re in, you need to start getting ready for them ASAP!

Note: this content originally appeared as a video! Rather watch than read? Click the link below!

Does Leadership Make You Nervous?

Have you ever felt this need to hide your leadership, felt embarrassed by it, or felt that it was overwhelming? Before you continue on, I want you to tell me about it. Comment below, or DM me on Instagram! I love making new friends and being your cheerleader!

I have a secret – when I first stepped into this leadership role where a team was actually looking to me for direction and support, I just constantly believed that I was not cut out for this, that I wasn’t meant to be here.

I was asked to help lead the entire team, which at the time was about 25 women. To be honest, I sucked. It was horrible. I did not know what I was doing. I did not know how to lead.

I was floundering, and every team meeting I held, I thought, “They can see right through me. They know that I’m not supposed to be here.” 

I wondered, “So many people have been at this company longer than me, so why me? Why was I asked to be here and not someone else?”

That fear kept me from actually truly leading. Let me tell you something – this fear actually stems from the mindset from functioning in under the traditional team system. 

How We Experience Leadership = How We Feel As Leaders

Who do you think of when you think of a boss? When you think of the word “boss,” it might actually be something negative, or you might have these negative feelings that you don’t really know to label. 

I want you to take note of that perception of what leadership is to you and how it’s determined by your experience with it. That feeling that you have, how is that shaped by where you’ve been, and who has been a leader to you? 

If you had a fantastic boss who pushed you to grow and believed in you, you may be really excited to lead, and you may love doing it. 

If you had a terrible boss who pushed you, drove you, and had high expectations that were totally unrealistic (or, worse, never even set expectations) you may associate being a boss with that person and the way they made you feel. 

Now, I want to know, have you ever felt uncomfortable in a position of leadership or have you ever felt resistant to the idea of leading a team because your experience with teams and leadership has always felt off? 

You may actually be dreading the day that you have to lead a team because this idea of a boss in your mind, it doesn’t feel aligned with who you are at your core. It doesn’t feel aligned. 

You may even have said something like, “That’s not for me. Leading a team is not for me. I’m not ready. That’s just not who I am.” That’s what I said because I had rejected that desire of leadership in me.

Leading a Team YOUR Way is For You!

Today, I want to set the record straight and say, “Yes, leading a team is for you.” 

Without a doubt, we can all lead teams, and because you’re feeling this way, you’re actually going to be a pioneer in the future, and you’re going to propel your team forward, where other business leaders who function in the old way can’t.

I want to tell you about how entrepreneurs are actually changing the function of teams for good in the world. It’s never going to be the same. 

The Traditional Team Leadership System

Here’s what the traditional team system looks like and the traditional way that leadership is allotted within a company. 

In the traditional sense, in the traditional system, what we grew up in and associating leadership in with, authority exists vertically. 

The time that you spent with a company and the role that you play, that is what garnered you respect, even if it wasn’t actually earned from your heart. If you’ve been there the longest, given the most time to the company, if you have a title that puts you above somebody else, that meant you were a leader.

This is why leadership felt off to me in that first job. I had not been there the longest, and I had a title that I didn’t earn with time, so imposter syndrome took over and told me, “You aren’t a leader. You’re not supposed to be here.” 

Leadership in Today’s Entrepreneurial Teams

In the teams of today, entrepreneurs are leveling the playing field. Entrepreneurial teams look like this: authority exists horizontally. 

What that means is this: Everyone earns their leadership by stepping into their strengths and owning their zone of genius. A leader, a boss, a CEO, you, your job is still longer to lead from the top. You no longer have to do it alone.

Rather, you lead by supporting each team member to be a leader. You’re leading leaders. 

As a leader of leaders, that puts you on the level playing field because you rely on your team members just as much as they rely on you. That sounds amazing, right? 

How to Lead Leaders

What is the distinction? What makes you different? What makes you a leader if you’re on a level playing field with your team? It’s the role that you play. 

You are the person that is the protector of the vision and the purpose and why you’re here, and you are the servant to the people. You protect the vision, and you serve the people. You make sure that the people know where they’re going and that they have all they need to get there. That’s your job.

How does that feel? I’m curious. I want you to comment below or message me and tell me now that we’re talking about this new way of leadership, how does that feel to you? Do you like feel less resistant? Do you feel more excited to lead, or does it make things more confusing for you? I want you to let me know!