As we think about the role of leadership, let us view it through the lens of duty. It is the duty of the leader to set the example in courage, character, integrity and being a positive influence on the organization.

A dutiful leader strives to create workplace actualization, to establish positive conditions for employees to pursue their potential. To engender a positive mindset, the duty of leadership is to set the stage for the company culture to be engaging, meaningful, caring and purposeful.

One of the responsibilities (duties) of leadership is to align the purpose of employees and the purpose of the organization. The question to consider is, how many of your employees feel a sense of purpose in their roles at work? Do they have a sense of belongingness and self-esteem? In my professional opinion, leadership needs to demonstrate the “Duty of True Care.” Their role is to help bring out the best in employees. Permit me another question: Do your employees know that you care? And do you care? To lead with care is to build relationships, to help employees build relationships.

A duty of leadership is encouraging trust, collaboration, clarity and relatedness. A key duty of leadership is to stoke the fire of employee’s passion and creativity and to unleash it! Passion and purpose drives results. True leadership is anchored in duty and not in power! It is a trap of leaders to think about power rather than duty. It is a responsibility to lead.

“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to say you are, you aren’t.” – Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

A duty of leadership is to set the tone, and to pick up the mantle of the willingness to behave responsibly. Being accountable to the entire organization, and being a binding force.

The Duty of Enlightened Leadership is to:

• Embrace challenges and change
• To listen and to learn from feedback from all levels of the organization
• To be persistent with positive purpose
• Inspire others
• Never give up
• To rebound from setbacks
• To learn every day
• To believe in others
• To be genuine, to be real

The duty of leadership is a huge assignment to take on. Empathetic and trust-based leadership carries the day. We have seen and experienced the results of working for a toxic leader. Their results speak volumes, such as poor morale, high turnover and lost customers.

The joys of the duty of leadership are:

• A lasting positive impact on the organization
• Guiding the future of the company
• Creating a positive culture for employees to reach their potential

Indeed, the duty of leadership is both a reward and a responsibility. The role demands for decisions and actions that impact everyone around you and influences the careers of employees in your organization, and their families. It provides the leader with the opportunity to help others shine. The ability to impact the success of your company is great! Dutiful leadership is about a hunger for continuous learning. The joy of leadership and life is there, we all need to see it and pursue it.

• The opportunity to be human
• Leading with compassion and humility
• Being self-aware and in tune with the feelings of others
• To build and enhance meaningful relationships
• The opportunity to display care
• They put people before policies, processes and politics

Build a reputation and legacy of character, integrity and being a positive influence on the lives of many people, because you treated people, like people.