Expanding the definition

Hi all,
 
I’m Mara, and on Tuesday, you were sent an email with a long list of my questions about leadership. Yesterday’s email recognized two themes in my questions, both of which focus on expanding the definition of what it means to be a leader. If you missed these emails, I suggest giving them a glance before continuing. 
 
So, why do I ask these questions? 
 
As I approach graduation in May, I feel a heaviness of not knowing what our world will look like, and what my options will be. Thinking about past jobs and possible future employment, I come back to one thing: will my bosses be good leaders and create a healthy, beneficial work environment? 
 
After having jobs in multiple industries, I have always been left with frustration about lack of leadership and support. Why must I wait for the person at the top of the chain to lead me? How can I, just an employee, be a leader and support others? 
 
Why is it just one person? Can’t there be multiple leaders? To me, it seems impossible to put all these tasks on one person and expect to have a productive and positive workplace. Can’t there be someone who demonstrates the work ethic that is needed? Another one that can communicate with everyone, on all tiers, and know the needs of others and share that? And another that can encourage peers and give them the space to expand their own skills and knowledge?
 
So, if a leader is to do all of these things, yet it is quite impossible, why not change the definition of what a leader is? Why not change the narrative of the leader being the most skilled, the most experienced, the most educated…
 
Share light and reflect often,
 
Mara