Leadership doesn’t require you to obtain a college degree or formal education. There are many leaders who never completed college. Some never completed grade school.
This is great news for those leaders who either dropped out of school or chose a different education path. You can lead without an education!
Does this excite you as much as it excites me? I hope it does. This means everyone has a chance to lead… If they so desire. Formal education isn’t required to lead.
Leading Without An Education
When you look at the definition of leadership according to the Meriam Webster dictionary, you will see just about anyone can lead. Meriam Webster defines leadership as:
a person who leads: such as
a: GUIDE, CONDUCTOR
The tour leader recommended several restaurants in the area.
b(1): a person who directs a military force or unit
leaders of the army
(2): a person who has commanding authority or influence
a leader in the reform movement
Do you see what I see? There is nothing in the definition of a leader that says you have to complete college or be formally educated. Nada, zilch, nothing.
You can lead without a formal education. You can be a leader regardless of where you went to school or if you even went to school.
To lead, you have to act like a leader would act. Leaders:
- Gain the influence of those they lead through their words and deeds
- Take action when they see something needs to be done
- Encourage those below him
- Push their teams to become better
Leadership isn’t about fancy degrees or titles behind your name. Those are status symbols some may like to see. However, they’re not needed for you to lead.
To be a leader, you need to gain influence and push people on. You can do this with or without an education.
If all that’s stopping you from stepping out and leading is the lack of a degree, stop waiting. You can step out and become a leader. In fact, if you look at your life, you will see you’re already leading in multiple areas. Move these leadership skills to the workplace and you will become a valued leader in no time.