In an ICCFA keynote presentation by Drew Dudley of Day One Leadership, he opened by asking the crowd to raise their hands if they were comfortable calling themselves a leader. Many of the funeral directors in the audience did not raise their hands. Drew has found that many people, not just funeral directors, are uncomfortable calling themselves leaders.

That why he wants to redefine what a great leader is and how people can become better leaders. Below we will discuss some of the key points from his ICCFA presentation.

Who Can Be a Leader?

First, we need to get over the notion that leaders are always “giants.” By giants, Drew means people in positions like CEOs, presidents, or celebrities. There are smaller, important moments of leadership that everyone experiences at one point or another. It’s up to you to take advantage of them and use your leadership skills to make the best of these moments.

Defining Your Values

In order to be a great leader, funeral directors need to not just determine their values but to also define them. Let’s say one important value to you is integrity. If you don’t know what integrity really means or looks like, how can you actually apply it? Think about moments in your life you exhibited integrity and use them to influence your future actions.

Plan to Matter

Drew encourages us to ask ourselves, why do I matter? He wants us to reflect on what we can do to make a positive impact in this world. Maybe you matter because you are a great boss to your staff. Maybe you matter because you help families in your community. Whatever the reason, take it and run with it. If you feel like what you’re currently doing doesn’t matter, think of the ways you can change it to make a difference.

Questions to Ask Yourself

In order to become a great leader yourself, you must look to other great leaders to learn. What have you done to recognize someone else’s leadership? By recognizing and internalizing their actions, you can grow in your own leadership position.

Ask yourself at the end of the day, did you live a day of leadership? Did you exhibit your core values? Did your lift someone up? If not, reassess your actions and make it happen tomorrow.

What are some moments of leadership you’ve exhibited recently? Share by commenting below!