Leadership and Internal Locus: Guiding from Center

BY NICOLE LAU

The Psychology of Internal Locus: Why Most Suffering is Optional - Module 3: Adolescent Internal Locus Building (Ages 13-18) - Part III: Academics and Future

Leadership - guiding teams, leading clubs, captaining sports, organizing projects. And when your worth depends on being leader, leadership becomes ego performance. When your value depends on control and recognition, you'll lead to prove worth rather than serve team. When your identity is your leadership title, you'll sacrifice team success for personal validation. This is external locus creating toxic leadership - ego-driven, controlling, worth-seeking leadership that harms teams.

When your worth depends on leadership, you can't lead authentically. You'll seek leadership positions to prove worth, not from desire to serve. You'll need to control everything to maintain worth. You'll take credit to validate yourself. You'll see team members as threats to your position. And you'll create dysfunctional teams - resentful members, poor outcomes, toxic culture.

But here's the truth: leadership is service. When your worth is inherent, you can lead from service, not ego. When your value is constant, you can empower others without threat. When your identity is solid, you can guide from center. This is internal locus leadership - servant leadership, empowering teams, guiding from authentic vision.

External Locus Leadership

When worth depends on being leader:

Ego-Driven: Lead to prove worth, not to serve team. Leadership is worth-seeking.

Controlling: Must control everything. Can't delegate. Worth depends on being in charge.

Credit-Seeking: Take credit for team success. Need recognition to feel worthy.

Threatened by Others: Team members' strengths threaten your position. See them as competition.

Can't Empower: Empowering others feels like losing worth. Keep team dependent.

Toxic Culture: Team resents you. Dysfunction, conflict, poor outcomes.

Burnout: Trying to control everything. Exhaustion.

Internal Locus Leadership

When worth is inherent:

Service-Driven: Lead to serve team, not prove worth. Leadership is service.

Empowering: Delegate, trust, empower. Worth intact enables sharing power.

Credit-Sharing: Celebrate team success. Share recognition. Worth doesn't depend on credit.

Strengthened by Others: Team members' strengths enhance team. Celebrate their talents.

Can Empower: Empowering others doesn't threaten worth. Build capable team.

Healthy Culture: Team respects you. Collaboration, trust, excellent outcomes.

Sustainable: Shared leadership. Team can function without you. Sustainable.

Servant Leadership

Leading from service:

Serve the Team: Your role is to help team succeed. Serve their needs.

Empower Others: Build team's capabilities. Help them grow.

Listen: Hear team's ideas, concerns, needs. Leadership is listening.

Share Vision: Inspire with vision. Guide toward shared goals.

Take Responsibility: When things go wrong, take responsibility. When things go right, share credit.

Build Community: Create culture of trust, collaboration, mutual support.

Leading from Internal Locus

How to lead authentically:

1. Your Worth Is Intact: You're valuable whether you're leader or not. Leadership doesn't create worth.

2. Lead to Serve: Why are you leading? To serve team, not prove worth.

3. Empower Others: Build team's capabilities. Their success is your success.

4. Share Credit: Celebrate team. Recognition doesn't determine your worth.

5. Listen More Than Talk: Leadership is listening. Hear your team.

6. Build Trust: Be authentic, reliable, supportive. Trust enables team success.

7. Guide, Don't Control: Provide vision and support. Let team execute.

The Long-Term Gift

Teenagers who lead from internal locus become adults who:

Build excellent teams. Know their worth isn't their title. Can empower others without threat. Create healthy organizational cultures. Pass servant leadership to next generation.

This is the gift. This is leadership from center. This is internal locus.

Lead from Service

This is the message about leadership: Lead to serve, not to prove worth. Your value doesn't depend on being in charge. You're worthy whether you're leader or team member. Leadership is service - helping team succeed, empowering others, building community. Lead from your center. Guide from your values. Serve from your strength. This is authentic leadership. This is leadership that transforms.

This is internal locus. This is servant leadership. This is guiding from center.