Are you standing in someone’s light or lighting someone’s stand?

Leaders light someone’s stand. Leaders are like impresarios, those behind-the-scenes producers who organize and often finance concerts, plays, or operas, according to John Sculley, the former Chief Executive Officer at Apple writing in his book Odyssey.

Impresarios – supersized stagehands — ensure that the resources are available, and that the setting and stages are reviewed and updated regularly to enhance performance.

Consider the following ditty in THINKING Like a Leader by Peter Jeff to help you focus on your Impresario duties as a leader:

CLEARING THE WAY

A leader may use just the right words
to cage the brightest and best of birds.

Those birds may sing throughout the day,
creating greater productivity
 in every way.

But suddenly their creative spirit is no longer free
when the birds are caught in their own debris.

Then leaders step in to clear the way so the birds
 can again sing away.