Even if you are promoted by surprise, even if you inherit the role, even if you have no idea how you suddenly came to be in charge, leadership is a choice. Leadership is a choice to influence for the greater good. It's a choice to develop people so that they can get a job done. It's a choice to stay with it disappointment after disappointment with the discipline it takes to refine, develop, discover, and deploy the tools you need to succeed. Leadership is a choice we make over and over and over. Make the choice. Take the learning. Make things better. It's up to you. -- doug smith