Not all leaders are the same.

Some people lead out of convenience. They are tuned in WIFM (What’s in it for me?) When something goes wrong, he never blames himself, he always looks for someone else to blame.

The second type of leader leads because it’s their identity. They usually want to please the crowd and they want the significance and prestige that comes from being a leader. They want to prove something, but they aren’t true leaders.

The third type of leader has been called to lead. Those who have been called to lead don’t always want to lead. The moment you feel like you’ve been called to lead, you start making excuses why you can’t lead. But when you’ve been called to lead, you can change the game. Men who listen to the deep calling of being a leader create a bigger impact.

5 ways to know if you’ve been called to lead

1- You have a burning desire for growth
For you, it’s not “nice” to grow, you need to grow; you believe that if you’re not growing, you’re dying. Every day, you have to expand. There’s always a next level, and you’re going to find it. You are not afraid to lose the battle because you know you’ll eventually win the war. You know that you can figure shit out. Every setback is still one step closer to your ultimate vision. You need to grow and expand.

2- You follow your instincts.
Trusting your gut is how you found your EDGE. When you are in alignment with your inner voice, you tap into effortless flow. Effortless flow is when you realize that everything you do has a purpose because you trust the voice within you. Your certainty doesn’t come from the outside, it comes from within you. A higher purpose is guiding you.

3- Legacy is more important than instant gratification.
You are playing the long game. You don’t care about what people say about you today, you care about what generations will say about you when you’re gone. You’re okay with being misunderstood temporarily because time will tell who is right and wrong. You aren’t trying to please everyone around you, you’re looking at what the next generation will say about you. If you’ve been called to lead, you know there is a bigger purpose for you.

4- You are willing to pay the price even if you don’t know how.
You know that there is a risk for everything, but the biggest risk is doing nothing. So many men are staying on the sidelines waiting for someone to lead, but you know you’ve been called to lead when you take the risk. You may not have a clear path or know what you have to do, but you have a clear why. You know why you’ve been called to lead. You are figuring out why, but the why is crystal clear. You live by the principle that life is going to give you what you need to level up. When you pay attention to what life is giving you, that’s when you’re leading with power.

5- You know that if not you, then who?
It’s not if you are leading, but who you are becoming. Leadership doesn’t require you to be perfect, but it requires commitment. And you know that people are depending on you to rise as a leader. People will suffer if you don’t hear the calling. You are not doing this out of convenience. True leadership is not convenient or easy. You are not doing it out of obligation. You aren’t being forced to lead. You’ve been called to lead. You have a burning desire in your heart that is pulling you to become more. That’s when you know you’ve been called to lead. It’s not about if you become a leader, it’s about who you are becoming as you lead. You hear that voice inside of you that is constantly whispering, “It’s time.” When the voice whispers to you that it’s time to lead, that it’s time to step into the arena, it’s time to stop making excuses, that’s when you know you’ve been called to lead.

You want to break generational curses in your lineage. That is the game plan for you: you are willing to pay the price and do whatever it takes to lead. You’re not negotiating the price because you know who will suffer if you don’t heed your calling.

This is the moment you choose to lead. This is the moment that you listen to the calling. If you are reading this, you know you were destined for more. Maybe somewhere along the way, you lost that desire, or you don’t listen to the whisper, and you’ve become numb by failure. You doubt that you have been called to lead. Men who have been called to lead often doubt themselves. Because when you’re not enough, when you don’t have the capacity when you have fear and uncertainty, that’s when God works through you. God is shaping and molding you, because it’s not you who are leading, it’s God leading you. That’s what a transformational leader is: He says to God, “It’s not my will, it’s your will.” You’re not doing it out of significance, obligation, or convenience; you’re doing it because you’ve been called to lead. God understands that men are waiting on the sidelines waiting for you to show them the path.

The problem is that we get comfortable. We think we know more than God. We start doubting that we’ve been called to lead. That’s the moment we start denying the blessings. We refuse to grow, we stop taking risks and start playing small. We stop listening to the whisper that we’ve been called to lead. And if you don’t listen to the whisper, you will hear the scream of the consequences. Stop looking for the outside world to validate your calling. Stop waiting to be perfect to hear the voice. Stop looking for the perfect moment. Leadership is not convenient.

Life is giving you everything you need to level the fuck up. Every day, you must shut out the voice of negativity and doubt, and enhance the voice that reminds you who you are.