Is belief the start of leadership?

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right”

Henry Ford

A strange thing happened to me when I started the Common Purpose International Navigator Emerging Leadership Programme; I became a leader! Now this sounds obvious and a bit strange but I have a strong belief that as soon as you start calling yourself a leader then you become a leader.

I talk to young people a lot about belief; generally if they believe they are trouble makers or they can’t succeed then generally that is what happens – that are trouble makers who don’t succeed. However, a powerful change occurs as soon as they start to think that they can achieve anything – they start to achieve! Belief is a powerful force.

Now, I am not in the realm of following self help books or their philosophy but in my experience as soon as you start talking about yourself as a leader and believe that you are a leader then you get identified as a leader and start leading.

So is belief the start?