Waiting for others to get things done is not acceptable today. Things are moving so fast and those who are willing to pay the brain bill and learn can easily accumulate the tools to win. The game has shifted from working within a structured process to making things happen. Those who make things happen are leading.
I am amazed at how few people are willing to engage leadership when the void is so apparent. A new idea is easy to come up with. Execution around that idea takes strength of will and vision. There may be failure. That is ultimately what the followers who are lingering for a leader are afraid of.
Whether you want to grow in a new skill or change the world, you can lead. It takes your desire to do so. Then put the systems in place to organize the people you need. Seth Godin’s book, Tribes, elaborates on this. It is the best book to read this year if you have to read one. He is imploring you to stop making excuses and start executing. Nothing is stopping you. The tools and resources are there.