Leadership is not about the number of people in your organization. Leadership is not about the size of your paycheck, or even the fancy “stuff” you possess. Leadership is an in-born quality that we all possess – if we choose to put it into effect.

Leadership means making right choices – even when no one is looking. It means being courageous in the face of your fears. It means choosing to be a leader – and trusting that followers will show up.

Dave Ursillo‘s fascinating book, Lead Without Followers, describes this very thing (you can read my review and win an autographed copy of his book here). Lead Without Followers is an examination of everything wrong with our perception and definition of leadership in today’s world. Using Washington D.C. as a backdrop, Dave illustrates how we as a society have taken to wealth and “power” as what defines a leader, instead of the intrinsic qualities that we all aspire to: trustworthiness, honor, respect, and the ability to do the right thing.

As I was reading the book, I got to thinking about the number of direct sellers I know that are true leaders in their field – not because they have an organization with thousands of people (some of them do, but some do not), but because of how they conduct themselves and their business.

These leaders may only be leading a small army (or an army of one), yet, they are exemplary, compassionate people. They care for their teams, their customers, and their hosts with a servant’s heart. They’re focused on quality, not quantity, and while earning the company incentive trip is a nice feather in their cap, their focus is on helping those they meet make better choices for their lives.

By Dave’s definition, being a leader doesn’t mean you need millions of dollars or millions of followers. Being a leader is a choice – in fact choosing to be a leader must happen before you can ever have followers.

Whether or not you decided to step up into leadership in your company, and nurture a team of consultants, you are still very much a leader. It’s how you conduct yourself and your business. It’s how you treat the people around you. It’s how you build your life and business with integrity.

Leadership is not about the stuff you have, it’s about the stuff you’re made of.