In the past, the gatekeepers of information (media, publishers, textbooks, etc.) did the job for you. The herd mentality of market research and advertising prevailed. While it served the marketers and did good for some people, the information was not always relevant.

With instant information at our fingertips, we have moved from an industrial age to the information age.

If you are like me, I want to know everything. When I began my writing and publishing journey, I became an information junkie. I was hungry to learn all I could about every aspect of writing and publishing, and marketing and promoting books.

Then there were all the things I needed to know for operating a small business from privacy policies, trademarks, copyrights, and the day-to-day operations. With the world-wide-web, there is a whole other set of skills and information to learn regarding web development, Search Engine Optimization, online marketing, social media, and it goes on and on.

With so much knowledge available today there are also many traps set by spammers, scammers, along with information coming your way you don’t need or want.

So what does this have to do with leadership?

To lead means to guide and direct. It is up to you, as the gatekeeper of your life, to filter and use that which empowers your unique purpose and aim and delete the rest. You are the one responsible for your leadership. Otherwise, you could end up in a sea of information overload and fall prey to the latest sharks; spammers or scam artists.

It is said that knowledge is power. While I agree, true power comes when the knowledge you gain is turned into measurable action that is relevant and authentic to you. Information alone makes no difference, unless you use the knowledge to inform the action that you will take.

Let that last sentence be your guide: If the information cannot be used to inform the action that you will take, discard it.