Leaders dominate the news and headlines. Their decisions affect us all. We admire, look up to and often follow their advice. We even wonder what it would be like to be them.
There is another more significant kind of leader. This leader is rarely seen in headlines, avoids the crowd and refuses celebrity status. This individual never takes the credit, prefers the sidelines allowing someone else to take the limelight. This leader will never be on the front page of a News or Fashion magazine.
The leader I’m thinking about is short in statue yet very tall in the knowledge and ability in his field. He would stick to a task long after the motivation left. He dedicated his life to a cause; a cause so great, only a leader with a unique sense of direction could fulfill. This leader strove to guide and influence, without coercion. His teaching was never in the political arena or the classroom. He used the greatest teaching technique known. He taught by example. He lived what he believed. His followers respected him, and learned from him. As a Leader, he didn’t need to display his values on his T shirt he lived them.
Our great leaders should not be measured by the standard of their cars, suits, or whether they achieve headlines. They should not be measured by monetary gain or fashion. They should be measured, by a standard of lasting results. No flash in the pan, fool’s gold here. Let’s measure greatness by footprints. The footprints of lasting results.
As leaders, our job is to look a little further, strive a little harder, stick to the task a little longer. But, most of all, our job is to ensure positive footprints are left behind ensuring that we have lived our values.
Leadership is a challenge, yet my friend defines leadership as a privilege to serve.
Take a minute, think of a person who influences you. Now make a short list of their qualities and work to emulate those qualities today.
Yours in Service,
Laurie D. Kennedy
Leadership Coach