Be Humble

It comes down to our character and our willingness to be humble, even with the pride that can creep in.

We have to have a strong enough ego to believe that we can lead, and yet a strong enough ego to set it aside to be humble enough to lead. And so, as we follow the great leaders that we look up to, the John Maxwell's, the people that have come before, whether you're a person of faith or not, I'll tell you, having the Holy Word to read and to see the words of the prophets and God Himself and say, "Yup, that's how I become a leader."

I believe that in the values of those written words, as well as the good words that we can read or listen to, where we say, "I know how I can forgive myself, become a better man. I know that I can be authentic and I can be strong." Within that, a leader is vulnerable. If you're willing to be vulnerable, there is only power within your willingness to go to that place.

Unfortunately, people look at vulnerability, somehow, as a weakness. And there is nothing stronger than a leader who is vulnerable in his authenticity and can share that he's struggling through a great crisis and says, "This is what is. And this is what we do about it." And we listen to those that we lead.

I believe the greatest leaders are the listeners. Even though I’m a speaker, I'm much better at listening. I am very good at watching someone do what they do because I'm an impersonator at heart.

When I watch a great leader, I say, "I want to impersonate that guy." My question is, how would somebody impersonate you? What are your leadership qualities? Your signature moves that make you stand out in a sit-down world?

All of us have them. Have you identified, clarified, and magnified them? Because that's your promise.

I invite you to join my 12-Week Roundtable. It’s a community devoted to seeing things from different perspectives and empowering each other to lead well in our organizations. Schedule a call with me to learn more!