What early leadership lessons have impacted you most?
One of my earliest memories, is me following my dad, as we helped a neighbor with some sort of project. I can remember trying to copy his walk, as we walked around our neighborhood. It is a memory that replays in my mind often, and it is an example of leadership I took for granted. In most cases, our earliest leadership lessons come from our parents. How we act, how we treat others, and our work ethic comes from them. Some may have had both positive and negative leadership lessons. Whatever the lesson was, it has created who we are today. I was one of the lucky ones, as I had two loving parents who modeled great leadership capabilities to me. Who did you follow and what lessons of leadership are you lucky to have had?
We all were brought up with great leaders, who taught us many valuable lessons, such as the importance of working hard, and helping others. The one lesson I took to heart, is to be humble. That first lesson of being humble has always been important to me. Great leaders see value in everyone and understand that each person brings something special to our organizations. We are not the keeper of every piece of knowledge. Others can help us take our organizations to the next level. Another lesson that is important to me is helping others. As the leader, we can use our influence to help our people move to the next level. If we fail to allow our teams to grow, we have lost what is important in our world. A final lesson that I have had to become better at, is being strong in my leadership role. Being a leader is hard. Many people refuse to trust us because you are the leader, and some will believe you are unable to lead. They may feel that they know more or could do a better job leading. We must stand up to confrontation and deal with negativity. It is part of that leadership role. We can bridge that difference of opinion through better communication and producing a positive outlook on each situation we deal with. Leadership lessons can come from a variety of interactions. We must pay attention, reflect, and search for a better way of doing things.
Who are the leaders who have inspired you, and why?
What lessons from your youth have made the greatest impact in your life?
What leadership lessons are you known for, and who has benefited from them?
If we remember our leaders and the lessons they provided, we have an opportunity to live and lead a great life. I will always remember to be humble, add value to others, and stay strong when in difficult situations. I hope you can recall those leadership lessons and live them out each day. Thank you for looking in on this week’s post. Have a great week and please leave a comment below that will contribute to this conversation.
Steve Bucks~ Leading Conversations and Leadership Coaching
~Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member~
