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Becoming a Great Leader: Step #2


#2 Lead by example

            I believe you should not demand anything from anyone that you are not willing to do yourself. One of the greatest quotes I have ever heard is, “A great leader never wears strips on their clothes; they wear scars on their back.” –Miles Monroe. If you are not willing to do the dirty work, your workers will not respect you. As the leader you will have to set the standard. You will have to be the brand.

            One person who I feel is becoming a great leader is LeBron James. His success now is partially coming from the fact that he is walking his talk; he is living up to the hype around him.  He plays hard and expects that his team will play just as hard as him. In the past he would slack off at key parts in games and you could see the team doing the same. Now he plays like a man on a mission from tip off all the way until the last buzzer sounds. There is no let up, because if he were to be lazy, then the team would do the same.

            Leaders know that people follow them. This is not an arrogant statement, this is the truth. If you have ever coached a team you will have experienced days when you feel lazy and don’t want to practice.  On these days you see that the team carries your same attitude. When choosing a leadership role, you must be very cautious because you will be followed. Every step you take is watched by those who follow. I am an adjunct professor at a college and I notice this all the time. If I walk into a classroom with low energy, the kids will mimic my same energy, but if I walk in with FIRE I will ignite them and they will be ready to learn.

            My advice to you is simple, Ghandi said it best when he said “Be the change you want to see in the world.”.  This approach may take the longest amount of time but it is also the most effective form of leadership. People will follow your example so make it a good one. It may not happen overnight but if you are consistent and persistent eventually your point will get across.  Like I said earlier, you must BE THE BRAND.

-FLO

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