My first positional leadership assignment was in 1987. I was 21 years old and was enlisted to teach five 2nd graders in Vacation Bible School. It was a fun week and I learned a lot.
Things have changed a lot since those early days. Here is what I wish someone would have told me about leadership when I began to serve.
- The hardest and most important person to lead is yourself.
- Preparation is more important the presentation. In other words, your success is determined by the hard work you put in beforehand privately.
- Leaders very rarely have two good days in a row.
It is that final lesson I want to spend a little time on.
Leadership has many privileges but the fine print of the leadership contract contains the price leaders must pay in order to be successful. It is because of the price that leaders often get blind-sided and become quite frustrated. This is why I try to “comfort” young disillusioned leaders by telling them they will rarely have two consecutive good days.
After recovering from the shock and surprise of my words, they learn leadership constantly demands:
- Putting out fires.
- Resolving conflict.
- Breaking new ground.
- Making hard decisions.
- Sometimes releasing people.
- Being responsible for the mistakes of others.
- Having people disappoint you.
- Having people disappointed in you.
- Having people question your skills, competencies, and/or motives.
- Leading people who think they could do your job better than you.
- Dealing with failure.
- Extreme exhaustion.
- And much, much more….
But here is what I also tell leaders – stay focused, stay strong, and stay in the game! Your leadership is desperately needed. The vision you are casting is inspiring others and providing direction. Though people sometimes seem unappreciative, you are improving the quality of their life. Therefore, the world is a better place when great leaders show up every day.
Finally, I want to say to all leaders who may be having a bad day today, ” Thank You!” And then remind them that tomorrow will be better.
My latest eBook is available for download. The Top 65 Leadership Quotes Of 2022 Part 1 is a resource every leader should have. Great quotes bring clarity and put into words who we intuitively feel as leaders. They give us wisdom and insights which advance the mission and vision of our organizations. This eBook includes thoughts and insights from leaders like Warren Buffett, Nick Saban, James Clear, Dawn Staley, Jurgen Klopp, Jerry Seinfeld, and even Ted Lasso. This resource will take you about 10 minutes to read but a lifetime to apply. You will want to stop and ponder the implications of each quote. Click HERE or on the image provided for immediate download!