How to Be a Game-Changing Leader
Real leaders leave a legacy
Is the concept of leadership overrated? I think not. It should be top of mind for anyone who desires to make a difference, even in the smallest way.
Leadership will ultimately be the thread that leads us through the current wilderness of despair and to the “Promised Land” that extols and makes real the founding words of our democracy — “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
These famous and enduring words have built a nation, they have exhorted the charge to fight to the death for freedom and justice for many of America’s inhabitants, but they have fallen short of accomplishing the clarion call for “liberty and justice for all.”
The question might be asked why hasn’t “liberty and justice” for all been achieved? The answer is because of a lack of “true leadership.” Notice the emphasis is placed on the term “true leadership.”
There has not been a dearth of leadership across the centuries of growth, turmoil, triumph, and victories of America. The void has been the lack of “true leadership” that embodies the words of the document upon which America was established.
Because of the lack of “true leadership,” America has come to a crossroads, an intersection of sorts. Does it continue on the path of strife brought on by decades of institutional racism?
Does it continue to ignore the nation’s slide from the world view of being the best place to be born or come to achieve everything that one would want?
Unfortunately, the American dream has become a nightmare for so many of its citizens and inhabitants that sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, and anger now rule.
The results show up as racial hatred and division among cultures, an economy that is sinking and diving like a submarine, a health care system that is in chaos and a country that is on the brink of crashing.
America weeps and through tears of exasperation exclaims “Where are my leaders?”
This article hopes to shed some light on the state of leadership in the U.S.A and how game-changing leadership can bring the nation back to its admirable quest for justice, fairness and equality and propel it to become greater than it’s ever been.
What Is the Phenomenon Called Leadership?
Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.”- Keven Kruse
A check with Wikipedia, Merriam Webster dictionary, nor any other source comes up with a better and more fitting definition than given by Keven Kruse.
Why Leadership Is Important
Leadership is the foundation and at the core of every successful family, company, organization, state, or nation.
It is said that the family is the basic unit of society. This concept and philosophy have stood the test of time and the rationale that leadership’s genesis starts with the family has been championed by great thinkers, philosophers, and statesmen like Aristotle.
His teaching and philosophy were the families is the unit from whence the foundation of states and nations are borne. They are the basic unit of society.
This concept is further defined and explained through Wikipedia, where it describes leadership as a trait or characteristic whose beginning can be traced to the family environment.
In a New York Times article written by former U.S. Secretary of Education, William Bennett, he sums up, in the statement below, the importance of family as the basic unit that supports the growth of leadership whether it turns out for good or bad:
“The family is the nucleus of civilization and the basic social unit of society. Aristotle wrote that the family is nature’s established association for the supply of mankind’s everyday wants. Research clearly shows that the institution of the family is the first form of community and government.”
It’s not rocket science to determine from these findings that leadership styles are formed at home. Therefore, the importance of leadership should be emphasized early on.
A nation’s future and fortune are ultimately tied to how its families have molded and influenced the children by leadership examples. Game-changing leaders are made, not born.
Life skills help youth navigate life successfully. Learning and practicing leadership is one of the skills children need.
The Bible, the most famous, most read, and extremely influential book in the world, pinpoints how important household influence is to the creation of future leadership:
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. “ Proverbs 22:6 KJV
A cultural environment of leadership produces leaders for the future. It is an important skill that youth should have as a fundamental part of their development.
A part of the learning experience should be the early acceptance of others who are different in looks, color, thoughts, and expressions.
This teaching would not only increase and lay the basis for self-confidence but also the ability to interact and get things done collectively and in collaboration with others.
Had this been a fundamental principle within the family units of America for the past decades, the rampant racism that we are now experiencing and its awful product of damage and destruction would not exist.
This is the importance of teaching great and right leadership. It begins at home. There is where the genesis of game-changing leadership begins.
Who Can Be a Leader?
The one constant about leadership is that it does not discriminate. It permeates all races and cultures. It is an equal opportunity seeker. “Whosoever will let them come and learn of me” is leadership’s clarion call.
Titles don’t equate to leadership. They may be prestigious and command attention, but they’ve never accomplished anything without the toil, dedication, and commitment that lives up to the given title.
Birthrights don’t produce leadership. History and current events are a testament to that.
Wealth does not create it. Leadership cannot be measured by money. Leadership accomplishment is earned and its impact is timeless.
Leadership comes from innate, fundamental principles that cause one to have a compass that points to doing the right thing under any circumstance, and forges a way to do it consistently. These are the raw materials of leadership.
They are honed over time, some advancing sooner than others, but advance they do and as they grow into the fountainhead of leadership, attributes like understanding, empathy, patience, courage, fortitude become knitted into the leadership fabric along the way.
What this means is everyone can be a leader. From the leader of a family to a leader of a nation or of the world. Leadership is one of the true equal opportunities that exist. It’s a matter of choice not chance.
Choices can be molded within the environmental atmosphere of a family. Game-changing leaders can be shaped for a magnificent dynasty or devastating destruction.
Common Traits and Characteristics of “True Leaders”
There is a misconception that real leaders are fearless. That’s not true at all. Rather, real leaders recognize the fear, they feel the fear, analyze it, and then manage it and move forward using the best information at their disposal to make the best choices to accomplish the ultimate goal before them.
Fear can be used to advantage because it helps one to be more prudent but never powerless.
Fear is a master of shutting down progress. It is one of the strongest emotions that constitute the makeup of human beings and it’s based largely on a mystery of the unknown or upon conjured concepts of the bad things that could happen. However, most of the things that people fear never really happen.
There is an acronym that I often use when I am teaching on the subject of leadership and fear. It was shared with me decades ago, but I emblazoned the concept and thought in my head and have lived by it since. The acronym is F.E.A.R. It stands for “False Evidence Appearing Real”.
Leaders develop a prescription sense of this concept and challenge the facts and circumstances that are presented before them. They check the accuracy and credibility of the information before making a decision.
Often it is “false evidence” and the facts, once known, call for an entirely different decision or direction. In such circumstances, the perception was it “appeared real.” So, the lesson from this is that leaders must be aware of perceptions.
“The true test of a leader is how well you function in a crisis. Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared. — Eddie Rickenbacker WWI Fighter Pilot
Leadership Has Identifiable Traits and Characteristics and Leave Clues Like:
- Honesty and Integrity — “The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower 34th U.S. President
- Vision and purpose — “Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” — Jack Welch. The Bible speaks about the importance of vision in leadership. “Where there is no vision, the people perish…Proverbs 29:18 KJV.
- Transparency-One of the best ways to win the trust of followers is by being transparent. Instead of hiding information, it should be openly shared with them.
- Humility — “Pride makes you artificial and humility makes us real.” — Thomas Merton. How would you feel when you are promoted to leadership status? Perhaps that has already happened. How did you feel? Would you have or did you have a sense of pride? A good leader is always selfless and always thinks about his or her followers. That is the leadership style that most great leaders adopt.
- Decision-Making Ability — A good leader will have the ability to make a decision after carefully considering the facts and circumstances and stick with it unless there are credible and more compelling reasons to make a change that will ensure a better outcome.
- Accountability — Another hallmark of good leadership is assuming responsibility for the outcome of decisions. Leadership takes ownership of the results without looking for someone else to always take the blame.
These all are core traits and characteristics of (true leadership). They are the game changers and measurements of solid leadership.
The Legacy of Leadership
What is a legacy? The dictionary defines legacy as a gift or a bequest that is handed down, endowed, or conveyed from one person to another.
It is something descendible one comes into possession of that is transmitted, inherited, or received from a predecessor. More particularly, it is anything handed down from one person to another.
America is suffering from a gap in its legacy of leadership. It is rapidly losing the bright beacon light that once shined to the world at large that it is the place to come for freedom and the ability to be whatever you want to be. We need to restore America’s legacy of leadership.
We don’t have to look far to find our nation’s bearings. Other great Americans have left a legacy of leadership for us to follow. We only need to heed their voices which still call out with a loud voice to lead the way. Here’s what they say:
Abraham Lincoln, one of our greatest presidents, met the challenge and call to game-changing leadership. He united a divided America and forged the foundation for salvation from the demon of slavery.
His call then, and echo now is for America’s leadership to speak the truth and trust that its people will meet and defeat the national challenge of disease and inequity that currently has it in their grip. He left us a legacy of leadership.
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
The false evidence of things appearing real has been confronted successfully and overcome in the past. We simply need to move forward with courage and conviction using the lessons of history to pave the way. President Franklin D. Roosevelt left us a legacy of leadership.
“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. left us a legacy of leadership.
The above are but a few of the legacy of leadership that this country has produced. History shows that great leadership stands the test of time. Woe unto us if we do not adhere to and revive the legacy of leadership that has been handed down for us to follow and implement.
Here’s the Conclusion of the Matter: What Will Be Your Legacy of Leadership? Will You Be a Game Changer?
Will you commit to making a difference? If you didn’t know it before you read this article you now know you can make a difference.
Start with family, friends, and, if your power of influence spreads larger, take it to the next level and make a change for better.
Do it with courage, confidence, and commitment to right wrongs and dispense justice and equality, not for the accolades of being a leader.
Above all, be persistent in doing it:
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” –Calvin Coolidge
You are a leader. If a child looks up to you and seeks guidance; if a friend has lost sight of the right direction to take; or a stranger may need a helping hand, you are a leader and you can make the difference in their life. The compound effect will be a positive change that comes.
Lock on to this dream and don’t let anybody change it:
“You got a dream…you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it.” — Will Smith — Pursuit of Happiness
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others? What’s your answer? I hope it’s to provide game-changing leadership to make the world a better place to live in.
