In my last blog, I spoke of authenticity in the lessons learned from Bowar’s article about Don Quixote. The primary point is that we must own our own self and not allow others to define who we are. We have the freedom to become the person we envision, so we must seize the opportunity to be authentic, otherwise, we will die without ever having truly lived. It’s sad how many people fall victim of living an inauthentic life when who they really wanted to be was just below the surface of their thoughts and actions, waiting to be set free.
Bowar identified this as “an identity waiting to be discovered.” Who do we really want to become? What do we want to be said about us at our memorial service? How would we choose to act and what would we stand for if we were able to put aside the fear of failure and the sting of others’ opinions?
Leaders who really change the world know how to overcome these challenges. They embrace the identity within and say to the world, “you don’t know me, so you can’t define me.” Great leaders are true to their inner convictions of who God made them to be. Age doesn’t matter. Gender doesn’t matter. Background doesn’t matter. A great leader doesn’t have to cool or hip – they just have to authentically know who they are.
Bowar described Don Quixote as one who “vigorously pursues his dreams and lets all his beliefs and ideals take form in his actions, rather than only in wistful words” and once the identity is discovered, he is willing to fight for it.
Be an authentic leader today. Be who you are and not what someone else says you should be.
Lead well.