We know that the great leaders people want to follow are inspirational, authentic and deeply committed to a shared vision and common mission, which former NBA coach and current executive for the Miami Heat Pat Riley describes as, “A sense of mission that reaches beyond the present and means going beyond simply being the best, going so far that you leave footprints.” You’ve heard me talk a lot about leaving footprints through a legacy that a leader can leave for generations to come, if they have a mission worthy of their team’s full focus and passion. Enough can’t be said about the importance of a leader deciding early on to what they are going to commit their life and life’s work. There are many honorable endeavors, but there are some which touch people’s lives in such a way that the legacy left can represent a turning point for the good in families, organizations, and entire communities. Leaders have tremendous potential in their hands, so I hope they will choose their mission wisely.
Once the mission is chosen, leaders have the wonderful opportunity to model the way of full commitment, which in turn will inspire their team to do the same. However, as many leaders of leaders have said over the years, “It all comes down to leadership.” Success or failure, inspiration or boredom, effective or barely getting by, is primarily in the hands of the leader. They must be the first in line to get to work and must have an attitude of “reporting for duty” each and every day. They must be willing to do whatever it takes to move forward. I have recently started to read a new book by Simon Sinek, Leaders Eat Last which is mostly about the attitudes that make servant-style leaders effective, but on the first page, though, there is a wonderful preamble which applies to our discussion of the need for leaders to be willing. It states,
Leaders are the ones who run headfirst into the unknown.
They rush toward danger.
They put their own interests aside to protect us or pull us into the future.
Leaders would sooner sacrifice what is theirs to save what is ours.
Not everyone who has the position of managing an organization is a leader, often because these people are not willing to do the things that real leaders do. But when you find a leader who will put the needs of the team above their own, watch how effective they become and how many people want to follow them.
So, what is your mission? What is it to which you are willing to give of your time, talent, and treasure? Is there a cause with your name on it? Is there a feeling stirring deep in your soul that you need to listen to? Or, could God even be calling you to step in a new direction, take some risks, and leave footprints for others to follow? It won’t be easy, but it will be fun! My mentor, Derric Johnson, has a saying that I have said to myself a thousand times. It reminds me of the type of leader I desire to be. He states, “Easy doesn’t do it. Never has. Still doesn’t. Never will. Some things are important enough to give our best to.” But, we have to be willing!