Callan…Coffee…Contemplation – For the week of January 20th
Every day we share our Leadership Reflections on our social media pages. Our daily reflections are quick thoughts on leadership that you can quickly and easily digest over a cup of morning coffee!
Here is the collection of last week’s reflections:
Heroic Leaders are Exemplars – Their Lives Become the Lesson
The ultimate goal of leadership is significance; to leave a residue of elevating example, noble purpose, and excellence that, like footprints in the sand, provide a trusted path for others to follow. Heroic leaders understand that one’s life evokes one’s character; therefore, they place themselves in situations that call forth their higher nature. The ultimate boon of a leader’s journey is Authenticity—the ability to genuinely resonate with others–which is only attained via the cauldron of life’s challenges and the crucible of personal transformation. Heroic Leaders internalize life’s lessons to the point that they themselves become the lesson.
Heroic Leaders Possess a Heroic Paradigm
The most essential component to Heroic Leadership is developing and retaining a Heroic Leadership paradigm. A paradigm is the filter through which one views life and leadership. Like a lens, a leader’s paradigm will refract what one perceives and inform one’s thoughts, actions, emotions, reactions, and ultimately, deeds. As such, a heroic leader must constantly “clean the lens” to ensure his ability to effectively see truth and hear wisdom remains pure. The components of a Heroic Leadership paradigm are these: (1) Great leadership is based on self-leadership; (2) Self-leadership is based on self-mastery; and (3) self-mastery is based on self-discipline. For the Heroic Leader, leadership is a way of life.
Heroic Leaders Seek Self-Mastery
Before a leader can truly exert positive influence over others, he must first master himself. Inner authority, borne via the crucible of personal experience and personal conversion, must first be cultivated within the leader before he can resonate with others. Like a master archer, a Heroic Leader must first center and regulate himself before he can effectively dispatch the arrows from his leadership quiver, and before those arrows of leadership fly straight and true. To gain self-mastery Heroic Leaders must daily allocate both time and energy to these three dimensions: Projection (thinking about the future); Action (practicing and preparing now); and Reflection (contemplating the past to garner lessons and wisdom).
Heroic Leaders are Dedicated Mentors
A hallmark of all great societies and organizations throughout history was the presence of “wise elders” within the group who served as mentors to the young emerging generation. Defined classically, mentorship is more a state of mind, a quality of being, than it is a single act or function. As such, Heroic Leaders operate by this sacred obligation: Attain mastery, and then give it away (freely)! As dedicated mentors we understand the enormous impact of practice and preparation in nurturing our followers, and we measure ourselves as leaders by how well, and to what degree, we have fostered excellence, maturity, accountability, character, and virtue in our followers. Mentorship is
therefore akin to the classic concept of apprenticeship, in which a deep bond–a “braided cord”– is formed between teacher and student.
Heroic Leaders Always Set the Example
As leaders, we are always being watched by those we lead. Our words, attitudes, actions, and deeds are always visible, interpreted, and judged by those around us. As such, leaders should always consider themselves “live, on stage, and on the record.” Our personal example is therefore a powerful beacon to be used for good or ill; for resonance or dissonance; for inspiration or stagnation; for elevation or depression. When our followers look to us, they hope to see a consistent example characterized by self mastery; confidence tempered by humility; a bias for action; vibrancy and optimism; and wisdom. Heroic Leaders strive to be exemplars, champions, and icons of excellence and virtue. Like the mythic Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders, Heroic Leaders must also accept the burden of personal example and willingly carry that obligation on their sturdy shoulders.
Check back next Monday for a round up of this week’s social media shares. Or check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Pinterest to see our posts every day!
Tweet Share