Leadership is an interesting thing. Being authentically yourself, and living life to the fullest is no small challenge. In the past few months this telling life lesson has become more relevant. Jesus went unknown in his hometown, but such leadership and selflessness resonates today. I find the same to be true in my own life, and perhaps in the lives of my friends in my town.
While going through my own personal development and leadership, there was a training process that had boundaries of where the practice ground took place. The idea is that we had an established setting for training ground, before returning to “life as normal”. From that place, we can welcome openness, vulnerability, challenges, feedback, and the opportunity to risk much. Will personal greatness shine through?
The past few months have actually presented the idea – what if I lived life as if the dojo was always in place? What if I stepped up and let myself lead? What if I gave selflessly as needed, putting another first – knowing that is true servant leadership. Granted, the world at large may be unaware that the training ground exists. The world may not see the compassion constantly displayed, nor will they necessarily appreciate what transpired. Sounds familiar. What if I lived as if it were “A world that works for everyone with no one left behind”? How will that shape how I interact with others?
To do that, I must determine who is part of team, and who is not. There must come a point where no one is left out, but that they are either in the game or not. It may not be my responsibility to bear all, but connecting them to the rest of their team may be critical. I will not dismiss another too soon, but I cannot be solely responsible for saving the world. The balance point of compassion and a leader that gets things done with confidence and timeliness is a great challenge. I’ve faced such a moment of personal challenge meeting capacity, while stepping up my business leadership and declaring – game on!
We’re in the dojo, and no one will be left out.
