Well, here we are again with the start of another school year and for many of us, the first full week with students. As we look toward the end of May, the 36 weeks ahead of us does seem long. However, you are in a position to control the magnitude of your attitude and spread your leadership most positively.

A few weeks ago, I was playing golf one Saturday morning with our group. It was my turn on the tee box, and hit a drive that CBS Golf would have loved to put the shot-tracer on. As I got back into the cart, I told my partner, “That was crushed.” You might want to know that our group does “trash talk” each other out of jest, and we have a lot of fun with it. Norm, who is a great friend and mentor in my life, said, “It didn’t go as far as you think it did.” In response (ego inflated), I said, “That had to carry at least 260.” When we got to my ball, Norm just patted me on the back and said, “about 230.” Now, with my ego deflated, I said, “Well, the wind must have picked up while my ball was in the air.” Norm, in his mentor voice, made a profound statement, “They never go as far as we think they do.” (I still think it flew farther… Maybe his SkyCaddie was broken?)

As I look back on that conversation, I immediately thought about leadership and the notion that a lot of times, we believe our leadership carries a lot further than it actually does. “Profoundess” and good intentions are needed, but what of lasting ripple effects?

Do you see your leadership as a “hit or miss” idea? Is it like a new clothing style, a fad that you will hope it comes back in style one day? Or, is it something more than like a one-hit song? What we are looking for is that all-time greatest hit, styles that transcend time, and leadership that hits the target.

Measuring your leadership takes time, but how long? I am not sure what the answer must be or is, but I do believe if you lead with a servant-heart, the lasting effects will carry the actual distance it should. Strong leadership is seen over time, whereas weak leadership is almost recognized immediately.

A few thoughts to make sure our leadership carries the distance it should over the course of your endeavors for the foreseeable future…

• No matter how small, how routine, or how insignificant your leadership may seem, someone is always watching, and you never know what effects it will bring.
• Your call to pursue quality leadership is built on the foundation of being for others that rests on servant hood. Any pursuit of leadership apart from this is futile and only for yourself.
• It must be recognized, however, that to have the right view of your leadership, you must hear what others say.

Providing leadership that carries as far as we think is often tricky. Societal “feelings” change with the drop of a handkerchief. Sometimes, there actually may be a strong wind in our face. However, others always see the results. Our challenge is to find a way that measures the true distance our leadership carries, and eliminate the self-inflated ego that gets in the way.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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