“Leadership is not a license to do less. Leadership is a responsibility to do more.”
It is a common but misguided perception that once you’ve “made it to the top,” things get easier because you can relax and let other people do the work. That is an excellent recipe for losing your spot at the top. Being a leader is hard work—all the time. It is also rewarding—most of the time. And that “most of the time” makes the rest of the time worth it.
The Colonel loved this quote, which he said was originally from General Douglas MacArthur: “Never send your troops in where you are not willing to go, and never ask them to do something you are unwilling to do yourself.” While doing everything yourself is not a characteristic of leadership, if you have never been where you’re sending your team (metaphorically), then you have no basis to guide them on the journey.
I have a friend who is a fitness trainer. He spends eight to ten hours a day in the gym with his clients, guiding them to their fitness goals. Every evening after dinner, he goes back to the gym to work out himself. I asked him about that one time: “You’re in the gym all day long. Don’t you get tired of being here?” He said, “Of course I do. But my clients won’t put work in that I haven’t put in before them. I put the work in on myself so I can guide and encourage you to put the work in on yourself.”
Leaders do more than the rest of the team—usually behind the scenes—and not for their own achievement or accolades but for the benefit of the team. Leadership is a lonely road that requires letting go of privilege in order to build something permanent—a legacy.
Read Lauren’s Whitepaper on The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership.
