The Young Leader
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
– Jack Welch, Former CEO of General Electric
The world desperately needs new leadership.
We need leaders who are energetic, bold, inspired, filled with character and drive and are ready to take on the world to make a difference.
We need leaders with compassion, integrity, empathy, creativity and courage.
We need leaders who are diverse in many things: technology, social justice, economics, science and engineering.
I’m reaching out today to adolescents who feel the gift of leadership inside them, but simply don’t know how to act upon it. This is also for the parents, families and friends of these capable aspiring leaders, for you to read and share.
“Good leaders must first become good servants.”
- Robert Greenleaf
To those aspiring young talents: I’m asking you to START TODAY!
Begin your transformation and start developing your skill sets — because you don’t have to wait to be an adult, have a title or sit in the corner office to be leader. You simply need the unwavering passion and belief that anything is possible with a vision, integrity and hard work.
Leadership is a set of values. It’s the foundation upon which one feels compelled to elicit the greatness in other people to achieve incredible things. There are so many of you reading this right now who carry those intangible values, and I want you to step out of your comfort zone and be the change the world needs.
The difference between staying where you are and taking the next step forward is COURAGE. It is seeing and/or creating the opportunity, and then acting upon the instinct. It takes bravado to allow your voice to be heard with respect and trust.
This path is not an easy one. It takes a lot to put yourself in a vulnerable position, especially at a young age where you put a lot of stock into what others think about you. But if I could convince young people of one important truth, it would be you have to let go of what others think about you.
It’s easier said than done, and I still struggle with it. When you let go, there is an amazing freedom you get from taking the pressure off your shoulders and not allowing the opinions or perception of others get in the way of your journey.
So how can you start leading today without a suit and tie?
Here are 5 things that you can focus on now to begin the journey toward and amazing future as a leader:
1. BE AUTHENTIC
You’ve got a great heart, an amazing personality and a desire to succeed; start thinking about how you can evolve into the best version of yourself. Be a great son or daughter, an amazing friend and a successful student. Be the YOU that YOU want to be. Not the YOU that you think others want you to be.
2. SHOW GRATITUDE
Acknowledge and be grateful for everything you have. Recognize and thank those people who have been a positive influence in your life — and that includes your family members. Challenge yourself by creating a journal where at the end of each day, every day, write down 5 things that you are grateful for. Do it every single day. This simple exercise will make you stop and realize that everything may not be as bad as you think, and it creates a habit of positivity.
3. LEARN
Never stop learning. What your generation has as a result of technology means you have infinite resources to find answers and make changes in the blink of an eye. You have a huge advantage over previous generations; use it. Learn things outside your interests. Look around you, and take advantage of family and friends to learn from others. Ask questions, be engaged!
4. VOLUNTEER
In order to learn compassion and empathy, you must learn to give back. Your legacy will not be a result of what you have, but rather what you give. Your time is a precious gift and through volunteerism, you will experience multiplied joy. Look for places that you can contribute your time and assist in a cause, whether it is an animal shelter, food bank, or mentoring, give your time to help others.
5. PREPARE FOR FAILURE
Failure is a powerful word. It almost seems like it shouldn’t be in a list about effective leadership. Wrong. Failure is the only way anybody ever finds success. Each failure carries a valuable lesson that can serve as a stepping stone on your path to living a fulfilled life. Don’t settle for anything less in your pursuit, but know that sometimes you will not achieve it, and that’s okay. As long as you take ownership of the situation, dust yourself off and continue the quest, you have the ability to become a great leader.
My goal is to help you understand how to get out of your comfort zone and into the leadership zone. Everybody has incredible talents; however, it is up to them to share them with others to develop into the best version of yourself.
Be courageous.
Go do big things today and make a difference…
Humbled to lead,
