Leadership and Success are Your Birthright
Everyone is entitled to both leadership and success, but sadly most people die without encountering any of these two. Blake Davis was in that reality, too, not expecting anything more than he expected. He was a good guy, had good parents, lived the average life, medicated the problems he had with TV, and had bountiful amounts of food and worry. He finally decided to change course, a little, he enlisted in the army to have a sense of belonging. When he was done, he bored the pains of the horrific events at war. No one could understand him, except his fellow soldier colleagues. He felt alone, insignificant, and wanted to die. He got a job at a bookshop, and he still wasn’t doing well, but his love of books kept him there. Then, one day, the strangest thing happened and his life never remained the same.
My Meeting with a leadership mentor
A tap on his shoulder made him startled. Tommy Flinn was the name of the gentleman dressed in ruffled clothes. He was the Employee of the Year who just got transferred to the store where Blake worked. Tommy knew all about Blake. He had been his father’s close friend, and he was interested in Blake. Tommy had once been frustrated and dejected until Blake’s father motivated him to move into the city. Tommy’s plan was for Blake to understand the philosophies of LWT. LWT stands for Lead WIthout a Title. Every organization needs to empower each employee to lead in everything they do-being truly excellent in their various roles. Looking forward to solving challenges at every point is the mark of true leaders. True leaders do Serious Exceptional Work (SEW).
The Sad costs of Mediocrity and the Spectacular Cost of Leadership Mastery
Leaders are people who dare to reinvent themselves every day. They are willing to do the things failures are not willing to do. Tommy asked him to come to see him at 5:00 am, by a cemetery. Life was short, the graves testified to it. In the end, it’s not the titles, positions, and net worth, that matters. What matters is whether you got to discover your inner leader and whether you dared to unleash it. Tommy showed Blake a slate with a list of ten regrets and another with a list of ten victories. One of the ten regrets is that he reaches the end of his life and the song he was meant to sing remained silent within him. One of the ten victories was reaching the end of one’s life and discovering that they built others up more than they tore them down. Blake started to realize that his life had been filled with senseless distractions. He discovered that he could either choose to go down the path of the first slate or the second.
The First Leadership Conversation: You Need No Title to Be a Leader
Blake Davis drove off with his mentor Tommy Flinge, to meet a housekeeper named Anna, who enjoyed what she did for a living. The experience with Anna taught Blake that we determine to view what we do for a living. Following the words of Martin Luther King Jr., It could as well be the most important job in the world. Anna was from Argentina, she had lost both her parents at a young age, and lived with her grandmother together with her cousins, but were very poor. Anna seemed industrious, charming, and passionate. She was the kind of person to light up rooms when she walked into them and was liked and respected by the hotel management. Blake learned that we all have the power to view our roles from a wiser perspective and decide how happy we are about our roles. From this conversation, Blake learned the first leadership philosophy: IMAGE, which stands for Innovation, Mastery, Authenticity, Guts, and Ethic.
The Second Leadership Conversation: Turbulent Times build great Leaders
Tommy drove to the Tribeca area of New York to show Blake the next teacher, Ty, who owned a store that sells ski equipment. Hard times build nothing short of great leaders. Most times, we are expected to lean into the change before us, not away from it. From Ty, Blake learned that turbulent times would elevate his skills, expose hidden talents, and boost his game. Organizations that understand the LWT philosophy for their hard times do not need to worry about competition. Companies that excel in such times are those who increase their staff's innovative skills and pick up talents when their competition is laying people off. The brave eat their fear before it eats them. You see, that feeling of nervousness (so uncomfortable) in the pit of your belly is what would keep you going. The bigger the risks, the larger the rewards. The words that come out of the mouths of great leaders, also, have a lot of determines whether success is achieved or not. The second leadership philosophy is: SPARK, standing for Speak with candor, Prioritize, Adversity breeds opportunity, Response versus react, and Kudos for Everyone.
The Third Leadership Conversation: The Deeper your Relationship, the Stronger Your Leadership
Tommy took Blake to meet Jackson Chan, a former CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company who started his passion in gardening. Jackson taught Blake the importance of connecting with people to the success of businesses. Business is a vehicle that drives people to realize theirs. The more value you create, the more financial rewards. Even in a world that is so result-driven and we tend to neglect relationships, people-connection is key. Giving to others that which you most want to receive is the key. As a leader, become a living, breathing, walking hub radiating excellence to everyone you are fortunate to be around. Jackson taught him the acronym: HUMAN, meaning helpfulness, understanding, mingle, amuse and nurture.
The Fourth Leadership Conversation: To be a Great Leader; First Become a Great Person
Jet Bristley, New York’s superstar massage therapist, was the last teacher Blake met. The last lesson is that to be great, you have to be great yourself. Working hard on yourself will make your character richer, your intentions purer, and your acts bigger. Most people don’t discover how to live until they are about to die. To create a change that impacts people, clear up every emotional baggage, and make sure you are spiritually aligned. Building an excellent inner life is a prerequisite to exceptional leadership. Wealth in terms of money is external, and we seek these because satisfaction, fulfillment, and peace are what we are after. Jet taught him a special acronym called SHINE. SHINE stands for See clearly, Health is wealth, Inspiration matters, Neglect not your family, and Elevate your lifestyle.
Conclusion
After that special day, Blake expected to see Tommy at the workshop and work with him. But that didn’t happen. He later heard from the four teachers that he had been struggling with cancer and had died. It felt so devastating for Blake, but Tommy died a leader who was well-respected and lived a life of impact. Tommy left behind a passionate hand-written letter for Blake plus the keys to his Porsche. Blake’s career turned around for good and he kept his promise of improving the lives of others by spreading the LWT principle with others. Hence, this book. He encourages you to tell others about these too.
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