Wednesday; October 3


          I have to admit that I don’t know much about Jonathan Maberry, in fact, I had to do a quick internet search to even know that he is some sort of modern writer.  Again, I don’t if he is a good guy or not, but the other day I came across a quote of his that attracted my attention, “When people ask me about what I learned from martial arts, I don't talk about favorite punches or kicks, or about fights won or lost. I talk about learning self-discipline, about ethics and manners and benevolence and fairness.”.  I have heard this assessment of martial arts on more than one occasion, but when I read this quote for some reason it got me to thinking about leadership.  Typically when we think about leaders we think of people who are battle-scarred victors who have risen to the top because of their skills, yet that may not always be an accurate assessment.  The best leaders I know don’t talk about wins and losses or mergers and acquisitions.  The most inspirational leaders to me aren’t the ones who can quote a business model or boast about their bottom lines.  To me, true leaders are the ones who have learned what brings out the most in them and what it takes to help others become their best.  You won’t find them looking down from the  top of the ladder of success, you will find them at the bottom helping people make their way up to the top.  Good leaders are winners – not because they have the most stuff, but because they participate at the highest level. 
          If we strive to be leaders we need to make sure we know what it means to be successful.  Leadership is about controlling ourselves and supporting others.  Let’s be the leaders we have been called to be and leave the score-keeping to others.
          Think About It!

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