Thursday; December 16

Last week, America lost a long-time civil servant. When Bob Dole passed away at the ripe old age of 98 he had out-lived many of his contemporaries – and even some of their descendants! While Senator Dole never made it to brass ring of American politics – the White House – it would be an error to say that he wasn’t successful in his political life. Interestingly, as I read about Mr. Dole, I came across a quote they may have been prophetic, “When it’s all over, it’s not who you were … it’s whether you made a difference.” 20th Century United States history is interwoven with the influence of the man from Kansas.

As I pondered this quote, I was reminded of a lot of people who influenced my world, but never held a significant position in society. You may have never known them, but they changed my life. They didn’t make the news, rather they were teachers, preachers, community leaders, friends and confidents. You won’t find their quotes in Wikipedia, but you can see their influence etched in my life and in the lives of so many others. No, they aren’t famous characters – but they were fabulous leaders.
Let’s not worry so much about fame and fortune and focus on the impact we will have on those around us. True leadership isn’t necessarily found in positions of power, it is in the ability to inspire those around us. When we do our best to positively affect those within our span of influence the ripples we leave will be felt well beyond their original audience.

Think About It!

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