Wednesday; November 16

One of the most memorable images from my childhood is a stern looking man in a fedora on the sidelines of the Cotton Bowl (then, a bit later on, Texas Stadium). I was a Dallas Cowboys fan and the man who ran the team was my hero. Tom Landry not only produced winning teams, he displayed a winning attitude – not just in football, but in life. Coach Landry had a complex relationship with many of his players, but there was something special about the way he handled himself in victory and defeat.

The other day, I was reading some quotes by Mr. Cowboy and came across this, “Really, coaching is simplicity. It’s getting players to play better than they think they can.”. As I read this, I immediately thought about leadership. Often, we think of leaders as people who can motivate people to follow their own game plan, but the real leaders are those who can help others become the best they can be. It’s not about manipulating people into doing what we want, it is about helping them fully develop their own talent. Leaders don’t necessarily tell people what to do, they show them what is possible. Leaders don’t always direct people where the leader wants them to go, often they help them extend the vision that person has for their own lives and helps them reach beyond what they thought was possible.

Do you know someone who hasn’t reached their potential? Maybe a more important question is do you know someone who hasn’t even realized how talented they really can be? As leaders, we help people increase their impact by expanding their perspective of themselves.

Think About It!

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