How do you define leadership?  When you define leadership, what do you include in your definition? Is it the day to day habits, some underlying character quality, a learned skill or maybe just a random gift that someone has been given that is a part of their personality?  I personally believe that when you define leadership, the definition must take into account a lot of different aspects of a person’s life – their character qualities and personality traits, but even more so, something beyond these things.  It is rooted deep within the very psyche of of someone where his inspiration and motivations come from – something within his soul.

Certainly a complete definition of leadership would require a much more lengthy explanation than just this short article, but there are a few aspects of what great leadership is that are often overlooked that we should never forget. They are indeed a great part of what has defined some of the greatest leaders in history.  And, lest I might have completely overlooked these in my pursuit of rightly defining leadership based on my own understanding or academia, I want to share what my son reminded me about leadership on too long ago.

My son recently posted a tidbit of wisdom on my FaceBook page.  Within his insight lay two key attributes of a leader that I want to share with you.  Aside from the numerous comments that followed my son’s post espousing his wisdom, I was even more encouraged by the dialog that began to take place between the commenters.  My son seemed to wrap up these attributes that I had forgotten in his statement of what evidence is seen for a good leader.  His insight was in a nutshell what most people take most of their lives to realize about leading and/or in building a following for something they espouse as a worthwhile endeavor, and the consequence of both.  Simple, yet so profound, he said,

“Far too often the masses choose to follow people who lack the true nature of a leader, and ultimately allow themselves to be wrongly influences.  Even worse, those considered to be ‘leaders’ lack noble vision, any significant wisdom, and certainly not the integrity to effectively lead in noble ways.  Those who follow often become like those they follow. We must remember that leading successfully is more a process of leading by example in how to serve others to their highest and greatest potential.  The greatest indication that a person is a great leader is seen in how many of those who follow them step up and begin to follow their example of serving others to their highest and greatest potential.”

WOW!  That is a picture perfect definition of great leadership for an in the trenches definition. It is seldom now-a-days that we hear such things like serving others or of having integrity, but even more so about people who have been such good leaders that those who follow after them or who are under them withing any leadership structure, begin to emulate the qualities of their leader and begin to duplicate those qualities in others.  My son seemed to hit the nail on the head in his explanation of effective leadership. For someone who has barely gotten their feet wet in the world, he is light years ahead of where I was at his age.  Think of the possibilities if leadership in the world around us would actually follow the example of servanthood in leading others.  How much greater would the potential be if as leaders, our integrity was consistently lived out in front of those we were striving to impact or to lead?

Yet there is a dilemma in this hope, in that most leaders now-a-days are not visionaries enough to see how such acts of servanthood within their leadership responsibilities can actually make any difference.  To the majority, they see leadership as a platform to dictate policy and the actions of others and use the threat of loss or failure as their motivation.  They do not understand the big picture beyond their next pay check or next election.  I personally believe that such a self centered type of leadership is a recipe for disaster that is rising up in an entire generation who lack a passion for anything other than self-indulgence and self-gratification as their appetites and self-will dictate.  If we are to change this present generation into a forward thinking culture that will be able to compete in the 21st century, we must learn how to infect our followers with a vision of their future that is beyond their own personal self-realization and self-interests. We must help them define leadership in a new way and with a new and better perspective on the long term benefits of serving as a part of effective leading.  Will you be one of these leaders?

How will people define leadership if they use you as an example of what leadership is?  Will you be one of these leaders that will inspire those you work with to step out of the ordinary and live in the extra-ordinary?  The saying I penned some years back that my boys had to listen to repeatedly over the years, i.e. “Never settle for mediocrity lest it become your tomb while you yet live,” has ultimately overtaken their thinking.  My two oldest sons have really stepped up to make a difference in the lives of others who are in and around their lives.  They have cast off selfish ambition and the natural tendency for self-preservation, and have started to engage their generation with Truth, vision, and purpose from a podium of consistent personal integrity as leaders.  As a result, they have begun to impact the world around them in positive and lasting ways that only time will tell how much the world will be changed because of them.

It is not too far out of the realm of possibility that the success stories of those in whom they have, do, and will invest themselves into will be far greater than even their own life success stories, and certainly light years beyond mine. I have to admit that as a father, I have to fight back the natural tendency to be proud in seeing them becoming what I have continually hoped for their lives. They are amazing young men.

Will you become one of these types of leaders – the kind that leads by a consistent example of excellence in character and integrity, helping everyone that is put into your path to achieve their greatest and highest potential?  Will the world benefit from your passion to help others succeed in life in every meaningful way?

Only YOU can make the internal determination to rise above mediocrity and take hold of your greatest potential.  We have had seeds of greatness planted in us – in every human heart – and all for meaningful purposes that benefit others and the world around us.  Become a heart gardener, and help harvest the great potential that is in everyone you meet. Cultivate YOUR seeds of greatness as you become the leader you were meant to be, and watch what harvest you receive in the changed lives who will follow after you in your footsteps!