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When you do your job–any job–with initiative and determination to make a positive difference, you become a leader.
Sandra Dowling, the founder of Pappas School for homeless students in Phoenix, explains the power of individual leadership this way: “When a new teacher comes to the school, I tell them, ‘If you went into teaching to make a difference, I want to welcome you. But at this school, you won’t make a difference; you will be the difference.’”
AN INVITATION TO GREATNESS
"If you’re big enough for your dream, your dream isn’t big enough for you."
–Erwin Raphael McManus, pastor and author
WHO IS A LEADER?
One day, my assistant informed me over the intercom, “There is a Cadet Green on line two. I think you’ll want to talk to him.”
That was my introduction to Cadet Shawn Green, U.S. Air Force Academy.
The Air Force Academy had been in the papers a great deal lately for various challenges it was facing, and none of the recent news had been positive.
Shawn Green called me to tell me he had read my first book, The Fred Factor. He believed the book offered a message that needed to be shared at the Academy. So he took the initiative to call me out of the blue to ask if I would be willing to come and speak. “I’m just a person who wants to make things better,” he told me.
This exceptional individual was undaunted by the challenge of contacting people he didn’t know who he thought could help. He couldn’t afford to pay the people he was contacting to appear. In fact, he actually had to get official approval for us to appear for free. Cadet Green didn’t have a title, but he was certainly a leader.
As a result of his bold request, both bestselling author Stephen Covey and I came to speak to the graduating class of freshman cadets. Meeting so many of the best of the best who were determined to serve their country was a memorable experience, one that I will not soon forget.
People who lead–whether or not they have a title–strive to make things better.
We all want to have an impact on the world around us. No one wants to be blown sideways in life by forces they can’t control. Part of growing up is figuring out how much influence we have over our environment, from parents to friends, from school to careers.
Our choices in life have a huge impact on the kind of education we get, the kinds of jobs we land, the relationships we develop and become involved in, and the quality of the lives we live. The desire to influence the world around us is what real leadership is all about.
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