|
Like many communities, the village in which I grew up had a town
drunk. His name was Tex—probably because he wore a cowboy hat most of the
time. Or maybe he wore the hat because his name was Tex. I don’t know.
Actually he wasn’t just our Town Drunk. You see we weren’t big enough to
have our own and had to share Tex with the next town over.
In any
event, Tex could often be found walking the road pulling an old rope.
People would ask him why he pulled that darn rope around with him. He’d
smile, push his big cowboy hat back and say, "Did you ever try pushing
one?"
It always got a laugh. I think it was Tex’s way of setting
someone up. Someone laughed at it once and it became his joke--his
trademark.
But, of course he was also right. You can’t push a
rope.
Dwight D. Eisenhower used to illustrate the art of leadership
in much the same way. He’d place a piece of string on a table and say,
"pull it, and it will follow anywhere you wish. Push it, and it will go
nowhere at all."
Leadership is the ability to make people want to
follow you. It means being out in front and doing what you’re asking
others to do.
And the world is in dire need of leadership.
People are looking to follow almost anyone who knows where he or she is
going, believes fervently in a cause, has integrity and truly cares about
his or her followers.
Leadership is a skill. It’s maturity, it’s
wisdom, and it’s discipline. It’s something that we all can do more of.
How about it? Are you willing to lead instead of follow? |
|
|
|
©
Copyright Success Networks International.
SuccessNet is a worldwide association
committed to helping people become more knowledgeable, productive and effective.
Their mission is to inform, inspire and empower people to be their
best—personally and professionally. Free subscriptions, books and
SuccessMark™ Cards available at
www.SuccessNet.org
Send This Page to a Friend
2048
Win-Win Way
South Burlington, Vermont 05407-2048 USA
BeYourBest@SuccessNet.org
|
|
