It is not the ones shouting from the cheap seats, but those who are at your table who matter the most.
“ ‘Ya tired today, buddy?’
‘Yeah, I am.’
‘Well, let’s just get through it. You got this.’
‘Yeah, I see you do it everyday so I am going to try to do it, too.’
‘… … …’
-Interaction with an 11-year-old at our gym”
Yeah, sometimes they hit you hard when it’s the least expected.
And when they hit you with stuff like this, it’s a solid reminder to always remember those are the people you do it for. They are who you are trying to solve for in the equation.
It’s not the folks who are off the bus. The people who don’t understand your value. And it’s certainly not for the random doubter on the internet, either.
It’s for the people who make the commitment. It’s for the people who buy-in to the process. It’s for the people who get in and stay in the saddle.
I think this is so critical to understand because many people in business get in a habit of looking over the heads of the folks who ARE at their table because they are looking for “the next one”. They are looking for more, more, more.
While I certainly don’t know everything about business, I have learned that focusing vehemently on who is actually at the table is what grows the seats at your table.
See apples don’t fall far from the tree and when you treat and lead the right people the right way, more of the right people find you.
And this doesn’t mean you have to be a perfect leader, either. It just means that you have to live and lead by example.
And leading by example doesn’t mean leading by an example of perfection.
It means leading by an example that is rooted in authenticity.
Hell yeah, as a leader you want your leadership to be built on truth, love, respect, and humility, but if you fall off the horse, own it and get back on.
I guess the thing that has helped me the most is that I’ve never tried to be who I’m not.
And I know that I could very easily shy away from the idea of being an example for others simply because I am not perfect. I am a sinner who falls short, daily.
But if my daily efforts to overcome my own hurdles can help inspire another to work on overcoming their own, is this not what life is all about?
Be an example. Live the code.
They are always watching and they need you, in today’s world more than ever.
