If you’re not willing to play it, leadership isn’t for you.
“Everybody wants the hat.
Not everybody wants to tend the cattle.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
A few weeks ago, Kirby Smart was speaking at a Media Day and he discussed the COSTS associated with leadership.
It was one of the most eloquently simple messages I’ve ever heard in my entire life.
I’d encourage you to check out the entire interview if you’d not seen it, but in summary he made 3 main points.
1) You will have to make hard decisions that negatively affect people you care about.
2) You will be disliked, despite your best attempt to do the best for the most.
3) You will be misunderstood and not always have the opportunity to defend yourself.
Now what the hell does this have to do with cowboy hats and cattle?
You see everybody wants the cowboy hat (leadership title) but not everybody is willing to do what it takes to be a cowboy (pay the freight charges associated with leadership).
On the surface many people think leadership is standing in front of a group of people and giving motivational speeches to teams, organizations, etc. that somebody then posts on youtube with motivational music in the background.
But that’s not real leadership. That’s glamorized faux leadership.
Leadership is messy. It’s muddy. It’s a full contact sport, ESPECIALLY as your platform as a leader grows.
This is something I didn’t understand initially. I mean how could you using a rational mind that is constantly looking for the best in people? “Throw stone’s at the people who are actually PROVEN in the arena? Sling them at the difference makers?”
Why would any rational person do that? And then I learned that most people aren’t rational.
They are egotistical and self-serving. Ahh now it makes sense.
Success and leadership will always be offensive to those with personal insecurities, which is why Kirby’s 2nd and 3rd points will forever rein true.
And it’s especially comical because the stone’s that are thrown will never come from people who are in the arena along side of you. Nor will they ever come from people who are at higher elevations than you in life, either.
They’ll always come from the cheap seats or from people who think they are leaders, but are actually nothing more than egos carrying titles. The exact opposite of leadership.
They’ll always buy the hat, but look at their boots. You’ll notice they’re clean.
