What does it take to be a good leader?
Every so often you look at yourself and need to ask the question “Am I being a good leader?” This question has come up with me today.
The reason? Well, I am involved with Boy Scouts as a Scoutmaster and tonight I have the Klondike Derby campout. Tonight’s weather forecast for our lovely location of the camp (up in a dark canyon with 4 ft of snow) – a low of -4′ F. Also, in the morning it feels even colder because the canyon is completely shaded. Last year, we had a blizzard the whole night, this year it’s supposed to be windy.
The question of “Am I being a good leader” comes because of this – It’s going to be cold, I’m a wuss, and it’s going to take a lot from me to not complain. I’ve been pushing with the boys (we have a lot of new boys who are barely 12) the importance of a positive mental attitude. I believe that one of the most important thing a leader can do is lead by example. I MUST STAY STRONG. I MUST BE BOLD. I MUST NOT BE A WUSS!
A mentor of mine growing up was a man by the name of Bruce Farmer. When I met Mr. Farmer I was about 12 years old. He moved to Salt Lake City to be CEO of Kennecott Utah Copper and I was fortunate enough to be able to become good friends with him and his family. Mr. Farmer to me is the epitome of a leader. He got to where he was, leading one of the biggest mining companies in the world, without having any college education and through sheer hardwork. He has seen and done it all, before Salt Lake he was living in South Africa and served as an Election and Reconciliation Coordinator (he ran a big mining operation there) for the South African government at the end of Apartheid and his stories of what went on during that time are inspiring. He climbed Everest twice, Kilimanjaro for his 25th wedding anniversary, paintballed (with me), started skiing when he moved here and quickly became an expert.
Most of all, he is an inspiration to everyone that has ever worked for him. In my opinion, he is never the person that demands respect, he commands it.
I believe that a true leader is someone that you know who would never ask someone to do something that they wouldn’t do themselves if they could.
Nothing to me is more inspiring to troops – whether that be employees, friends, family members or Scouts, then when whoever it is, regardless of rank or seniority, you know would get into the nitty gritty right there with you to help out.
Think about it – the times that you remember a great leader, is it when they bark out orders or is it when they have their arms deep into the garbage you are looking through together to find a retainer that a customer threw away by accident (a whole another story about my first day on my first HS job). For me, events like that make me “want to die for someone” in the sense that you will always respect that person and always do what you can to do your best.
Bruce is one of those people. I need to be one of those people. Tonight, I need to brave the cold. Wish me luck.
Mark
Do you have a great example of a leader – Leave a comment about it!
