The Brave Ones

Today I had the amazing privilege of attending Leadercast, a leadership event that was held in Atlanta in May, but shown in Columbia today by the Columbia Rotary Club.

You can click here to learn more about Leadercast, what it is, how to find a local showing near you and how to get tickets for next year’s event.

This year’s event brought together several top leaders and gave them a platform to talk about leadership and specifically, how to be brave in your leadership…they called the event: The Brave Ones.

Here’s a little snippet of things that I took away from today’s event:

From Andy Stanley – Leadership Communicator & Author

• People didn’t start with resources, they started with an idea
• Bold Leadership requires these qualities
  • Clarity
  • Focus
  • Stubbornness {which Coach Tony Dungy stated is a virtue when you are right!}
  • Resourceful
• What would I like people to line up and thank me for when I’m an old lady?
• Nehemiah reminds us that there is great work that needs our full attention

From Commander Rorke Denver – Navy Seal Commander & Author

• Limit your field of view and you’ll see more
• Bravery doesn’t have to be solo; make bravery a team sport
• Pain is a growth opportunity
• Advance on your fears

From Malala Yousafzai – Nobel Laureate & Founder of The Malala Fund {And Survivor.}

• Often you’re holding each of these in a hand:
  • Reality – How bad is it right now
  • Hope – That it will and can get better

From Peyton Manning {he doesn’t really NEED an intro…} – Super Bowl-Winning Quarterback and 5-Time NFL MVP

• Anyone waiting for someone else to initiate the change, becomes a follower
• Devote yourself to intense preparation
• Keep raising the bar
• You can’t be afraid to work on your weaknesses;  you will not get any better if you only work on your strengths
• You earn respect by working, not by talking

From Seth Godin – Innovative Thinker & Best-Selling Author:

• Do I care enough to put in the effort?
• If ideas don’t spread, they die
• We can be prepared, but we will never be ready

From Ed Catmull – President of Pixar & Disney Animation Studios:

• Fail often, fail early and learn from it
• You must be brave enough to start something new
• Trust the people to fix the problems
• Rethink your failures – it’s a powerful learning tool

From Aja Brown – Mayor of Compton, CA

• Never point out problems without being ready to offer a solution
• Serve for the purpose, not the praise

From Rudy Giuliani – 107th Mayor of New York City (1993-2001)

• Do you have, or can you develop:
  • Strong beliefs
    • Do you know what you believe?
  • Optimism
    • The problems should be challenges
  • Bravery/Courage
    • You SHOULD be afraid
    • Put fear where it belongs – it makes you work harder
  • Relentless Preparation
    • Make it routine
  • Team Work
    • Never believe it’s about you, it’s about everyone else – those that work for you
  • Communication
    • What are you trying to accomplish?
    • What are your motives?
• Where can you improve the lives of others?

 

To say the least, it was an amazing day listening to each of these speakers.  Their vast knowledge and experience either created ah-ha! moments or reminded me of the purpose and why I want to and love leading.

By the way, we’re all leaders in some form or fashion.  Whether in our homes, at work, in a field or elsewhere…if someone is following, you’re leading!