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Monday, June 12, 2017

Leadership Without Sacrifice? That’s Not A Thing

Leading so people will "want to" instead of "have to"

When people see you willing to sacrifice, they’ll join you in the cause! At that moment they know that the cause is bigger than you and your personal wants. Selfish leaders care about themselves and their followers are a means to an end. Serving leaders… they care about their followers more than themselves! They are willing to sacrifice their own wants and needs for the greater cause. True leadership without sacrifice? That’s not a thing!

 

Seeing our leaders willingly sacrifice is like magic. It calls out to those around them. It shouts, “This will be worth it! Join the cause! We’re all in this together!” It gives the motivation and sense of community that we all long for.

Being called to greatness is beautiful, but it always involves sacrifice. Do you really want that for yourself and others? It’s attainable now that you are ready to pay the price. Here is what it will cost you: time, effort, sometimes money, and always your pride. You have to be willing to do the right thing instead of the popular thing or the easy thing. You can “see” a brighter future, but you know it won’t happen by accident. Who is willing to make the changes necessary? Who will pay the price and take the risk of leading in a way that serves others well? The answer is you!

Why is that important?

Because YOU are the most important leader in your organization to those you immediately serve. You see, the people right under you look to you in a way that they don’t look to the CEO. You are more likely to influence the trajectory of their careers, their ethical behavior and their job satisfaction. That’s you, not the vice president of your division.

That the research that is reveal in this week’s video. Thing about what that means to your friends and family, and to the people you serve in your organization. So sacrificing is worth it.

In their book, The Leader’s Legacy (also our free download), Kouzes and Posner summarize why it takes courage to lead this way:

“If there is one thing that seems to stop us from acting courageously, it’s our unwillingness to suffer.”

What about you, are you ready to continue your journey? Are you ready to lead well, to sacrifice, and to call greatness out of others? There are a few things you’ll need to know along the way, but most of them are covered in this week’s free giveaway, an executive summary of the book The Leader’s Legacy. Get your FREE download here.

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