~ Abraham Lincoln
Well things are off to a great start with our 2013 class of Leadership Jones County. I hope you’ve had a chance to see the group either at the announcement ceremony at Lauren Rogers Museum of Art or in the paper the past several days. If not, hop on over to the Chamber’s Facebook page and take a look at this great group of individuals who have agreed to take on the task of becoming better leaders to enhance the future of Jones County through their commitment to bettering their leadership talents.
I’ve been thinking about leadership a lot over the last several weeks. Not only as I prepare for this year of leadership development, but also as we went through the preparation and execution of our Hurricane plans as Isaac approached the Gulf Coast and the Pine Belt. A lot of great leadership examples were relived as we were thrown back to images and memories of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Also on my mind a lot these days is the upcoming anniversary of September 11th, 2001 (another tragic day in American history, but a great day of compassion, love and leadership). All of these things have been weighing on my mind lately and have been the focus of my prayers.
I hope you and your families made it safe through the storms and I hope you will remember all of our emergency service personnel; police, fire, EMS, first responders, dispatchers and service men and women throughout this time of remembrance. These men and women work around the clock during emergencies. While we are in our homes trying to stay safe they are out in the community trying to keep other problems from becoming worse.
There are two leadership stories that I heard recently that I would like to share with you. The first is a story I borrowed from blogger Mike Rogers at www.teamworkandleadership.com.
Over 200 years ago, a man in civilian clothes rode past a small group of tired and battled weary soldiers. They were digging what appeared to be an important defensive position.
The leader of the group wasn't making any effort to help. He just shouted orders and threatened to punish the group if the work wasn't completed within the hour.
"Why aren't you helping?" the stranger asked on horseback.
"I'm in charge! The men do as I tell them," said the leader. He added "Help them yourself if you feel so strongly about it."
To the mean leader's surprise the stranger got off his horse and helped the men until the job was finished.
Before he left the stranger congratulated the men for their work, and approached the confused leader.
"You should notify top command next time your rank prevents you from supporting your men - and I will provide a more permanent solution," the stranger said.
Up close, the now humbled leader recognized General George Washington and was taught a lesson he would never forget!
Here is the second story.
In February 1519, Hernando Cortez set sail on the final leg of an ocean voyage that was to take him from Cuba to the distant shores of the Yucatan.
He commanded 11 ships with more than 500 soldiers, 100 sailors, and 16 horses, bound for Mexico to take the world's greatest treasure. The rare jewels, gold, silver, and sculptures sheltered on the Yucatan had been hoarded by the same army for 600 years.
Cortez had heard of riches of the Yucatan. With his men they arrived on shore. They did not go and take the treasure immediately; they waited until they were ready.
Then Cortez told his men to "Burn the boats."
The men were outraged wondering how they were going to get back to their families!
Cortez told them to burn the boats and they would conquer the Yucatan army and gain their fortune. They would take the Yucatan's boats home.
So what do these stories teach us about leadership? How do these apply to us today? To me, I learn a lot about the importance of commitment through these stories. In both, the conditions were not ideal. But the leadership was committed to the plan; the reward was greater than the sacrifice.
General Washington knew the defensive position needed to be fortified. He knew that he needed to gain the trust and respect of his men. He was willing to roll up his sleeves and get dirty with his men to get the job done. He did not let his pride or his position get in the way of accomplishing the mission.
Cortez knew that he needed to keep his men focused on their task. He knew that if they were worried about keeping the ships secure to return home, they would not keep their focus forward and might risk losing the battle. But by winning the battle and over taking the enemies ships, it was the only way for his men to get back to their families.
How often do we leave ourselves an “out”? We create back up plans. We create alternatives. We create reasons why we can’t succeed. We let our status get in the way of our success. We tell ourselves we are above those actions or we are too good to stoop to that level of involvement.
By creating these barriers and giving ourselves a backup plan, that becomes the plan.
Many of us say we want success, but aren’t willing to move forward from our normal ways of thinking. If we want different results, it requires a new way of thinking. We may need to get off our horses and get a new perspective. We may need to burn our ships to see a new way home. We must be willing to take the steps required for success to create success.
Just as we have done in the aftermath of September 11th, Hurricane Katrina, and natural disasters since, we have to roll up our sleeves and all pitch in. In order to get back on a path toward success we have to burn our ships that hold us back and move forward toward a plan of recovery and success!
Here’s to your success!
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* This article was originally printed in the Sunday, September 9, 2012 issue
of The Chronicle's "Planting Seeds" column.
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