“We have never lived our greatest day, until we have given another person the opportunity to live their greatest day.”

The times in which others have provided me with high praise for my leadership were those times that I really felt I was experiencing a true expression of who I am. I was not even attempting to be a leader. Most of the greatest moments of leadership (at least in the eyes of others) are simply times we are attempting to be authentic and to serve a purpose bigger and beyond ourselves.

Trying too hard to attempt to do anything: whether it be leadership, friendship, love, etc…generally brings about the opposite outcome you’re trying to achieve. Leadership is not something that we do. It’s more of a reflection of who we are and how we decide to express who we are to the world. Most of us are inspired by others who believe what we believe. We tend to support those leaders who have a cause, a crusade, or purpose or belief that matches our own.

“Great leaders don’t create more followers; great leaders create more great leaders.”   -John Maxwell

What effective leaders have learned is that in order to inspire people, you don’t give advice but you share your experience. What we all should seek from leaders is to learn from their experiences. That is what attracts us to the good ones. If you were to evaluate the leaders that you respect the most you would find that one of their key attributes is passion. It is their passion that inspired you to want to be part of their “Big Idea.” Passion creates value and inspires us to become a part of something bigger than ourselves.

The word Leader means ‘pathfinder’. The true and authentic leaders of our time understand that before we can help people find their path, we have to find our own path first. The true pathfinders in life know that you can’t help people get closer to their destiny, until the pathfinder (leader) gets closer to his/her destiny. The invisible side of leadership is that most of us don’t see that leaders are the ones willing to make sacrifices in order to make significant contributions.

“50% of leadership should be self leadership; not leading others; if we get this down, the rest takes care of itself.”   -Dee Hock,  Founder of Visa International

Great leaders understand that momentum, action and energy is contagious. Great leaders work to keep a dream out ahead of those they humbly attempt to lead. For the most part, people don’t leave jobs. People leave people. So the expression, understanding and mastery of this responsibility and privilege we call ‘leadership’ is a characteristic worth understanding, expressing, and living.

The wise leader is not collecting a string of successes. Wise leaders are trying to help others find their own success. What they know and practice  is sharing success with others is very successful. So the next time you get the opportunity to take a leadership role- lean into that. The best way for you to be a leader is just arrive at the opportunity and be the best version of yourself you can be. This is how you inspire the human spirit. Are you a Pathfinder? More than likely you are and you don’t even know it.

So live your greatest day!