July 4th 1776 a handful of men came together to found the nation we now know as the United States of America. I have the privilege of living in a country where we are free to speak our mind and start an organization with limited challenges. I live in a country where people can coexist and many times cooperate with different perspectives on life and function peacefully. I am thankful for the many people who have fought so we can experience these freedoms and more that we have today.
As I think of that period of time in American history three key leadership principles come to my awareness which we can learn from the founders of the United States of America. Before starting if you really want to explore this topic years ago I read a book by Donald Phillips (which I somehow lost) called The Founding Fathers on Leadership which will take you much deeper into the lives of these men and draws out many more leadership principles.
Leadership – First and foremost these men were leaders. If at the core a leader is an influencer then these men exemplified that. Not only were they able to organize resistance to stand against a powerful nation to fight for their freedom, but they had the skills to create the foundational principles America is founded on. They knew if they worked as a team using each of their leadership strengths, then they would lead even better than trying to accomplish the goal independently.
Courage – These men had to know what they were about to embark on was not going to be easy. In fact they must have known they were putting their lives on the line and were asking many others to do the same. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to take action amidst the fear. They were stepping into the unknown. All they had was a vision . . . freedom. These individuals and those who followed them had the courage to continue to take the next step even amidst the possibility of great loss, failure, and even death. No matter the vision, courage is required of any leader and these men exemplified that courage.
Communication – Any leader understands communication is critical for success. I don’t know about you, but some of my greatest challenges at home come from miscommunication, poor communication, or simply a lack of it. The ability to express your thoughts in a clear and concise manner that others understand is what I mean by communication. I attempt to communicate through these posts (sometimes clear and concise and sometimes not . . . still growing). These leaders had the leadership challenge of communicating America’s foundational principles clearly and in a manner that would make sense for many generations. That was one method, surely they had to communicate to one another in a manner that was clearly moving plans forward.
You are a leader because you have influence and it takes courage to lead at work and at home. How well do you communicate? Do you need to grow in your communication? Join me and others on July 13th for a FREE experience of the Maxwell Speaker’s Club. This will be a safe place to grow your communication skills that will help you grow as a leader. Click here for more details and to register.
Be the great leader you are. Lead courageously and communicate in a manner that helps advance your cause.
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