We were celebrating the birthday of one of our clients whose business was 70 years old. To create a memorable experience, the owner of the business decided to hold a full day training off-site at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, and invite what many believe is the most decorated and successful coach in College Football History, Coach Nick Saban.
To the 100 people who attended, we were taken through a variety of stories regarding the Alabama Football program and through some of the fresh details of their National Championship run that ended in a loss to the Georgia Bulldogs just less than two weeks from the day we were hearing Coach Saban speak.
Saban told stories of success and failure and continued to use the word “leadership” throughout his discussion. To bring texture to his view of leadership Coach Saban would use word descriptions such as fit, character, adversity, mindset, culture, intelligence, and intensity.
Although he never provided a concrete definition of leadership, Coach Saban certainly took the audience into his cupboard of leadership ingredients and allowed us to see and smell some of the measurements he and his coaching staff use in leading a group of student-athletes into a world of elite college football where he soberingly adds, “there is always a reckoning”. In other words, the cake will always be tested.
In order to prepare for the reckoning, leadership must be present. In order for the cake of leadership to be baked with consistency and familiarity, then a set of ingredients must be used.
What are those ingredients?
While not exhaustive, it is helpful to begin listing out the ingredients of leadership remembering that leadership is also a phenomenon that “you will know it when you see it”.
As you think through the ingredients of leadership, here are eight must-haves.
First, every leader must lead with purpose (Vision and Mission).
At risk of sounding cliche, purpose is the hard work of actively, and physically writing down a detailed snapshot of the future destination where your organization or family are headed.
While vision is explanatory and detailed, your mission is simply telling the rest of us why you wish to go there.
Second, every leader must lead with defined values.
Values are the curbs along the side of the road towards your vision. They are the boundaries that ensure that you limit damage, and stay on the most intentional route towards your ultimate destination.
Third, every leader must lead with repetition.
Every leader must lead with repetition.
Every leader must lead with repetition.
Fourth, every leader must lead with grit. Grinding at the right time, instilling clarity into each and every role, identifying fear and pushing through with courage, and committed to trailing a mentor.
Leadership is a complex cocktail of work, clarity, courage, and learning. Grit ensures the potency of that cocktail.
Fifth, every leader must have extreme self-awareness.
You have tendencies, biases, routines, and habits that help to shape your persona to the outside world.
You’re prone to screaming, steaming, laughing, rising up, or withdrawing. Regardless of the tendency, leaders must be aware of their own selves if they are to ever influence another person.
Six, every leader must lead with desire.
There is little use in asking someone to do a thing with jubilee and enthusiasm if desire is lacking.
Sure, you can dictate and statute the road to getting your way. But far better to show real desire, and also recruit for desire.
Why is the world of sports filled with stories of world-class talent massively underperforming?
Desire.
Seventh, every leader must lead with an abundance mindset convinced that all that you need to accomplish your vision either is or will be available at the time you need it.
Planning is necessary, but will only get you so far. Belief in future opportunities is as much a profitable resource as cash in the bank; for there will be times where the latter is unavailable, but the former will be the only check you can cash.
Eight, every leader must lead with maturity.
Most Tuesday nights we have between 5 and 15 teenaged young men sitting around the fire pit in our backyard as we talk about BIG wins, and issues of life (relationships, money, leadership, Hemingway, etc.).
One of our more frequent topics is the idea of maturity, and one of the questions I get regularly is, “do you mature as you age?”
My standard response is, “you cannot have maturity without age, but you can certainly age without maturity.”
There are plenty of 18-year-old minds encased in 46-year-old bodies. Maturity is advancement and development, and it requires work.
While child-LIKE-ness is a value and asset, child-ISH-ness is a hindrance and roadblock.
Finally, every leader must lead with empathy. Sherry Turkle, in her powerful and important book Reclaiming Conversations suggests that we are in the midst of a crisis of empathy.
Empathy is feeling the inside of another person and their situation. While not understanding the details of that situation, you can certainly “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Paul writing a letter to many living in Rome - Romans 12:15).
Culturally, we are more conditioned to judge a person’s situation and render a verdict rather than simply feeling what that person feels in their particular moment.
It is not vogue to feel in leadership…but we must try.
These are just some of the ingredients of healthy leadership. I hope you’ll at least pick one, lock-in, and use it to grow in your leadership to make an impact on the people who follow you.
