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You’re a leader whether you realize it or not.
Even if you don’t hold the title of "leader" on a team...
There is at least one person, if not multiple people, who look to you for leadership.
Your friends.
Your family.
Your spouse.
Your kids.
Your co-workers.
Your acquaintances.
These people are watching you and studying the example you set.
That means you are a leader.
...and how you choose to lead can quite literally determine whether these people will win or lose in life.
If you work in a team, the same can be true of yourself as well.
If you can't display authentic leadership and elevate the performance of the people around you...
You'll never be able to win at a high level.
Leadership isn't about kicking your feet up and delegating.
Leadership isn't about holding power over others.
Leadership isn't about being "the boss."
Being a leader is no different than being the tip of the spear.
It's the dirtiest, bloodiest, and most damaged.
It's extremely difficult and will require far more of you than you may realize.
Leadership is not about the title.
...and just because someone has the "title" of leader, doesn't actually mean they are a good leader.
If you don't exercise true, authentic leadership...
1. You won't be respected.
2. You will be doing yourself, your team, and the people you lead a massive disservice.
These are the principles you have to embody to be a real leader in your life and amongst the people who look up to you...
Most of us know the famous quote from football coach Vince Lombardi: "Leading by example isn't the best way to lead, it's the only way to lead."
...and it's true.
This is the essence of authentic leadership.
It's also the reason why most people are terrible leaders...
They aren't willing to do the same things they are demanding of the people they lead.
As a leader, you have to set a high standard and hold yourself to it.
The second component of that is holding your team to a high standard as well.
The reason being is that you can't expect any of the people you lead to do something you won't do yourself.
If you expect a high standard...
You must live that high standard.
If you expect a certain level of execution...
You must meet that level of execution.
If you expect a specific requirement to be met...
You must be able to and consistently meet that requirement yourself.
As a leader, you aren't above any job or expectation.
Whatever you request of your team, you must be willing and capable of doing yourself.
Nobody will rally behind a "leader" who doesn't get their hands dirty.
Nobody.
Lead by example.
It's a must.
Being a great leader implies that you have the trust of your team.
...and the only way your team will ever trust you is when your words and actions are aligned.
Step one is to lead by example.
Step two is to tell the truth.
When you do both of these things consistently and without compromise...
You will embody the idea of authentic leadership.
Tell the truth.
Be direct and concise in your delivery.
Don't beat around the bush.
It's not your job to protect the feelings of the people you lead ... It's your job to lead.
Telling your team the honest truth isn’t “rude”…
It’s the best way to help them improve.
...and without the trust of your team...
The entire operation will fall apart.
If you're ever going to be a great leader...
You have to hold the line.
Being a real leader is a very lonely feeling ... and this is something that most people fail to understand.
Nobody likes you when you hold the line.
Nobody says "Thank you for making me great."
Nobody says any of these things when you hold the line.
They hate it.
You have to be more committed to the mission than you are to whether or not the people on your team like you.
It's not just about leading by example.
It's also about looking to the person on the right and left...
...and holding them to the standard that you set.
Holding your team accountable is going to be hard.
Holding your team accountable is going to hurt.
...But it's an essential component to being a real leader.
Just know that there's delayed gratification in holding the line.
That gratification comes later when the people you lead realize how much you helped them.
Don't let anyone coast.
Hold them accountable.
If you don't, they'll never respect you.
If you don't, you'll never accomplish the mission at hand.
If you don't, you'll never be a great leader.
All great leaders embody humility.
They understand that regardless of what they've accomplished...
Regardless of how great they've become...
Regardless of how skilled they are...
Regardless of how long they've been executing...
They will always have an infinite amount of learning and improving to do.
...and at the same time, they understand that they can easily be passed up by somebody else if they aren't continually doing the work required to make themselves better.
As a leader, you also need to know when to empower other people on your team to lead.
You will need help.
...and you will need help from people on your team who have skills that you do not.
Develop the humility necessary to recognize when other people on your team need to step up and lead.
There will be situations where their leadership will be more valuable than your own.
That doesn't make you a bad leader.
It makes you a great leader because you are prioritizing the success of the mission over your own ego.
Authentic leadership requires humility.
The skill of leadership is one of the single hardest skills to develop.
Being a great leader is also one of the single hardest things to do.
Because of how difficult it will be ... mental toughness will be required.
Without it ... You will never amount to the leader you need to become.
Mental toughness is about owning the conversation in your mind.
It's the foundation upon which every other skill you need to win in life is built.
In my book, The Book on Mental Toughness, I show you how to build this skill and why it's required for high levels of achievement in every area of life.
I highly recommend you read the book and develop this skill immediately.
You can get your copy of The Book on Mental Toughness here.
...and if you're looking for more advice on how to become a great leader ... It's a topic that I cover extensively in my podcast, Real AF.
You can listen to the Real AF Podcast here.
If you struggle to reach your goals...
If you can't keep the promises you make to yourself...
...and if you feel like your life is a disaster...
It's because you lack the skill of mental toughness...
As humans, we are hardwired to compete.
Competition is in our blood.
Competition is in our DNA.
...and competition is also a necessary element of becoming truly great...
At some point in your life, you will inevitably question whether the things you have done have made a difference.
You have two options.
You can either look back at your life and feel as if you wasted it.
Or ... You can look back at your life and...