In his blog, Gary defines leadership as someone who has a clear vision and can rally her or his community to achieve that goal. I would only add to this that a leader is a facilitator, they must facilitate an environment of growth for those that surround her or him. Consider the fact that as Gary Vee has grown so has the brand of
DRock
and so many others. This is because Gary himself has facilitated an environment so that everyone can win. The other individuals that walk with him, have their own identity, as well as the people that walk with the leader should have their own identity.
1. Lead your ship to grow in Leadership.
For those who aspire to grow in leadership, as mentioned in Gary’s blog, you should indeed come to the realization that you work for your team. How? By facilitating that environment that allows everyone to grow, at their own pace. Obviously, we don't want to reward procrastination, but we also don't want to push Sally to run at Sandy’s speed cause. As a leader, we must come to understand our team's strengths and weaknesses (everyone has weaknesses) and we must facilitate an environment where the individual's strength is strengthened and their weaknesses are addressed.
Some teams work so wonderfully together and create a real bond. However, some of the members may feel as though it's time for them to move on, and that's okay. The idea, however, would be that when the individual actually does move on, that they would be a better person for the time spent with the team you lead; and not that they would feel as though they made it out of Alcatraz.
To lead your ship is to try and improve an area in your life every day. Try to become better every day. Do not lose sight of your own growth as a person and as a leader, so that in turn you could grow in leadership. Everyone expects the caption of a ship to be at their top form, this only happens when you lead your ship when you address your own weakness (everyone has weaknesses) and sharpen your strengths. Surround yourself with people that will call you out if need be - remember iron sharpens iron. Don't worry about the applause, the caption always gets those when she or he can properly lead the ship to safety.
2. don't be afraid of the “f” word.
Personally, I do not curse. However, I know people that do. In fact, when I recommend Gary Vee’s content to my friend or family I always give the disclaimer “the content is gonna be on point, but Gary will throw an F-bomb here and there”. So if I don't curse, what “f” word am I talking about? Failure.
Failure isn't the end of you, your team, or the organization you lead. Failure, when dealt with correctly, actually makes the team stronger, makes you a better leader and helps move the organization forward. Often, we only put our best version on display. On social media, people take to post the highlights. When taking pictures, people have a “good-side” and yet, in the office, it seems to be the same issue. Gary mentioned the necessity of strong company culture. When a strong company culture is truly developed, you don't have to say you have an open-door policy because people will actually want to address what's going on. If we don't ignore the weaknesses and if we strengthen the strong points and if we transparently understand that no one is indeed perfect, but with all of our imperfections we can build something great, then true change can be accomplished.
It is possible to have a strong culture and still face the “f” word? Yes. However, luckily, it happens when not everyone is working as a solid unit. No matter what department you are in or the other person is in, we all must understand the vision, for that is the one unifying thread. So if the “f” word has appeared, don't be afraid. It's not time to run, it's time to evaluate and move forward from this current place.
3. Service is always in style.
The idea of becoming a better leader is one a leader should always have at the forefront. The moment that goal is in the rearview, you can be sure so to will your team's success be. For this reason, we must always understand, service is always in style.
March 14, 2020, almost one year ago, marked the start of a pandemic. And as a result, my local church of
AIC Rochester 2, had to cancel all official events. At the time I was serving as the content creator. As we looked to navigate through those difficult times, one thing was certain, we could not stop providing service. Not to the family and friends, nor to the community of individuals that call AIC Rochester 2 home. Likewise, in many organizations, rather non-profit or for-profit, we're all faced with the same dilemma: how do we provide service?
No matter what happens, Service will always be in style. We in service to those who are part of our team. We are in service to those who believe in the goods and/or services we provide. We are in service to others as a leader. Because we are in service and because service is always in style, we must always strive to provide the absolute best service possible and this means understanding that you work for your team, that you cannot micromanage your team but rather you must teach them to them how to swim, that strong company culture is built by actions, not words. But this also means you must Lead your ship to grow in leadership, you cannot be afraid of the “f” word, you can never forget that Service is always in style.
2020 is gone and only some of the debris of what was 2020 exists. As you look forward to 2021, apply these 6 things, make them real to you, and always look to become a better leader.
