You Are Strong Because Of Them

I really believe that people want three things: 1) to be their own boss; 2) to control their own destiny, and 3) to work at something they believe in. I know very few people who don’t have these three basic desires. They may still be “just an employee,” but deep down, that’s their fantasy. Every “red-blooded” American wants to stand on his own two feet; he wants to work for himself and build security for himself and his family. Those are the desires and dreams that built this country.

Many people have been so beaten down that they have forgotten those basic dreams. They went out into the work world and got shot down a few times. All those people in their childhood who told them they could be anything they wanted to be seemed to have been replaced by people who were only interested in a strict set of credentials and experience. If they didn’t match up with the ideal, they were passed over.

But for most people, those dreams are still there, just waiting for someone to give them a chance to happen, just waiting to grow with a leader who understands that there’s more to a person than what’s on the surface.

As a leader, it’s important to remember that, no matter how much their confidence might have fallen from the hard knocks they’ve taken, no matter how much they look to you like they’ll never make it, everybody wants to be somebody. It’s up to you to help bring out the talent and ability that’s inside. You can make the difference in whether they win or lose, in whether or not they feel good about themselves and are proud of who they are and what they’ve accomplished.

Ultimately, a leader is judged by the success of the people he led during his career. If you want to become somebody special yourself, help your people to become somebody special. The more successful they become, the higher they will push you up.