Jack’s Winning Words 2/17/25 – Originally posted February 17, 20
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” (John Quincy Adams) On this Presidents’ Day, J.Q. Adams gives a good description of what a president should be…a leader. In your opinion, which president has been tSome great leadershe best leader? For me, it was FDR; leading the country out of the Great Depression and to the conclusion (almost) of WW 2. He wasn’t loved by all, but most say his economic and social policies laid the foundation for future stability and prosperity. 😉 Jack
The key to J.Q. Adams quote is the word “actions”. Leading by example is the best, and really the only, way to lead. Giving inspirational speeches but not actually doing the things that you are espousing that others do only serves to promote cynicism. That means that you have to dream more, learn more, do more and become more yourself, so that others will see your actions and follow your example. That is leadership.
Some great leaders recognized the importance of their action and their leadership role, but many leaders just go about their lives in such a way that they inspire others to follow in their footsteps. You see stories on the news every so often about teachers being honored for their many years of service and quite often you also hear stories from their former students about how that teacher inspired them to go on to do great things in life. That is leadership.
Faith leaders are often thrust into roles that require that they demonstrate their faith while consoling others by pointing to that faith for comfort and healing. They call upon their own faith to help them in that role. By demonstrating the strength and peace that faith can bring in times of great loss and sadness, they help to lead who are grieving out of their despair. That is leadership.
Perhaps one of the most important and little recognized leadership role is that of being a parent. There is nothing as powerful for teaching and leading than the examples set by parents. The old hack “do as I say, not as I do” is powerful testament to the role (good and bad) of the examples that we set as parents. If done well and consistently, the examples that we set fore our children result in wonderful adults. That is leadership.
You may not even recognize how some of your actions impact and inspire others. Stopping to help someone cross the street or maybe to load groceries into their car may be seen by someone else who then becomes inspired to help some else later in the day. Anything you do that reflects the “right thing to do” may be noticed by others and emulated. That is leadership.
So, be a leader today. Do the right things. Dream more, learn more, do more and become more. Live a life that inspires others by your example. That is leadership.
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