Quote-A-Day: Day 194

The best #leaders don't lead like their lives depend on it. They #lead like someone else's life depends on it. #QuoteADay #Day194 #edchat

You may have heard someone say something like, "___________ like your life depends on it."  The idea behind this statement is to express the fact that you should be doing something seriously, with heart, and with the full force of your abilities.

This is a powerful statement, as it tends to show the importance of whatever it is that we're working on.  But it misses one very relevant point:  When we do something for ourselves, we never do it as thoughtfully as when others are involved.

Here's a quick example (and note, I have no research data to back this up): I've noticed that people tend to drive recklessly more often when they are by themselves, then when they are with someone else.  Maybe it is because as much as people care about their own well-being, they are much more likely to be careful when others are depending on them.

So, when it comes to leading, we need to lead like someone else's life depends on it, rather than our own.

Another important idea to consider. . . .Someone else's life most likely does depend on how we lead, and it may be someone who we never thought needed our leadership.

Often, those we impact most are those who we least expect to have a deep impact on.  For that reason alone, we need to lead always for others, and much less often for ourselves.

This speaks to the importance of being a servant leader, someone who leads with the best interests of his/her stakeholders in mind, rather than individual best interests.

So lead well, and always as if someone else's life depends on it.