4 Note On leadership: We're not here to change others. We're here to elevate them to be the best version of themselves

Most of us don't know what leadership is:

I had an idea of what it was, but I think my ego was so far shoved up my ass, that whatever I was thinking, was so distorted it wasn't even recognizeable. But trust me- I damn sure thought I knew what leadership was. Like for real. Fuck, I mean I had been a leader in college. I had been a leader in sports. Hell, pretty much everyone I've come across had told  me, "Wow Potted, you're a natural leader". And I think the honest truth is that at what point i was- but I forgot what that meant. I had fallen away from myself. My ego had grabbed a hold of me and pulled me from myself. I had to re-learn some things.

Leadershhip is not something we just, "know"- it is something we are constantly learning and adapting and growing through:

I still don't know exactly what it means to be a leader, but I'm learning. Every day, I come home from my job and actively reflect on my effort. 

Experiencing true leadership, may be the most deeply authentic experience of selflessness we'll ever have:

I really don't know what it was, but something clicked for me. I fired an employee and went on a couple full-day meditation retreats, and did just a lot of reflection on the situation. Now, it didn't come to me all at once, but I've slowly started to really engage with my employees on a different level. I expect a lot from them. I'm a perfectionist. I don't cut them any slack when it comes to quality. I have my new sales guy send me every single email that he's going to send to clients, and make him review it with me before he sends it. 

I'm not saying this is the best management strategy. i'm not saying you should emulate this. What I am saying though, is that I'm doing it becuase I know it will help him improve over time. For example, before I correct or write anything for ihm- I force him to take a stab at it. After he does that, I force him to talk out loud about why he wrote what he wrote.  I get his wheels turning. Then I go in and edit it, and write literally paragraphs as to exactly why I wrote what I wrote. It's the same shit I've with texting, but it's business. So I really break things down for him. 

The thing is though- there's no ego. I don't want to edit his emails just to edit them. I don't want to be involved simply so that I can feel important. I have actually never felt so selfless as I do managing my sales team. And in return, they have a blast with me, while also understanding that at times they're probably going to be pissed and annoyed at me, because I'm relentlessly stubborn in my understanding of what their potential is. I accept nothing less. 

Leadership is not about creating carbon copies of ourselves:

A lot of times I feel like my employees successes are my successes, and this is okay- I think. But it's crucially importnat that I remember that I'm not simply training a carbon copy of myself. I have to remember that my motivates and inspires me, isn't necessarily what motivates and inspires others. I have to be willing to look outside of myself, and take someone else for who they are, and understand the sitaution from there perspective. 

I have and do certain things that make me really good, that I'll want to teach my team.... and another very good sales-person may have a completely separate tool-kit to teach their team- and that's all okay. I think it's fine to pass on your individual skill-set. Again though, it's just important to recognize that we're not teaching ourselves, and the less we're able to remove ourselves from the situation, the less progress we're able to make, and the more frustrated we will become.