Her life is a monument to what a person (from humble beginnings) can achieve…
Do you have monuments for –
- the leadership moment that has just passed,
- the last 24 hours, week, month, year, and
- since you achieved your age of reason?
People who shape productive monuments along their life and leadership journeys are probably Influential Leaders.
Why?
This is what we do.
Wherever we go and whatever we do, we aim to leave things behind in better shape than we found them.
We might fall from time-to-time, but we rise and go again—better.
What is a monument?
Yes, it is a building or statue or some other physical construct that honours or immortalises a person or event.
Sometimes there are monuments to non-humans too!
I have a soft spot for the ones that honour our best friends.
They seem to set better standards and examples.
There are two in South Africa that come to mind.
There is Bondi the Royal Navy Bulldog commemorated in a bronze statue in the beautiful coastal town of Knysna.
Similarly, there is Just Nuisance, the Great Dane, also connected to the Royal Navy in Simon’s Town.
There are many all over the planet.
What is a common feature of almost all of these non-human monument examples?
- They made a productive difference in humans’ lives.
- They added value.
- Our lives were better off for their contribution.
- They touched us, often in our soft spots…
But, a monument is also more than a physical reminder.
A monument is also the nature of our lives, the things we do and achieve, the example we set.
The opening heading captures this idea beautifully.
Scroll up, read it again.
Sadly, however, there are many monuments to humans who added no value whatsoever, rather they stole value. They left behind a mess; they left humanity, the world, in a worse condition.
There are still many of these plying their trade… you will find them in homes, schools, teams, workspaces and governments—all over.
Let monuments to these louts, brigands and bullies remind us of leadership failure, of what happens when there is a leadership gap.
But, let us examine ourselves too because these social thieves are given space by the millions of people who are indifferent.
Indifference kills.
However, let us outmuscle the anti-leaders with the proper ones—you and me.
In keeping with the heading theme, here are three people who deserve their monuments, and our gratitude for changing things for our better!
Examine their leadership moments.
The Influential Leadership lesson this week is simple and stark.
A person who chooses to practice Influential Leadership does so with the purpose of changing things—influencing and shaping lives—FOR THE BETTER.
It does not matter who you are, what titles you use, how educated you might be or not, how fat or skinny your wallet is, whether you are a ‘somebody’ or a ‘nobody’, if you do not leave things better than you found them you are not an Influential Leader.
And, this applies to every leadership moment, across our lives—from beginning to end.
No value added. No monuments. No leadership.
Add value. Build monuments all along your lifepath. You are a leader.
Influential Leadership equips us to build monuments, in ourselves, and in the people around us. In this way we pass it on, and on… we are ACTIVISTS.
Be monumental this week!
Regards,
Colin @ Karoo
Influential Leaders Build Monuments!
Leadership Weekly Note: 4023. 021023
e: colind@karoo.world
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