Start with the Why

I was recently reminded by a good friend of mine about a Ted talk by Simon Sinek.  It is titled “Start With Why.”  If you have a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit, I would highly recommend listening to his talk.  Simon talks about businesses and how the ones that succeed have a well-defined “why.”  Meaning, they describe the “why” behind their product or their company.  Since I want the Live Lead Love Group to succeed, I figured I would write about the “why” behind the group and the need to Live, Lead, and Love.

For the last 6 years I have had the desire to start my own business.  I have had many different ideas for business and ways to make money.  Some of them I still might try.  But in my work and in my life, I have always done or wanted to do something that I am passionate about.  I have wanted to find my “calling” in life and make a difference in a big way.  This drives me more than money.  That’s why I think some of those other business ideas didn’t really pan out.  I want to wake up every morning with the passion and drive to do something awesome, not just make a few bucks.

As I pondered this the last few years, I watched a lot of crazy things happening in the world.  Politics, pandemics, and social unrest to name a few.  So, I thought to myself, “I want to help.  I want to be positive influence in the world.  I want to influence others to do good.  But how can I do that?  Run for office, maybe?  Probably not.  I don’t think that stuff is for me.”  As I was thinking of how I could contribute to society and make it a better place, a thought came to me.  What we need in this country right now is leadership.  Leadership is needed everywhere!  From employing simple leadership concepts in our homes, all the way up to big corporations and government organizations.  This was how I was going to make a difference.  I wanted to teach others how to become leaders in their own right and use a holistic approach.

I bet you are wondering what “a holistic approach” to leadership is?  My holistic approach to leadership is in the title and values of the Live Lead Love Group.  First is to Live by Example.  You have to know yourself, better yourself, and be an example to those around you.  Next, after you better yourself, you need to Love Others.  You need to show kindness and empathy and serve others.  Serving others is one of the highest forms of showing love.  Last, and certainly not least, you need to Lead with Passion.  Leading with passion brings it all together using emotional intelligence, social competence, and inspiration to motivate and transform individuals and groups.

So why should you listen to me about leadership?  My story starts over 15 years ago.  When I was a kid, I grew up by an Air Force base and had the privilege of having the sound of freedom roar overhead daily.  I was awe inspired by the jets and someday wanted to fly fast and blow stuff up.  So, when I got to college, I started down the path that would help me achieve my goal of going fast and blowing things up.  I joined Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps.  That is where my leadership instruction began.

As a military officer you are continually receiving leadership training.  From the very beginning to the end of your career you are receiving formal training.  I have been through many formal leadership courses with my most recent culminating in a master’s degree with my thesis discussing effective leadership implementation in the workplace.  As a military officer there are also opportunities to receive mentorship from other leaders.  I also learned from observing others.  Unfortunately, my experience involved observing a lot of toxic leaders. You can read more about toxic leadership from my blog Toxic Leadership and see some of the real-life examples I share.  Some of my best learning has come from individuals showing what not to do.  As I have continued down the leadership path my leadership responsibilities have grown as the years go on.  They expand from leading a few people and a small program to overseeing many people and billion-dollar programs.  .  I have also had the privilege of working with other companies and government organizations in a similar capacity.  So, with all this experience and training I figured I could share my knowledge and experience with others in the hopes that I can influence others to do good and build actual leadership for the future.

So, there you have it.  That’s my “why.”  It is going to be an exciting ride.  Join me on this adventure and let’s make the world a better place by living by example, leading with passion and loving others.