March Leadership Post

What Makes an Ordinary Person Extraordinary?



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Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.


- Mark Twain

Right now, in this moment you can only be who you are. You cannot be taller, smarter, better looking, or whatever it is you think would make you extraordinary. With regards to you becoming a leader; in this moment you can not be more charismatic, a better orator, or more intelligent. The process of personal transformation begins with self-discovery and self-awareness. Freedom is gained by knowing yourself. However, when you spend your time attempting to be someone else, you expend both time and energy in an exercise of futility.

The good news is that all you can be in this moment is you. If you do not sense the freedom in all of this then you are probably trying to answer the question, what’s wrong with me? You may not be perfect, but you are the perfect you. You are reading a book about leadership instead of watching television or surfing the net. There is nothing inherently wrong with these activities, they simply represent the norm. It’s unfortunate, but the majority of youth in this country and around the globe have been convinced that they have no voice. They’ve been led to believe that their opinions don’t count, and that they don’t matter. You’ve been told that you are the future, implying that you are not prepared or ready to cause change now. I say you are the present, shaping the future, which you are creating. The greatest trick society has played on its young people is indoctrinating them with the notion that life begins someday far in the future.

People ask me what I do to inspire young people. My initial response is, “I don’t inspire the young leaders of America, they inspire me.” I’ve been successful in shaping young leaders simply by reminding them of their inherit power. There is a voice that dwells within, just waiting to express itself. The power is already there, waiting to emerge.

Change is not a bad thing, and striving to be better is commendable. However, before you go down that path, embrace who you are in this moment. Start now by committing to give your best, “leaving everything on the playing field.” Apply these new leadership tools to your life, and share your insights with others. We live with a false notion that to inspire the masses we have to present a perfect image. We display the finished product and hide the sweat and tears that went into creating the results. Remember, the heart of this process is the journey. Waiting at the peak of every mountain is another mountain which is only visible from the preceding peak. Therefore, unabashedly share your struggles. Be straight with people. Be humble. Throughout this process keep in mind the words of Gandhi, “be the change you want to see in the world.” If you don’t begin with yourself it will be the blind leading the blind.

What makes an ordinary person extraordinary is the perseverance to overcome the obstacles that stop others. It is the will to fight for what’s right even when it is inconvenient to do so. When you act in an extraordinary manner you move forward in the face of fear. This is true courage. Hence, there is no need to eliminate the fear in your life. Instead act in spite of your fear. Mahatma Gandhi took on an empire which possessed the strongest military in the world. Martin Luther King Jr. was beaten and jailed for his beliefs. These leaders were not superheroes, but men who bled, who hurt, who were afraid. Despite these feeling and emotions nothing could stop them. I’m asking you to be unstoppable in your convictions, and unrelenting with your true objectives.

Dustin Carter, who lost all four limbs to a blood disorder, became one of the top high school wrestlers in his state. This is a young man who had the cards stacked against him, but would not be stopped. What made him a champion was not being blessed with extraordinary physical traits, but a will, desire, and work ethic driven by extraordinary discipline.

Young leaders see themselves for who they are, acknowledging their limitations, and giving their very best to the difference they want to make in the world. Remember, the world is made up of ordinary people. Very few of us can dunk a basketball from the foul line, run a four minute mile, or sing like a superstar. So what! The world is going to change on the backs of the majority uniting for the common good. Youth leadership is a power like no other. It is pure, and unstoppable. When youth come together they produce exponential results. Think of the civil rights movement or the peace movement in the 1960’s. What you see in your mind’s eye are images of young people standing for something bigger than themselves.



Leadership Actions:

Ask five people to name five strengths that you possess

Make Noise:

Let ten people know that you are reading a book on youth leadership. Ask permission to tell them three leadership qualities that they possess.
(Leaders find the greatness that lives in others)