One of the greatest compliments I have ever received was when a former band student told me that I inspired them to become a better musician. And because of this they were going to pursue a degree in music education in college. Hearing that student share that sentiment truly warmed my heart. It was also vindication that through hard work and effort I was getting through to my students to share with them the wonderment that is music. When I started teaching I never made it my goal to inspire students. I wanted to impart knowledge to them and help them to discover within themselves the ability to meet challenges head on and be able to solve them on their own. As part of this process I knew that I had to find a way to connect with my students so that they would feel comfortable in the classroom environment and assure them that they have a voice. The underlying tone that came from mentors and administrators was that an inspired student will learn better. So we were encouraged to inspire but again for me that was not the goal.
Inspiration is found through observation and connection. The reason the student above had given me this wonderful compliment was because he had seen the way I cared for all of my students; through good grades and bad; through family struggles they were dealing with; through the normal changes of young adulthood; and sometimes through death. No matter what I put the students first. They knew that I cared for them. And because they knew this they felt more comfortable being in my class. There are a lot of television programs of various types that put regular, non-celebrity people in the spotlight. When I watch these programs, whether it is a music competition show, or an athletically based show, I am most often disappointed when people are interviewed and they say that they want to inspire people. Again inspiration is a great compliment but the true test of the human spirit comes in the actions you take. Don't announce inspiration as your cause. Let your actions, good deeds and successes be your focus. If you do this people will take notice and those that are inspired will let you know. Being a leader you have to walk a very fine line between arrogance and humility. Actually let's switch out arrogance with extreme self confidence. People want to follow a leader who is confident and can take charge and make things happen. However make sure you stay humble because someone who is very confident can be mistaken as arrogant and this will only work against you. But when you find that right balance of confidence and humility then people will see the good in you and that is inspirational. Building Leaders for Success is dedicated to educating and providing training and skills that will benefit you, your employees and your business. Check us out on the web at www.buildingleadersforsuccess.com, on Facebook at Building Leaders for Success and on Twitter @Leading4success. Enter your email address in the box to the right to receive these blogs and other offers from Building Leaders for Success.
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Whether you are a self proclaimed leader, a leader by action or a leader designated by others, most people want to leave a legacy. This begs the question would you want to be considered as an idol or an icon?
An idol, according to dictionary.com is defined as any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration or devotion. An idol is something singular that is admired. In olden days a great example was a statue or an item related to a deity. From a more contemporary standpoint an idol can be a person that you aspire to be like. For example I idolize the musician Chris Botti for his tremendous talent and skill. An icon as defined by dictionary.com is defined as a sign or representation that stands for its object by virtue of a resemblance or analogy to it. This has a more broader range of inclusion. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was an icon of the civil rights movement as was Rosa Parks. Steve Jobs was an icon in the electronic industry. Chris Botti and Miles Davis are icons in the area of trumpet music. These are examples of people who were recognized leaders in a broad field and not only based on events directly related to them and them alone. Let's clarify one thing, it should not be a goal to become an idol or an icon. Taking that approach, for the pure leader, is laced in narcissism. Most leaders want their actions to reflect their success and how people view them. It is this type of humility combined with resulting success that will allow them to be idolized while becoming an icon in their field. So it is possible to be both an idol and icon but it should be a result of your leadership and action and not a cause for it. If you are not idolized or referred to as an icon, it doesn't mean that you have failed. These are designations that the general public places upon people. Your job is to continue being a good leader and striving for success and sharing that with others. If you accomplish that then that will leave a more long lasting legacy than any title. Building Leaders for Success is dedicated to educating and providing training and skills that will benefit you, your employees and your business. Check us out on the web at www.buildingleadersforsuccess.com, on Facebook at Building Leaders for Success and on Twitter @Leading4success. Enter your email address in the box to the right to receive these blogs and other offers from Building Leaders for Success. Thanks for joining us for a new blog. I realize that it has been a while since I've posted and for that I apologize. The upside is that we have been very busy with seminars and training people how to become more successful leaders.
I am always entertained when we start a new calendar year. Out come the New Year's resolutions. People are going to lose weight, they are going to be happier, they are going to find love, they are going to start a blog, the dreaded picture a day and then they follow it with the phrase, "Let's do this." Resolutions, goals, achievements, whatever you want to call them are great but why wait until a new calendar year? The season of change starts with the beginning of a brand new day. So for all the people that said, "In 2016 I am going to do a,b and c," why did you wait? Why not start that day? If you have inspired thought or a change that you want to make in your life, take action immediately. The reality of life is that there may not be a tomorrow. Sorry to sound grim but the careless of others could impact you and all of the things that you wanted to start tomorrow, or next week, next month or next year, will be for nothing. With every new day find a way to be inventive and creative. It's not to say that you can't adopt someone else's resolution but it is ok to do things that will better YOU. You can't make others happy if you are not happy yourself. Seek out the things you would like to achieve, strategize your goals and start on them right now. In the spirit of the new year - Happy New Year! Have a great 2016! As your friend, don't wait for a new year to start your goals - start them NOW! Building Leaders for Success is dedicated to educating and providing training and skills that will benefit you, your employees and your business. Check us out on the web at www.buildingleadersforsuccess.com, on Facebook at Building Leaders for Success and on Twitter @Leading4success. Enter your email address in the box to the right to receive these blogs and other offers from Building Leaders for Success. |
AuthorFrank Taylor is founder and CEO of Building Leaders for Success, Inc. A musician of 25 years, educator of 15 years and a motivational speaker of 16 years, Mr. Taylor brings a wealth of knowledge that will promote success and fundamentals of leadership. Archives
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