The people I presented to know me (or about me) more than I know them and it's not fun being in a class with me. For a week they knew that I would be teaching a class on sales/hustling.
There were no adults, grades were already given out and there was nothing preventing them from not showing up. Half the class showed.
Given all the things they could be doing on a Wednesday night, I asked why they showed up to a class that was technically over. The answer amazed me.
They wanted to hear what I had to say.
They granted me 2 hours of their life. 2 hours they could have spent somewhere else doing something more interesting than witnessing me struggle to keep a lively dialogue going.
It was my first true leadership experience. I was their peer, I have no formal authority over their lives to make them doing anything, much less show up. I was overwhelmed with gratefulness.
But they showed up anyway and listened and participated. It was in that moment that I realized that leadership is the simply being granted the listening of the community you serve.
Think about it. Have you ever had a boss that has formal authority (a title) that everybody pretends to listen to but goes back to 'business-as-usual' once their back is turned? That is a leader who has lost the listening of the people he or she leads.
Ever known someone who has no control over anything material in your life and yet you would swallow your fear and show up to contribute to whatever that person needed you to?
That's leadership. It's a powerful feeling when you have it.
Powerful in that your gratefulness is only outweighed by your sense of responsibility.
And that weight is heavy.
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