START YOUR WEEK WITH THE COACH

”What’s the difference between a selfless leader and a selfish leader?”

“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet. How important you can be to the people you may never dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”
Fred (Mr.) Rogers

In 2009, veteran Texas skydiver Dave Hartsock was in the middle of a 13,000-feet-high tandem jump with Shirley Dygert, a grandmother and first-time diver. When he realized that neither of their two parachutes were fully open.

After struggling to untangle the lines and just seconds before impact, Hartsock opted to rotate his body, so he’d cushion Dygert and absorb the brunt of the force when they hit the ground.

Hartsock’s quick thinking and selfless heroism saved Dygert’s life. While sustaining some injuries she recovered and functioned normally, but Hartsock paid a monumental price being paralyzed from the neck down for life.

Dygert tears up when she says, “How can somebody have that much love for another person?” Hartsock could have made some very good excuses to not make that sacrifice but great leaders never do.

Your story may not be as dramatic, but if you aspire to be a great leader find ways every day to sacrifice your own feelings and level of comfort for your team. Too many leaders sacrifice their team to build their own careers while thinking very little about what their team members give to make the organization successful and the top leaders look good.

Selfless leaders always make time to sincerely thank and appropriately reward their team. They never offer excuses for not doing it. Unappreciated team members cost organizations in so many ways other than money.

Selfless leaders put the advancement and benefits of the team ahead of their own. That one act alone indicates whether you are a boss, telling what to do, or a leader, creating opportunities for people to become their personal best.

As a leader you never know when you will have to ask the team to go above and beyond the call to duty. Selfish leaders will find few volunteers when they need them the most. Selfless leaders seem to never lack for willing hands and feet because they won their hearts and minds before the need arrived.

You may not be a Mr. Rodgers or a Dave Hartsock, but neither should you be Attila the Hun or Mr. Grinch. Just be yourself. But whoever that is, be selfless. The rewards for being a servant leader may take longer than being a leader looking for servants. However, they are far greater in the end.

If your team held a secret vote today about your leadership what would be the results? Do they follow you for a paycheck, or because you provide opportunities for them to become their personal best?