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The Step Up - Vol. 18: What is a True Leader?
Vol. 19: What is a True Leader?I'm blessed to hold various leadership positions where I have the opportunity to guide, empower, and inspire others. So obviously, I think a lot about leadership. It matters a lot to me. It matters a lot to the world. True leaders drive humanity forward. They make progress. They empower others to achieve unthinkable things. We owe the progress of humanity to great leaders throughout history who took it upon themselves to guide and empower others. But false leaders exist too. And they can do the opposite of everything I just mentioned. This newsletter highlights the dichotomy between true and false leaders. A true leader promotes the truth and removes barriers to accessing it. A false leader promotes their agenda and suppresses the truth and viewpoints that don't align with theirs. A true leader is humble and confident, accepting feedback and criticism as opportunities to grow. A false leader is prideful and cocky, taking feedback and criticism as attacks on their ego and identity. A true leader takes accountability, admits mistakes, and aims to improve. A false leader shuns accountability, points blame, and doubles down on their current actions and beliefs. A true leader empowers others to achieve great things and gives them the credit when they accomplish them. A false leader degrades others when they fall short and takes credit for themselves when others achieve something. A true leader is authentic, vulnerable, and recognizes the mutual long-term value of relationships. A false leader is fake, shallow, and uses others as tools to get what they want. A true leader values diversity in temperament, talents, and convictions - recognizing that the fabric of a group is stronger with different people in it. A false leader values only those who think, look, and act like them - reinforcing their own actions and beliefs. A true leader pushes humanity forward. A false leader pulls humanity back. A true leader builds. A false leader tears down. A true leader helps. A false leader hurts. Look at yourself and who you are as a leader. Look at those around you who you call a leader. Which side of these comparisons do they align with? See you next Thursday, Steppers. We will succeed, Grayson Song of the Week:
Zach Bryan got me back into country a few years ago, and his new album With Heaven on Top is another great addition to his catalog. I love his Midwestern bluegrass-inspired sound - it's just so easy and delightful to listen to. It was truly hard picking a song to highlight, but Santa Fe's chorus really sticks out to me. |
Grayson Stepanek
Subscribe to my newsletter - the Step Up! You'll get an inside look into my thoughts, mental models, and ways of going about life - with the goal of helping you do the same. Take the first step and join me on this journey. Newsletter every Thursday at 4:30pm CST.
Vol. 19: The Price of Love Whiskers (table), Oliver (chair), & Buttons (rug) This week has been a sobering reminder about love and it's painful yet worthwhile price. This is not a pity piece, but it will be darker, longer, and more vulnerable than usual, and I hope you can find solace in it. My Mom texted me on Tuesday to stop by the house when I could. She had a feeling our cat Buttons wasn't going to live much longer. This wasn't the first time I got this text from her - the same happened...
Vol. 17: The One Thing You Can Always Control As we embark on our goals this year, I'd love to help focus our energy on things that drive us forward. Namely, things we can control, and not things we can't. In this chaotic world, there's a lot of things we can't control, both good and bad. Unexplained tragedies, unexpected opportunities, and everything in between. It's important that we recognize what is in our control and what isn't so that we can best allocate our time and energy to create...
Vol. 16: Incremental Becomes Monumental I saw a great Garmin commercial recently that ended with the quote “incremental becomes monumental,” and it's such a succinct way of wording a philosophy I deeply identify with. If you ever see my running posts, you’ll see me say "1%" a lot. That’s not referencing being in the top 1% - it means getting 1% better, every day. It’s a concept from James Clears’ Atomic Habits: 1% better each day is 37.78x better each year. Not 100% better. 3,678% better...