GREATNESS PRINCIPLES FROM THE LIFE, LEADERSHIP & LEGACY OF SIDNEY POITIER

I have always believed that Greatness is less of your achievements and more of the replication of even greater achievements through the lives of others.

In other words, for you to leave a legacy of greatness, you must have moved beyond yourself, your accomplishments and accolades to efforts of enabling others to achieve more than you ever could.

When we study the lives of some of the exceptional leaders in our generation, people like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and recently deceased embodiment of Greatness like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Betty White, they are considered legends because of this.

They consistently spoke up for the disadvantaged, dejected, depressed and downtrodden.

They were willing to risk it all – their fame and fortune, their network and net worth, so others could have a voice, so minoritized and racialized people can have a chance to maximize their potentials, so those who are constantly marginalized by others can be seen, heard, and even appreciated.

As?The Betty White Show?became popular across the United States, many people criticized Betty White (a white female) for having?Arthur Duncan (a Black tap dancer) on her variety show, asking for the Black male to be removed from the White female show. Despite the numerous threats Betty received, she refused, saying, “Arthur Duncan, stays, live with it.”

As I indicated in my book, The Mystique of Leadership:

“Leadership is the courage to stand and speak up for righteousness and justice even when you stand the chance of losing all that you are and have. It is an indomitable spirit that can only be inspired by purpose, sustained by passion and guided by principles.”

For you to become an exceptional leader and leave a legacy of Greatness like Sidney Poitier, you must be willing to defend the oppressed, obstructed and underrepresented with your influence and affluence.

You must be determined to live your life in such a way that you will eventually become an example of the remarkable leadership everyone desires but only a few people are brave enough to manifest. True leadership, I have learned, has less to do with your title and more with your take on people, things, places, and situations.

FIVE GREATNESS PRINCIPLES FROM THE REMARKABLE LIFE, LEADERSHIP & LEGACY OF SIDNEY POITIER

As we honour the Life, Leadership & Legacy of Sidney Poitier, the great icon in entertainment and social justice who passed away on Friday, January 7, 2022, after 94 years of generational impact, here are five leadership principles to inspire and empower you to rise above your achievements to facilitate the empowerment of others.

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES #1 – DEVELOP YOURSELF EACH DAY

One of the most common habits of highly effective and successful people is their unwavering commitment to personal development, their unquestionable determination to develop their thought process and way of being daily. In his words:

“To simply wake up every morning a better person than when I went to bed. I always wanted to be someone better the next day than I was the day before.”

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES #2 – BE AUTHENTIC IN EVERY SITUATION

Sidney was always clear and vocal about who he was, especially from the standpoints of his job as action and he stand for social justice. He never tried to become who he wasn’t for the same of pleasing people, cultures and systems and never accepted labels and opinions that did not represent who he claimed to be. In his words:

“Living consciously involves being genuine; it involves listening and responding to others honestly and openly; it involves being in the moment.”

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES #3 – EMBRACE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Nothing makes the world more awesome than its diversity; than the differences in all creation, humanity, and perspectives.?It is strategic, therefore, to leverage diversity in every form to maximize the growth of people and profit. As Poitier puts it:

“I never had an occasion to question colour, therefore, I only saw myself as what I was... a human being. There is no racial or ethnic domination of hopelessness. It's everywhere."

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES #4 – BE OPEN AND HUMBLE

Exceptional leaders are quite principles yet open to appreciating other people’s opinions and perspectives, even when they disagree, and humble enough to seek and accept constructive feedback. Until you are willing to recognize your imperfection as much as you do

“We are all somewhat courageous, and we are all considerably cowardly. We are all imperfect, and life is simply a perpetual, unending struggle against those imperfections.”

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES #5 – CONSISTENTLY RAISE THE BAR ON YOURSELF

One of the easiest things to do in life is to expect way more from others than we expect from ourselves. It is to amplify the weaknesses of others while minimizing ours.

We can be quick to join counterproductive conversations that demean, demoralizes, and even demonize other people because of their ethnicity, religious beliefs, political views, sexual preferences, and sociopolitical background – without for once considering the log that is in our eyes versus the speck in the eyes of others.

But true leaders, authentic, remarkable, and gracious human beings like Sidney Poitier always spoke the truth with grace. In one of his interviews with Oprah Winfrey, he said:

“Those who taught of me in such negative terms, I was going to lay down a challenge. I am not going to try to be as good as you, I am going to set my bar higher, and I will be better.”

TRIBUTES TO SIDNEY POITIER, A TRAILBLAZER, LEGEND AND HERO

“Through his ground-breaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. He also opened doors for a generation of actors. Michelle and I send our love to his family and legion of fans.”

– Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States

“For me, the greatest of the 'Great Trees' has fallen: Sidney Poitier. My honour to have loved him as a mentor. Friend. Brother. Confidant. Wisdom teacher. The utmost, highest regard, and praise for his most magnificent, gracious, eloquent life. I treasured him. I adored him. He had an enormous soul I will forever cherish. Blessings to Joanna and his world of beautiful daughters . . . Sidney represented possibility.”

– Oprah Winfrey, Founder, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN)

“Sidney Poitier was more than just one of the finest actors in our history.?His iconic performances in films like?The Defiant Ones,?A Raisin in the Sun,?Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and?In the Heat of the Night?held a mirror up to America’s racial attitudes in the 1950s and 1960s.?With unflinching grandeur and poise — his singular warmth, depth, and stature on-screen — Sidney helped open the hearts of millions and changed the way America saw itself.

The son of tomato farmers in the Bahamas, Sidney became the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor — but the trail he blazed extended leaps and bounds beyond his background or profession.?He blazed a path for our nation to follow, and a legacy that touches every part of our society today. Jill and I send our love and prayers to Sidney’s wife, Joanna, his daughters, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. May God bless Sidney Poitier.”

– Joe Biden, 46th President of the United States

“Sidney Poitier was purpose-driven, had a crystal-clear focus, was consistent in his approach and consistently was committed to the cause for social justice. He knew that leadership came with a burden, a great and sometimes grave one, which is to pave the way for the next generation, which is to gradually die to yourself so others may have life.

This is what he did for all his life, the highlights of his career, his purpose, mission, and vision. Leaders like Sidney Poitier never die; they transition but lives on in the hearts of millions for generations, many yet unborn.”

– Alex Ihama, Executive Director, Canadian Congress on Inclusive Diversity & Workplace Equity

Philip Davis, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, pays tribute to beloved actor and cultural icon Sir Sidney Poitier

"It is with great sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of Sir Sidney Poitier.

Our whole Bahamas grieves and extends our deepest condolences to his family.

But even as we mourn,??we celebrate the life of a great Bahamian: a cultural icon, an actor and film director, an entrepreneur, civil and human rights activist, and, latterly, a diplomat.

We admire the man, not just because of his colossal achievements, but also because of who?he?was:??his strength of character; his willingness to stand up and be counted; and the way he plotted and navigated his life’s journey.

The boy who moved from the tomato farm of Cat Island to become a waiter in the United States;

The young man who not only taught himself to read and write but who made the expression of words and thoughts and feelings central to his career;

The man who expressed his rage against racial injustice through quiet dignity;

The humanitarian who used his steely determination not just to better himself, but to better the world that he lived in, filtered through the milk of human kindness.

And all of it achieved without sacrificing integrity, charm, elegance, or wit.

These things don’t come easily.

But the fight?can?be good.

Your peers don’t?give?you an Oscar, you?win?an Oscar.

Success is not a given – but it can come to those who translate talent into craft and perseverance.

As he said himself in his autobiography:?“You don’t have to become something you’re not, to be better than you were.”

This is the mark of the man.

In our national anthem, we remind ourselves to “see how the world marks the manner of our bearing”.

Sir Sidney’s bearing upon the world shines as among the best of us.

Our country is in mourning, and so I have instructed that the Bahamian flag be flown at half-mast at home and in our embassies around the world.

We know the world mourns with us.

Sir Sidney’s light will continue to shine brightly for generations to come."

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