The Leading Edge: Love, Leadership, and Legacy
Julie and Greg Gorman, certified John Maxwell Team coaches, speakers and trainers

The Leading Edge: Love, Leadership, and Legacy

This post originally appeared on the John Maxwell Team blog.

Valentine’s Day fosters the observance of love, romance, and stimulates even the busiest among us to slow down and express deep admiration. Storefronts filled with iconic cupids, Valentine’s cards, hearts and chocolates entice onlookers to celebrate those they love most. However, as leaders, shouldn’t we practice expressing affirmation every day, especially to those within our homes? More than childhood rhymes of “roses are red, violets are blue,” shouldn’t great leaders express “I appreciate you” to their spouses and children consistently?

John Maxwell frequently shares, “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” How then, as leaders, can we exhibit influence in our home and model our greatest leadership to our families?

When we first married, instead of leading by adding value, we sought to be served; we spent the first few years asserting our rights. Like two kids on a playground, we demanded things go our way and fought to determine who would win. Instead of welcoming one another’s strengths, we competed for control. We saw our differences as opportunities needing correction. Boy, did we ever botch it up.

Can you relate?

Truthfully, marriage and family provides an unmatched opportunity to live out leadership. No other relationships test us more. Why? Because we reveal who we really are behind the closed doors of our homes. How we respond, how we interact with our family, and how we speak to one another offers the clearest indication of our heart’s condition. If we want to leave a lasting legacy and to live a life of significance, we need to begin living intentionally by adding value within the walls of our home.

How do we consistently demonstrate good leadership in the place we often seek to find refuge? How do we serve and add value even when exhausted?

The answer lies within our daily thoughts and habits.

If you followed us around today, you’d be proud at how much we’ve grown. Instead of asserting our rights, our biggest arguments surround who can outdo the other in servanthood. Seriously! We constantly try to “out-give” each other and prefer one another’s needs over our own. Don’t get us wrong; sometimes we get comfortable and forget to do the basics. After all, as John says, “the biggest gap in life is the gap between knowing and doing.” We’re getting better and better all the time, and our desire to serve is larger than when we first began.

Today, we speak life to each other. We cheer one another on to live our dreams. We post little notes of affection on our bathroom mirrors, in each other’s sock drawers, and frequently express love and admiration, both privately and publicly. We are committed to lead by adding value and we are determined to leave a lasting legacy filled with life!

So, how do we intentionally model leadership to our family? Perhaps, Valentine’s Day offers some additional clues. Consider the following:

  1. Keep the idea of adding value to your loved ones at the forefront of your mind. Storefronts, shopping aisles, and Hallmark commercials constantly advertise, “Don’t forget your loved ones.” Take a moment to consider how you can put the same message at the forefront of your mind, every day, all throughout your home. Post a remembrance to serve and add value, in a memorable way that means something to you, on your refrigerator, your computer, or your bathroom mirror. Get creative; marketers for Valentine’s sure do!
  2. Send yourself reminders to lead intentionally. Valentine’s Day holds a spot on our calendar. We nationally reserve a day to celebrate love. Take time to think of a variety of ways you can express affirmation to your spouse and family. What makes them feel loved? What affirms them emotionally? Enter those ideas in your calendar and send yourself reminders to do them.
  3. Each morning ask yourself, “How can I add value to my spouse and children?” Every evening before you engage in your home, revisit that thought. At the end of every day, evaluate, “How did I add value to my spouse and children? How could I have done more?”

On this Valentine’s Day, remember, if we want to leave a legacy of leadership, we must recognize and embrace the truth, “Leadership begins with me.”

About Greg & Julie

Greg and Julie Gorman provide life-transforming content and coaching for your business and life. They write, produce, and host weekly broadcasts and hold certifications from the Patterson Center, Dr. John Maxwell, and Personality Insights Institute. As certified John Maxwell Team coaches, trainers and speakers, Greg and Julie share together internationally and have enjoyed sharing the platform with many well-known speakers such as Les Brown, John Maxwell, and many more. Together, Greg and Julie coach and inspire individuals, organizations, and couples to maximize their potential and embrace life to the fullest.

Greg and Julie built Gorman Leadership on the core values of excellence, integrity, and authenticity, the same values they carry in life and marriage. Their relationship is an example of strength and a model for making marriage and business thrive. They, along with their three children, make their home in southern Florida.

Mandy Martinez Ahlschwede

Retirement Coach at Round Table Investment Strategies

8 年

excellent article!

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