Lao Tzu once said, “I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.” (Tzu, 2015, Lao Tzu Quotes, Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/140095-i-have-three-precious-things-which-i-hold-fast-and) Reflecting on my leadership quote, my definition of a leader is one who knows how to put others before themselves. The following ideas are essential to my definition. Leaders must be gentle, be frugal, and be humble. These qualities can integrate into boldness, liberality, and reflection of others.
Gentleness. Without gentleness a leader is reckless of the follower’s emotions. In order for the leader to implement positive change, the leader must be able to understand people’s need and desires. According to Meghan M. Biro, a writer for Forbes, “Great leaders understand empathy, and have the ability to read people’s (sometimes unconscious, often unstated) needs and desires. This allows them to speak to these needs and,…show more content… Rick Pitino once said, “Humility is the true key to success. Successful people lose their way at times. They often embrace and overindulge from the fruits of success. Humility halts this arrogance and self-indulging trap. Humble people share the credit and wealth, remaining focused and hungry to continue the journey of success.” (Pitino, 2015, Rick Pitino Quotes - Humility Quotes, Brainy Quotes, Retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/rickpitino675705.html) As a leader, I must remember to not be overindulgent or arrogant in the fruits of my successes. I must be willing to share my successes without my followers. In other words, a success is not a success if the glory is not shared among the
