My Mom and Dad looked at each other with blank faces, a short pause and then looked at me and said, the thought never crossed their mind. My Dad did interject this, he said, I don't know Lance, I guess I just remember telling you to be an engine and not a caboose. I chuckled and told him that I remember him saying that to me, and I'm grateful for that small, short, simple sentence, because it's stuck with me to this day. But what the conversation showed me, was that I'm sure there's all kinds of other parents, kids, teachers or instructors out there that might have the same question, how is leadership acquired or taught? What do those conversations sound like, when should they start in one's life, and, is there a competitive advantage out there, when it comes to acquiring leadership skills, available to everyone, that you might have missed the boat on? Well, I'm not an expert in the field of leadership, but there are many in this world who have made this quality or characteristic their life's work, and we're going to see what they have to say on the topic. For the following books I'm going to reference, know that I'm only scratching the surface of all the learning nuggets in each of the titles. If something resonates with you from a certain book, by the end of this episode, I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of your own and read it in its entirety. Below are the links to each of the titles. Enjoy the episode :)
Leadership In Turbulent Times By Doris Kearns Goodwin https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Turbulent-Doris-Kearns-Goodwin/dp/1476795924
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell https://www.amazon.com/21-Irrefutable-Laws-Leadership-Anniversary/dp/0785288376?tag=entheos06-20
The Leadership Challenge How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations By James Kouzes and Barry Posner https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Challenge-Extraordinary-Things-Organizations/dp/0470651725?tag=entheos06-20
Extreme Ownership How U.S. Navy SEALS Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057?tag=entheos06-20