Hey there! Here’s one leadership idea and one resource I’ve found beneficial this week:
1 idea: Words create worlds
Back when my business was simply a side hustle, a friend said something to me that changed the trajectory of my life and career.
In those early days, I thought my value proposition was helping leaders put other people’s ideas into action. I knew many people who read books but few who consistently implemented what they learned. Since there were already so many good ideas out there from folks like Stephen Covey, Patrick Lencioni, and Brené Brown, I focused my workshops and keynotes on simply applying their content.
Then one day, I was at a conference with my friend Davin Salvagno. Davin is the consummate encourager—the embodiment of positivity and authenticity. If he was a drug, his warning label would state, “Side effects may include hugs and tears.”
Davin was connecting me to someone else and introduced me in a way no one ever had before: “Dr. Josh Wymore is a thought-leader.” His words jolted me. Huh, I thought. I never knew anyone thought of me in that way.
To Davin, this was an inconsequential statement. He'd thought of me in this way for a long time. But despite how obvious it was to him, it had never occurred to me before.
Like the movie Inception, his idea slowly took root in me. I started questioning the business niche I had settled on so quickly. I do care about taking action on ideas, I thought. But would I be satisfied if I only ever implemented someone else’s? Do I have something to say, too? I realized I did—and more importantly, I now had a small dose of courage to find that voice.
The rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel says, “Words create worlds.” They things we speak over people—true or not—often come to define reality for them. Davin’s words created a whole new world of possibility for me. By claiming an identity for me that I had not yet claimed for myself, he grabbed one of my million potential futures off the high shelf and placed it within my grasp. I don’t know that I would have written my first book had Davin not spoken those visionary words.
This is an incredible responsibility for us as friends, parents, and leaders. A small word from us can open up a whole new vista for others. The question is, how can we use our words to create better worlds for the people we love and serve? How can we speak life and not death?
Remember, the things that you cherish in others may not be as obvious to them as they are to you. Take time to affirm their gifts, and you might just give them the courage to embrace that identity even more fully.
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Consider a person you love. What stands out to you? How are they uniquely valuable?
When could you take a moment to affirm that identity?
What difference would it make for them and for the world if they truly embraced that identity?
1 resource: Ignite Fort Wayne
Perhaps we often fail to embrace these lifegiving identities because we lack friends and mentors who speak truth into our lives. That’s one reason I love the Ignite program from Love Fort Wayne. This faith-based leadership development program places emerging leaders in an intimate cohort of peers and connects them to veteran leaders for mentorship as well. I’m honored that they’ve chosen to use Humbler Leadership as one of their key texts, too.
The program begins September 16, and enrollment is open now. If you live in the Greater Fort Wayne area and are looking to grow in your leadership, check it out!
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