Memorial Day

Major Douglas Alexander Zembiec (April 14, 1973 - May 11, 2007)

“The Lion of Fallujah” was a two-time NCAA All American collegiate wrestler for the United States Naval Academy, an officer in the United States Marine Corps, and a war hero. Major Zembiec was killed in action while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Beyond his valor on the field of battle, Major Zembiec is also known for his exceptional leadership and inspiring quotes.

A good friend of mine, who is also a Marine, compiled these quotes from major Zembiac into a mantra that his 6 year old son recites every night at bedtime right before his prayers. It reads as follows:

“Be a man of principle. Fight for what you believe in. Keep you word. Serve country and your God. Teach, mentor, and give something back to society. Lead from the front. Conquer your fears. Be a good friend, a better husband, and an even better father. Be humble and be self-confident. Appreciate your friends and family. Be a leader and not a follower. Be valorous on the field of battle and in life. Take responsibility for your actions.”

The Wisdom of Will

Leadership with its many facets can be difficult to define, but great leadership is easy to recognize. The mission of this blog is to bridge the two, and create a dialogue that will help us all to grow into quality leaders based upon strong personal character. The video below exemplifies this through various interviews in which Will Smith shares his wisdom on how to succeed in life.

Vision Part 2

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­John 9: 39-41

  Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
  Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
  Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”




How many of us live our lives short sighted? Where does this lead? How can we achieve anything, much less lead if we live our lives short sighted?

  Our lack of foresight manifests itself in many ways: When looking at the schedule for the upcoming season, it is all too common for fans, coaches, and athletes to predict the team’s wins and losses. We often gravitate to the latest and the greatest devices, fashion, etc. in hopes that they will lead to happiness. I once had a student talk to me about her future plans and in so doing used this statement,” When I get married the first time…”, she already assumed she would be getting married multiple times!  What Jesus tells us is that our “blindness” is rooted in our lack of faith. Leaders who lack faith are truly blind.
 This begs the question: Where does a blind leader get their vision? In the video clip we see a coach whose vision is clear. We also see a charismatic athlete with strong leadership abilities but has already chalked up the next game as a loss. He lacks faith and his vision for the team is short sighted. By blind folding this athlete, his coach has eliminated his handicap and forced the athlete to depend on faith. Faith in the coach’s vision.
  Choosing to be blindfolded in lieu of short sighted vision can seem counter intuitive. (i.e. Some sight is better than none.) Yet by removing our faithless eyes we remove our limits. Our power and strength becomes limitless and so do our goals. It will be hard. There will be pain, and at times you will feel like quitting. This is when you have to hold on to the one thing that will see you through it all: faith.

Mark 10:52
"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road

Vision

Where there is no vision, the people perish.- Proverbs 19:18

One of the key components to being a strong leader is vision. For the sake of this post we’ll use the following working definition of vision (from a leadership context): The ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom; a mental image of what the future will or could be like. You have to know where you’re going if you want others to follow you.

Your vision will define your actions. As a leader you will have to be able to see what others can't, you will have to communicate that vision, motivate the rest of your team to get behind it, and lead the way to accomplishing the goals tied to that vision. Here's a great example of this:

A blind man riding a motorcycle? Who would ever believe that could be possible? He is blind yet has a clear vision of himself and his goals. In order to purchase the motorcycle the man has an obvious obstacle that he has to overcome. He does not allow his handicap to stand in the way of his goal. His vision defines his actions, even when others don’t buy in to it.. He can “see” what others can’t and leads them to accomplish his goal.

Ask yourself: What’s your vision for yourself? What’s your vision for your team? What are the obstacles that stand in your way? How will you get those around you to help you achieve your goals?

Magis (Continued)

I found this short video clip that explains the magis philosophy:

Magis

  Lately I’ve been reading about St. Ignatius Loyola and the Jesuit order. Within my studies I’ve been particularly drawn to one phrase in particular, magis.  Magis is a Latin based phrase that means “the more”. It refers to the Jesuit philosophy of doing more for Christ. It comes directly out of three key questions St. Ignatius would ask of others around him:

Ø  What have I done for God?

Ø  What am I doing for God?

Ø  What more can I do for Him?

   We are on this earth for a reason. We have each been blessed with many unique gifts and talents. It is our duty to maximize these and glorify God in all that we do. When we engage magis, we make the commitment to not only do our very best in everything we do, but to also use these gifts and talents to serve others. This means not only are you required to be a great student you must also do something to enhance the education of your classmates. You should not only give 100% in every game and practice, you must also get 100% out of each and every teammate as well.  Be your best in all that you do. Be the best: friend, brother, sister, student, athlete, parent, spouse, employee, employer, LEADER. Be the best person you can be, always. When you make this commitment to magis you commit to allowing your light to shine, which in turn inspires the same action in those around you.

You were not made to be o.k. You were made for greatness, don’t settle for any less.

“Success has been, and continues to be defined as getting up one more time than you’ve been knocked down.”

Christ defeats death by rising up one more time. In fact he rises more powerful than before, rallies his apostles and leads us to everlasting life. We are challenged to honor this every day, in everything we do.
 There will be bad plays, bad games, and bad seasons. Beyond sport life is full of challenges. Those challenges are where we test our merit. So don't wallow in it. Get up. Rally your teammates, and move forward. You're made to succeed.
Jesus’s life, death and resurrection is a testament of God’s love for us. It lays down the ultimate challenge. We are invited to be more. The only way to achieve that is to do more for others. Lead the way and let your light shine.

What Ced Said

This is an excerpt from a recent interview with the Cincinnati Bengals running back, Cedric Benson the other day on Sirius Radio:

His response to what changes need to be made (in regards to the Bengals) :

 “I’d like to see leadership, I’d like to see things that I saw when Chicago made the Super Bowl. I saw the offensive line as a unit in the weight room. No matter what it was they were always together. The receivers always together. Just some leadership. Even if you’re a young guy take the ropes. Step up. No one is keeping it from you. Come in and work hard. I’m going to lead the way. The path I’m going down is going to be strict and strenuous and tough and I’m not saying you have to walk the same path as me but walk besides me. Become something more important than just a player. Become an All Pro. If you set your mind on it we will become a playoff contending team.”

Impressive.