Hey guys, so I had the privilege of attending the Leadership Conference this past Saturday, and it was a really great experience. The speakers were phenomenal in their approach to how leadership and civility go hand in hand. From the Conference, I came up with a shortened definition of civility which is basically doing the right thing, not just for yourself, but for others too. In addition, it may be perceived as giving a voice to the voiceless. With that being said, everyone remembers the golden rule, right? You know, “treat others the way they want to be treated.” Well what about the platinum rule? Has anyone heard of that? If you have not, the platinum rule is treat others the way they would want to be treated! Mind blowing, right? When you think about it, everyone may not want to be treated in the same manner. While some things are appealing to certain people, others may not find it as appealing. So, treating others the way the want to be treated eliminates the sort of miscommunication amongst people. Also, what do you do when you overhear someone being disrespected or mistreated? Do you stand by and watch the situation occur or do you take a stand? That’s civility at its finest! We are not obligated to speak on the behalf of others, but we do it because it is the right thing to do. No compensation, no fancy medal or prize, but we do it for the personal satisfaction. That coincides with what a leader should do. We all as leaders help others and stand up for what is right. So I challenge you all today, the next time you find someone in trouble, stand up! You may not know that person, but look past the individual and see them as another human being. Handle the situation in the manner you would imagine that they would want to be treated and see what happens!
Until then,
Peace…Love…Leadership
October 3rd, 2012 at 4:15 pm
I agree with you completely. Nicely written 🙂
October 10th, 2012 at 6:10 am
How interesting that your post would follow Rodrigo’s post about marginalization of certain populations in this country and the implications of that for leaders. Your post is a really compelling look at the leaders’ responsibility. Your description of doing the right thing and defending others is something that anyone can do – and they can start today. It’s a perfect illustration of why we now approach leadership from the assumption that everyone engaged in working together to make a difference is doing leadership – whether they have a position of authority to operate from or not. We influence others by our actions as well as our speeches, right? Nice post!