Responsibility is the price of leadership

Words are like the rudder of a ship: They allow us to steer others in the direction we want them to go. If we have the courage and strength to steer upstream, against the flow of criticism and undercurrents of public opinion, our decisions will help us lead with authority and secure desired results. Research professor Brene Brown maintains, "You walk inside your story and own it, or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness." Here's a young man who had no problem walking inside his story, owning it and steering the ship in the direction he wanted it to go: The team captain grabbed the young man by the back of the jersey and dragged him halfway down the practice field. Stopping in front of the head coach, he said, "Coach, this underclassman has been down at the other end of the field, complaining about everything. I thought it might be better if he complained right here, right now, in front of both of us." The young man's eyes were ready to pop right out of his helmet. Realizing he had complained to the wrong teammate, he apologized and assured both it wouldn't happen again. And it didn't. The captain proved he could steer his team in the direction they needed to go. There would be no standing outside his story and hustling for his worthiness. He realized that the first step in getting what he wanted as a leader was to have the courage to get rid of what he didn't want. He could've turned his back on the complainer and left the responsibility to someone else. Instead, he chose to meet the challenge head-on. It's been said, "The price of leadership is responsibility." To motivate, impact and influence others, it's our task to grab our problems by the jersey, don't let go and drag them in the direction we want them to go — or let someone else do the grabbing and dragging and lose all semblance of order. During the American Revolutionary War, John Rall, a German colonel, made a poor decision, and it changed the course of history. Legend has it that while playing poker, he was handed a letter of intel about George Washington crossing the Delaware River. Because it was written in English, and the colonel didn't want to pursue what it said, he shunned his responsibility and kept playing poker. Washington crossed the river uncontested, the Germans lost the battle, America won the war, and John Rall never finished his poker game. He died that evening from wounds incurred in the battle, and the unread note was found in his shirt pocket–poor decision, expensive poker game. Tony Legando is a lifelong educator, a hall of fame football coach and author of "To Lead a Good Life" and "Fables for Young Leaders." He is also a public speaker who has inspired leaders for many years. Check out his website at tonylegando.com or contact him at legandot@gmail.com.