Feed your moral fiber

A man once said — with fire practically shooting from the seat of his pants — "The devil doesn't come dressed in red. He comes disguised as everything you've ever wished for." Temptation doesn't avoid leaders: It chases them. It flatters, cloaks itself as ambition and waits like a shadow just outside the door. That's when we must slam it shut, deadbolt it and call for backup—because, when integrity falls, influence follows. Still we sometimes take another look. We crack the door, and before we know it, we're spider-dragged into compromise. The distance between who we are and who we're called to be narrows when discipline, grit and humility become our daily bread. Maybe it's time we feed on moral fiber: strength that builds from the inside out. Leaders don't just battle the pressures around them: They fight the ones within. As one Cherokee elder told his grandson, seated beside the crackling fire: "My son, there's a battle between two wolves that lives inside all great leaders. One is an evil wolf, driven by envy, pride, greed and regret. The other is a good wolf, fueled by peace, joy, love, hope and faith." The boy stared into the flames and asked, "Grandfather, which wolf wins?" The wise man replied, "The one you feed." That's leadership: choosing which voice to nourish. And we don't win that fight alone. Franklin P. Jones once said, "Nothing makes it easier to resist temptation than a proper bringing-up, a sound set of values… and witnesses." Surround yourself with truth-tellers, people who remind you when to walk away and when to stand firm — because great leaders feed the good wolf and show others how to do the same. Tony Legando is a lifelong educator, a hall-of-fame football coach, and author of To Lead a Good Life / Part 2 and Fables for Young Leaders. He is also a public speaker who has inspired leaders for many years. You can contact him at legandot@gmail.com.