The gorgeous Greek temple, the Parthenon, was built in 438 BC to honor the goddess Athena and still stands today. It is supported by a multitude of strong, sturdy, and stable 45-foot tall pillars! Some pillars have crumbled and collapsed even, however, the ornate and extremely heavy marble top of the temple is still strongly supported.
And consider that our leadership style is just like the Parthenon — it must be supported by strong, sturdy, and stable “leadership pillars”. So even if one or two of those pillars weaken, crumble, or collapse, your leadership style will withstand the test of time and thrive — especially in the face of adversity.
For example, my leadership is reinforced by these five pillars that have shaped and supported me on my journey to teaching others how to make better decisions to be a better leader in business and life. In no specific order, they are:
- Thriving Business Executive
- Decorated Marine Corps Veteran
- Cancer Surviver
- Martial Arts Master
- Loving Family Man
When I lead at work, home, or on stage in front of thousands of audience members as a keynote speaker, I draw on the strength, knowledge, creativity, life-lessons, and confidence that my leadership pillars provide. And even if one pillar is not supportive or applicable in a certain situation, I rest assured knowing my other pillars are there to provide the unwavering support I need to succeed.
I recently delivered a fun, interactive, and educational leadership keynote speech to a group of human resource professionals at a SHRM conference — the Society for Human Resource Managment — and posed the question, “What are your leadership pillars? What supports and reinforces your leadership style?”
And now I’m posing the same question to you. Let’ spend 30 quick seconds figuring it out:
30-Seconds of Action
Seconds 1 — 15: Make a list of two to five (or more) traits, qualities, life accomplishments, and/or other milestones you are very proud of. To help you brainstorm and come up with ideas, answer this, “What positive features, traits, and attributes do you bring to the table?” Do it quickly and don’t worry if it makes absolute sense — brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm!
Seconds 11 — 30: Push yourself to come up with THREE more traits, qualities, and accomplishments. Jot down whatever your subconscious brings to your mind.
Bonus 10-Seconds: Take 10 extra seconds to quickly schedule time in your calendar to work on building your “Leadership Parthenon”. Schedule two 15-minute time blocks — one on Tuesday and one on Thursday — to do the following: Tuesday call and talk to three trusted allies, friends, or family members and review the list you came up with. Fine tune it, edit it, create your leadership pillars. On Thursday, post your “Leadership Parthenon” some place you can easily see to help you OWN it, LIVE it, BREATHE it — post it on a mirror at home, post it electronically on your phone or laptop, write it on the back of your hand!
If you have any questions on the action steps listed here, are struggling to come up with your own unique leadership pillars, or have other innovative and motivational ways to grow as a leader, post a comment below or hit me up on Twitter @mpveltri. I’d love to hear from you!
And if you liked the ideas presented here, please take a look at my website where you can find more information on my dynamic business leadership keynote speeches, breakout sessions, and peak performance consulting. You can even download a free sample chapter of my Nationwide Bestselling book: https://michaelveltri.com/the-mushin-way-book