— To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu at www.tomnewhouse.com. —
AHHH, YES: FREE AT BIRTH. So inspiring. In my case, however, it did not take long for me to realize that I was “born” as a single-shot. Not much I could do about that. Now, a lot of single-shots were just ordinary rifles. I stood out because I was accurate, and that was not a characteristic of birth, I worked at it. I, with Rudy, of course, developed a skill that made me indispensable. Actually, might I humbly say, I was a leader among rifles.
Are leaders born or made? You could say, either, both, or neither, and be part of the forever debate. Think about Shot, and you’ll land on both. Well, maybe. You see, having some natural tendencies will position you for leadership. But, developing skills sets you apart. It’s like talent. When it meets training and discipline, it becomes evident. Did the talent set you up for greatness? Most likely. Did training produce greatness? Yes, perhaps. Did self-discipline, exercise greatness? Generally, yes. You want to be a leader? Good. Identify your resident talents, develop skills related to them, and apply the rigor to exercise them among others. You’ll then feel like you were born free.