— 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 above. —
I WAS TOSSED ONTO A PILE OF RUBBLE in Rudy’s shop. Yes, after all my years of service, I was left to rust and rot. Not fair! Not fair that I was busted in two during a fight (when Dewey swung me at another’s head only to hit a wall). What do to? I embraced gratitude, gratitude for “being retired” to the center of the farm’s activity—the shop. There I saw people and their issues. I came to value them. I also reflected on my past and what others could learn from it. In sum, I pursued victory where others may have resigned in defeat.
Madam Leader. Sir leader. Somewhere, sometime you will feel abandoned. The feelings will be real and likely justified. They will yield a dark hole. It can be a hole of despair or cave of adventure. The choice will be yours. But you say, “adventure”? Indeed. What can you learn from the experience? What thoughts and reflections will help you be a better leader when you emerge? What do you learn about yourself? Your strengths? Your weaknesses? Your resolve? Your humility? Your values? Your relationships? Great leaders have risen from great trials. Let’s name some: Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Napoleon Bonaparte, Emily Dickenson, Albert Einstein, Charlie Chapman, Jack London, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, and Winston Churchill. The list could have gone on and on.