The Price of Leadership

I was watching the movie Walk the Line again the other day.  I've seen the movie countless times, and it inspired me to add a bunch of Johnny Cash songs to my iPod.  One of these was his iconic "Man in Black" which is one of my favorites.  Listening to this song again got me thinking about leadership, and the price of leadership.  I thought about that particular time in history, and the courage it took for this man to sing this message because of the very real price associated with it.  If you haven't heard it, I strongly suggest you check it out.

So what does Johnny Cash have to do with leadership?  Even more clearly, what is leadership, and what price is associated with it?

First let's start with a definition of leadership.  Being a leader is having a crystal clear vision that others are inspired to willingly adopt as their own.  If you've never heard this definition of leadership before, please take a moment to reread it, because each word is very important.  My mentor taught me this definition but she never told me specifically about the price it would cost, that I learned from Johnny Cash.

When he first released "Man in Black" Cash was a beloved performer who had a very large following of politically conservative fans.  His conviction outweighed any fear he may have felt in taking the unpopular stance of speaking out against the war, or being sympathetic to people incarcerated in prison.  My parent's friends spoke negatively about him for these reasons, and it is clear that he risked his popularity by speaking his truth, and most certainly lost fans due to his political views.  What also happened was his message was heard by younger people who felt he was on their side and subsequently became his loyal fans, dramatically increasing his reach.  This is evidenced by his icon status among punk rockers and countless modern day musicians who list him as a major influence.

In my own evolution as a leader I have experienced many uncomfortable moments that certainly felt like a risk.  Prior to joining my network marketing company I was a Human Resources Director for a Fortune 100 company, just one small step from a Vice Presidency.  For a Gen X'er I had climbed the ladder nearly to the top in a relatively short period of time and I had the supreme confidence in my abilities that came with it.  I had the Master's Degree, the obscenely generous paycheck, the title, the influence, the responsibility.  Upon joining my network marketing company I felt more like a pimply faced adolescent; my confidence somehow disappeared!

What I discovered was that leadership has a price, and each of us must pay our dues.  I felt like a teenager again because I had dues to pay.  The price is the uncomfortable feeling, the fear of inadequacy, the uncertainty involved in speaking your truth and knowing it will not be received well by everyone.  You pay the price by being uncomfortable and yet doing it still, not allowing yourself to procrastinate the fear away.  Not allowing the fear to stop you from starting.

You pay the price by absorbing every piece of personal development you can into every pore.  By applying what you learn to every single aspect of your life, including your business.  By finding your voice and not allowing what others think of you to stop you from using it.  When you feel this fear, remember what my mentor told me: "What other people think of you is none of your business!"

Being authentic, no matter how frightening it may be, is how you pay the price.  Be yourself, and don't be afraid of unpopularity.  If your confidence is lacking, start with one thing, then another that keep you moving forward on your plan.  With each step you take you will feel your confidence grow, and your price being paid coin by coin.  We all start from where we are, there is no other place from which to start.

I'm reminded of the opening scene in Walk the Line where Cash is backstage trying to get his head together to go out on stage, the audience by now impatiently shouting for his presence.  He is facing down his own insecurity and survivor guilt by looking at a saw similar to one that took his brother's life so many years earlier, and who he always perceived as better than him, more worthy of life than himself.  You see him come out of it and make a choice.  Then he goes on stage and sings for inmates at Folsom Prison.  These were his first steps that created the confidence necessary to sing a song like "Man in Black" and then walk his talk by wearing black until the day he died.

Find your voice and use it.

Never forget that everyone must pay their dues.

Every leader you see has paid the price of leadership, from Johnny Cash to the top producer in your organization.

Nina Taylor

Out of the Machine

www.outofthemachine.com