In the summer of 1982, Larry Walters was a young man growing up in southern California.
Since his childhood years, Larry was consumed with becoming a jet fighter pilot.
In his boyish mind’s eye, he pictured himself strapped into the cockpit of a McDonnell Douglas F15 Eagle—a twin-engine, all-weather, tactical fighter renowned for an undefeated air-to-air combat record.
Picture this.
It’s after midnight.
A police officer, doing his ordinary rounds, discovers a man under a streetlight frantically searching for something.
The officer parks his vehicle and, with caution, walks up to the man.
In a calm voice, the officer says, “It looks like you’ve lost something.”
Without looking up, the man emphatically announces, “Yes! I’ve lost my keys!!”
If you want to be an exceptional leader, you’ll have to come to grips with an indisputable reality. Your energy flows where your attention goes. Said differently, whatever you choose to focus on is where your precious energy will be spent.
Being asked to serve on a nonprofit’s board of directors is enormously gratifying.
This is true for a variety of reasons.
First, it just feels good.
In fact, simply knowing that someone thinks highly enough of you (and your expertise!) to want you to be a part of their organization is an absolute day-maker.
Kids call them BFF’s.
Garth had them in low places.
John, Paul, George, and Ringo got by with their assistance.
So did Dionne and Elton, Andrew Gold, and Carole King.
Some people refer to them as besties, homies, and dawgs (what up G?).
When I was a kid, I LOVED scouting.
The outdoors. The challenges. The manual. The badges. The camaraderie.
I loved it all.
But most of all, I loved the Scout’s Oath.
Have you ever noticed that great things come in fours?
There are four primary elements—fire, air, earth, and water.
There are four phases of the moon—new, waxing, full, and waning.
There are four seasons. (And even though most North Dakotans believe that there are only two—winter’s coming and winter’s here—the scientists remain unmoved.)
Bigger houses. Bigger cars.
More followers. More friends. More likes.
Larger. Taller. Wider.
Whatever it is, we always seem to want more.
Perhaps entrepreneur Jim Rohn said it best, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Chew on that morsel for a while.
No doubt, it’s a stunner of a concept.
In fact, I’m convinced that if you genuinely take Rohn’s observation to heart, it should cause you to stop and reflect on your own life—both personally and professionally.
William Felton Russell is, without question, the greatest basketball player ever to play the game.
Not Michael Jordan. Not Magic Johnson. Not Kobe Bryant. Not LeBron James.
William Felton Russell.
And while there have been some extraordinary players who have graced us with their talents (see the above list), none has done it better than Bill Russell.