What All Aspiring Great Leaders Should Hear

If you want to be a great leader you must be able to bring out the best in the people you are leading.  Now, there is a very key point in that statement that is often overlooked. I said, “bring out the best”, not “create the best”.  There is a very fine yet large difference between these two approaches.

One person who “brings out the best” in his work is Michelangelo.  Michelangelo is known for creating amazing art. However, he did not identify himself as a creator.  He rather saw himself as a liberator.

When Michelangelo was asked about the amazing sculptures he had “created” he said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free”.  Think about that. Michelangelo already realized that what he had in front of him possessed the potential to be great. He now just had to cut away the excess marble that was not meant to be in that sculpture’s life.

Great leaders have this same approach.  They realize that we are all born as a marble slab.  As we all grow, a great leader should help us cut away the excess to reveal our true potential.  They must know that “I’m not smart enough” or “I can’t achieve my dreams” are phrases that must be chipped away.  They must know that structuring your life around the opinions of other people must be chiseled right off the marble.  Most importantly, they must know that when this excess marble is removed, they are revealing a masterpiece that was there the whole time.

As an aspiring great leader, I strive to help those who walk with me chisel away their excess and reveal their own masterpiece.  It is appropriate and right to do this as well as help them add new beneficial habits. Just always keep in mind that at the end of the day they are the ones who are liberating their own masterpieces.