The most effective leaders are not those who simply deliver a message.
They are men and women who are the message.
They live the message.
They embody the very passions, ideas, and words they want the world to grasp.
George Washington didn’t talk about the cause of liberty and theorize on the equality of men. He suffered through harsh winters with his men, went without pay and rations, refused the Kingship when it was offered to him, and unlike Thomas Jefferson who talked a good game, freed every slave his family “owned.”
Martin Luther King did not speak of sacrifice, judging men by their character rather than their color, and non-violent resistance. He WAS non-violent resistance.
John Wesley did not speak of spiritual disciplines and being a man on fire. He embodied the spiritual disciplines and spent 8 hours a day on horse-back, preaching in 7 villages a day.
Steve Jobs didn’t wax eloquent about quality and thinking differently. He demanded excellence from himself and everyone around him and refused to settle for convention.
What message are you passionate about? Are you living it?
Your words may impact some, but your life can change the world! Don’t deliver a message. Be your message!