Book Report: E-Myth Mastery - on Leadership

Just a quote from a section of the book that really hit home...

"It's your commitment to create something significantly different than what you've already created that's going to challenge your leadership capability, because the more unknown the outcome is, the more stress will be created as you not only attempt to lead your people, but challenge yourself to rise to the occasion. And the more stress that's created by your fear of the unknown and by your unknown and yet untested ability to push beyond it, the more challenged you will be as a leader. Challenged to find the right words to say. Challenged to make the right decisions. Challenged to hold yourself and your people on target, when the target itself is unclear, and constantly shifting. Challenged by your constant feeling of being hopelessly alone. That after you have said what you have said, done what you have done, concluded what you have concluded, argued, deliberated, debated what you have believed in and fought for, after all of that, still there will be that deathly uncertainty in your own mind, in your own heart, about whether you were right, or whether you will be successful, or whether the decision you finally made is going to come crashing down in the future. And that feeling of being alone, late at night, or early in the morning, or even in the middle of the action when you are being forced to make a decision, that feeling is more isolating than anyone can ever know until they've experienced it. What happens then is what will determine your ability to lead. Because ultimately the leader is always alone. With the decisions she's made and the ones that she didn't make but were made on her watch. A leader must be able to stand in them alone. And that's why the reluctant entrepreneur is almost always a reluctant leader. Because she is always alone, even when she isn't even when she is surrounded by people, clamoring for her attention. And being alone can be no fun."

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I guess this quote stood out because it's time for me to eek out of the comfort zone of being 2nd in command and moving into the leadership role of my own life. Although I consider myself successful in a way now - I realize that it's just the foothills of where I believe my potential can go, and the number of people I can help and affect in my life. I hope I can live up to the challenge of making a better world. I believe I can live up to the challenge of making a better world. I know I can do my small part and make a better world.

Time to step up the pace. But I do so hate being alone...