Brad Lomenick is a strategic advisor and leadership consultant specializing in influence, innovation, generational issues, and business strategy. For more than a decade, he served as lead visionary and president of Catalyst, one of America’s largest movements of next-generation leaders.
He is the author of The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials for Becoming a Change Agent, and H3 Leadership . He currently lives outside of Atlanta.
Favorite Quote“Be humble stay hungry always hustle
Key Points1. Accepting Your Failures and Embracing Vulnerability is True Humility
If you want to be a true leader, you cannot portray yourself as an invincible super man. You have struggles and failures the same as everyone else, and you have to own them.
People will respect a leader who can admit his shortcomings and open up, being vulnerable and real with them, far more than a leader who pretends he has everything together.
2. You Can’t Lead Others Until You Lead Yourself
So much of leadership is focused on leading others and the psychology or social dynamnics behind leadership, however the simple fact is, without first leading yourself, you cannot lead others.
You have to be on purpose, pursuing your passions and investing in yourself if you want to have any impact on other people.
You cannot truly lead others until you are leading yourself in the direction you want to go. Until you are in charge of your own life, disciplining yourself, and truly leading your own life, any attempts at leading others will fail.
3. Always be Curious
One of the hallmark traits of good leaders, especially leaders who maybe younger than their audience or who may feel inferior to many of the individuals they are working with, is curiousity.
Showing up, shutting up, and simply absorbing informaiton from others. Seeking to learn and understand instead of trying to pretend that you are more important than you are by constantly running your mouth, is how true leadership is done.
4. Work Hard but Play Hard
Life is a balancing act. Hustle is incredibly important, however without the occasional rest period, that time to yourself to relax and unwind, no amount of success or achievement will fulfill you.
You have to learn how to work hard, and then play hard, turning the crazy hustle off and allowing yourself time to just be, or to pursue hobbies or time with friends.
However, that time is earned by first working hard, without the hustle your relaxation won’t be done in good conscious and your play will suffer.
5. Be in it for the Long Haul
True leaders seek to leave a legacy. They seek to leave behind a greater story than themselves, to create other leaders who can take their place and to leave others behind who can create more and do more than they did.
But to create a legacy, you have to commit to the long haul. You aren’t in the game for a year or even a decade, you are in this for life and your goal is to die, leaving everything that you had behind your in the world, dying empty and leaving your best work on earth.
