Rico Sharp argues that leadership is mutual transformation: you bring out the best in others while they bring out the best in you. It's not about having skills but being the right person, knowing your identity and mission, believing in people before they believe in themselves, and developing them into leaders who multiply your impact.
Chapters
Round of applause. So I want to talk about leadership. Leadership isn't simply changing people. Leadership is allowing the people you serve to change you while you help them become everything they are capable of becoming. And that is so true. And one of the things that I've come to find out about leadership, and I've been A leadership speaker for over 30 years, traveling the world doing leadership seminars for the federal government, for Fortune 500 companies, for college executives, for nonprofit, for-profit, faith-based organizations, mental health organizations, and beyond. And one of the things that I have found out is that when you operate in leadership, it's not about you changing others, but it's about allowing for others to bring out the best that you have in you so that you can better serve the purpose by which you are called to serve. Leadership is not something that everyone is going to do, but leadership is something that when we do it, we do it to bring out the best in others while they're bringing out the best in us. So my first point is that you are the difference. One of the times I was going to go speak for the federal government, I had to do an interview with a peer of 5 people, and this committee laid out for me the requirement and the certification that they felt like was needed for a speaker. And after laying everything out for me, they asked me, they said, Mr. Sharp, Do you believe you have what it takes? And I replied back and said, no, no, I don't have what it takes, but I am who it takes to get the job done. And one of the senior leaders leaned back in their chair and they said to me, you are the one we're looking for. And I came here today to say to you, you don't have to have what it takes when you are who it takes. To be able to serve and make a difference, and to be able to bring out the best in you so that you can bring out the best in your organization and the people you serve and those who work alongside of you. So how do we do that? How do we go from having what it takes to being who it takes? Well, we lead with identity. Leadership begins with knowing who you are before focusing On what you do. We give not based upon what we are talented and skillful in, but we serve and we lead based upon our heart. And we recognize that our identity is not defined by how gifted we are, but by how passionate we are. And this is our identity. So we lead with purpose. We keep our mission at the center of every decision, conversation, and challenge. We understand that serving in this community requires people who have a heart for the people we serve, and this is our purpose. We're making a difference. Mm-hmm. We're bringing out the best in those we serve. While simultaneously they are bringing out the best in us. And then we believe before others do. I often say that sometimes we have to see in others what they possess before they can see it in themselves. We oftentimes call out what we see in others so that they can get a vision of what they possess. When I'm helping my sons to grow and overcome a challenge, I have to be able to see in them that they are capable of doing it, capable of overcoming this challenge. And then I tell them that they are capable of overcoming it, and I help them to see that within themselves. And that's exactly what we have to do. We have to believe that they are capable, oftentimes before they believe it themselves. So, So sometimes other people have to borrow our faith in them until their personal faith in themselves kicks in. Let me say that one more time. Sometimes other people have to borrow our faith and our confidence in them before their personal faith and confidence kicks in. We develop people. The greatest leaders don't build followers. They build confident, capable leaders who multiply the mission. I believe we're called to reproduce ourselves in terms of leadership. We raise up great leaders that would do great things. I believe that a great leader will one day work themselves out of a job. You can be so good at what you do that you learn how to raise up people that can do exactly what you do the way that it needs to be done. And you can then delegate to them the assignment and the responsibilities that you once had to do. And it's not because you are trying to get rid of some of your tasks and assignments, just that when you're great at being you, you bring out the best in others, and that allows them to be able to live life at the realm of leadership. So we're the difference. It's not that we make the difference, we are the difference. There's a difference between making the difference and then being the difference. When I walk into a room to do what I do, I don't go in trying to have what it takes. I see myself as being a person who is the one it takes to get the job done. And I want you to have that same mindset. You know that you don't have to try to qualify and have certain skills and talents that other people have. You're uniquely designed and uniquely chosen to do what you do. You have the heart, you have the mindset, and you are ready to launch in with all that you have because you are the difference. Can you say this with me? I don't make the difference. I am the difference.
