Rico Sharp opens a leadership conference with his core message: authenticity and self-acceptance drive impact. He reframes the question "do you have what it takes" to "you are what it takes," arguing leaders must first care for themselves before serving others. His memoir and workbook translate this philosophy into actionable steps.
Chapters
Great. Thank you for coming to my session. We're going to be focusing on bringing out the best in you. My name is Rico Sharp. I'm honored to be your host. Now that we've gotten past our technical glitches, shall we dive into what we're here to focus on today? What a wonderful crowd we have, what a wonderful group of people. Can you give yourself a round of applause? Woo! Before I get started, I just want to say, after listening to me today and you feel like, man, that guy's got some good stuff and I want to continue to further invest his materials into my life, I got some books on Amazon called Bringing Out the Best in You. The first one is my— and they're both leadership books. The first one is a chronicle of my life and how I was able to transform my life from being in a very, very dark place as a teenager to becoming an international speaker, a changemaker, somebody who is traveling the world making a difference in the lives of others. And then I go right into the leadership principles that I used to build up my personal, professional, and interpersonal platform as a leader. And I begin to point out some things that's really important in terms of leadership development, personal development, professional empowerment, and interpersonal enrichment. And then the second is a companion workbook, which is a day-by-day, step-by-step leadership guide. It allows you to be able to really put into implementation through practical points and principles that I use to really help you to be able to work the process so that you can actually get the results. So the first book tells you what to do, the second book shows you how to do it and to make it happen. That being said, once again, I'm Rico Sharp, and it is an honor for me to be here with you today. I'm so excited about what I have to share with you today. I speak at a lot of places. I speak around the world for across the board and every platform. Nothing has stirred me up and excited me like being here today has. And so you all are going to have a great time today. I promise you that. I promise you that. All right, I bought these Meta glasses, never recorded with them before. I'm still trying to figure out how to use them. I don't even know how to turn the things on really, but if I don't get them, we got some backup cameras. But anyway, the thing that matters to me the most is pointing to leaders and making sure that leaders are able to take care of themselves first. There are some things that you are just so good at, and that is being the difference in the lives of others. But before you can really focus on saving the world, guess what? You have to save you. You have to make sure that you are good, and we're going to focus on that. There's something that I want to share with you. A couple years ago, I was interviewed by the federal government to do some leadership training for some very high-profile people. People in the Justice Department, people in the Homeland Security Department, people in the Department of Defense Intelligence Department, and a few people from out of the Oval Office of President Joe Biden. And after I had a meeting with 5 of their top leaders, they said to me, after they laid out the criteria, they said, Mr. Sharp, Do you believe you have what it takes? And I said, no, no, no, I don't have what it takes. I said, but I am who it takes to get the job done, to not just make the difference but be the difference. It is important, ladies and gentlemen, that you understand that your gifts, your skills, your talents Your professionalism, your expertise, your education, and everything that you do creatively, everything that you are uniquely, it is not given to you in the form of you having what it takes, because you're not a what, and neither are your strengths considered to be an it. You're so much more valuable, you're so much more important There's so much more to you than just having an it. When people can size you up based upon your skills, your talents, your gifts, and your creativity, they can also compare you to others. They can say things like, well, you're good, you're talented, but you're not as good as they are. You're not as talented as he is. I need you to focus on moving beyond just being gifted and talented and educated and good at what you do And just allow for the full you to embrace who you are because you don't make a difference, you are the difference. You don't have what it takes, you are who it takes. And when you know that you are the difference and you are who it takes, you approach every situation differently. You don't allow for people to manipulate your confidence and your self-worth and your self-value. That's right. You don't allow for people to compare you to other people. You don't allow for others to make you feel inadequate or insufficient or unqualified and underqualified. You don't allow for people to play with your emotions. The mission that you serve, the people that you serve really need for you to be all that you can be. and to just allow for the best in you to come forth. That changed my life when I began to realize that I don't have to be the person who have what it takes. I just need to be Rico Sharp. I don't have to be Tony Robbins and Les Brown and Mel Robbins. I don't have to be John Maxwell. I just need to be Rico Sharp. I need to discover who Rico Sharp is and focus on what my creator has given me and develop that and work it and then just give it to the world. Just open up and say, ladies and gentlemen, this is who I am, take it or leave it. And that's the thing that I want to start this meeting with. Be who you are. Know that you are enough. Know that there is nothing that is impossible There's no problem that you can't solve. There's no person that you can't help. There is nothing that you can't accomplish because you are who you are. Say this with me: I don't have what it takes. I am what it takes. Okay, that that sounded pretty good, but I know you have a little bit more on the inside. Come on, let's try that one more time. Say I don't have what it takes. I am who it takes. I am who it takes. Okay, now this side is a little stronger. You're a little weak on this side, so let me come on this side and see if I can pull y'all in before this plane takes off. One more time, everybody together. I don't have what it takes. I don't have what it takes. But I am who it takes. But I am who it takes. To get the job done. To get the job done. Give yourself a round of applause. Give yourself a round of applause.
