Why Should I Become A Role Model? This True Story Is The Best Explanation.

"The story you are about to (read) is true..." Okay, maybe an over the top beginning to this page. That was the opening line to an old cop show from Jack Webb. Dragnet began every episode with that quote that also told of changing the names to protect the innocent. We don't need to go there because this true story is one of absolute success. It begins with a question from one of the first leaders of our inaugural student-led service team. When given a challenge to use her immense talents, she asked, "Why should I become a role model?"

Why indeed? As you read through this page, you'll recognize that the winding trail to becoming a role model is an evaluation point, a reflective exercise in putting some of the leadership columns found in our page directory into actual use in our nation. It isn't a finished product, because as we go through life, our leadership skills are never really finished. There is always more we can learn, more we can influence, and many more people we can lift up.

I'll give you a little background on this trailblazing young leader. She was as determined an individual as I've ever met. When we she set her mind to doing something, there was no obstacle that could deter her, no outside distraction to divert her attention, and no telling her she couldn't do something. In fact, telling her she couldn't do something was the best way to guarantee she would accomplish the task upon which she had laser focused. 

To say she was a type "D" personality was an understatement. This young lady was a take-charge person. If she didn't know how to do something, she could learn it quickly and improve the way it was done. Understanding different personality types is vital in leadership development. I recognized her personality type and knew the best way to unleash her immense talent was to challenge her, which led to her very direct question, "Why should I become a role model?" She asked because if we gave her an assignment, she could do it better and faster than anyone else on our team.

My first job was to explain the attributes and potential shortcomings of the four personality types. This now, incredible leader had many talents in those initial months, but she couldn't number empathy among them. She didn't relate well to people who didn't have her confidence, her determination, and her perseverance. She was about to learn the answer to her question. She also had an advanced "crap meter" that saw through fluff answers that had no basis in proven fact.

Why Should I Become A Role Model?

One of the attributes of type "D" personalities is that you can be straight with them. You can tell them "right between the eyes truth" and while they might challenge it at first, if you give them sound logic, they will grudgingly accept it and put it into action. Why should I become a role model? Because in doing so, we inspire a greater accountability for our own actions toward other people. Becoming a role model, will require some self-reflection. Am I letting pride and ego direct my words and actions?

Am I listening with the intent to hear and understand or just waiting for the person in front of me to stop yapping so I can do things my way? I challenged her by using sound logic. We had completed some impressive tasks already. I asked her sort of rhetorically, "How much more could we do if we had ten more people involved?" And then I named ten young people in our group. She shot right back with a clear fact. None of them were up to the task.

To which I replied, "Well, maybe you should teach them how, guide them along and then step back and let them do the work. Unless you aren't capable of teaching them?" This first attribute is about personal growth, but I needed the power of the next attribute to make that challenging question work. She knew that I wasn't personally attacking her ability to change her thinking, but rather trying to get her to dig deeper to do more. She knew that because of the next reason why we should become role models.

Role models create trust. Trust leads to respect. Trust among individuals, teams, communities and within a free nation. As I wrote earlier, the best way to get her to do something is to tell her or even suggest to her, that she can't do something. This young lady's path to becoming a role model began with some personal introspection that led to a desire, a determination to become more empathetic and more encouraging. She trusted me when I challenged her because I had listened to her at the start and now she was following the example. And step three soon took hold within our team.

"Why should I become a role model?" That was her big question. And now she was seeing the reasons. Her team saw that sandpaper edge she used to have kind of soften. They trusted that she had their collective best interests at heart and really wanted to build our team into a synergetic force for good. One where all are welcome and where we meet people where they are and welcome what they bring to the group.

Her personal growth had created trust among her team. And step three took us to the next logical step. Her teammates followed her example. Her new, more dynamic, leadership example. The one she modeled for them. By her actions, she showed a renewed empathy and belief in her team, even among the most shy, and reserved. Role models lead by example which encourages those who follow them to strive for the same levels of moral compass, personal accountability, and responsibility for their own words and deeds. What comes next is the culmination of the process.

When it all comes together, when personal development becomes a pathway for the entire team, when trust in the leadership leads to following the examples and more leaders grow from the system, an empowering environment of courage, determination, compassion, and motivation takes hold. When this happens anything is possible. When this happens, you recognize the answer to the question that is the theme for this page. "Why should I become a role model?"

There's another important element involving role models. Something that guest author T.O. Illustratio presented so eloquently in a recent column. Role models factor in grace to everything they do. We never stop learning so we're grateful for this recent lesson.

Why Indeed?

The whole free will thing is like a swinging door. It can go either way. Why should you become a role model? Well, if anything on this page resonates with you, then you have your answer. Role models leave things better than they found them. Role models don't settle for average, not within themselves and not in their responsibility to become influential citizens of America. Role models create a positive environment for every person.

And if none of that creates an interest, then that is part of free will. If leaving personal talents and abilities hidden under the bushel basket, never utilized to make things better for the next generation, that is an option.

We created this website to share skills and an attitude encouraging people to utilize the amazing gifts at their disposal in a concerted effort to drive our free nation forward for generations that will follow.

We're in search of more role models.

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