Do You Have a Motto or Mantra? No? You Should!
I think there are two types of people in this world.
Those who have a motto or mantra (or maybe even a couple).
And those who don’t.
I’m in the group that does have a motto or a mantra.
In fact, I have several – but there’s one that’s really important to me. It guides me day in and day out as I work and interact with people – and I want to share it with you.
“Peaceful and calm leader.”
Peaceful and Calm Leader
I was going through a tough time – at work and personally, as I was grieving the death of both of my grandmothers. There just seemed to be a lot going on…and to add to it, my boss came into my office and said, “Brenda, you need to decide if you are going to lead people or be a trader. You can’t do both.”
What? Isn’t that what I had been doing? I was a manager and a trader.
But they laid down the law – and said make a choice.
I chose: Lead people.
Lead People
Of course, about that same time, Bob (my coach) and I had a meeting, and he asked me, “How do you want to be perceived as a leader?”
Good question.
One I hadn’t really thought about.
So it was time for some reflection.
Who were the strong leaders in my life – and what did they have that I wanted as a leader?
You may think that I thought about some of the great leaders I worked with – but I didn’t.
Or, maybe I drew upon all of those leadership books I’d read? No, that wasn’t the case.
I thought about my grandmothers.
Grandmothers and Leadership
Neither of them were working women in the traditional sense of the word. They didn’t have corporate careers where they were raking in the big bucks. Heck, they didn’t even go to an office every day.
They were the heads of their households. They worked on their farms. They were the nucleus of the family.
And when these women spoke – we listened.
Everybody listened.
They were calm. They were peaceful. They were leaders.
And they had an impact on everyone they met.
They were the type of leader I wanted to be.
Peaceful and calm leader.
Connection
And it was this connection I made to them and their style of leadership that helped me become a strong leader who has an impact on those around me.
It didn’t happen overnight. Despite what people think – leaders aren’t born. They’re made.
I brought this mantra back to Bob. And he liked it. He agreed that it was a mantra that would not only help me, but those around me, too.
In order to make this mantra into a reality, Bob asked me to wear a bracelet that one of my grandmothers gave me. He said to touch it when I needed a subtle reminder of this phrase – and it worked.
Slowly, being calm and peaceful became second nature. It became ingrained in my leadership style.
And nowadays, with a world that could use more than a little calm and a little peace, I’m happy to bring that to myself, my team, and those I interact with on a daily basis.
Peaceful and calm leader.
So…how about it? What’s your mantra or motto? And if you don’t have one – why not give it a try?