Defining Your Leadership Brand

“There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson

Lethia “Letal Weapon” Owens is everything she says she is. Without compromise, Mrs. Owens needs no permission to let her light shine. During this month’s session she lit a fire in all of us. For me, this was a wonderful ride of self-reflection and definition. From beginning to end, I was recording quotes, notes and action steps. Most of all, I finished the day with a renewed sense of permission to let my own light shine.

There is a fine line between humility and invisibility. Lethia said, “Talent is not enough..Talent Maximized equals Value Added Performance.” At times, it seems self-centered to self-promote. It is much easier to let others sing our praises and speak of our good works. Yet, we must realize that no one is more capable or qualified to promote us than us. I have recently begun to ask the question, “who should be your biggest fan?” After a little though, most people agree, that “I should be my biggest fan.” If that is so, we should be the best at defining our unique gift to the world. Time with Lethia gave us all an opportunity to explore and define our gifts. As a result, I believe that we will be more keenly focused on how we can serve our companies, organizations, communities and clients.

The following is a list of quotes and ideas I gleamed from Lethia Owens power packed presentation.

• “What makes you different, makes you valuable. What makes you valuable makes you wealthy.”
• “The perfect job for you is the one you create.”
• There is a lot of money in “free.”
• “People are more forgiving of your flaws when your gifts are apparent.”
• “I embrace the genius in being me.”
• “Collaboration is the fastest path to success. Isolation is the fastest path to insanity.

For me, self-promotion starts with recognizing and embracing my unique gifts. The next step is developing my gift. And the reason for it all is to be of service to my community. I encourage all of my classmates to take Lethia’s advise and guidance and spend sometime planning how you will use your “Signature Strengths” to service your community.