I remember hearing that phrase over and over again growing up. I also realize now that I had no clue what that phrase meant and as I have gotten older, I realize that I am just now beginning to step into understanding it. I believe now more than ever leadership matters. Not just the leadership around me, but also the leadership I practice in my life.
I have loved watching my son play freshman basketball this year. These are some of the most talented young men that I have ever seen. But I have noticed that there is a loss of a player stepping up and leading the team – not only his team but every team that they have played. The players stand around and run plays and are incredible athletes, but there is no one that steps out and influences their team in energy or direction. I have witnessed teams that survive with talent but leave effectiveness untapped due to the lack of leadership on the team. It seems leadership has been sacrificed for the value of raw talent.
During the last 10 years I have witnessed the slow erosion of leadership in our culture. I have seen fewer students becoming leaders and influencers in their schools and in their communities. I have seen students becoming more independent and self focused. I have seen less initiatives being dreamt and lived out. I have seen more young people than ever standing around watching life go by instead of making life happen. And it would easy to label this generation as self focused and unmotivated.
I believe the problem of lack of leadership in the next generation lies firmly in the hands of the older generation. We have failed to not only define and develop leadership in the next generation, but we have also failed to model healthy leadership in our businesses, our communities, and most detrimentally, in our churches. As leaders, as influencers into the next generation we must humble ourselves to admit we have made a mistake, we have taken an off ramp from the freeway of leadership and have settled for comfort and familiar. We must get an honest evaluation of our current leadership systems and make changes. We must again become learners of leadership and then once again make the commitment to do the hard work of mentoring leadership into the next generation.
Leadership matters. Leadership for the next generation matters more than ever. We must be willing to do the hard work that leadership requires to impact the next generation.