Over the Christmas holidays, I had the opportunity to go to Calgary, AB. When people found out I wasn’t going to visit family or friends, I consistently got the same reaction: “Why would you go to Calgary in December?!” Fair enough; it wouldn’t be my first-choice destination for a winter getaway. But I went to Calgary to go to Rise Up, an annual conference for Catholic university students across Canada. Of course I expected to be immersed in talks about the faith, but what I never anticipated was that there I would hear the best leadership talk I’ve ever heard.
What made the talk so impactful was not only that it was well-prepared and well-delivered, but also that it was given by Anthony Hoffman, a firefighter from Fort MacMurray. He was one of the men who fought the massive wildfire that wreaked havoc on the town in 2016. He was an impressive speaker, and by no means is that his job (in the same way some of the other conference speakers do it for a living). And while he wove his experience fighting the fire into his talk, that was not his main focus. What impacted me so deeply about his talk was that it focused not on the qualities one should possess to be a great leader, nor on how to become a great leader in the conventional sense (“be like this!" Do XYZ!”), but rather on building character which in turn equips one to be a great leader.
Hoffman began with a convicting quote from St. Ignatius of Loyola : “If a man wants to reform the world…he must begin with himself.” This, Hoffman stated, is the basis of becoming a good leader. A rank or title doesn’t make someone a leader, because a rank or title only magnifies the character that is already there. One must look within themselves to see how their character can be improved so they can become the best leader possible. One thing Hoffman said resonated with me in a particular way: “Would you follow you?” If the answer is no, why? Wrestle with that. What characteristics could you afford to improve in yourself to become someone you would willingly follow? And if you can’t figure this out for yourself, Hoffman encouraged us to go to someone we trust will give an honest answer and ask them to point out our three biggest character flaws. A boxer, he explained, cannot see his weak spots, but his coach can. That is obviously much easier said than done and it takes a great deal of humility to accept someone telling us our flaws straight to our face, but isn’t it worth it to be able to recognize blind spots and work to erase them?
I could go on about how Hoffman’s talk was incredibly impactful, but it’s too much to do it justice here. I wish it had been recorded because I want to listen to him speak again and share it with everyone I know who wants to become a better leader! It’s certainly given me a good kick in the ass and convicted me to look within myself and see how I can improve in character and thereby as a leader. What is the best piece of leadership advice you’ve ever received? I would love to hear it - comment below!
Thumbnail photo courtesy of Catholic Christian Outreach.