Becoming An Educated Leader

Through the uneducated leader series, you might have begun to realize it’s okay to become a leader without a formal education. There are plenty of leaders who have or are leading without a college degree. On might even be one of those. Or maybe you’re a leader who once thought everybody needs a formal education.

Man in a blue graduation cap and gown

Photo by Muhammad Rizwa

Where ever you land on this spectrum, I’m glad you’re here and learning about the different ways you can become an educated leader. We’re going to look at ways you can expand your wisdom and become educated.

It’s Okay To Continue To Learn

One of the saddest things a leader can do is to stop learning. Whether this means a leader who stopped reading books once they graduated high school or college to they no longer seek out the wisdom of those further along the journey than they are.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Free Solo

A Reel Leadership Article

On June 3rd, 2017, Alex Honnold did the impossible. Alex free-soloed the 3,000 foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Free-soloing is the climbing of a rock-face without the use of any safety equipment. Alex had no harness, no safety net, nothing to catch him if he were to fall.

Such a feat seems nigh-impossible. To climb 3,000 feet into the air without safety equipment makes my mind hurt. It may make yours as well.

Alex Honnold free solo El Capitan

Photo: Free Solo

Having a passion for ice climbing, Free Solo caught my attention because of the high-risk behavior and the excitement of someone doing the impossible. Knowing there are people out there who are willing to risk life and limb to do what no other person is willing to do fascinates me.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The House With A Clock In Its Walls

A Reel Leadership Article

Based on John Bellairs’ 1973 novel (You can buy the book here), The House With A Clock In Its Walls stars Jack Black as the eccentric Uncle Jonathan Barnavelt, Owen Vaccaro as Jonathan’s nephew Lewis Barnavelt, and Cate Blanchett as Jonathan’s love interest Florence Zimmerman. Directed by horror-movie expert Eli Roth, The House With A Clock In Its Walls brings these three characters together to tell an engaging and entertaining story.

Leadership Lessons From The Moive The House With A Clock In Its Walls

Lewis is an awkward 10-year old boy. Even worse than the steampunk style glasses he wears throughout most of the movie, he’s orphaned through a tragic car accident which kills both of his parents. He’s sent to live with his Uncle Jonathan. There, he discovers the truth about his kimono wearing uncle. His uncle is a warlock! There’s also something weird about the house he’s about to live in.

How To Assemble A Support System

Even leaders need help

One of the hardest things for a leader to do is to ask for help. Too many new leaders see this asking for help as a sign of weakness.

Break that thought pattern. Being willing to seek out the advice and support of others isn’t weakness. No, doing so is  a strength.

As you step into the role of a leader, you have to know how to assemble a support system.

great leaders require a support system

What A Healthy Support System Looks Like

We’ve been lied to. We’ve been fed the lie leadership is a lonely battle.

Well, that’s true but only if we let leadership be lonely.

You have a choice. You can cultivate a healthy support system and be an effective leader. To do so, you have to surround yourself with people who will hold you up when you are weak.

Stand On The Shoulders Of Others

A trait I often see in weak leaders is that they’re afraid to ask for help. They don’t want to be seen as needing help from anyone.

Leading in this way is dangerous. We can’t lead alone.

We must stand on the shoulders of others who have gone before us.

We need others to become great

Leading Alone Isn’t Worth It

Leading alone is a bad idea. I hope you know that.

We run into all sorts of trouble when we decide we don’t need anyone else. Emotional turmoil to exhaustion to depression, these are the results of deciding to be a one-man show.

We also run into problems in the area of knowledge.

I built my talents on the shoulders of someone else’s talent.
–Michael Jordan

I know I don’t know everything there is to know about leadership. And, if that’s the case, I know you don’t know everything there is to know about leadership either.