Humility and Greatness

'good to great' by jim collins is a book that has reached the 'classic' category for leaders across the globe. in it jim unpacks his findings on the 5 things that make a leader great--as discovered in his vast research of the most successful companies and their CEOs. in a world where upper echelon leaders hold untold power and impact culture just as much as they drive their own companies, collins' findings is that the greatest leaders (those that impact their company and the culture for the 'greatest good'), are actually those that sacrifice the most...in short, the greatest leaders (measured by success of profits, health of an organization, impact on the world etc.), are those that put others before themselves and exhibit a constant humility regardless of the amount of success their impact wields. martin luther king jr. sums up collin's findings best, "everyone can be great, because everyone can serve."

when i watch the story of this amazing man who lived as a child "dayfly" sleeping on public toilets and in abandoned stairwells alone for the majority of his childhood--and then hear him sing--i recognize the simple truth of life that collins discovered, even in the 'greatest' of leaders. as the judge says at the end of this clip, "regardless of how hard life has been, he runs passionately towards what he wants. that's a passion you rarely see even in the best of singers."

all of us have this greatness at our fingertips. even when we meet overwhelming challenges, like this young korean, if we allow humility to be planted in us and keep moving towards our dreams, a passion will be born within us. then, whether our story ever touches 6.5 million people, builds an organizational and cultural legacy, or simply inspires the people around us...we can be sure our lives have been transformed from good to great.