[Tweet “With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility”]

Does this quote resonate with you as loudly as it resonates with me?  I think it is hard-wired into my DNA.  I believe it so much that sometimes I’ve assumed it was self-evident to everyone around me. So, if someone had a title and they were not using their power to serve others I judged them harshly.  (Not something I am proud of, but it’s true.)

Eventually, I had a powerful head smacking moment (visualizing the old V8 ads) and realized:  

• That perhaps they have never been on the receiving end of that kind of leadership.
• They may not have a clear vision of what that kind of leadership looks like, how rewarding it can be, or how much greater the results can be.
• They might be a new leader that desires to lead well, and simply does not know what they don’t know.
• They might be experiencing a very difficult time personally…

Bottom line – my judgments have never helped anyone catch a more effective and more powerful vision, let alone inspired them to make a change.   

And if I’m going to judge, I need to start with the times in my life where I got so distracted by what I was trying to accomplish that I did not live those words as beautifully in the real world as I did in my vision.

And yet ~ I cling to the vision, knowing that whenever I have taken the time to discover, nurture, unleash, and serve others, everything inside of me dances!  This clip at the bottom of this post is from the movie We Were Soldiers. It is one very clear example of what that vision looks like to me.

Do you believe that With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility?  If so, will you share how you are doing some of these things?

• Reminding your team that unity is important.
• Reminding them that their differences are not a weakness but a strength.
• Leading by example.
• Coming along side of them, caring for them, and serving them.
• Modeling that you will always be the first one on the field and the last one off.
• Making sure that everyone comes home together.

~ Additional articles about this topic~

• Are you a candle or a beacon?
• Together you stand, divided you fall.
• Protect your leadership from 5 temptations with a sandwich.

iStock Photo/WingClips Video