I was raised in the heart of the South within a multi-generational family of native Mississippians. At the time of my father's birth, his parents had moved briefly to Cotton Valley, Louisiana. Economic times were tough, and Papa Smith had to leave Mississippi temporarily to find work in the oilfields of the Bayou State.
My loving parents believed that "Please" and "Thank you" were non-negotiable expressions of basic respect. As a child, little did I know that such seemingly small requirements would serve as the foundation for many of my future leadership convictions.
I believe teams of all types, within all industries and organizations, can reap great rewards from displaying gracious and respectful behaviors as they seek to optimize their collective performance. This holds true at home, on the basketball court, in the C-Suite, or in the Boardroom.
As we explore the topic of Gracious Leadership, I will share with you some of the memories from my own leadership journey. I trust these stories will bring to life some of the opportunities you may encounter as you seek to refine your personal effectiveness as a leader. My hope is you will be challenged to leverage those leadership attributes that represent your strengths and to improve within those areas where you can become a better leader.
To facilitate this process, I have included at the end of applicable chapters a series of Conversation Starters. As you consider the principles of Gracious Leadership, may you be inspired to "bring to life" these philosophies as part of your own leadership beliefs.
I also encourage you to discuss the Conversation Starters with colleagues whom you will lead both now and in the future. In so doing, your team can make the most of its journey towards achieving peak performance through ultimate respect.
The lessons within this book have been gleaned from those whom I have had the honor of following or leading in some capacity. Some of these individuals have been important mentors in my professional journey. Others placed their trust in me as their leader. All of these individuals have made an equivalent impact on my life as they have helped me learn what effective, Gracious Leadership means at its very core.
Whether these individuals were my leaders or my followers, I suspect they do not fully comprehend the profound impact they have had in shaping and molding me into the leader I have become.
More importantly, the lessons I learned from them continue to inspire me every single day of my life.
It is to my family and to these individuals that Gracious Leadership: Lead Like You've Never Led Before is dedicated.
My dream is that these lessons of leadership will be paid forward to future generations and the positive ripple effect of Gracious Leadership will spread far and wide for many years to come.
Why?
Because Gracious Leadership is not solely about being a respectful leader in the workplace. Gracious Leadership is about being respectful to others in every aspect of our lives.
