Avalon+E’s+Final+AmEx+2014+Speech

=Title of Speech= Lead by Example

=Text of Speech= The quote by John Wooden, “You are more influential than you think” is a statement that society seems to be ignoring as we continue to create informal leaders.

For those of you who may not know about Coach John Wooden, he is known for his incredible coaching skills at UCLA from 1948 to 1975 when he brought his team to ten NCAA championships- seven of them in a row. During this time, he was also awarded coach of the year six times and his UCLA basketball team won 88 consecutive games.

Wooden’s teachings have become an integral part of my life, mostly for his inspiration of what it means to be a leader. He shows that a leader should be productive and selfless, while remaining respectful and fair. A leader is not somebody who slacks off, but rather somebody who takes initiative to pick up those who may be inactive. Leaders don’t just talk about doing something; they do it. And this is exactly the crux of the problem with some leaders. People often claim they are leaders because we are “a team captain”, “in ASB”, or “have the highest GPA”, but just because they hold these exclusive positions doesn’t mean we are, by Coach Woodens definition, “leaders”. To be a leader, we must interact and look out for the well-being of everybody who we may lead: we must lead by example.

A leader has to actually lead; they have to walk the walk. In sports, I have seen it too often where the team captains are the first ones to talk back to their teammates, the first ones to think its okay to be late to practice, and the first ones to claim their so called “leadership” will get them into college. Just because somebody is deemed as a captain or put into a leadership position does NOT give them the right to slack off, in fact, Coach Wooden says that a leader can be lead because “leaders are interested in finding the best way rather than having their own way”. Taking the selfless approach as John Wooden did, a leader looks out for the well-being of each and every individual, therefor a true leader is one who is lead by their team, whether they agree or not.

On the subject of respect, Coach Wooden says, “The most essential thing for a leader to have is the respect of those under his or her supervision. It starts with giving them respect. You must make it clear that you are working together.” A leader must remind his or her group as well as his or her self that respect is not a free gift, respect must be earned. When a leader is bossing his or her teammates, they are using what they personally think is best, and controlling or handling a team in a way that will not prompt the success of the team as a whole; leading to a mutual loss of respect. When a leader is late, it leaves an impression with others that they too are allowed to be late, while also suggesting that he or she is the most important person on the team; leading to a mutual loss of respect. When a leader states his or her position will help them to be accepted by colleges, they are taking the situation as an opportunity to be selfish, and once again, showing that he or she should be the center of attention; leading to a mutual loss of respect by others. So how are we supposed to be passionate about others collectively when we are taking on leadership for the title and popularity? When leaders take on a role for the sole purpose of being favored over others, respect is loss quickly due to a loss of respect among his or her peers.

As well as the need to be respected, a person in a position of leadership is the one who makes decisions, and making decisions is no easy task. Of course, those under a leader can make suggestions, but making a suggestion is an easy job. Coach Wooden says, “Everybody has a suggestion. Not everybody has a decision. Perhaps that’s why there are so few leaders- at least, good leaders.” A successful leader would make a decision considering the suggestions from those who they are leading, resulting in happiness for most, if not all, who are under their supervision, and they take it a step further to taking action. Take Martin Luther King for example: he saw the distraught events involving racial discrimination, so he took action. He played a key role in leading the Civil Rights Movement, and more importantly, he had success with no blood shed, all the while earning himself a Nobel Peace Prize. Not only was he effective with his leadership, he was involved with the movement- using his own two hands to change the views of society. Through this exercise of decision-making and initiative by Coach Wooden, leaders lead themselves and their team to a greater level of respect, allowing all who respect each other to love each other. Soon enough, the ones under supervision of a leader will do what their leader asks of them and more. They’ll go the extra distance, making the extra effort in trying to accomplish the most they can within the framework of the team.

Coach Wooden later adds that you can have respect for a person without necessarily liking that individual. This is something I believe many leaders-young and old- have trouble accepting and applying to their abilities. We all have people we prefer not to be around if given the choice. The difference between the common leader and an outstanding leader is that the one with true leadership will look beyond their disagreements during times such as a game or business meeting but still treat them fairly, while the more common leader would hold a grudge against their enemy and thus treat them differently in a negative way. To a real leader, everybody is not treated alike; instead, they are all treated with fairness. “Fairness is giving all people the treatment they earn and deserve. It doesn’t mean treating everyone alike. That’s unfair, because everyone doesn’t earn the same treatment.”

Coach Wooden makes a great point regarding the finesse of leadership saying, “Leadership is more than facts. There is very little difference in technical knowledge about the game of basketball among experienced coaches…Those in charge usually understand the basics. However, there is a vast difference between leaders in their ability to teach and to motivate those under their supervision. Knowledge alone is not enough to get desired results. You must have the elusive ability to teach and to motivate. This defines a leader; if you can’t teach and you cant motivate, you can’t lead.”

In the America I hope to grow up in, the role of a leader will be earned, not appointed, and the real leaders will be the ones who lead by example. There will be no faking of leadership, and instead, it will be a difficult task to become a true and valuable leader. I want to see leaders who walk the walk. America needs leaders who will give respect as a result of being respected. In the America I hope to build, a person will not claim they are a leader due to a small impact, but rather they will be productive daily and lead by example. Leaders will be the ones who stand out due to their enthusiastic determination to alter what was once an idea or suggestion into a revolution. In the America I grow old in, I want to see more real leaders who follow Coach John Wooden’s advice each day.

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