Transparent Passion

I have recently had the pleasure of renewing my acquaintance with an old scout master of mine.  This gent, has been at first glance been a rolling stone, working as game ranger, environmental engineer, project investment facilitator, and strategy adviser to some of the largest legal firms internationally.  All this while being a devoted husband and father.

Looking back at some.of my memories of some of the hi-jinks we got up to with him, from having blanks fired at him in a staged drive-by shooting to make a first aid incident, to hiking through the outlands of Lesotho in a region now covered by the Katse Dam, I can surely attest that any self respecting youth organisation in this over-cautious over-protective age would throw the book at him and slam the door behind his back. If we are to believe some of the modern pop culture and urban beliefs we should all be scarred and damaged by our experiences.

And despite that fact it is immediately apparent that even now, thirty years down the line he still has the respect of the men who he taught, mentored and led in his time as a scout master.  Why?

There are several reasons but what stands out is this. He always lived what he said. He had no double standards.  

He was larger than life and the role model all young men needed - the rough and tumble guy who was out there doing something that he believed to be meaningful to the greater whole.  He was human and undoubtedly made mistakes but he owned up to them.  Not as a martyr or victim but humbly acknowledging his role and accepting the consequences.  I believe that same transparent integrity is part of the reason he is now held in such high esteem internationally by his clients.  

If we look to the leaders we are exposed to today so many of them are afraid to just be who they are, and as a result they undermine their integrity with each and every action or statement they make, retract or reframe. As the leader no-one expects you to be perfect, but you are expected to stand for the statements you make. Next time before you make a statement or decision or assertion think this - Would I be willing to defend this in public? - and if the answer is no then perhaps consider not making it.