“If I wasn’t me, I’d want to be around me all the time.”
– my dear friend, mentor and confidante, Randy Watson, tongue completely in cheek
Swagger.
It’s a word I like a lot and believe in completely. Swagger is what defines many of the most appealing characters in history; from politics to sports, entertainment to education, business and even theology. One could argue that Jesus carried some serious swagger, for example. You don’t clear the temple meekly, right?
Obviously, swagger is steeped in belief and commitment, but there’s another ingredient that makes it special. Warmth.
Without warmth, swagger can become the stuff of bullies. It can become arrogance, over-confidence. Without warmth, swagger precludes listening and even curiosity, two of the most important elements to success.
Randy is one of the most humble people I know, and will ever know. But on a stage, in a board-room, leading a team, counseling an employee or peer, and being a parent or spouse, he’s got serious swagger.
What makes his kind of swagger different than the “empty suits” we all know?
Warmth.
Intentional, compelling and genuine warmth, the kind that invites people to come closer and stay is a difference-maker for leaders.
Make a list of the people who’ve been most impactful in your life and career, and run them through the warmth test. I bet 90% or more of them pass. Even many of the toughest SOB’s I’ve worked for or coaches I’ve admired are, at their core, warm.
It’s a choice, and it’s a skill, one worth making the other worth learning.
Swagger, developed from warmth is the stuff of difference-making leadership.
Editor’s Note: Those of us that aren’t Randy, want to be around him all the time…
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