“I’m tired of being blamed!” a teenager I knew complained, after being questioned by the police about an act of vandalism committed in his neighborhood.
As it turned out, this particular time the teen was not involved in the incident, but his notorious reputation about past transgressions led the police to his door. Without realizing it, the poor example he had set for younger neighborhood children looking up to him led them to follow in his footsteps. Such is the consequence of misdirected leadership!
You see, while we may not consider ourselves to be leaders, there is always someone watching our actions and perhaps being inspired by our example. Setting a positive one gives us the power to make the world a better place. We not only do this through our actions but through our written and verbal communication. Every time we speak or write something for others we have an opportunity to make a positive impact!