The best leader I've ever known

I wanted to hit a home run on my last blog entry and wanted to think of a charismatic, passionate, inspiring leader that everyone reading this could agree with. Then I wanted my last entry to be about a person that has truly inspired me in their leadership style. Finally, I realized there was one person that did both of these things - Robin Klapper.

That name will never be on any Fortune 500 list, nor Forbes story. It probably doesn't even ring a bell to you - but Robin Klapper is my mother, and will always be the most influential leader I have ever known. The sad thing is I never even realized the impact she had on me until taking this class.

My mom died four years ago, and that will go down as one of the most traumatic moments of my life. However, from that day forward I realize so much of how I live my life and make decisions is based on the foundations that she gave me. Losing her at a young age taught me to grow up much quicker than I wanted to; and it also forced me to reevaluate how I live my life and the principles I use every day. Little did I know until now, it also helped shape how I view myself as a leader.

My mom taught me one thing early in life that I think a lot of elite leaders no longer remember - treat other people how you would want to be treated. A lot of leaders get caught up in their own agendas and the rat race and forget this simple rule. Another thing I learned from my mom early on was if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. Extrapolated into adult terms, a leader should always be mindful that the people that are their subordinates might draw a salary, but at the end of the day we're all "volunteers" in a free society. Any workers can leave a job at any time - and leaders should treat them with proper respect and to not berated or harass them as workers should be treated as valued assets.

I learned leadership lessons from my mom as I got older that I also use as a a leader now. I am always truthful and honest, even if it's not always the most popular thing people want to hear. Along those same lines, my mom also taught me to do the right thing, not the thing people want you to do. To be an effective leader you need to be able to stick to your guns and do what you think is the best, and not be tempted by outside influences.

The last lesson my mom taught me about being a leader is when she got cancer. Don't take anything for granted! Every day is special, and should be lived to it's fullest. Don't wallow when you get dealt a bad hand - fight your battles head on. This is the most critical lesson I learned from her about leadership style. There are no excuses in life. Even if you have cancer, you have to get up every single day and be the absolute best person that you can be.

I'd like to think somewhere my mom would be proud of the leader, and the person, I have become in the past four years.