The Word Café Podcast with Amax
My unique message to the world is the power behind the words of our mouths. We have made light of it but cannot escape the fruits thereof. For me, words are the unit of creation, the building block on which our existence evolves. This podcast is for everyone who wants to better their living by using words and applying themselves wisely. I will be using the storytelling style fused with imaginative nuances to transport the listener to that place, where possibilities are not luxuries but everyday experiences; movie in voice.
This podcast will emphasize the power of routine, and what you repeatedly do, you most likely build capacity and expertise for what you repeatedly do. My podcast will help the listener learn how to practice success because the same amount of time you use in complaining is the same you can use to plant, build, prune, etc. I intend to draw the listener's attention to the power of their words.
The Word Café Podcast with Amax
S4 Ep. 242 Everything Rises and Falls on True Leadership
What does it really mean to carry the responsibility of leadership? Dive with us into "The Burden of Leadership," where we explore the profound impact leaders have on everything around them.
Leadership isn't just a position—it's an influence that shapes outcomes in every sphere of life. As John Maxwell famously stated, "Everything rises and falls on leadership," and architect Jumoke Odunowo powerfully describes it as "the thread that runs through everything." When we examine any situation—thriving or failing—the quality of leadership invariably emerges as the determining factor.
The most compelling revelation in this discussion centers on the concept of sincerity in leadership. Did you know the word "sincerity" comes from Latin "sine cera" meaning "without wax"? In ancient Rome, less skilled sculptors would hide imperfections in marble statues with wax. True masterpieces were certified "sine cera"—containing no deception, no cover-ups. This powerful metaphor illuminates authentic leadership: presenting yourself genuinely, without embellishment or exaggeration. True leaders don't add what isn't there—they carefully reveal what should be.
Purpose-driven leadership creates sustainable influence because it stems from genuine values that translate into virtuous actions. Exceptional leaders don't simply live their lives—they lead their lives with discipline and commitment. The distinction is profound and visible in everything they do. When you subject yourself to this form of leading rather than merely living, extraordinary results naturally follow.
Join us in exploring how to embrace leadership from a place of purpose, and discover why the principles of authentic leadership remain unchanging across time. Share your leadership journey with us and connect on social media @Amakri Isoboye or email amakrigaribaldi@gmail.com to tell us how this episode resonated with you.
You can support this show via the link below;
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1718587/supporters/new
Hello there, welcome to the World Cafe podcast. This podcast has been designed with created content that centers on the power of words. Can we really do anything without speaking? Can we really do anything without the agency of words? Yes, that is what this podcast is all about, and I am your host, amakri Isuboye, your neighborhood word trader. I believe in the power of words, for it is the unit of creation. I trade in words to profit my world, and we are back. Did we ever leave? Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good everything. How are you all doing? Beautiful? You know, each time I say that word, did we ever leave? You know like, did we ever leave? Did we ever leave? No, no, no, we are always here.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the Word Cafe Live show. How are you? What is it like at your end? What's it like, you know, back in Nigeria, where I am currently at the city, should I say the federal capital territory it's been calm, you know, not so much rain like it was a month ago, but pretty calm. You have a cool weather, dolls, you know. But around the country, like from the coastal towns, it's been raining, pretty, you know, raining and all of that.
Speaker 1:So what is it like at your end. Tell me, yes, just imagine I'm right by you, listening to you telling me. Telling me, oh, it's this, oh it's that, oh it's this, oh it's that. But all of it, we are alive, we have the my safe space. Yes, I do, all righty, what are we going to be doing today? Well, lately I've been having this thought heavy on my heart. I call today's topic or discourse what I'll be talking about, or what we are going to be talking about, because you're listening, you know it's, uh, the burden of leadership. The burden of leadership.
Speaker 1:Leadership is one subject that you cannot get enough of. Yes, you can't. It's impossible, really impossible. Every every, every day, we we need it. We need leadership in one way, in one form or the other, be it in our personal lives, our homes, the country, talking about where you live as a nation, talking about your business, the company you work for or work with, as the case may be. We need leadership. It's one subject that you cannot exhaust talking about, because every day, we need to be led.
Speaker 1:And the way I see it personally, honestly, the way I see it, people love to be led. They want to be led. They don't want to be managed, yes, they don't want to be, they want to be led. They want to be led. They don't want to be managed. Yes, they don't want to be, they want to be led. But now, who is going to lead? Who is going to lead?
Speaker 1:I call it definition of statement made by two marvelous individuals who are working the earth. You know, one of them is John Maxwell. We know him when it comes to leadership and all of that. He said leadership, everything rises and falls on leadership. Everything rises and falls on leadership.
Speaker 1:Jumoke Odunowo, you know the legendary architect, you know she puts it this way. She says leadership is the thread that runs through everything. Leadership is the thread that runs through everything. We'll put it that way Everything rises and falls. So if you see the falling of things, it's because of bad leadership. If you see the rising of things, it's because of good leadership. And leadership is the thread that runs through everything, be it good or bad. If it's a bad situation, check the domino effect the leader did something wrong and boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. It went round and it's a good thing. Also, you look at the leader, what he has done, but when you look at all of this, one thing under underscores all of this sacrifice, huge sacrifice, john Maxwell will call it the influence.
Speaker 1:Leadership is all about influence. So how do you grow this influence? How do you handle about influence? So how do you grow this influence? How do you handle, you know, this influence, how do you? The truth is, whether you want to like it or not, believe it or not, the minute you start leading your personal life, breaking certain you know, quote, unquote, limitation and barriers to certain conceived or perceived concepts, ideas, and you become like a trailblazer. All of a sudden, everybody comes under you, you know, be it in business, entertainment, sports, just name it. So you carry that burden. How do I? So you carry that burden? How do I? Recently, very recently in my life, I came in contact with an amazing individual, sa Feladuro Toi. You know, he's known for that mission, building and leadership, and sitting under him, I hear a lot, I hear a lot about leadership. I hear a lot about leaders, you know, and it's like the whole earth, the whole world, the burden of the world lies on the shoulders of leaders. People are looking for answers, people are looking for stops and all of that. All right, I'm, I'm going to bring in the scripture. Yes, that's where I get a lot of my ideas and juices, as you may want to call it, in doing what I do.
Speaker 1:Somewhere in Matthew's gospel 20, 21, somebody walked up to Jesus, a mother, and Jesus asked her what do you want, what do you want? And Jesus asked her what do you want, what do you want? And Jesus said to her, he looked at her straight in the eyes, knowing that she wanted to ask for something. That is like what do you want? And she said grant that one of these, that's her children who were working with Jesus, two sons of mine, yes, may sit at your right and the other at your left A place of honor, more or less you know. And Jesus smiled and looked at her and said you don't know what you're asking for. Do you know what you're asking for? Can you drink the cup I am going to drink? The hand said we can. Okay, you can, all right. But Jesus said to them you will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right hand or left, it's not for me to grant, it is not for me to give.
Speaker 1:These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my father. You know so the concept of leadership from what I see here, it's a thing of honor. Yes, you, he said it's an honorable one. Leadership, a leadership role, is an honorable one, but it is not what you take upon yourself. It's like jesus saying to them it is born out of purpose. Purpose, yes, you want to sit here, you want to sit there. It's not my place to decide that, but my Father has reserved it more or less like it's a. These are positions, these are seats.
Speaker 1:What I say, preserved exclusively, not necessarily exclusive, but it's a purpose thing. Is it your purpose? Because when you discover your purpose, then you come to see what it means to dispense from that purpose and you come to discover that influence you're building and automatically, just like John Maxwell put it, everything rises and falls on leadership. And so you're dispensing of your, from your purpose, more or less like serving, taking from it, like you take a cup scoop from your purpose, and you're serving the continuity, the constants of doing that every day, from your purpose and your servant. The continuity, the constants of doing that Every day, creates this influence and people flock to you or they come to you and they want to like, be, or rather get inspired by you. You know, over time this builds this burden on you. It becomes like there's an expectation. We expect so much from leaders yes, we expect so much from leaders and so many of us who occupy a leadership position come to give off a wrong vibes.
Speaker 1:I saw a write-up recently, two write-ups, which caught my attention and I'm going to share. From that, you know, to help you listening to me and even myself, there's one core factor in leadership that the minute it is lacking, as in the minute it's not there, the minute that factor is not there, what happens is you lose credibility completely, and that is called sincerity. The word sincerity, you know, is coined from a Latin word sincera, that's S-I-N-E-C-E-R-A chair, more or less like the Italians would call it. You know, sign chair. That is, leadership without sincerity is not leadership. Leadership without sincerity is not leadership.
Speaker 1:And this comes from, you know, the Roman times when sculptures were everywhere. It was a thing of joy and pride to have your image, as in your bust or something you know. Make some your image, put it somewhere. So they were so much in need, highly priced, you know, they were so much in need, so you had for your work to be expensive. It means you have to be original, you know you have to be original. Sure, you know you have to be original and your originality stems from you're not adding anything to it, you know. So that sign chair, it is like. Let me read it out for you.
Speaker 1:In Roman times, marble sculptures were highly priced, you know, statue objects. Sure, they were expensive, but more than that, they were really hard to make, yes, as in pretty difficult. So every strike of the chisel had to be perfect. But sometimes even the best sculptors, you know, would make a mistake. So what do they do now? They sometimes chip away that the wrong piece, leaving an ugly thing.
Speaker 1:Well, so what they now started doing? For some of them, they started adding wax. You know, like to make it up, they add the wax. So if you add wax to it, it means. This is what it means the word sign chair. A sign means without, chair, means wax. So it's a latin word.
Speaker 1:Your work sign chair is without wax, so english coined it from that sincerity. So, more or less, you are sincere as a leader. There's no additive to you, there's no, there's no, there's no. What's the word to use? Now? You're not embellishing, you are true, you are original, you are sincere. That's who, that's what you are so, more or less. You're not ardent, you're not exaggerating you, you are, you are, you are true, what we see, the image you present, the, the, the, the, the, the, the. What I see, the vibe you give is so original.
Speaker 1:You will agree with me that is a very, very challenging thing to do, to stand to be there. You know, just like the sculptor, you are not chipping away those things to fill it up with wax, but you are delicately chipping away what is not meant to be there, bringing out what is meant to be there. You spend so many time I mean, it's so time-consuming. You are so precise, meticulous, careful. More or less you need the grace of Jehovah, you need the grace of God to do that thing you're doing so that the best will come out. So when leadership, when leadership you get me when you are leading, sign chairily, that is, you are leading without wax the best comes out.
Speaker 1:But when you lead with wax, that leadership is tainted, it's not original, it's not real, as in, it's not true. We can't relate with them. You're more or less like a fraud. Mm-hmm, you know, leadership is something that people look up to you. If not people, the elements look up to you Because you have grown this ability to maneuver yes, in the right sense the elements to serve that purpose, not a selfish purpose. Now you know, even if it's a selfish purpose, yes, because some people lead in a wrong way Self-serving, they lead for themselves, they are looking at themselves. So you know you are like a fraud.
Speaker 1:The truth is leadership that is sincere, that is true, is value-based, the right value. Like my mentor would say, it takes value to create value. Yeah, it takes value to create value. Yeah, it takes value to create value. For you to be value-oriented, you want to create value, it means you have a value from which you operate, from it could be.
Speaker 1:I don't tell lies, I don't believe in telling lies, I don't believe in exaggerating and creating all of that. I am true to this and you are true to it. Or see, these are my values. I base everything I do, you know, and the truth is, values come from our mouth and this, the minute, those values come from our mouth, they define our actions, which now becomes virtue, as, in virtue, people look at it like, wow, this person, you know he or she, is true to what they say. If they cannot do it, they have not said it. Did you get that? If they cannot do it, that's because they have not said it, that if they cannot do it, that's because they have not said it. But the minute they say it, because that's the value that they bring forth, automatically an action follows. It becomes, you know, action based Because I do because I have spoken, I don't do because I have not spoken. More or less that is what it is like.
Speaker 1:So the world is in need of leaders, true leaders. Now, how do we get them? How do we reach out? How do we bring them? How do we find them? They are there. They are there, just like you know the Latin saying Veritas lux onni Truth is the light of the world.
Speaker 1:Yes, leadership is what, should I say, elevates our living to the highest level, because leaders give themselves to highest form of living, do things they're so disciplined at. It truly does. I mean true leaders like you see that person in in that sporting activity. You know he's doing exceptional things with with, either in basketball, on tennis, uh, the speed race, or whatever. Go and see what they do behind the scenes. Go and see how they lead their lives. They don't live their lives, they lead their lives. So go see how they lead their lives. You will be blown away. And the truth is the minute you also subject yourself to that form of leading. What you see is nothing short of what they are doing. All the, the, the expressions you see.
Speaker 1:So the world rises on the back of good leadership and so it falls on the back of wrong leadership, and that is the thread that goes through each and every one. You know each and everything we do. Leadership, it is influence, yep, the burden of leadership. How do we get there? We will. It is for us to embrace it From the place of purpose. You know your purpose and you rise from there, you move from there.
Speaker 1:Amazing, isn't it? Well, this is what I just said to come around and share with you. It will not change. This principle won't change. It is the principle. It's been there. It will always be there For those who are led by the Spirit of God. They are the sons of God, and you know what sons do? They display, they manifest, they show forth, they bring about the good things of life. Yes, you know how we say it on the show. This is the space where we come in to lean on one another's experience and forge a positive path. It's so fun being here talking to you. Thank you so much. Well, whatever you do, remember, remember what you say is what you do. What you do may not necessarily be what you are saying. Till I come your way again. Bye for now.
Speaker 1:Awesome time it has been with you on the World Cafe Podcast today. Thank you for being there. You can catch me up on my social media handles Twitter, facebook, linkedin and Instagram, all at Amakri Isoboye. Also, you can get copies of my books A Cocktail of Words, the Color of Words by H Aaron Notebook and Hocus Pocus on God on Amazon and Roving Heights online bookstores. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel at the same address at Amakri Isoboye. I love to hear from you and how this podcast has impacted you. You can leave me a message at my email address, amakrigaribaldi at gmailcom. That is A-M-A-C-H-R-E-E-E-G-A-R-I-B-A-L-D-I. Yes, till I come your way again. Bye for now.