A leadership lesson

Everybody hates the same two things. “They hate change and they hate the way things are,” Lexington Town Councilman Todd Carnes joked at a Chamber breakfast. Carnes encouraged chamber members to “lead courageously” in this cynical world.

First, he advised, “As a leader, don’t try to convince the cynic.” It is a waste of time and energy to try and get the cynic to change his mind. He won’t do it. Instead, focus on those who believe in you, in your vision and your ideas. Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed and leave the cynics behind. Carnes quoted Theodore Roosevelt who said, “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming, but who does actually strive to do the deeds, who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”

Second, he encouraged members to “embrace the inherit goodness of failure because failure has the patent on humility.” Failure is important. Embrace it. “Until you’ve stretched yourself enough to fail, you have never figured out what your capacity is,” Carnes said. Don’t let cynicism keep you from taking great risks.

Third, relentlessly battle cynicism in your own soul, in your home, in your company, in your community and in the world. “Cynicism is like a flesh-eating bacteria.” It will eat you if you let it. Carnes said there is a solution. “Hope is the antidote to cynicism.”

Tabitha Davis is a Lexington Chamber staff member.