I recently attended an event that was organized to welcome the new member of the leadership team of a company. The event also doubled as a farewell ceremony for the departing leader. The accolades were not in short supply because the outgoing leader was an exceptional leader on every front. He was the type of leader that Jim Collins described as a Level 5 leader in his book; Good to Great. Many were sad to see him go, but he had to go.
Several people were invited to make speeches as the evening wore on, most speakers focused on the outgoing leader, with a few making remarks that alluded to the new member of the team that he had very big shoes to fill. Almost everyone seemed to agree with that point of view because the impressions on the hearts and minds of people were deep.
When it was time for the incoming leader to make his commencement speech, he made a very remarkable statement. He said “I am not going to try to fill Mr X’s shoes because I brought my own shoes”. So, he already told everyone that he was not made from the same mould. His style was going to be different and he did not suggest that he was going to lower the standards. He was just different and he was going to be himself.
It’s good to have people we look up to, especially people that have gone ahead of us successfully. But we must never aspire to be them. We should rather aspire to become the best version of ourselves that God made us to be. We will stand on the shoulders of those people, learn from their mistakes and glean from their wisdom. We will place our hands in their hands and allow them to lead us. We will plant our footsteps in their footprints if needed. We will draw out deep things from the depths of their hearts. We will be humble around them, no matter what we become. We will preserve their good reputation while building ours. In all this, WE WILL NOT BE THEM because we will bring our own shoes!
Chidi Ukandu's Blog 