Fifty-five years ago (on September 15, 1949), The Lone Ranger premiered on television*. In celebration, I’m pairing a picture of him with one of my favorite quotes (origin unknown), as a reminder of his very special leadership style.
The Lone Ranger rode the plains searching for truth and justice, which he always found by the end of each episode. He then jumped on his horse, shouted, “Hi-yo, Silver, away!” and rode off into the sunset. Bystanders stared after him in amazement. One of them always said, “Who was that masked man?” And another always responded: “Why he’s The Lone Ranger.”
The Lone Ranger never took off his mask, which would never fly well in today’s we-must-be-transparent environment. But he looked for the truth, took action and didn’t need credit. AND – he made it clear what he stood for. Here is The Lone Ranger Creed.
The Lone Ranger Creed I believe:
- that to have a friend, a man must be one.
- that all men are created equal and that everyone has within himself the power to make this a better world.
- that God put the firewood there but that every man must gather and light it himself.
- in being prepared physically, mentally, and morally to fight when necessary for that which is right.
- that a man should make the most of what equipment he has.
- that “this this government, of the people, by the people and for the people” shall live always.
- that men should live by the rule of what is best for the greatest number.
- that sooner or later … somewhere … somehow … we must settle with the world and make payment for what we have taken.
- that all things change but truth, and that truth alone, lives on forever.
- in my Creator, my country, my fellow man.
Whether you agree with each element of The Lone Ranger Creed or not…my point is that strong leaders make it clear what they believe, what they stand for and what they expect. Making it a whole lot easier – and inspiring – to follow. Mask or not.
Whether it’s about managing mistakes or making goals or taking care of people on your team…
- do people know what you stand for?
- do they know what you expect?
Before they can know, you must know.
Do you?
Not many people do. But if more people did, we would have a lot more really good leaders who people love to follow!
The kind of leader that takes charge, makes things happen and is so inspiring that when he or she leaves, everyone says, “Who was that masked man?” (or woman).
Could it be you?
Yes – it could be.
Will it be?
That’s up to you.
Let me know if you’d like help with it. Just send an e-mail to: Jan@BusinessClassInc.com
Meanwhile, I invite you to post this week’s quote for reinforcement. Instructions below.
One more thing: If you haven’t already done so, sign up here for a Monday morning BOOST for you and your team – the Leadership Quote of the Week delivered to your email box each Monday morning.
You can post the above quote to your computer screen with just three clicks.
1. Click on the image above. Don’t see an image? Try this link. 2. Right click on the image that appears. 3. On the pull down menu that appears, click on “set as background”. Voila! There’s still plenty of room on the left side of the screen for all your shortcut icons. Note: If you don’t like your new wallpaper, don’t want to replace it with a quote from the Business Class Quote Library and don’t know how to get rid of it…… Go to your control panel. Select “Display”. Select “Desktop”. And then choose from the designs offered.” Or print the PDF version below. Just click on the printer icon in lower right corner of the image. Problems? Use this link. *Before 1948, The Lone Ranger was featured on the radio, comic strips, comic books, books and film.
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