by Nicole Greer, PPCC
Myrtle Clara Catherine Charlotte Wittkop Hehl raised me. Grandma Myrt was named after every single one of her grandmothers for a reason. As a child, I marveled at the length of her name. It delighted me to say it, tell my friends about her unique moniker and to hear Grandma's stories time and time again of the women who led her in many different ways to become the woman she was.
Why would my great grandmother, Sadie Wittkop, give her only little girl of six children this name? To make certain no one missed the love, lessons, and a legacy for being a strong woman of character. In this name is a call to awareness. Awareness that I too must lead and leave an imprint on those I touch. Leadership is influence. It's the ability to motivate someone to learn, to grow into his or her ordained potential. Influence must be approached with our whole being. As leaders, we must use our head, heart, gut, and spirit to affect others. We must demonstrate character. These are traits that can be celebrated for generations.
Leaders are wise.
Grandma Myrt shared her hard- won lessons. Every task we worked on together was full of tips, shortcuts, and best practices. She would always say, "Let me show you how to do it. Watch me." Here's how you can embody wisdom:
• Embrace your unique viewpoint, give a new perspective.
• Make clarity your aim, have temperance.
• Be disciplined to stay with a task until you master it, be diligent.
Leaders embrace humanity.
Grandma Myrt loved deeply. With six children of her own and twenty-one grand "babes," she embraced the beauty and the unpleasant side of individuals. Her heart overflowed through a life of dedicated letter writing, package sending, and birthday celebrating! Her greatest gift was her counsel around relationships. When I would lament about the behavior of other kids at school or the cruelness of my brother she would always say, "Honey, kill 'em with kindness." Here's how you can influence with high regard to humanity:
• Always be yourself, authenticity creates trust.
• Be nice, understand your behavior has consequences and be considerate.
• Build friendships wherever you go, be a diplomat.
Leaders are courageous.
Grandma Myrt had a sense of urgency. There was never any time to waste. She knew problems didn't fix themselves and she would always say, "Get on with it." Grandma led with her gut and showed me courage. Here's how you can demonstrate courage:
• Take a stand on a conviction and demonstrate confidence.
• Boldly and bravely explore unchartered territory.
• Commit to your work and complete what you start…have integrity.
Leaders are spirited.
Grandma Myrt was enthusiastic. She was in touch with the idea that she was not in this life alone. She had an inner spark that shed light on what was possible. If she didn't know how to do something, she would always say, "God willing, we can make it happen." And we did. Here's how you can lead with spirit:
• Love to learn and be receptive.
• Engage the future to be inspired.
• Invent new ways of doing things and be creative.
Nicole Greer, PPCC, is a professional life and business coach, as well as a student in Organizational Leadership at MSU.
