The Leader-Ship: Who's On Board?

Foreword

     It’s time to hip-hop on board the “Leader-Ship” and see where it takes you. Although it may seem cliché, everyone and anyone can and should be a leader! Everyone has the potential to be a leader; it’s just a matter of putting that potential to use. When I used to think of a leader, the first person to come to mind would be the President of the United States or the leader of some other country. But I soon noticed that my dad was just as good of a leader as they come, and he inspired me to be a leader myself.  In this day and age, it seems like everyone wants to follow the crowd and no one wants to stand up and lead. I believe it’s time for more leaders to be created, not more followers.

     Using suggestions and tips from this book, anyone can learn to jump onboard the Leader-Ship and empower more leaders in their school or workplace. I’ve experienced countless leadership training sessions at my dad’s middle school, and it’s clear that it really does work. Through fun team building exercises, the kids always have a fun time and don’t even realize that they’re building leadership skills in the process. In fact, while I was in middle school, I attended several leadership training sessions at my school and my dad’s school, and I always came out of it with inspiration to be a better person and a better leader. During one activity, we wrote qualities of leadership on a wooden stick. I still have the leadership stick today (six years later), and it reminds me of the qualities I need to work on.

     As many other teens my age, I am a very indecisive person. I can barely figure out what I want to wear every day let alone where I want to go to college and what career I want to pursue. I realize that my indecisiveness is a huge blockade in my quest to become a leader, and my parents definitely try to help me fix it. My dad always sends me quotes that say things like “Make a choice or someone will make it for you, and you may not like it.” There are definitely times when my inability to make a decision has ended in someone else making the choice for me. After reading this book and listening to my dad’s advice, I realize that letting other people make choices for me hurts me in the long run because it puts my future in the hands of others.

     Throughout the halls of Belhaven Middle School, my dad’s school, inspirational quotes cover the walls. It’s really cool, because it separates his school from the boring white walls of other schools. One of my favorite quotes on the walls is “Do or do not, there is no try” which is a quote from Yoda in Star Wars. Another quote that my family lives by is “Treat others better than you want to be treated.” Being a leader really does mean doing what’s best for you and others, and always being nice no matter how the other person treats you. If you’re nice to people for long enough, your good karma will come back to you.

     One of the most important things you can do for yourself is set goals. My dad encouraged my softball team to write a goal on a ball and stick it in our glove so we always look at it. I wrote “Hustle” because my dad always tells me to never let anyone out hustle me. I look at the ball before every game and I am inspired to do my best and always hustle. Goals can be big or small. My goals at the moment include school, sports, and life itself. A very simple goal that can go a very long way is to live in the moment, “Carpe Diem.”

     All in all, if there’s anyone to look to for motivation it should be you. “Motivate yourself, inspire others.” But if you need a little help, my dad is definitely the go-to guy for inspiration. Just like every other teen, I do feel like my dad embarrasses me sometimes. For instance, when he came to talk at my school in seventh grade and told our students that I would jump out of bed in the morning and dance around (which totally wasn’t true). But I know that he only wants what’s best for me, and I couldn’t be luckier to have him as my dad. I’m sure everyone says this but my dad truly is the coolest guy I know and I hope he inspires you to be a leader, just like he inspires me.

     -Franki Maria Rudnesky

(When this book went to press,

Franki chose to pursue her

academic career at

St. Joseph’s University

in Philadelphia). 

Introduction

What your life becomes is entirely up to you. “Never be afraid to fail but never be afraid to succeed either.” -Rudnesky

Because you have the power of choice, some remarkable things can happen. Because you have the power of choice, some unremarkable things can happen. Every time you choose, you have an opportunity cost. What other opportunities did you relinquish because of your choice? What did you give up? What can you gain?

Sometimes the future is now and we wait too long to choose. We may be reluctant or we may be under informed. Some decisions can be calculated, like where you go to college, or what you are wearing to a party. Some choices may be instantaneous like an emergency. Either way, we can be prepared to lead ourselves and the people around us.

This short book will give you some insight into you and your ability to be a leader and sail on the Leader-Ship. So get on board. Remember, your life is a work in progress. Always self-communicate your worth. Opportunities happen quickly. Do not miss the boat. It is never too late to change yourself and the world in a positive way but you have to get on board before you can set sail.

Who inspires the inspire-ers? If you cannot motivate yourself, do not expect to inspire anyone. And who says you have to? You do not but you can. No one is a great leader all the time. With preparation, hard work, commitment, and fun, you can unleash that leadership potential that you have been storing up. Old or young, it does not matter.

“If not us, who? If not now, when?” John F. Kennedy  

Profit from the sale of this book is donated to charity.