If there is one thing I am good at, it is setting a goal and working day in and day out to see that goal through. I wasn’t born with any special advantages, and my physical stature is average. (I used to think I was pretty buff until I stood shirtless next to Olympic-gold-medal-wrestler, Jordan Burroughs—my self image was shattered!). I just work really, really hard, and I’ve been taught since a young age to be myself.

A byproduct, then, of hard work and consistency is self-confidence, and with self-confidence, comes the ability to lead. Leadership, as I’ve come to know it, is not just about standing in front of a crowd rallying the troops. It’s about knowing who you are and what you stand for, and being that person 100% of the time—whether it makes you the most popular person in the room, or the loneliest person in the room. I’ve experienced both sides of the coin.

I spend a great deal of time speaking to the youth industry,  and that includes both young people and people who influence young people (Thank you for the definition, Josh Shipp). And for the past few months, I’ve been trying to pinpoint my message and terminology so that when I speak to prospective clients, I can clearly state what I do. “Well, what is your message?”, they would ask. “Um, well, I just speak about what I’ve done, ya know,” I would so eloquently respond. In my mind, it was so clear, but to them, not so much.

By pounding the pavement and just “doing,” I’ve finally become clear on what I’m so passionate about, and that is developing leaders through self-confidence. By having the self-confidence to be yourself at all times, to really and truly be at peace with who you are, you have the ability to lead yourself and lead others.

Just this morning I was talking with my friend Kelly about what makes Cael Sanderson (PSU Wrestling Coach, Olympic Gold Medalist, 4x NCAA Champion) such a great leader. As clear as day, to me, anyway, it’s the fact that Cael Sanderson LIVES IT. He doesn’t just say it or teach it, HE LIVES IT. He lives his life as a champion in everything that he does. By leading himself, he has an amazing ability to lead others.

You don’t need to be an extrovert to be a great leader. You can simply lead yourself.

This week’s extras…

Promo Video made by Ernie Isgro and Beating the Odds Foundation

Check out some recent podcasts I’ve done:

Good Dad Project

Unbeatable Mind

Instagram Book Reviews

If you genuinely enjoyed my book Driven and appreciate my blogs, an Instagram book review would be greatly appreciated—simply post a pic of the book and a few sentences about it…and don’t forget to tag me (I’ll be sure to respond)! Amazon reviews are greatly appreciated as well. Each and every review/post helps my message be seen by as many people as possible, and I value each and every one.

Muchas Gracias,

Spaniard