The Martial Arts Business Bible
46: Become a Transformational Leader and Inspire Your Students to Achieve Greatness
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s a martial arts professional, you are a role model for others. You are a mentor, coach and friend. You are a shining light in your community. You are a leader!
Being a leader is not easy. In fact, it’s quite challenging and it requires effort every minute of the day; but this does not intimidate you. That’s why you did not choose the path of least resistance, the path of being a follower. You chose to be leader, and now it’s time to make the most of your chosen role for the benefit of yourself, your school, students, family and the community in which you live. I suggest that you’ll have your greatest impact on the people you lead when you become a master of transformational leadership. A transformational leader is one who adjusts with the times and taps into the emotional and spiritual reservoirs of others, to create higher levels of performance and extensive change. Jesus, Gandhi, Lincoln, Alexander the Great, Churchill, Bruce Lee, Gitchin Funakoshi, Jigoro Kano and Jhoon Rhee can all be considered transformational leaders. Not all transformational leaders represent good, however; some, such as Adolph Hitler, Genghis Khan and Jim Jones, represent evil. As martial arts instructors, we stand for the highest and best principles and values of humanity. We use our energy and influence to effect positive change around us. Transformational leadership is a responsibility that is as worthy of you, as you are worthy of it. I’m convinced that collectively, we martial arts professionals have much room to grow within the vast area of leadership. In fact, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what we could accomplish, if our collective leadership skills were stronger. It all begins with you. Don’t think you’re above it and that it should begin with the guy up the street from you. That’s the wrong attitude to have. To this end, when you are a more effective transformational leader you will attract more students to your school. Your students will invariably stay longer and their performance will increase. Parents will recognize that the benefits derived from their relationships with you continue to grow. Your staff members will be happier and more content with their employment. The teaching skills of your instructors and the overall value of your lessons will improve. You’ll have the ability to mobilize the masses and impact your community in ways you never before thought possible. Plus, everyone in your circle of influence will be marching to the beat of the same drum. Those are just some of the benefits of effective transformational leadership.
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