The Kind of Leader My Dad Taught Me to Be

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My dad was a West Point graduate.
An Army Ranger. A Colonel.
He didn’t talk a lot about leadership.
He lived it.

He taught me about respect—
Not through speeches, but by shaking hands, looking people in the eye, and showing up early.

He taught me about hard work—
Not in an office, but on our family farm.

And he taught me that your title means nothing if people don’t trust the way you lead.

Here’s what stuck:

✔️ Show up when you say you will
✔️ Do what needs to be done—even when no one’s watching
✔️ Don’t confuse noise for strength
✔️ Be someone your family can be proud of, not just your clients

Quiet Leadership Still Wins

The older I get, the more I realize:
You don’t need to be everywhere.
You don’t need to say everything.

You just need to be the person people trust when things get hard.

That kind of leadership doesn’t show up on social.
But it shows up where it counts.

Want help creating a system that keeps showing up for you, even when you don’t feel like it?
📅 Book a 15-min strategy call

1 Book Recommendation

📘 Legacy by James Kerr
A powerful read on leadership, culture, and character—told through the lens of the All Blacks rugby team. Simple principles. Big impact.

1 Quote

"Be a good ancestor. Plant trees you’ll never see."
— Māori Proverb

Final Thought

Your greatest influence might not be what you build—
It might be how you show up while building it.

Thanks, Dad.

—Brian

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