Why leadership requires that you first walk the walk
With a cup of Costa Rican coffee in hand, Matt Marks begins each day with a gratitude exercise, intention setting and planning for the day ahead. He takes client calls from the beach and plans for the future of Real Jaco Academy of Leadership and Soccer, his non-profit organization, on a stroll through the rainforest. He rarely misses a moment to be grateful for.
Matt is a recovering workaholic, a passionate entrepreneur, and… runs a soccer camp for at-risk boys in Costa Rica where he now lives. Matt’s entrepreneurial spirit combined with a steadfast sense of purpose to give back and add value to others each and every day means he’s never lacking for energy. And those around him are never lacking for inspiration. But it took hard work to become the man, in life and in business, that he is today. Get to know Matt Marks in this series of interviews – the man who turned a failed tech venture into a thriving camp that lifts boys out of poverty, all while creating the life of his dreams. Today, Matt shares his thoughts on leadership:
What’s your personal mission in life? What gets you excited?
To add value to people’s lives – to provide hope and encouragement to those I meet, whether online or in person. If I can inspire people to do more, become more, learn more, love more and dream more – then I feel that I am adding that value.
My joy comes from helping others succeed, reach their highest potential, and become more of who they truly are.
Human potential gets me excited. I am always amazed to see what we can do with the gifts we’ve been given – humans can do the most remarkable things. AndI always try to see a person’s highest potential, even when they may not see it themselves. I love the opportunity to coach, mentor, teach, motivate, inspire… I am truly passionate about helping others become their highest and best selves.
How does your sense of purpose – this mission – show up in your life today?
It shows up in my relationships with my son, the boys in Real Jaco and my colleagues. It’s of paramount importance to me that I demonstrate my values through my actions and the way I live my own life – I want my son, who’s 13, to see that I walk the walk, that I stand up for what I believe in, that I live my truth and pursue my dreams and passions. It’s invaluable for him to see how I deal with adversity and mistakes (I make plenty). I hope he sees that building something of value takes time, teamwork and constant focus on improvement. I want him to learn by watching me that when something doesn’t work, we try over and over again until we get it right.
I want him to learn how to demonstrate love, patience and compassion by watching how I treat him and others – and I want him to see the inherent value of serving others by my actions. Leadership starts with walking the walk, and I can’t expect anyone else – including my son – to live these values and pursue their dreams if I am not doing so myself.
If you couldn’t leave your son money but only a set of principles to live by, what would those be?
Be yourself. Stand up for what you believe in, even in the face of adversity, and help others.
Life is about collecting friends and doing things you love – not about collecting cars, clothes, money and fame. There’s nothing wrong with these things, but it’s essential to prioritize what’s most important to you.
Love all you can love, give all you can give, do all you can do and pursue all that interests you.
Be thankful every day – this is a daily practice.
Life is a journey – enjoy it. And enjoy it now. There’s no reason to put off your happiness, passions, joy and interests. Too many people spend their lives waiting for someday – a day that rarely actually comes. Find a way to live an extraordinary life here and now.
Surround yourself with the best people, read the best books, watch the best videos and put the best information into your mind.
Just do your best each day. And if today wasn’t your best that’s okay – you get another shot tomorrow.
And don’t worry son, everything will work out. You are on a journey and it’s taking you where you need to go. Perspective will show you this – read this again when you’re 25, 35, 50… This has always borne out to be true in my life and I’m willing to bet that it’s true for you too.
What is the best leadership advice you've ever received?
To choose one. Interestingly it came watching a Lakers game. I was a huge Lakers fan – I loved watching Magic and the showtime Lakers play, and then later, I was fascinated by Kobe’s legendary mindset.
So it’s late in the season one year, the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol. Pau hadn’t even made it to the team yet – never so much as practiced with them. And when asked about the trade, Kobe’s reaction was simply: “now it’s time to walk the walk.”
What struck me was Kobe’s awareness. He knew that he’d been talking a lot and had been complaining openly about the performance of his team. During a year in which the Lakers were not a championship caliber team, Kobe had expressed frustration, questioned management’s commitment to winning, and requested to be traded… but he finally got what he’d been asking for: more talent around him. He knew that the moment had come to prove himself. He had to walk the walk.
Leadership does not start with telling others what to do, it starts with demonstrating kindness, generosity, love, compassion, patience, flexibility, integrity, honesty… it starts with walking the walk.
What books have you gifted most over the last year?
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris, The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer and the classic As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
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