The Geographical Center of the World

Wherever you are at this very moment, you are at the geographical center of the world. But you are not the center of the world.

Most people, and most current “leaders,” don’t realize this. They expect that, because of their status as “a leader,” it must be true. They believe that they are their status. They think everything should revolve around them, everything should go through them, and everyone should bow down to them. Their dependence on their status feeds their ego, absolves them from responsibility, and alienates them from those who look to them for direction.

But you are different. You know that, especially if you have created a “cult of personality,” your ego will be the iceberg that brings down the ship. You know that you are not your status.

Status can be defined as your place in the social hierarchy. It’s a fundamentally zero-sum game where, to win, someone else must lose. And the way you win this game, the way you rise in the social hierarchy, is by bringing others down. Also, by allowing status to envelop your identity, it can lead you to become angry, combative, and divisive. This is not the game a true leader plays.

Politics is a perfect example of status games, which is why I have a big problem with politicians being called leaders. With few exceptions, they divide and tear other people down, and they rely on social trends and climates to make decisions. Their entire identity is defined by their status. Their pursuit of status is why they do photo ops. It’s why they choose popularity over principle. Politicians are not leaders. They are enslaved by their status.

Remember our goal of leadership: “to move individuals as a cohesive unit towards a clear and unified purpose, all the while bringing out the best in each by training and mentoring them until they themselves are suited to be leaders.”

You simply cannot achieve this ideal if you play status games.

While you may be at the geographical center of the world, realize that you are not the center. You are a leader who operates on principle, not for popularity. You are not your status.