Hi Reader,

I have many fond memories of my father who passed away almost 25 years ago. He was a living lesson in many of the characteristics that make great leaders.

I'll get to that in a moment.

My Dad's sense of humor always puts a smile on my face, even though on occasion I bore the brunt of it.

I still have a copy of the parking ticket that I may have forgotten to pay while in college.

The car was still registered to my dad, so the final notice showed up in his mailbox.

You'll love the note he wrote to the traffic violations bureau:

He mailed a copy of it to me, neatly typed. At the bottom, he inscribed this note in longhand.

"Congratulations on making Who's Who in Colleges & Universities."

I could never get him to commit, but I'm convinced he actually mailed it.

He was just being Dad.

The amount due? $1.00.

The Fighter Became a Minister

As a minister for over 50 years, my Dad was devout but not self-righteous.. He had little time for pretentiousness and was always sticking the needle whenever a "holier than thou" attitude intruded on his congregation or his community.

I was young and unaware of it at the time, but years later, I learned that he had submitted a drawing to an art exhibition at the local library where he had observed self-proclaimed artistes hemming and hawing about the meaning of life in every piece of art they saw.

They hung his simple drawing with great community pride.

What he didn't tell them was what he drew and the name he gave it:

"A Fart in a Sock".

My dad and I laughed every time he recalled how they gushed over the power of his work.

Do Dads Get the Credit They Deserve?

Among many of us dads, we often remark, "Dads never get any credit."

It's usually Dads who teach their kids how to play ball, run, catch, dodge … but if they score a run, a touchdown or a basket … and the camera zooms in on them, what do they always say?

“Hi Mom!”

Have you ever heard the phrase, "As good as Dad and Apple Pie?"

I never have.

Mother's Day was officially established as a national holiday in 1914. Father's Day not until 58 years later in 1972.

I rest my case.

An extraordinary combination ...

Perhaps the most striking summary I can apply to his life is that he had the most unusual combination of careers of anyone I’ve ever known:

A world-ranked professional boxer with a record of 82-5-0 who became a minister when he heeded the calling.

All his life, he loved boxing with great passion – and practiced his ministry with great compassion.

He believed deeply that boxing’s demand for discipline, training and sacrifice was a way out for “street toughs,” a route through the gym and into a productiv

e life that would otherwise be inaccessible.

He knew that every

soul was worth sa

ving and he never wavered from that commitment.

Humility is hard to come by if you don't have it

The essence of his character, though, was his humility and his equanimity.

My father would not greet you any differently if you climbed out of a cardboard box after sleeping off a bender or stepped out of a limousine.

How many of us could say the same? I’m not proud to say I couldn't.

He judged no one lest he be judged and accepted anyone on any level, greeting and accepting them with equal aplomb.

You may recall that humility was the centerpiece of 5X leaders famously cataloged in Jim Collin's book, Good to Great.

It was never able to figure how such humility resided so comfortably in the heart of a champion prizefighter.

Over the years, however, I've come to understand that genuine humility emanates from the same quality of character that refuses to consider whether one individual is more important than another.

Is it possible to never lose your temper?

I never saw my father lose his temper or even raise his voice … ever … except during a sermon.

God knows that my brother and I tempted him … particularly on one occasion when he smoothly digressed from his prepared sermon … and mentioned something about how two boys in the congregation were going to be in "deep sh#^*" (my words not his) when they got home.

Honestly, I’m not sure how it’s possible to never raise your voice or lose your temper. (I doubt think I'd score so well on that scale, either.)

He Claimed to Have a Hot Temper

When I became an adult, I asked him about it.

He told me had a terrible temper and that the only way he could control it was not to unleash it.

That was his only explanation and even after all these years, I’m still baffled by his answer ... and never saw a shred of evidence that he had the temper he claimed to own in the first place?

Is any of this relevant for your business?

I think they are several Leadership truths revealed here:

1. Be keenly aware that everyone gets their turn in the barrel. There are no exceptions.
2. "Assume good intentions" is the best mantra I've heard to withhold judgment about individuals, their actions as well as their statements. It's a valuable tool to apply with everyone we encounter.
3. Reject pretentiousness and reach beyond your grasp to help uplift your friends, colleagues and employees.
4. Recognize that inside the hearts of your dedicated and loyal employees, with all of their faults and blemishes, beats the metronome that measures the rhythm of your success.
5. Oh, yeah, and work harder to control your temper while appreciating the beauty of life’s journey.
6. When needed, humility and a left hook can coexist quite nicely.

Happy Father's Day to all Dads!