Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership

The Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership were written by Kent Keith in 1968, when he was 19, a sophomore at Harvard College. They apply today just as they did in 1968. Interestingly, Kent was active and passionate about student leadership in high school and worked with high school kids long after he left college. During his first couple years of college, he found that he could get many students excited about making a difference in the world, but when they hit the real world, they became discouraged and decided that being a leader wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

When Kent introduced the Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership in his book about leadership in student councils, now referred to by John C Maxwell and others as seminal work for the mantle of leadership, he said, "I laid down the Paradoxical Commandments as a challenge. The challenge is to always do what is right and good and true, even if others don't appreciate it. You have to keep striving, no matter what, because if you don't, many of the things that need to be done in our world will never get done."

The Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

I have read and re-read these a few times a year now for several years, and I have to say that every time I do, I am motivated to be a better person, reaffirmed in doing good because good is always good, and humbled by a 19 year old students wisdom.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and insights!