During a trip to Africa, I stumbled upon a group of boys playing soccer on a makeshift field. There was no grass—just dirt and small, sharp rocks. Most of the boys were barefoot, and their ball was nothing more than a bundle of rags tied into a knot.
But they played with passion—running full speed, sliding into tackles, colliding with one another, and getting up without hesitation. Then it happened: one boy scored a goal. His arms stretched wide like airplane wings, and he circled the field in celebration. His teammates followed. The opposing team followed. Even the goalie who gave up the goal ran behind him, cheering. Arms out. Smiles wide. I had never seen such pure, unfiltered joy in my life.
I stood there in awe—not just at their happiness, but at the deeper lesson unfolding before me.
These boys had nothing, yet acted like champions. No field? Dirt was good enough. No shoes? Skin would do. No ball? Make one from rags. They decided that on that day, they would be great soccer players. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. That day. They were in the World Cup. And though they played on opposing teams, their purpose was shared. Victory wasn’t about defeating one another—it was about creating something remarkable together.
Every player mattered. Without teammates to carry the ball downfield, opponents to challenge them, or a goalie to defend the net, there would be no goal—no greatness. What I witnessed wasn’t just a game. It was a moment of pure, unselfish brilliance.
That moment became my mirror. It clarified my purpose and reshaped my definition of leadership. From then on, I committed my life’s work to advancing equity in the developing world—through planning, real estate development, and community empowerment.
The Essence of Leadership: Purpose, Communication, Commitment
Effective leadership begins with purpose—a cause greater than oneself. While goals define what you’re trying to achieve, purpose explains why it matters.
Without purpose, leadership falls back on transactional tools—rewards and punishments—to drive behavior. But real leaders go further. They link actions to tasks, tasks to outcomes, and outcomes to a shared purpose. That clarity helps team members see the meaning in their work—whether it’s celebrated publicly or done behind the scenes—and gives them a sense of ownership and pride.
Purpose unites. It inspires people to work together—even when the odds are stacked against them.
But having purpose isn’t enough. You must communicate it—clearly, consistently, and passionately. Great leaders are storytellers and evangelists. They recruit true believers, share the vision internally, and defend it externally—often without anyone noticing. They shape an environment where teams can thrive, even if they have to remove obstacles before the team ever sees them.
And communication is not a monologue. It’s a dialogue. Purpose may ignite motivation, but listening sustains it. When a team is aligned around a shared goal, it takes ongoing connection—through feedback, reflection, and recalibration—to keep that alignment strong.
Listening is your superpower. Especially when things don’t go as planned.
The final pillar is commitment—the unshakable resolve to pursue your purpose through adversity. Commitment turns intention into endurance. It fuels leaders to keep going through resistance, setbacks, or uncertainty. It says, “I will keep pushing until we reach our goal—even if I have to pass the baton to someone else.”
That kind of commitment is contagious. It validates the importance of the mission and lifts others to give their all. It assures the team that if failure comes, it won’t be from lack of effort—but from lack of opportunity.
Final Reflections
Purpose. Communication. Commitment. These are the leadership qualities I value most.
Communication can be taught. But purpose and commitment must be discovered—through experience, reflection, and intentional growth. They’re not given; they’re cultivated.
And sometimes, they’re found in the most unexpected places—like a dirt soccer field in Africa, where a group of barefoot boys taught me more about leadership than any textbook ever could.