Leadership

It isn’t just something you do at the top. It’s something you practice wherever you are.

“Of the best leaders, when their task is accomplished, the people all remark, ‘We have done it ourselves.’” — Lao-Tzu

I had the above quote taped to the phone in my office forever. Yeah, this was back in the dark ages when we had phones on our desks with cords and plugs and all that. That quote felt like I had Lao-Tzu sitting on my shoulder, telling me what real leadership is all about and reminding me of the covenant I had with the thousands of employees who were counting on me to do right by them.

Every. Day.

Leadership isn’t a title or a role that’s reserved for CEOs, politicians, or military generals. The reality is: eventually, all of us are called to lead.

Maybe not a company. But one day, you might be asked to be the lead person for a project in a non-profit you volunteer for. Or you might need to be the calm voice in a family crisis. Maybe this won’t be something you choose, but something that chooses you. You’re going to be the person people turn to for clarity. And when that moment comes, you’ll want something more solid than a trendy LinkedIn slogan to lean on.

And here’s the deeper truth: a good leader doesn’t chase the moment. A good leader builds trust over time. Not by their words. By their actions.

At Men’s Wearhouse, we built our brand through TV spots, yes. But our real success came from delivering on the promises we made in those ads. We guaranteed quality, service, and a better shopping experience. And we delivered. Over and over again.

From the outset, George Zimmer and I had a fundamental, unspoken agreement:

No matter the issue, we put the company’s best interests first.

Not our egos. Not our opinions. Just the company.

And to us, the company wasn’t defined by spreadsheets or stock prices.

Early on, and before we went public, we realized something most companies still miss: the most important stakeholders weren’t the executives or even the customers. They were the employees. Our simple mantra:

Make employees happy by taking care of them, help them buy into the culture, and they’ll make customers happy.

Everything else—profits, stockholders, growth—follows.

That wasn’t just good business. That was leadership. Cultural leadership.

We didn’t just talk about values. We lived them. We promoted from within. We encouraged open communication. And we operated not with contracts, but with covenants.

Covenants, not Contracts

Covenants. That’s a word I wish more individuals understood and more organizations would put at the top of their organizational chart.

A covenant says: I’ll do this because it’s right.

A contract says: I’ll do this because I’m required to.

A covenant is a promise rooted in shared values. It's not just a transaction, it’s a relationship. And you don’t need a boardroom to live that way. You can lead with a covenant mindset in your family, in your friendships, and in your community. It’s not about hierarchy. It’s about honor.

Leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the steadiest hand in the storm and creating a “do as I do” mindset.

I worry that too often, too many people want to lead before they’ve done the work. They want influence without experience. Power without humility.

Leadership is not performance. It’s practice. And the rules don’t change depending on the setting. Whether you're a CEO, a soccer coach, or a stay-at-home parent, the fundamentals are the same:

• Keep your word.

• Show up.

• Treat people like they matter.

• Don’t ask anyone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.

Because whether you know it or not, your leadership moment is coming—if it hasn’t already. And when it does, don’t ask yourself what sounds good.

Dig down deep inside and ask yourself what’s right.

Then do that.

Because we’re all part of something bigger. That’s what it means to be a human being among other human beings.

That’s leadership.

Don’t you think that’s a really good idea right now?

What about you?
What’s the best leadership lesson you’ve learned—whether from doing it right or getting it wrong? Share your thoughts below, and let’s discuss. I’d love to hear how leadership has appeared in your life.

TL;DR: You don’t need a title to lead. You just need a spine, a sense of what’s right, and the nerve to act on it.

P.S. If you liked this one, you'll love Ego.Click here to read it now.