My personal purpose and aim for the Leadership Garden Legacy is to empower extraordinary unstoppable leadership in life.

When you remove extra from extraordinary, you have ordinary. Each person is ordinary, even those appointed or elected leaders. Yet, each person is unique and the one constant leader of their life.

Being designated a leader does not make a person extraordinary or unique. The survival instinct is innate in human beings. Therefore, survival is not unique. Your uniqueness derives from how you choose to lead and be responsible for the life you desire.

What makes an ordinary person a unique and extraordinary leader?

Leadership is the act of guidance and direction. You choose what you believe, what you do, and even those you lead or follow . . . even if you don’t think you do.

You also choose how you feel . . . even if it doesn’t seem like you do. What’s creates your feelings are your thoughts about life, the things you do, and the feelings you have buried deep inside from your unique life experiences.

Growing a metaphorical Leadership Garden with purpose and aim, sprouts your unique gifts and desires, and provides you tools to thrive. Remember, survival is innate; thriving is an experience in life you learn and practice.

The six leader-friendly gardening practices help grow a thriving Leadership Garden in the ordinary person. It takes extra effort to be nonjudgmental, not enable undesirable behavior, use empathy, prune gossip, eliminate blame, and eradicate victimization. Just like, it takes extra effort to care for and tend to a physical garden.

What compels the ordinary person to become extraordinary and use the leader-friendly gardening practices is a unique purpose and aim. The thing that lights you up, makes you smile, warms your heart, and motivates you to move swiftly through tough times and savor the good times.

With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season that may cause stress . . .  remember, your true expression of leadership costs you nothing and takes no time. It is your most valuable asset that only you can contribute to the people around you.

What kind of leadership will you express and give away this holiday season? I hope it is the EXTRAordinary kind, with your unique purpose and aim in mind.

To learn more, order your copy of U.N.I.Q.U.E.: Growing the Leader Within or U.N.I.Q.U.E. KIDS: Growing My Leadership Garden and begin to nurture 2010.

Have an idyllic remaining 2009.