Why Leaders Celebrate Freedom on this Independence Day!

This weekend, we in United States celebrate our independence on July Fourth. For many of the entrepreneurs around the world I know, it’s a reminder of how important freedom is to serving leaders.

In the United States, many of our most basic freedoms are under attack. Every day another freedom is at risk of being taken away.  People are just beginning to understand how expensive freedom has become. We look at the cost in lives that have been ended by madmen with a distorted view of who deserves freedom.

Several of my friends and family members have paid the ultimate price to help expand freedom around the world.  These men and women were serving leaders, they all served the cause of freedom. They have reached across the globe to expand the reach of freedom to others less fortunate.

It doesn’t mean freedom is easy to give or keep. But we strive on to help keep our world safe and to help others achieve their freedom. God bless the men and women in our communities that help us remain free, from first responders to teachers and medical professionals who respond in times of crises and disasters.   

My clients and partners around the world are always quick to remind me how fortunate we are to have our freedom. I always push back softly, reminding them of the many people who travelled around the world for many years for the cause of freedom. These people and their families have invested their time and sometimes their lives to expand the cause of freedom within countries around the globe.  

They may have started their lives in the military or serving others through their professional careers. For those who founded our country, the pursuit of happiness included serving a cause greater than themselves. This provides a foundation of freedom across the world. So I thought I might share with you what freedom means to me and to many of the people I have served over my lifetime.

There are four keys to being free in the world today.  See how many of them that resonate with you this July Fourth. If we are to continue being the home of the free, we must be willing to embrace the values that keep us free.

The first freedom is the freedom of choice. America was founded on the principle that we have the right to choose what to do and who to be. This means that we are given our freedom not from other people or groups, but by God.  The challenge of freedom of choice has been around since the beginning of mankind, but has never been easily achieved. 

In most societies in world history, there have always been people who are oppressed.  Today, we face similar challenges when leaders decide choosing for us is more convenient than us choosing for us.  Take time today to remember that to be truly free we must be willing to fight for the freedom of making our own choices.

Tomorrow on Developing Serving Leaders, we’ll talk about the other three freedoms that have the potential to change our world. When they happen we will all be free. See you then!