Dear Fortitude family,

Welcome back to my midweek motivation! Each day and week brings its own set of experiences and inspirations, compelling me to share my thoughts with all of you. This week, my personal struggles with leadership have moved me to dive into this topic in greater detail.

Leadership is an all-the-time thing, not just sometimes. When you are a leader—whether it's in an organization, a team, your workplace, or even a household—you set the standard for what is acceptable and what isn't. More importantly, as that leader, you aren't afforded the same latitude for mistakes that others might have. Let me clarify this statement: I'm not suggesting that you should be perfect and never make mistakes. Rather, when all eyes are on you, you simply cannot afford to make mistakes that fall below the standards you've set for everyone else. The moment you do, you'll lose the respect and trust of your peers, teammates, or loved ones.

Let's be clear; being a leader is incredibly hard. It requires an immense amount of sacrifice, something many aren't willing to make. That's why there aren't many true leaders. Leadership is a privilege, and it doesn't pause for any situation. You must uphold your standards consistently, through thick and thin. It's worth noting that you don't need a title to be a leader. If a title is holding you back, you're not worthy of it in the first place. Leadership, at its core, is about defining and living the standards that represent your values and beliefs.

What you say matters, but what you do matters even more. Words are important, don't get me wrong; that's why I love to write. However, if I am inauthentic in the words I say and write, anyone can detect that inconsistency from a mile away. I have to live my life in alignment with how I write and speak. Again, that's not to say I won't make mistakes, but I do need to avoid the catastrophic ones. In many domains, I'm learning how difficult it is to be a leader.

In my home, raising a child is easily the biggest challenge of my life—harder than enduring football camps in 100-degree heat from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and even harder than recovering from various surgeries. Being a father is a 24/7 job. As most of you already know or have discovered, I am a very disciplined person. Instilling that discipline in my household is challenging. There is no singular, correct way to parent. However, my daughter has a strong personality, reflecting both me and my wife. When she gets fired up, she really gets fired up. My initial reaction is to yell and scream at her. But I've recently taken a step back to reflect on that approach. To be honest, it simply doesn't work. If I want my daughter to stop screaming and yelling, how can I set that standard by screaming and yelling at her myself? It doesn't make logical sense.

When I decided to start this company, I committed to playing long-term games with long-term people. That's the mindset I'm choosing to use with my family, my daughter, and my future children. Instead of yelling, I'll calmly but firmly acknowledge her feelings while correcting her behavior. She's only two, but my hypothesis is that consistently reinforcing discipline through calm logic and reason will be more effective in the long term. Programming her subconscious to be calm and react rationally is the long-term game I'm playing. That's not to say I'll never yell, but since when does yelling all of the time yield positive results? When you're always yelling for every little mistake, your bark loses its power.

Being open about my life and thoughts can be challenging, but to be the leader I aspire to be, I must push through that discomfort. To lead effectively, you have to live by the standards you set for others. This truth will be evident in your actions. Whether it's in the locker room, in your household, or in your business—lead by walking the walk.

Warm regards,

Colin Jonov CEO & Founder, Athletic Fortitude