Online Reporter
Hunt For Greatness
Milton Kamwendo
To be great learn to show up. Greatness does not come to those who are most gifted, most travelled or better resourced.
It normally favours those who dare to show up.
You grow by being consistently present. Show up when it matters, especially when it is inconvenient.
Growth, impact and transformation begin when we decide to show up fully and faithfully. How and where you show up matters.
The principle
To show up means more than just physical presence. It means engaging with intention, investing emotionally, thinking clearly and serving sacrificially. It means being fully present and choosing courage over convenience. It is arriving with your mind, heart, spirit and energy aligned with your purpose. You are really there. You do not just send your body, while your mind and attention are elsewhere.
Woody Allen once said 80 percent of success is showing up. Being there matters. Showing up leads to growth.
Consistency trumps talent when talent does not show up. You may not have all the answers, but showing up gives you a chance to learn. You may not feel ready, but showing up positions you for growth.
The proposition
Showing up builds trust, inspires others, positions you favourably and shapes you. Showing up builds trust.
People follow leaders and choose team-members whom they trust. Trust is built over time. It is built in the small moments of presence and reliability. Show up consistently, even when it is hard and costly. Show up when others withdraw. It sends a message of commitment and faithfulness. It declares that the mission matters. You are not there for the convenient times. Showing up tells others that you are committed and they matter.
Showing up inspires others. It is leadership in action. It creates a climate for growth. There is contagious energy in presence. Your willingness to show up during hard times can become the inspiration someone else needs to do the same. When you show up you back your words with action. You impart hope and demonstrate resilience. You show your hunger to learn and grow.
Showing up positions you for opportunity. Growth is not a result of merely wishing. It finds those who are present and in motion. When you show up you place yourself where the opportunity can find you.
Doors open for those who are present. Greatness happens when opportunity meets preparation.
Opportunity is often hidden in hard work and the challenges of presence. Greatness locates you when you are present. Showing up shapes your character.
Greatness is about who you become in the process. Commit to showing up through the storms, through the valleys and through the unknowns.
You build strength and character that cannot be shaken. You learn endurance, empathy, courage and faith. You grow when you show up. You are shaped when you show up.
The process
How you show up matters. There is a process to showing up.
- Show up prepared
Preparation is respect. When you show up prepared you honour the time, expectations and contribution of others. Do not just appear. Arrive with clarity, purpose and insight.
Show up ready to learn, to take notes and to engage. Even if you feel inadequate, do your part in preparation. Excellence is not perfection. It is preparation with intention.
- Show up authentically
Authenticity builds connection. Do not show up wearing a mask. Do not play games. Show up as a whole human being. Vulnerability is not a weakness. It is your bridge to trust. When you admit “I don’t have all the answers, but I am here and committed”, this inspires help and support. It empowers others to step up and contribute.
- Show up consistently
Your greatness is not in grand theatrics. It is in your daily commitment. Consistency breeds reliability. Decide that you will be faithfully present. You will be there in good seasons and in winter ones. You will be there on the mountain and in the valley. The tree that grows tall is the one that stays rooted.
- Show up with vision
Show up with a clear direction of travel. Show up with a sense of where you are going. This sparks passion in others. Show up with a story. Show up with a strategy and a plan of action.
Show up with a vision of what is possible. You bring light into spaces of confusion. You bring direction and confidence. Your presence becomes a signpost pointing people towards purpose.
- Show up for others
Think beyond yourself and what works for you. Your word is too small for greatness. Showing up is not for applause. It is for people and service. Show up ready to serve. Show up in the spaces where others are hurting, doubting or stuck. Show up to listen. Show up to lift and to show love. When you make others feel seen, you multiply your impact.
The Bible is full of stories of ordinary people who unleashed their greatness by showing up when called. Moses, though hesitant, showed up before Pharaoh.
David, a young shepherd, showed up on the battlefield with only a sling and courage. Esther showed up before the king for such a time as this. Jesus himself, our ultimate model of servant leadership, showed up in the form of man, present among the broken, the lost and the forgotten.
Even in failure, showing up counts. Even in doubt, your presence speaks. Even in pain, your presence heals. Show up and trust the process.
Dare to grow by showing up. Show up to the meetings. Show up to the moments. Show up to the mission. Show up to the hard conversations. Show up to the team that looks to you for courage. Show up to your calling even when the path is unclear.
Resolve that you will not be absent from your assignment and mission, you will not shrink back from the spaces where you are called and you will not wait for perfect conditions.
You will show up and grow up in the process. Arise. Show up. The world is waiting for your presence.
Committed to your greatness!
Milton Kamwendo is a leading international transformational and motivational speaker, author and an accomplished workshop facilitator. He is a cutting-edge strategy, team-building and organisation development facilitator and consultant. His life purpose is to inspire and promote greatness. He can be reached at: [email protected], WhatsApp: +263772422634.
