John DeMato - NYC Branded Lifestyle Portrait + Virtual/Live Event Photographer
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John DeMato Blog

Hi! I'm John. In my blog, I share insights that help Speakers and Expert-based Business Owners create an emotional connection with their audiences through persuasive visual storytelling.

"To lead outwardly...learn to lead from within..."

 

“To lead outwardly, you first must learn to lead from within....”

 
 

“Who am I, what do I stand for and what am I willing to sacrifice.”

 

Supremely introspective thoughts on how to lead by one of the TEDxLincolnSquare speakers, Lolly Daskal.

I had never met Lolly before, but, I was familiar with her work through social media, so, I was aptly prepared for an amazing talk.

Before the event began, I spent some time in the greenroom snapping candid photos of the speakers congregating and socializing.  I noticed everyones body language and tone in their voices, and, once I pointed my camera at Lolly, I immediately felt a leader in our presence.

She had this way of actively listening and engaging people in a way that allows them to feel heard and acknowledged, it was quite inspiring.

She also looked very locked in and focused to do her thing from the stage, which is exactly how it went down, :)

Here’s how TEDx describes Lolly’s talk:

What makes a great leader? Leadership and management expert Lolly Daskal takes the stereotype of the single, superior figure wielding power over the masses and turns it inside out—literally. “We think leadership is an external quality, but it is and always has been an internal quality,” Daskal says. “Leaders aren’t great because they have power, but because they can empower others.” Effective leadership is as simple—and challenging—as knowing who you are, what you stand for, and how you can use that to serve others. Daskal’s talk introduces you to your inherent ability to lead from within. Are you ready?


After listening to her talk and watching it back here, I am reminded of how I must adjust my stereotypical thinking of what leadership really means - that in order to lead others, we must first figuring out how to lead ourselves from within.

It’s a constant work in progress, but it’s certainly the way that I want to show up in the world, so the work is worth the effort in spades, :)



PS - For those of you who aren’t in the know, I mail out these blogs 3x a week, and lemme tell you, they’re a real party, so, if you’d like to get in on this, sign up for it here and I’ll throw in a free gift for you, because I care, :)