[April 1, 2016] Growing up I was a big fan of the movie actor John Wayne. To me, he was a real man … “a man’s man” as my friends would say. He was the epitome of an in-your-face cowboy showing strength, toughness, resilience, and “attitude.” My favorite movie was True Grit (1969) where he starred in the role of U.S. Marshal “Rooster” Cogburn. Like John Wayne, authentic leaders show true grit and there is simply no better way to describe them.
John Wayne is the classic tough guy, no nonsense type of “man.” Men and women can appreciate a true grit man (or woman) and we all know, it seems intrinsically, that such a person is what we all want to be.