Executive TLDR
Leadership is not a title—it’s earned through service and humility.
True leaders ask for honest feedback and grow from it.
Core leadership skills are learned, not inherited.
Servant leadership builds trust, vision, and long-term influence.
Accountability and character determine sustainable success.
Video Summary
In True Leadership: Serve Others, Embrace Growth, And Lead With Humility, Amadeojose Velasquez delivers a direct and foundational message: leadership is not about position—it is about service.
He challenges aspiring leaders to ask five critical questions to trusted individuals: Do I put others’ interests above my own? Can you be honest with me without feeling judged? Do you enjoy being around me? Do I give you guidance that benefits you? Would you join a vision that includes you? The answers to these questions reveal whether someone is truly leading or merely managing.
Velasquez emphasizes that leadership is built on learned skills, not natural talent. Every effective leader consistently demonstrates character, humility, voluntary service, communication ability, teamwork, vision, flexibility, and personal accountability. These are not traits people are born with—they are developed intentionally.
He distinguishes leaders from managers: managers may hold authority, but leaders attract people voluntarily. If people do not enjoy being around you or cannot provide feedback safely, growth is required. Leaders continuously improve their communication, navigate conflict professionally, build strong relationships, and make decisions under pressure.
The central theme is servant leadership. Recognition and success follow those who serve—clients, teammates, communities, and families. Service requires resilience: taking criticism, enduring setbacks, and continuing to show up. Over time, consistent service compounds into influence and legacy.
Leadership, he concludes, is servitude. When you serve others long enough and with the right heart, you become the type of leader people willingly follow.
FAQs
1. What is the core definition of leadership in this talk?
Leadership is servitude—serving others consistently and selflessly.
2. Why are the five feedback questions important?
They reveal how others truly experience your leadership.
3. Can leadership skills be learned?
Yes. Every core leadership trait discussed is a learned skill.
4. What distinguishes a leader from a manager?
Leaders attract voluntary followership; managers rely on authority.
5. Why is humility essential?
Without humility, feedback cannot be received, and growth stops.
6. What role does character play?
Character anchors decisions in ethics and principles.
7. How important is communication?
Leaders must effectively share vision and create safe dialogue.
8. Why must leaders accept criticism?
Accountability and growth require emotional maturity.
9. What does it mean to put people first?
Helping others reach their goals before prioritizing your own.
10. Why is vision critical?
Vision unites people around a shared future they want to join.
11. How does service create influence?
Consistent service builds trust, loyalty, and long-term respect.
12. Why is relationship building emphasized?
Strong professional and personal relationships sustain leadership impact.
13. What happens if people don’t enjoy being around you?
It signals growth is needed in communication and character.
14. Why is flexibility important in leadership?
Leaders must adapt to different environments and challenges.
15. How does accountability affect credibility?
Taking responsibility builds trust and strengthens authority.
16. What does serving through pain mean?
Continuing to lead and serve even during criticism or hardship.
17. Is leadership about recognition?
No. Recognition is a byproduct of consistent service.
18. What ultimately builds lasting leadership?
Character, humility, accountability, communication, and persistent service.
Glossary
Servant Leadership
A leadership philosophy centered on prioritizing the growth and well-being of others.
Humility
The ability to receive feedback, admit faults, and prioritize collective success.
Vision
A clear, compelling picture of the future that inspires others to participate.
Accountability
Taking ownership of actions, results, and personal growth.
Character
Consistent alignment of decisions with ethical principles and values.
Voluntary Followership
When individuals choose to follow a leader based on trust and respect rather than authority.
Constructive Feedback
Honest input designed to promote improvement and development.
Professional Conflict Navigation
Managing disagreements respectfully while preserving relationships and productivity.
Transcript: Guys, I want to thank, uh, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And then we’re gonna get right into this because, um, we we’re gonna have a, a, a nice dialogue here. And it’s gonna be straight forward, no BS, uh, we’re just gonna go right into the foundations of leadership. See, a lot of us, um, we like to subscribe to the idea that we’re leaders.
We like to subscribe to the idea that we’re leaders. Um, you know, we’re the best and then we’re going to do all these wonderful things and that is fantastic. We always want to have that positive outlook for ourselves. But the reality is we have to ask questions, not to ourselves, but we have to go to probably three or four people whom you trust.
That’s very important. Whom you trust that can give you the truth of these five questions. So, first question is, do you feel, you’re asking, remember you’re asking this to other people, do you feel that I have the best interest above my own? Second question, if you feel that you’re a leader or you aspire to become a leader, another important question is, do you feel you can express and share these?
Like, these things, whatever they’re feeling, without them feeling judged. That’s kind of hard. That person has to answer that for you. Do you enjoy being around me? See, and the more I ask these questions, the more you start thinking about people at your job, maybe managers. Right there, number three, most of us, if you have a job, you don’t like being around your manager.
Yes or no. So they’re not a leader. They’re a manager. Follow the next question. Number four, do you feel I desire to give you the best guidance and advice for you? Number five, would you be willing to be part of a vision? I was waiting for that. That includes you. See guys, these five questions are so important for you to have answers and you better be ready for these two things.
Be prepared for the answers. And if you, you cannot be a leader if you get upset with the response. That automatically says to you, you’re not a leader. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get better. See, if you, if you really paid attention for the last few speakers, Up until now, it’s like 20 plus speakers, 20 plus speakers.
Every single one of them has discussed these seven core learned skills of being a leader. They’re learned. You don’t just come out of the womb and yes, I have character. Yes. I, you know, I put others first. A baby doesn’t put anyone else’s needs first, except their own. Give me food. Like that’s always, they’re always selfish, which is fine.
They’re babies. I see some moms here. Congratulations. If you’re here with babies, fantastic. You’re in the right place. You’re skilled at communication. You’re consistent, you consistently work well with others. How many of us have managers or bosses? No one wants to be around them. Every single R. V. P. and future R.
V. P. that was up here, they did an amazing job. Guess what? People want to be around them. Guess what else? They have vision. I might have to coin that in Virginia. I don’t know. Okay. They’re flexible to various environments. And they take accountability for themselves. I mean, every single RVP who’s spoken, it is ridiculous.
It was so funny. I was like, well, that’s on my presentation. Well, that’s on my presentation. That’s what, but guess what? That’s a good thing. Why? Because every single one of them are leaders. They’re leaders because they practice these skills and they’ve learned them. Very important. They’ve learned them.
And if you notice every single characteristic here can be learned. So character. You make decisions based on ethics and principles. I don’t know what ethics and principles you have for me. They’re Yahweh. It’s Yahweh’s principles and ethics. That’s for me. Number two, you have humility. Number three, you voluntarily serve others.
Every single person up here, they said Joe and Denise Cardino, David and Joyce Kim. They’re always, the leaders are always serving. Next, you put people first. You express care and concern for others. You help others meet their goals, not yours, their goals. You hear that over and over. You help others become better.
When you leave here, if someone says to you, Thank you. You helped me become better. That’s a good thing. All right. You’re skilled at communication. Guys, you got to learn. You got to read. You have to effectively share your message effectively. Just because I have a lot of pet peeves and we’re going to get one in one of these in a little bit, but people voluntarily want to hear what you have to say or like say and share, which is important.
If people don’t voluntarily want to hear what you have to say, you’re not a leader. You gotta grow. People feel they can give you feedback. Listen guys, I have had plenty of feedback from several R. E. P. ‘s, good, bad, indifferent. Amadeo, why aren’t you here? You should be over here. And they say it with love. I know they say it with love.
Okay, these next, these next four and we’re going to get to finalize and everything here. So you consistently work well with others. Guys, you gotta have, people need to be, people want to enjoy working with you. If they don’t enjoy working with you, you’re not a leader. Become better. Did you develop personal and professional relationships?
Strong ones. You don’t burn bridges. Okay, again, all these things can be learned. You can navigate personal and professional conflict effectively. That’s so important. Remember, all of these are learned skills. You have vision. Okay, you can share the vision, and include others, and you can make decisions effectively.
Listen, Listen, you know probably when you guys are running an event of a thousand people or more, what ends up happening is people don’t know what goes behind the scenes. You have to operate, make decisions really quickly. Now these last two points, I’m not going to get into the details of it, but the last one, this personal accountability, listen, you have to establish this trust and confidence, not only in yourself, but in being able to take criticism and grow forward.
What is leadership? It’s servitude. You serve others. The reason you see all the individuals up here getting recognized, because they served others. They served the community. They went on marketing events. They served clients and husbands and wives and single moms and single dads and everything. They serve and serve and serve.
And when it hurts, they serve again. What happens is this. Nope, what happened here? Alrighty, well anyways. Listen, one of the best things that happens with um, um, with service is that when you serve others, you have to be willing to take the pain and the hits. And when you take the pain and the hits, and you keep going and serving, that’s when you know you’re That one day you’ll be a Joe and Denise Cardino, Keith and Danielle Otto, Dave and Joyce Kim.
You will be leaders that are super, super amazing because you no longer have to do all of this work up front because you’ve served so many people. And when you serve other people, that’s the one way that you will know that you’ve helped others. and ultimately became better. Guys, with that said, help me welcome Joe Cardino back up.
