Gary Vee is incredible. He has so much inspiring content out there for budding leaders to aspire to, it’s almost overwhelming. The fact he talks a mile-a-minute is a testament to how much he has to say, and also how overwhelming his content can be. So, I’ve taken a few of the best things I’ve heard him say and translated them for you––in a way I best understand them––to help inspire your leadership journey.

Let’s breakdown five of Gary Vee’s quirkiest quotes to collate a solid leadership guidebook.

1. “I’m agnostic. Everybody’s my homies.”

He follows this up with––‘they’re all my team, I want everyone to win.’ Which is a little more self-explanatory. This was a response to an interviewer asking about his leadership style. What I think he is trying to say here is, he doesn’t have a hierarchical view of his team and is really behind everyone equally.

This is a great way of looking at a team, breaking out of the primitive managerial role where you only have certain people reporting to you and you have little to do with those further down the line. A good leader will know everyone in their team, to some extent, and be behind every achievement large or small.

2. “But that was last week”

Gary (and so many other great leaders) are not afraid of being wrong. And this is what leads to their success. What you were thinking last week, with the information you had last week, may not be relevant to this week’s strategy. Things change. More information comes your way, and trial and error can rule out certain moves. As a good leader you must be willing to accept that. There are no points in being rigid. Only in being current.

As a good leader you have to be fluid and be ready to change the course when things don’t work out. There’s really no room for those that hold onto a sinking ship––you’re only going to drag everyone down with you!

“The number one thing to be comfortable with in leadership is being able to say you’re wrong and change the course. No matter what it is.” ––GV

Image courtesy of the Wealthy Gorilla

3. “Do your thing.”

This quote relates to Gee Vee’s strong view on micro-managing––he DOES NOT do it. And he’s quick to tell anyone that works for, and with him.

When Gary Vee hires, he trusts that person can manage their own tasks and departments and he leaves them alone to do their best. This is how you get the best out of people. Sure, you can train for skills, but once the skills are set, the work should be done by the person trained to do it. Really, the only thing a leader should get involved in is the motivations and feedback.

4. “We’re this and that in every situation.”

When asked by a journalist for one word to describe Gary Vee, Gary Vee replied, “a contradiction.”

It’s two words, but there’s a contradiction in itself, right? Regardless, contradiction not only describes him, it perfectly describes his leadership style too. What is he talking about? He is talking about balance. The balance of everything. Any good leader needs to be somewhat a contradiction. Similar to the notion that, “that was last week”, leaders have to have both sides of the coin to be in the game.

Gary also says in the same interview…

“Ego and humility. Self-awareness and empathy. Passion and vision. These are the core ingredients that make a good dish.”

Macro-patient, micro-progressive. This, and that.

5. “I don’t talk shit up front, I talk shit post-game.”

Winners don’t talk themselves up until they have actually won. Gary says one of the biggest mistakes people can make is over-selling their ideas or themselves, forcing them to cower when stuff doesn’t work out the way they planned. A good leader needs to comfortable breaking down their losses. And bottom line is, you aren’t afraid to speak of your losses if you didn’t already tell everyone about how you were going to win. You need this superpower to be a leader, you need to be comfortable with your losses.

Tip: if you’re feeling cocky, resist the urge to talk about it, you can flip from winner to loser pretty quickly.