Mark Ecko on Leadership

In 1993 at 20-years old, Mark Ecko started Ecko Unlimited with a line of graffiti-inspired T-Shirts. It now is a billion-dollar empire that includes several clothing lines, skateboards, and a magazine. He was interviewed in this month's edition of GIANT magazine, and I found several interesting answers that translate to church leadership:

He was asked how he stays relevant: "By being conscious and not over-intellectualizing things. The biggest trap for creative types is the moment they start becoming introspective it paralyzes them. You can't operate from a position of fear of irrelevance. You have to operate from a position of strength and confidence."

About his work ethic: "Having great chemistry with others is what keeps you going. There's the illusion of me doing this alone, but it's all due to the chemistry I have with the people behind the scenes."

About his education: "Completely irrelevant. I'm an advocate for education as long as you're being educated in the things you're passionate about."

About his biggest mistakes: "Not doing our due diligence with proper accountants and lawyers, buying goods at the wrong price..."

Basically, I think he's saying he wasn't LeadingSmart when he started the company.