What’s An OG?
leadership • Oct 13, 2022 • By Doug Harris
People have come up to me and said “Doug, you are not an OG” or “what do you mean when you use the phrase OG?” Internally, I laugh but I know the questions come from an honest place. People are looking for meaning in the words and phrases we use and it is natural to fall back on our knowledge and understanding before we attempt to explore the views of others. One of the most common usages of OG refers to an Original Gangster and obviously, I’m not that. While the term OG still has its roots in the underworld, the word has been elevated to refer to folks outside of that circle.
When I was growing up, my father would drop me off every other weekend to spend some time with a dear family friend I refer to as Uncle Joe. I didn’t really understand why because Uncle Joe sat on this stoop and just talked to people as they went about their business. These people would stop and talk to him about their challenges, triumphs, and just everyday stuff. Uncle Joe wasn’t super educated but he was super respected. He wasn’t a world traveler but he had world knowledge. He had education and he had common sense. His ability to put the two together produced a type of wisdom that is hard to explain. After each visit, my father would ask me what did Uncle Joe say or what did I learn? And honestly, it was a bit challenging to put all of the lessons into words but I always left with some gems of wisdom. I began to look forward to these visits and began to understand that Uncle Joe didn’t know it all but he listened to it all. His skill was in listening and responding to that person at that moment in that situation. He was the neighborhood sage, counselor, and mentor. He was the old guy whom everyone respected and sought his counsel. The funny thing is many times he didn’t counsel, he just listened to the person sort it all out all on their own. He was an OG.
Over the years, I grew to understand that an OG is not just some old guy with wisdom. It could be anyone and in fact, we all have that OG within us. There are some traits an OG brings to the table and I just want to outline them here:
Outrageous Gratitude (OG) – an OG remembers and honors the moments and people that touch their lives through gratitude. An OG’s gratitude is beyond normal as they see the blessings within their lives before the blemishes of their lives. This outlook allows them to see problems as challenges versus obstacles. It fuels their zest for living an existence that is greater than themselves.
Overwhelming Generosity (OG). Simply, outrageous gratitude produces overwhelming generosity. When you are thankful, truly and genuinely thankful you seek to share your blessings with others. When we talk about sharing, it goes beyond material things. That was Uncle Joe! He shared his knowledge, experiences, and wisdom not to become respected but as a sign of respect for others. He was generous with his time and his counsel.
Open Guidance (OG). An OG doesn’t have one way of doing things. Their ability to listen allows them to be open to the type of guidance that is needed. I watched Uncle Joe be kind, stern, harsh, demanding, quiet, and even quite talkative but he wasn’t the same thing to every person. His goal was to make an impact not just share information or his opinion and that is an OG. An OG knows that guidance is not rooted in style but rather style is ruled by the type of guidance required.
Optimal Greatness (OG). At the end of the day, we are all seeking to be our best but there are so many things that get in the way. I believe with everything inside of me that when we are outrageously grateful we don’t ignore our problems but are better able to be overwhelmingly generous through that gratitude. We are able to give to others in spite of our challenges. This allows us to really tap into our ability to listen and help guide others. A person who lacks gratitude cannot tap into their greatness as they are looking to fill that void to soothe themselves versus help others. Many people search for what they should do to become great. I contend we should always be in search of who we want to be to become great. Behaviors are not a substitute for beliefs. Beliefs should be the guide for behaviors and that to me is the path to optimal greatness.
As I seek to impact and transform the world, I submit that we all have an inner OG. I believe we all can achieve optimal greatness as we explore the traits I’ve outlined above. I recognized becoming an OG is a process and I’m committed to sharing my journey and helping you find your inner OG. I will be talking more about these concepts as we move forward.