The next stop on our trip was the Dead Sea. We hop off the bus and are greeted by Oded Rahav, the Dead Sea Guardian. Oded has devoted his life to helping save the rapidly diminishing Dead Sea and his demonstration of leadership was immediately apparent.
He cares about his work more than he cares about the glory. You can see this when he tells us to watch his documentary film, not to see him and his work but to appreciate the beauty and importance of the Dead Sea.
Next, he tells us to take deep breaths of the intensely oxygenated air to feel what really being present is like. He wants to inspire others to feel passionate just like he does.
Lastly, we saw that his selflessness and ability to see the big picture is astounding. He even talks about the future of the sea when he is no longer here and his hope is that our future families will be able to go there. He cares so much about others and the sea itself that his dream is not a selfish one but instead driven by his genuine need to help the world and do his part.
Oded is an exemplary leader who uses his love to inspire others through determination and selflessness. Not only is he a great leader, but a great person too. He is a friendly face and leads by example as he is able to see the leader in all of us.
As he leaves us, he shares his hope that we too will share this message, inviting us to be leaders ourselves. He encourages others to lead, bringing people around him up and inspiring them to believe that anything is possible with determination.
He asked us to share the message of losing the Dead Sea but he taught us to share the message of what it means to be your best self and give to others, and be a true leader.