But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.
Bob Dylan
What would it be like to be the last person on Earth?
You might find being the last person on Earth an odd aspiration. Maybe the thought fills your mind with images of solitude and feelings of unconquerable loneliness. Or perhaps you cannot imagine a more selfish pursuit, willing everyone else away. How antisocial must you be to want to be left behind to face every challenge, savor every victory, suffer every agony, and revel in every joy in utter and everlasting isolation? Desiring to be the sole individual on Earth sounds downright miserable and monstrously callous to boot.
But that is not it at all. I am not talking about self preservation or glory; becoming the last person Earth in the way I mean it is, in fact, a noble pursuit, a selfless striving for human betterment.
Let me offer an example.
A teacher passionately explains advanced algebra to her class of high school students. She is realistic enough to know that few or none of these students is likely to ever rely on algebra to succeed in any aspect of their lives. But she also knows that understanding algebra will help them learn to think, which will help them succeed as students, which will help them succeed in life.
If she has done her job right, as her students move out into the world, whether to further education or to work, their more expansive understanding will spark their curiosity. They can then become better informed contributors to the debates of their day. In other words, they can participate as contributing citizens—not wallowing in ignorance but reveling in investigation.
For all this to happen, many things must converge in and around the students’ lives, not the least of which is exposure to numerous instructors cut from the same cloth as their algebra teacher. As idealistic or far-fetched as all this may seem, that is the whole point of a well-rounded education: that from a disparate collection of parts, students gain an enhanced understanding of the whole that will become a guide to or source of success, however they measure that, and serve society.
In our scenario, what matters most to this excellent algebra teacher? It’s all about the students in her classroom, the lesson she teaches, and the future they will shape.
Notice then what she is not concerned with. She is not concerned with herself, personal recognition, or gain. I am not suggesting that she is some exquisitely egoless and self-sacrificing paragon. She doesn’t have to be. In that moment, her self-concern merely takes a back seat to the well-being of her students and—by extension—the whole world as she, indeed, becomes the last person on Earth.
Becoming the Last Person
This concept of becoming the last person on Earth isn't unique to teaching.
Let’s take communication. Communicating effectively requires a compelling message, a receptive audience, and clarity. Note that, as with the teacher, the doer—in this case the person communicating—is not on the list. Sure someone has to deliver the message, but it could be just about anyone, even an AI chatbot. Therefore, in any effective communication, the last person on Earth is the communicator.
Or let’s turn to charity. Genuine charity focuses on the receiver, the goal, and the gift, not the giver. Otherwise it is not an act of true charity but one of ego, braggadocio, tax manipulation, and/or control. No, when it comes to true philanthropy, the last person on Earth is the giver.
Same with leaders. Their success requires them to dedicate themselves to the betterment of others. Their leadership benefits their team, their organization, and their society. A great leader is the last person on Earth they're concerned with.
Did you catch what all these examples have in common?
Service.
To serve effectively, the very last person on Earth we should concern ourselves with is ourselves. As with teaching, giving, and leading, serving is not about the server or, if you will, the servant. The true and loyal servant sees themself as the last person on Earth.
What’s more, the purist service is transformational not transactional. It's a vocation, a calling to benefit others. Yes, maybe there is a paycheck involved or some advantage or reward, but you must ask what primarily drives you. Is it some good that flows to yourself, or is it the good you offer to some other—a person, people, an organization, a goal, a cause? Would you still perform the service for less or no remuneration or personal prerogative?
To teach, communicate, give, lead, and truly serve most effectively, the goal must be to become as unconcerned with yourself as possible. Only then can you become the very last person on Earth, fully devoted to the service of others.
How often do you consciously make yourself the last person on Earth? Who benefits from you doing so?
Leaders must make themselves the last person on Earth in order to be most effective, and I can help.
If you want to learn more about how to become a great leader in this world of bad bosses, visit GuidanceForGreatness.com.
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