The 7 T’s are taken from Roy’s first book The Legacy of the Diamond King. In this book Roy teaches his leadership and mentoring principles through the story of a young fallen prince who regains his once taken kingdom and becomes the wealthiest man in the world through the mentoring of an unlikely gardener.
1. Thankful means that gratitude is the beginning of wisdom. Diamante learned to appreciate his life in the depths of the mine as he sat there broken and appreciative for all that he once had. ‘Gratitude is the foundation of life,’ my father would say. I guess, because I never started there, he never thought I would learn the rest.
2. Thoughtful means that we should take the time to think through our decisions. Our decisions to care about others, consider the community’s well-being ahead of our own. Diamante learned to measure his actions by their impact on other people and that those decisions take time to think through. That’s why he would invest his time by thinking through and accounting for his hours each day.
3. Teachable means that we are not only willing to learn, but that we are capable of learning. That we will submit ourselves to the leadership and discipline of a mentor, as Diamante did under Master Verde. ‘The wise man can learn from the fool, but the fool cannot learn from the wise man,’ my father would say.
4. Truthful is not only the right thing to be; it’s the smart thing to be. The truth floats. It always rises to the top. What’s done in the dark will always come out in the light. As hard as Diamante tried to hide his mistakes, they always found him.
5. Tenacious people never give up. Giving up was not an option. Even though it could have benefitted his level of comfort, or even alleviated his pain, Diamante never quit. Quitting is not an option.
6. Transparency is a way of opening ourselves to a greater degree of growth, without hidden agendas and secret sections of our life that eventually conflict with each other. It was only when Diamante was transparent with his mentor, his pastor, and those he loved that he began to grow into the king he would become
7. Trustworthy means just what it says, that we are worthy of being trusted. Diamanté didn’t deserve to be trusted; he had to earn it. In the end, he did what he said he would do and a kingdom trusted him for it. Trust requires risk on everyone’s part. It should never be taken for granted.
To learn more about the seven T’s, check out Roy’s first book The Legacy of the Diamond King.
