Rosalynn Carter said: “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be.”
God is so amazing…this quote sets the tone for this piece perfectly…and need I say how pleased I am that the quote is attributed to a woman. Not just any woman…Mrs Jimmy Carter, former First Lady of the US. Did you know that when he was President, she was “her husband's closest adviser*”? And she probably still is. Wow!!! At the risk of going off track, I wonder how many married men can say that about their wives especially Christian men.
In order to take people where they want to go, you know a bit about them and their ambitions/personal purpose in life. As their leader, you may not necessarily agree with “where they want to go” but you help them get there anyway. Ladies, that’s not why God put us in earth and in our environments; He put us here to be “Great leaders.”
A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be.
A great leader takes one step further because she is genuinely interested in how to bring the best out of the people she is leading and get them to achieve God’s purpose for them. She is also courageous enough to rein them in when she feels that they are missing the mark. We touched on “caring enough to correct” in the “Courage to Love” piece (please look it up if you missed it or even as a refresher).
I like the way Tony Blair put it: “The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes.” Indeed, a lot of us are quick to say “yes” to everyone around us just to avoid conflict or being labelled. Cast your mind back to your childhood - imagine where & who you’d be now if your parents said, “yes” to all your requests. Exactly! That’s my point.
In order to say an effective “no” or even yes, you need to have vision - for yourself and even for those you lead which lines up with God’s purpose fro your life. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years’ time? Where do you see those you work with (or for) in 5-10 years’ time? Did you know that those who are “indispensable” in their particular roles at work, church or anywhere else are ineligible for promotion? Well, yes…if you do not coach &/or mentor those who work with you why would your boss want to move you up? I wouldn’t if I were your boss.
To successfully coach/mentor, you must have the Courage to Teach – yes, teach others what you know and multiply the knowledge and skill base of the organisation. Every organisation (including church) is looking for those who will teach what they know to others. That’s what Paul was talking about in 2 Timothy 2:2:
"And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also" (Amplified Bible)On the flip side, “Courage to Lead” is also related to “Courage to Learn” which we’ll talk some more about shortly. For now, hold these thoughts:
Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. (John F. Kennedy)
Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn than when they teach. (Rosabeth Moss Kanter) Another quote by a woman…a professor in Harvard Business School** so must know what she’s talking about.
Moving on…“Courage to Lead” is also linked to the Courage to Appreciate – yes, what’s wrong with acknowledging that someone is doing a good job? Jesus told us that when we get to heaven, we’ll hear “well done though good and faithful servant”. I’m sure looking forward to that. For now, I seek out every opportunity to say that or at least something similar to those I work with or those around me. ”Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish.” (Sam Walton***) A candle never lessens or loses its light by lighting other candles…do what you can to light more candles with words of acknowledgment and encouragement.
And it is also related to the Courage to Change. Change is constant and continuous. As a leader, you must recognise and know how to respond to change otherwise, you’ll be overrun and possibly frustrated by it. By extension, it’s the lack of recognition and acceptance of change that makes some parents frustrated when their children change or desire it. I’d like to recommend this book I’m currently reading: Finally and most importantly, Courage to Lead is only possible if (& when) you have the Courage to Serve. Jesus told His disciples, which we also are, that to be a leader we must first serve – like He did (see Matthew 20:26 – 28 and Mark 10:43 –45)
There are many other attributes and aspects of “Courage to Lead” – I just picked a few. Ultimately, like Kenneth Blanchard said: “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” I know from experience that: you don’t have to be “in front” to lead; and "When your true purpose is to help others succeed, you succeed".****
This is what the Esther Effect is all about…we’re at Secret 3: Courage and have at least 4 more to go. Stay with us on this journey into the Secrets of Success...and please share your TEA too - with us and those you meet on your path to the fulfillment of your purpose.
References:
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalynn_Carter
**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosabeth_Moss_Kanter
***http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Walton
****http://www.whereeaglesflock.com/index.asp
No comments:
Post a Comment