The more leaders mature, the more value they place on people. when all is said and done, leadership isn’t about strategy, marketing, organization, efficiency, or high-quality products, but about people. Micah hurt when others hurt, even though they were in the wrong. The high value he placed on people teaches us…
1) People are an organisation’s most appreciable asset.
2) People skills are a leader’s most important asset.
3) If you are good with people, you can lead in a variety of contexts.
4) You can have people skills and not be a good leader, but you cannot be a good leader without people skills.
(The Maxwell Leadership Bible P1090.)
Stop waiting for somebody else to do something. Stop pointing your finger at those leaders whom you feel are not doing enough.
With one finger pointed in their direction, there are three pointing straight back at you.
I have learnt, that if I ever see leadership languishing; yes those leaders whom I’m following who have in some areas of their leadership lost their way, I need to be the first one to draw them aside quietly and gently whisper in their ear ‘How can I help you?’
The end result, in most cases, is that I have then positioned myself in a better place of leadership myself. I begin to assist that leader in getting those things that need to be done for the benefit of the organisation. And then I can begin to help others to stop criticising, by my example, and assist them in also finding other ways to rise and meet the challenges that lie before us.
When is the time right to rise and lead? Today.
Stop talking and start doing.
And if you are aware of those who are languishing in their leadership, take them out for a coffee and ask them that powerful question: ‘How can I help you?’
I have been studying a lot of material written by Leadership Expert - John C. Maxwell of late. Great material…and here are just a few notes that impacted me and that I would like to share with you…
Alex Haley, the author of ROOTS, used to keep a picture in his office of a turtle on a fence post to remind him that everybody needed the help of others.
Learn to give yourself positive mental pep talks.
Edison said, ‘If the only thing we leave our kids is the quality of enthusiasm, we will have given them an estate of incalculable value.’
Edison also said, ‘I am long on ideas, but short on time.’
Victor Frankl believed, ‘The last of our human freedoms is to choose our attitude in any given circumstances.’
And here’s another thought- ‘To add growth, lead followers - to multiply , lead leaders.’
So lead on….because I believe that each and everyone of us has been called to some form of leadership. As a father I lead my family and my children. As a businessman I lead my business and my staff. So lead on….and always read and listen more about leadership, because there is always so much more that we need to learn.
Leadership is such a vital part of our society. But one of the most vital elements of true leadership should be demonstrated in the way that we lead our personal lives and not just the lives of those whom we are privileged to lead.
At times external leadership can lose its way and it is at that point that we must determine what vision is guiding our own path and it is at that point that we must adhere to our own personal dreams. This is where true leadership is demonstrated and where it will be put to the test.
Because of this type of leadership that you choose to take upon your own life you will be criticised, opinionised and even despised. And yet if you stand strong by your own personal convictions you will live long and live well. The persecution will pass in time and those who have pointed the finger at you will soon disappear.
You must remember this one thing: at the end of the day the ones whom you will have to live with will be simply you and your God. So stand strong on your convictions and you will be able to live at peace with yourself and your maker.
Of late I have seen GREAT business leaders in my land, as it were, fall from grace. Some have been imprisoned. Others have committed suicide. These were once the high flyers, the respected and the revered. And yet how have the mighty fallen. History repeating itself yet again.
How do I respond to this? Well, one thing is that it would appear that their trust was in themselves and not in their God. They allowed compromise to rule some of their decisions. For this they have reaped humiliation and for some an untimely death.
None of us are FREE from such possibilities in our future, but to safeguard our lives we must continue to walk in humility, knowing that our human frailty is just that.
And unless we yield our lives to the one who created them and seek to run our own race under His direction, we are doomed.
True leadership is unveiled by those who follow the leader of all leaders.
