Aspiring to be a Leader is a noble goal – becoming one takes time, effort, sound core values, commitment to principles and a willingness to stand alone rather than compromise that which is right! Thomas Paine (English born American Writer whose 'Common Sense' and 'Crisis' papers were important influences on the American Revolution,1737-1809) wrote: (1) Personal - “Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.” (2) Political - “Those who want to reap the benefits of this great nation must bear the fatigue of supporting it.” (3) General Principle - “'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” Another thought he shared is that one must - "Lead, follow, or get out of the way." Someone else noted: "Being a leader is like being a lady, if you have to go around telling people you are one, you aren't."
John Maxwell, an international Speaker and Teacher on the Subject of Leadership, tells how he was influenced early on by one who asked him: “Do You Have A Personal Plan For Growth?” As he began to reply with his work and travel schedule, he states that it became obvious – he did not have A Plan – nor did he have a clue either. John Maxwell writes: “Growth does not happen by chance. If you want to be sure to grow, you need a plan—something strategic, specific, and scheduled. Motivational speaker Earl Nightingale said, “If a person will spend one hour a day on the same subject for five years, that person will be an expert on that subject.” Isn’t that incredible? It shows how far we are able to go when we have the discipline to make growth our daily practice. So if you want to follow a plan, I recommend that you start by identifying an area or two in which you desire to grow, such as Leadership. Then start gathering useful resources – in print, online, on video, etc. Now your goal is to schedule learning time EVERY DAY. Here’s the rule of thumb I’ve used for years: read one book a month and digest one article/pod-cast per week…The average American adult watches close to 30 hours of television per week, with little positive return. What do you think would happen if you devoted just five of those hours to personal growth?”
Lee Iacocca has written a book: The Nine C’s of Leadership. USA Today (Reporter: James R. Healey) conducted an interview and summarized these principles: (1) Curiosity - Listen to people outside the "Yes, sir" crowd. Read voraciously. (2) Creative - Go out on a limb. Leadership is all about managing change. (3) Communicate - You should be talking to everybody, even your enemies. (4) Character - Having the guts to do the right thing. If you don't make it on character, the rest won't amount to much. (5) Courage - a commitment to sit down at the negotiation table and talk. If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. (6) Conviction - Fire in your belly. You've got to really want to get something done. (7) Charisma - The ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him or her. (8) Competent - Surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Be a problem solver. (9) Common Sense - Your ability to reason.” The interview and summary concludes with this thought: “The biggest C is Crisis. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory, or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself.” How does one lead during crisis times? Many flounder! Some emerge as strong leaders!
When Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry, he immediately sought out men to Train for Leadership. He used a simple formula in Matthew 4:19, "Come, follow me…and I will make you fishers of men." His method was (a) He would Teach Them in terms of Sound Principles, and (b) He would Model for them what a Leader must be (John 13, where Jesus takes the role of a servant and washes the disciples’ feet is an illustration of this). The Model factor indicates that Leadership and Disciple Ministry is “more caught than taught.” There were obvious truths they needed to learn but there were necessary behaviors and ministry they needed to observe. Some display what seems like innate Leadership Skills, but anyone who finds himself/herself in a Leadership role must have those innate skills harnessed and honed. Are you a Leader? Who or What are you following? Do their core values mesh with yours? Consider these things with me!
John Maxwell, an international Speaker and Teacher on the Subject of Leadership, tells how he was influenced early on by one who asked him: “Do You Have A Personal Plan For Growth?” As he began to reply with his work and travel schedule, he states that it became obvious – he did not have A Plan – nor did he have a clue either. John Maxwell writes: “Growth does not happen by chance. If you want to be sure to grow, you need a plan—something strategic, specific, and scheduled. Motivational speaker Earl Nightingale said, “If a person will spend one hour a day on the same subject for five years, that person will be an expert on that subject.” Isn’t that incredible? It shows how far we are able to go when we have the discipline to make growth our daily practice. So if you want to follow a plan, I recommend that you start by identifying an area or two in which you desire to grow, such as Leadership. Then start gathering useful resources – in print, online, on video, etc. Now your goal is to schedule learning time EVERY DAY. Here’s the rule of thumb I’ve used for years: read one book a month and digest one article/pod-cast per week…The average American adult watches close to 30 hours of television per week, with little positive return. What do you think would happen if you devoted just five of those hours to personal growth?”
Lee Iacocca has written a book: The Nine C’s of Leadership. USA Today (Reporter: James R. Healey) conducted an interview and summarized these principles: (1) Curiosity - Listen to people outside the "Yes, sir" crowd. Read voraciously. (2) Creative - Go out on a limb. Leadership is all about managing change. (3) Communicate - You should be talking to everybody, even your enemies. (4) Character - Having the guts to do the right thing. If you don't make it on character, the rest won't amount to much. (5) Courage - a commitment to sit down at the negotiation table and talk. If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. (6) Conviction - Fire in your belly. You've got to really want to get something done. (7) Charisma - The ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him or her. (8) Competent - Surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Be a problem solver. (9) Common Sense - Your ability to reason.” The interview and summary concludes with this thought: “The biggest C is Crisis. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory, or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself.” How does one lead during crisis times? Many flounder! Some emerge as strong leaders!
When Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry, he immediately sought out men to Train for Leadership. He used a simple formula in Matthew 4:19, "Come, follow me…and I will make you fishers of men." His method was (a) He would Teach Them in terms of Sound Principles, and (b) He would Model for them what a Leader must be (John 13, where Jesus takes the role of a servant and washes the disciples’ feet is an illustration of this). The Model factor indicates that Leadership and Disciple Ministry is “more caught than taught.” There were obvious truths they needed to learn but there were necessary behaviors and ministry they needed to observe. Some display what seems like innate Leadership Skills, but anyone who finds himself/herself in a Leadership role must have those innate skills harnessed and honed. Are you a Leader? Who or What are you following? Do their core values mesh with yours? Consider these things with me!
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