Formation of Leadership XIII
As we lead and learn to lead, we need to always be leading with an attitude of love and humility . Treat others the way that you would want to be treated, and you will be amazed at how easy it is to get people to respect you and follow you. People will always follow a leader that is respectful to them and treats them as an equal.
Your first task as a leader is to define your core values and then always lead by them. I have chosen ten values that I try to lead by at all times. I have based these values on the core values of Jesus Christ, whom I consider to be the greatest leader of all time. Whether you are a Christian or not, the principles of Jesus are well worth living by. The first is to do the right things for the right reasons. You should always think before you act or before you make any sort of decision. You need to make sure that the decision you are making is for the right reasons and not solely for personal gain. You should be making decisions that will be for the betterment of the company and everyone involved. The second one is always taking action for the company’s agenda and not your own. Your own benefit should never be a part of the decisions that you make for your company. I always try and look at a decision and decide whether I am making that decision because God is truly guiding me that way or because I am trying to benefit my ego and my own selfish desires. Always remember that ego stands for “Edging God Out”. The third core value is that relationships will make or break you and your organization. You should always establish relationships in business that do business with the same values as you do. If you are guided by Christian principles and the business you are in contact with is not, there is no sense in having conflict with them when there are other businesses out there with the same values as you. Always try and find other people to work with that have the same values as you. This will make everything much smoother and easier to work with.
The fourth value is prioritizing your long term decisions over your short term, if you are given a choice. Many leaders take short cuts because it is easier than waiting and drawing a long term decision out. However, it is always better to make decisions for the long term of the company, instead of just trying to get ahead in the short term. The fifth value is to not sweat the small stuff. Every problem is equal; the only reason that they seem different is due to the attention that we give them. When looking at problems, my brother once said, “Well it ain’t cancer”. If you look at every problem in that way from a much larger perspective, how big are they really? You should simply deal with the problem, and do not make a small issue into a large one. The sixth is just as we should always seek God’s Kingdom first, we should also seek what is best for the company at all times. Many times we may have to make uncomfortable decisions, but if they are best for the company, then we have to put ourselves aside and do them anyways. The seventh value is judging yourself before you judge others. You should always take a look at yourself before you criticize another individual. How many times have you criticized someone else’s actions only to realize that you do the exact same thing? When we see faults in people , it is usually because we have the same faults in ourselves. Do not allow judgment of others to impede your progress. The eighth value is if you need something, ask for it, and if you have something, give it. You should not be afraid to ask the opinions of your employees. They are in the trenches everyday and probably have more insight on some things than you do. Whenever you have answers and solutions to problems, you should give your employees the answers. As a leader, you should have wisdom and choose to use it wisely.
The ninth value is stay true to your convictions and do not wander from the narrow path. We all have morals and convictions that have made us successful. Do not wander from these morals as you get bigger and become a leader to more people. Stay true to who you are. Too many leaders have changed their values and been totally destroyed because they chose to not stay true to their convictions.
The final value that I have chosen to live by is that true obedience to God is the only sure foundation for a good life of leadership. As leaders, if we choose our decisions on what God is always make good decisions. Let God direct your decisions and only then will you truly lead by love and humility and gain the respect of your followers through the good and the bad times. Next time, we will discuss the next attribute of leadership which is being teachable .
