'We are not here to COMPETE with each other but to COMPLETE each other'.
Not one of us are smarter than all of us together! There are huge benefits and achievements when people choose unity.
Being in community is what we were made for and where we will find purpose and meaning.
Just think about the wisdom, creativity, education, value and increased effect there is when we work together.
I once heard John Maxwell say, 'Teamwork makes the dream work', I for one believe that.
Think about the way you work. Are you competing with your peers or completing your peers? Think about this. Who needs to change, you or others?
Think through the changes you can make or influence and go for it!
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Friday, 13 January 2012
Are You A Credible Leader?
This is an absolutely brilliant post by Ron Edmondson and worthy of a read
Credibility is important in any leadership position. If a leader desires followers to willfully work with passion to reach an established vision, then he or she must be trusted. Credible leaders have followers that share the organization’s values and work hard to achieve them. When a person’s leadership is not credible, followers are less likely to be team players and will be disloyal to the organization.
Credibility in leadership is primarily established in one of three ways:
Gifted – For a brand new leader, there is sometimes a “gifting” period for credibility, at least by some in the organization. These people are willing to trust the leader until proven wrong. This period does not last long.
Borrowed – When a credible leader validates a new or existing leader it can often transfer the trust earned by the credible leader. A retiring pastor, for example, can often validate the incoming pastor who in turn receives instant credibility. This period of credibility is also temporary.
Earned – Lasting credibility cannot be demanded. It doesn’t come with a title or position. The best type of credibility is gained through time and experience by a leader that has earned it. This is the kind of credibility that excellent leaders aspire to gain and work hard to protect. It is developed through integrity, consistency and servant leadership. The truly credible leader spends time investing in others and considers the good of the entire organization when making decisions.
Are you aspiring to be a credible leader? What characteristics build credibility in your mind?
Credibility is important in any leadership position. If a leader desires followers to willfully work with passion to reach an established vision, then he or she must be trusted. Credible leaders have followers that share the organization’s values and work hard to achieve them. When a person’s leadership is not credible, followers are less likely to be team players and will be disloyal to the organization.
Credibility in leadership is primarily established in one of three ways:
Gifted – For a brand new leader, there is sometimes a “gifting” period for credibility, at least by some in the organization. These people are willing to trust the leader until proven wrong. This period does not last long.
Borrowed – When a credible leader validates a new or existing leader it can often transfer the trust earned by the credible leader. A retiring pastor, for example, can often validate the incoming pastor who in turn receives instant credibility. This period of credibility is also temporary.
Earned – Lasting credibility cannot be demanded. It doesn’t come with a title or position. The best type of credibility is gained through time and experience by a leader that has earned it. This is the kind of credibility that excellent leaders aspire to gain and work hard to protect. It is developed through integrity, consistency and servant leadership. The truly credible leader spends time investing in others and considers the good of the entire organization when making decisions.
Are you aspiring to be a credible leader? What characteristics build credibility in your mind?
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
5 Examples of Leading Outside the Norm
Organizations today must learn to think outside the once considered normal lines of leadership. Research after research has been done and book after book has been written on the subject of leadership being as much these days about the informal aspects of leadership as it is the formal aspects of leadership. In addition to a set of rules, policies and procedures, for a leader to be successful today, he or she must engage a team to help accomplish the vision of the organization. In an informal leadership environment, the way a leader leads is often more important than the knowledge or management abilities of the leader. That may have always been important, but now it is critical.
Here are 5 examples of how a successful leader must lead in today’s environment:
Adapting leadership to followers individual needs and expectations. No more cookie-cutter leadership is allowed. Leaders must be wiling to individualize their leadership based on the current setting, economy and individualism of team members. (Read a similar post HERE).
Raising new leaders. Those on the team with the propensity or desire to lead, must be given opportunity to help lead the organization Not only is this good for the organization by creating future leaders, it is key to keeping the best people on the team. (Read a similar post HERE.)
Balancing kindness or friendship with authority. John Maxwell’s axiom “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” has never been more true. People follow leaders they can trust. While leaders sometimes must make difficult and unpopular decisions, authoritarian leadership is not well received by today’s workforce. (Read a similar post HERE and HERE.)
Giving others ownership in the vision. People want and need to believe they are making a difference with their work. To do that means they must have ownership in the vision. Allowing a team to help shape the agenda helps assure their heart buys into completing the mission of the organization. (Read a similar post HERE and HERE.)
Creating for the greater good. Great leaders think beyond themselves or their team or the vision, goals and objectives of the organization. Today’s leaders understand they play a part in a more global sense, not just for their own organization. The way an organization treats it’s employees, the environment and customers is considered important. (Read a similar post HERE.)
Finding the right balance between a formal style of leadership where everything is clearly spelled out for people to follow and an informal style where a team helps to shape the course of action is critical to an organization’s success. Leaders today must continually strive to find that balance.
Which of these is most important to you if you are serving on a team?
What else would you add to this list?
Here are 5 examples of how a successful leader must lead in today’s environment:
Adapting leadership to followers individual needs and expectations. No more cookie-cutter leadership is allowed. Leaders must be wiling to individualize their leadership based on the current setting, economy and individualism of team members. (Read a similar post HERE).
Raising new leaders. Those on the team with the propensity or desire to lead, must be given opportunity to help lead the organization Not only is this good for the organization by creating future leaders, it is key to keeping the best people on the team. (Read a similar post HERE.)
Balancing kindness or friendship with authority. John Maxwell’s axiom “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” has never been more true. People follow leaders they can trust. While leaders sometimes must make difficult and unpopular decisions, authoritarian leadership is not well received by today’s workforce. (Read a similar post HERE and HERE.)
Giving others ownership in the vision. People want and need to believe they are making a difference with their work. To do that means they must have ownership in the vision. Allowing a team to help shape the agenda helps assure their heart buys into completing the mission of the organization. (Read a similar post HERE and HERE.)
Creating for the greater good. Great leaders think beyond themselves or their team or the vision, goals and objectives of the organization. Today’s leaders understand they play a part in a more global sense, not just for their own organization. The way an organization treats it’s employees, the environment and customers is considered important. (Read a similar post HERE.)
Finding the right balance between a formal style of leadership where everything is clearly spelled out for people to follow and an informal style where a team helps to shape the course of action is critical to an organization’s success. Leaders today must continually strive to find that balance.
Which of these is most important to you if you are serving on a team?
What else would you add to this list?
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Here are 7 characteristics of shallow leadership:
Thinking your idea will be everyone’s idea…
Believing that your way is the only way..
Assuming you already know the answer…
Pretending to care when really you don’t…
Giving the response that makes you most popular…
Refusing to learn something new…
Ignoring the warning signs of an unhealthy environment…
Have you seen shallow leadership before? What would you add to my list?
Believing that your way is the only way..
Assuming you already know the answer…
Pretending to care when really you don’t…
Giving the response that makes you most popular…
Refusing to learn something new…
Ignoring the warning signs of an unhealthy environment…
Have you seen shallow leadership before? What would you add to my list?
Monday, 9 January 2012
Great post on Ron Edmondson on leadership
5 Examples of a Leader for a Season
January 13, 2011 in Business,Change,Leadership,Organizational Leadership,Uncategorized with 20 Comments
I am frequently asked when is the right time to leave a leadership position. I once wrote 8 Ways to Know It’s Time to Quit. It’s still one of my most requested blog topics. This is a hard decision for many leaders. Thankfully, there are still leaders with a sense of loyalty, who want to do the right thing, and they simply do not know how or when they should leave.
I love hearing how one leader’s tenure carried the organization from infancy to maturity….
I am always impressed to hear of a long term pastorate…
The healthiest way, organizationally speaking, is to have a long-term leader, one who goes through seasons with the organizations, who carries the vision forward over a long span of time.
It should be noted, however, that sometimes a leader is just for a season….
Some leaders get things started…
Some leaders guide the organization through transition…
Some leaders only handle the tough times…
Some leaders help organizations start again…
Some leaders close things out graciously….
And then they move on…
If a leader does what he or she has been called to do, there is no shame in doing ONLY what the leader was called to do…
January 13, 2011 in Business,Change,Leadership,Organizational Leadership,Uncategorized with 20 Comments
I am frequently asked when is the right time to leave a leadership position. I once wrote 8 Ways to Know It’s Time to Quit. It’s still one of my most requested blog topics. This is a hard decision for many leaders. Thankfully, there are still leaders with a sense of loyalty, who want to do the right thing, and they simply do not know how or when they should leave.
I love hearing how one leader’s tenure carried the organization from infancy to maturity….
I am always impressed to hear of a long term pastorate…
The healthiest way, organizationally speaking, is to have a long-term leader, one who goes through seasons with the organizations, who carries the vision forward over a long span of time.
It should be noted, however, that sometimes a leader is just for a season….
Some leaders get things started…
Some leaders guide the organization through transition…
Some leaders only handle the tough times…
Some leaders help organizations start again…
Some leaders close things out graciously….
And then they move on…
If a leader does what he or she has been called to do, there is no shame in doing ONLY what the leader was called to do…
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