BA - Fort Wayne Bible College
MAR - Trinity Evangelical Divinity
D.Min - Grace Theological Seminary
Birkman Certified Coach
John Maxwell Certified Team Member
Myers/Briggs Certified
FIRO-B Certified
TKI Certified
25 Years Executive Coaching
Here are 5 Leaderships skills that you either need to learn or improve to stay relevant as a 2020 Leader.
Collaborative Mindset – The business world needs leaders with a collaborative mindset, one who works comfortably in a network environment and across cultural lines. HJow will you lead differently or improve this skill?
Team Development – The younger generations consider work to be an integral part of their lives. They desire an open feedback loop from their direct reports. They seek career guidance, relevant training, learning opportunities, and to have a work environment that promotes a strong sense of community.
Tech Savvy – Your technical and digital knowledge must keep up with the younger generations. You need a definite plan on how technology will be used in your business model now and into the future.
Globally Focused and Culturally Attuned – Know your market and the cultural rules of that market.Pay attention to the triple bottom line: People, Planet, and Profits.
Future Facing – Know market trends from a human-being’s point of view. Create a culture of invention, creative thinking, and multiple horizon thinking.
Helen Keller was once asked, “What is worse than being born blind?” She responded by saying that being born with sight and yet having no vision!
The ability to see first and further than others is a quality of great leaders. As a leader you need to see what others cannot see. As a leader if you cannot see ahead, your team never will. Here are three reasons that leaders need to see before others.
What you See Determines What you Can Be – John Maxwell suggests there are four kinds of people that leaders encounter…
• People who never see it—they are wanderers.
• People who see it but never pursue it on their own—they are followers.
• People who see it and pursue it—they are achievers.
• People who see it, pursue it, and help others see and pursue it—they are leaders.
You See Only What You Are Prepared To See – It has been said that we all live under the same sky, but we all do not have the same horizon. In the book Developing The Leader Within You 2.0, author John Maxwell states; If we want to possess a vision for our leadership, we need to prepare for it. We need to anticipate it. When we possess positive anticipation and are excited about what’s ahead, we’re highly motivated and we prepare diligently. When we do this consistently, our sense of anticipation becomes the catalyst for inspiration.
What You See Is What You Get – Said another way, Perception leads to reception! Leaders must be able to see a preferred future beforehand while everyone else is saying I have to see it to believe it.
Robert Woodruff past President of Coke stated of his days following WWII, I want every person in uniform to have a Coke for .05 cents no matter the cost. It is reported this was accomplished in his lifetime. A reporter while introducing Mrs Disney stated, I wished Walt could have seen all of this; to which she replied, “HE DID!”
Paul Martinelli uses a process that has been proven in his life many times. It is Test ⇒ Fail ⇒ Learn ⇒ Re-enter. If life knocks you down 6 times – get up 7 times! “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. He who looks outside dreams. He who looks inside awakens” – Carl Jung.
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
Zig Ziglar’s words are as profound today as the day he first said it; “If you help people get what they want they will help you get what you want.” The heart of this statement is all about servant leadership – help others first! If your leadership model is all about getting people to do what you want them to do, Zig’s words are an aggravation to you rather than a challenge. WHY? These words expose a failed model of thinking that started in the business community in the 1970’s – Supremacy of The Shareholder. This is like saying the fans in the bleachers are more important than the players on the floor. In my opinion Empathy and Perspective are the two greatest topics that are missing in modern leadership.
One of the most outstanding books that I have read was published in 1970 by Robert Greenleaf, Servant Leadership. In this book Greenleaf writes…“The servant-leader is servant first. . . . It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. . . . The care taken by the servant-first [leader is] to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?”
Here are 5 daily guides to assist you in becoming a servant leader.
I do not rely on my title or position – I am grateful for the accomplishments I have obtained, but I do not rely on them to lead others. Respect is earned daily by delivering on my promises and by serving others.
I chose to believe in people and their potential – Caring for people is the right thing to do. The more that you see their potential, the more you will serve them.
See life from their perspective – Empathy and Perspective will serve you well as you serve others.
Adding to these thoughts is Eugene Habecker who stated “The true leader serves. Serves people. Serves their best interests, and in so doing will not always be popular, may not impress. But because true leaders are motivated by loving concern rather than a desire for personal glory, they are willing to pay the price.”
Create an environment of encouragement – When the leader serves others will follow your example. It is a natural response for people to repeat what they see – Leaders go first!
The leaders success is determined by you valuing others – Key take away – One is too small a number for greatness!
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
Today is THANKSGIVING! My hope is that today will be filled with family, friends, and laughter. Most of all today is about recognizing thankfulness as the center-piece of the day. The holidays can be quite stressful for many people. Instead of family, friends and laughter, it has become dreadful, anxious, and depressing. Engage family and friends to list their blessings and use these as a time of reflection and joy.
Thanksgiving can be filled with a time of learning also. Here are some lessons from the Thanksgiving Table.
Plan Well – Thanksgiving day is not a microwave day. Advance planning is needed.
Keep Good People Around You – Life is pleasant in the presence of good company.
Meet and Exceed Expectations – My childhood memories were ones of being wowed at the dinner table preparation. Best china, silverware, glasses all worked together to create an amazing visual.
Establish Limits – Gluttony is not pretty. Set boundaries for yourself and stick with them.
Keep Perspective – Emotions can run high on these special days. Lead from a position of calm and candor.
Put Your Gratitude On Display – This is a day of thankfulness. Be a leader, communicate sincere thanksgiving to family and friends
It has been suggested that the single most important aspect of great leaders is to possess a “whatever-it-takes-mindset.” It seems at times that we have created a victim mindset in society. It has been said that a victim is someone who suffers loss at the hands of an other person’s actions. This leaves the person to whine and whimper about it until something good happens in their life. Whatever happened to the JKF days when the question was “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what can you do for your country.”
Here are 7 insights on developing a “whatever-it-takes attitude.
Disown your helplessness – “Whatever-it-takes” type of leaders are always looking for solutions. You never hear them say; “There is nothing we can do about this.” Consider these thoughts:
• Never make excuses.
• Create a can-do environment where people are expected to solve their problems.
• Model a whatever-it-takes attitude to your team.
• Provide training that enables team members to succeed.
• Challenge people to take responsibility for their performance.
• Make everyone feel valued and important as part of the team.
• Give solid feedback after team members try to tackle a challenge.
• Celebrate with team members who are succeeding.
• Give people increasing challenges to test their growth and give them wins.
Take the BULL by the horns – Theodore Roosevelt stated of himself once, There is nothing brilliant nor outstanding about my record, except perhaps one thing: I do the things that I believe ought to be done . . . and when I make up my mind to do a thing, I act. Ask yourself these questions;
What do I want?
What will it cost?
Am I willing to pay the price?
When should I start paying the price?
Enter the “No Whining Zone” – We all are going to have bad days in life. Our attitude cannot stop our feelings, but it can keep our feelings from stopping us. There is nothing attractive about a whiner’s complaints. The best antidote to whining is GRATITUDE! Express gratitude independent of your feelings, for small things, and in the midst of adversity.
Put on a new pair of shoes – This statement is all about seeing things from a different perspective. It is amazing at how a new pair of shoes perks up our attitude. Tim Hansel, author of Through The Wilderness of Loneliness suggests that;
It is difficult to receive when your fists are clenched.
It is impossible to embrace when your arms are crossed.
It is difficult to see when your eyes are closed.
It is hard to discover when your mind is made up.
A heart that has sealed itself off from giving has unknowingly sealed itself off from the ability to receive love.
Nurture your passion – It has been said that vision does not ignite growth, passion does! Passion fuels vision and vision is the focus of passion. Leaders who are passionate about their call create vision.
Exceed Expectations – In order to exceed expectations you must set the bar high for yourself. You cannot give what you have not obtained. Therefore, do not allow circumstances to persuade you of your bad luck. There is no such thing as luck. The fruits of life go to the prepared.
Never be satisfied – Stay hungry for more! The future will belong to the prepared – prepare yourself, your team, and others.
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
At the most basic level of life, our ability to engage fully depends upon our ability to fully disengage. I actually believe that we are naive’ when it comes to the influence of digital technology impacting our daily lives. I am a firm believer in practicing “digital sunrise and sunset” daily. In other words I do not allow digital technology in my life until I have completed my morning routine of devotions and creative writing. I put away the digital technology in the evening to allow time for unwinding and relaxing. TRY IT you will be amazed at the positive improvement.
Authors Loehr and Schwartz state in their book, The Power of Full Engagement, “Television, for example, is one of the primary means by which most people relax and recover. For the most part, however, watching television is the mental and emotional equivalent of eating junk food. It may provide a temporary form of recovery, but it is rarely nutritious and it is easy to consume too much. Researchers such as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi have found that prolonged television watching is actually correlated with increased anxiety and low-level depression.”
Go for a walk, hang out with friends, read a book, write in your journal, meditate, get in the sauna – just unplug the TV!
In the book Cradles of Eminence, the authors explored the backgrounds of more than 400 successful people. They found that many of these noted people in American history that three-fourths of them came from poverty,broken homes, and difficult parents. They also noted that 75 of 80 writers and 16 of 20 poets watched traumatic psychological drama play out in the home. More than one-fourth of this group suffered from physical handicaps such as blindness, deafness and various other handicaps.
Why were these individuals able to overcome their circumstances while others are overwhelmed? Answer: They did not see their problems as stumbling blocks, but saw them as stepping stones. Albert Einstein stated that in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. Author Karl Popper states the best leaders are the best problem solvers.
Let’s examine 8 insights on problem solving.
Recognize a potential problem before it becomes a real problem – Good leaders position themselves and their team for success. What potential problems do you see? What is your game plan?
Get a clear picture of the problem – Assumptions is the mother of all mess ups. The best place to begin is with a crystal clear understanding of the problem. Moving from vague generalities to concrete understanding is key to effective problem solving.
Ask questions to help you solve problems – Who knows the most about this problem? Who knows what I need to know? Who wants to tackle this problem? Who needs to buy in and how long will this take? Have we earned enough trust to make these necessary changes? What questions do I need to ask myself?
Create a framework to examine problems and solutions – According to John Maxwell there are 6 critical areas to consider:
• Leadership: How does this problem affect our people?
• Personnel: Do we have the right people to help us with this problem?
• Timing: Is this the right time for a solution, and do we have enough time for it? • Vision: How does this problem affect where we’re trying to go?
• Priorities: Are my problems taking me or the team away from our priorities?
• Values: Are my values or my team’s being compromised by this problem?Value shared problem solving – The best problem solvers do not work alone. They will use the 10/80/10 method. 10% is the leaders ideas followed by 80% of the team working through solutions that concludes with the leaders last 10% input. Be aware of organizational silos – remove them to stop office politics. The greater good is everyone’s concern.
Always come up with more than one solution – Pursue multiple solutions; explore all opportunities; Embrace ambiguity; Celebrate the creative; Connect the unconnected; Don’t fear failing.
Cultivate a bias for action – Doing nothing is not an option. Your primary question is not Can I? Rather it is How can I?
Actively look for opportunities and lessons in every problem – Problems will force new solutions. It will force you to look in different areas of life for solutions. Said another way Develop the problem solver within you. Get outside of your comfort zone while staying connected to your passion zone.
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
Q&A – Contact me at ShepherdsAdvantage@gmail.com Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!
Your physical being is the foundation on which you can excel in your spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being. Make the connection!
“Drinking water, we have found, is perhaps the most undervalued source of physical energy renewal. Unlike hunger, thirst is an inadequate barometer of need. By the time we feel thirsty, we may be long since dehydrated. A growing body of research suggests that drinking at least sixty-four ounces of water at intervals throughout the day serves performance in a range of important ways. Dehydrate a muscle by as little as 3 percent, for example, and it will lose 10 percent of its strength and 8 percent of its speed. Inadequate hydration also compromises concentration and coordination.” Bk. The Power of Full Engagement
If your physical habits are wacky, you risk every other aspect of your life being wacky as well. I have always found it interesting at how that God is blamed for our poor life-style habits. As i write this blog, I am experiencing a new season of life in which I have discovered new life lessons. Changing my physical habits have dramatically impacted other areas of my life. I have been averaging 6+ miles of walking daily, drinking 60+ ounces of water daily, and have changed eating habits (No it is not the latest diet craze). What has been the outcome? I am experiencing greater clarity spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.
What is a Mantra? The basic answer is that a mantra is a
mind tool that can be used to shape the expression of potential and goodness in
a person’s heart. When it is repeated often it embeds itself into the
sub-consciousness of a person. A positive mantra can shape performance as in a
marathon runner nearing the finish line might repeat; “I think I can,” “I think I can,” “I think I can.”
Consider the scriptures instruction in Philippians 4:8, ESV:
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is
honorable, whatever is just, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.” From the context of a prison, Paul
instructs us to rehearse and reflect upon things that are positive. Re-read
this passage again. You might be surprised to see the positive impact such
thinking can have upon your potential and attitude toward others and various circumstances.
So, I want to offer a Thanksgiving season mantra for you to
try. Let me know what happens when you repeat this mantra often from now to the
end of the year. Write your comments below. Share these thoughts with someone
else on your social media. Are you ready for this mantra? OK, here it is;
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