Leadership God’s Way…Part 1

Leadership God’s way involves areas such as qualities, traits, virtues, and principles that are instrumental in guiding the character formation of each individual.

Over the next few days, we will examine a few of these areas as they define leadership God’s way.

The foundation for this type of leader is to know God and His will.

Scripture is filled with passages emphasizing the need to know God and His will, beginning in the Old Testament. God’s message through Hosea indicted His people who were destroyed for lack of knowledge.

In the New Testament Jesus said eternal life aligns with knowing God and the One who was sent by Him.

Paul also spoke of the significance of knowing God and His will by claiming his willingness to count everything as loss for the “surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:8).

Heritage, material possessions, academic achievement, and religious position were all worthless in view of this knowledge.

Leadership God’s way is driven by a passion to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, because that knowledge is the key to the whole of life now and eternally.

A Positive Future…

Once in a while, a thought stands with little need for comment. Such is the case with the following from Christian Larsen. “Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. Make all your friends feel there is something special in them. Look at the sunny side of everything. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give everyone a smile. Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others. Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.”

We cannot discuss every are related to leadership. However, there is one thought that threads the entire thought: being strong enough to be the best we can in leading others with a positive focus toward the future.

Leadership will always have challenges and negative influences. When leaders follow the ideas presented by Larsen, the life, focus, and influence on others is powerful.

Got Tenacity?

Grip, determination, and persistence are a few of the words associated with tenacity. On the heels of yesterday’s post about optimism and positivity, it seemed appropriate to consider the idea of tenacity in leadership. Don’t ask why.

Being able to grip something, or hold on to it firmly, is crucial for long term success in leadership.

The quality of being determined presents an attitude of strength to endure the distractions.

Without persistence leaders find themselves easily ready to give up and move on.

Tenacity, as defined in these three areas, demonstrates the ability of leaders to take a group of individuals who might not otherwise continue and motivate them to heights unknown.

The tenacity of leaders like Joshua and Caleb in the Old Testament, or men like the apostle Paul, encourages everyone who emulates them and the tenacious spirit they exemplify.

When leaders possess tenacity in approaching the establishment of goals and the development of plans to achieve those goals, confidence results for those who follow.

Leaders must hold on with the determination that no matter what happens they will be persistent.

Finding The Optimistic Way…

In a skeptical and negative world, a ray of optimism often fails to shine on many situations.

However, optimism serves leaders in much greater ways than the skepticism and negativity so rampant in the influences of our daily life.

Helen Keller said, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

Three words stand out as part of this statement: faith, hope, and confidence. Each word feeds on the other and they are interdependent in the relationship between them.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, according to Hebrews 11:1. Hope represents an earnest expectation. The confidence that exists in the arena of hope is fueled by the faith that drives the optimism needed to achieve incredible results.

Leaders need to stop and focus on the influences in their life and how, as a leader, they influence others. The result must direct attention towards the positivity needed to alter the paths of those who follow.

What can we do to further develop this optimistic attitude? Read more tomorrow…

Bring Out The Best…

More material has been written about leadership than one can possible keep up with and remember. There are formulas, logistics, diagrams, suggestions, qualities, and laws that continue to remind us of the ever changing field of leadership.

When we narrow it down, one of the most powerful thoughts about leadership is the responsibility to bring out the best in others. Isn’t that what we all desire?

Although the author is unknown, this quote is amazing. “In life, you will realize there is a role for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you, some will love you, and some will teach you. But the ones who are truly important are the ones who bring out the best in you. They are the rare and amazing people who remind you why it’s worth it.”

For all who desire to learn more about leadership, may we always remember that our task in this life is to bring out the best in other people. We all want to be our best, live up to our best, and surround ourselves with people who help us perform at our best. If we can provide this for others, we will discover that people are drawn to follow.