Monthly Archives: December 2012

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Why would someone want to be a leader?

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Why be a leaderIt’s a question I find myself asking every now and then. Being a leader always comes with it added responsibility in some form or another. It brings added responsibility because everyone already has things they are responsible for in their life. Whether it is their rent or mortgage, grocery bills, school homework, parenthood responsibilities, job responsibilities, you name it. We all have them in some mix. But when a person is a leader, added responsibilities come along with it. With that comes added pressures, added stress, more hours most likely needed in order to get things done. So why would someone want to be a leader?

Is it a need to be important? Is it a need to be needed? Is it a need to be loved or desired? Is it a need to make a difference?  Is it a need to have a reason for one’s own existence in the world?

Looking back in my life, I’ve seen myself placed in various roles of leadership. Most of those times I didn’t want to be in the leadership role but I knew that if I didn’t do something then something I believed needed to be done would not be done. I think that’s probably one of the strongest reasons a person takes on a leadership role. A person’s own beliefs and convictions cause them to see the importance of acting on them when they believe the time to do so is at hand.

I don’t need to tell anyone who has held a leadership position of any kind about those added pressures.  And that those pressures can get to those who find themselves with the leadership role from time to time. After all, we are all only human. We all have our weaknesses. But not all of us allow those weaknesses to be an excuse for not leading. When the pressure of leadership causes a person to lose control of their emotions, and get angry or upset, it can derail whatever the person is attempting to do. When this topic came to me, I checked out Kevin’s favorite book, Donald Phillip’s “Lincoln on Leadership”, in it I found this:

“The plain fact of the matter is that, for any person to successfully lead others, he or she must deal with the reality and be ready to accept the fact that leadership at times can bring out the worst in us. And understanding, as well as coming to grips with the darker side of your personality, is key to dealing with real-life situations.”

I think as human beings that are meant to interact with others, leaders must accomplish the puzzling task of managing their darker side. The book said whenever Lincoln found himself getting angry or upset at someone, he would write that person a very scolding letter outlining the nerve the other person had in doing whatever it was that upset him. He would lay out everything that was on his mind about that person at the moment within the letter. When he finished the letter, he proceeded to place it in an envelope for mailing. After he sealed the letter, he wrote on the back “Not sent”. He felt better for having released his negative feelings, but probably realized that chewing a person out would not serve any real purpose.

While doing some surfing on the internet, looking for content about this subject, I stumbled on this and it felt like it was pertinent, “Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership” written by Kent M. Keith back in 1968 (The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council) for high school student leaders.

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.

The world is full of violence, injustice, starvation, disease, and environmental destruction.

Have faith anyway.

 

Do you know of anyone who you would consider to be a good or even great leader? Why do you believe they are?

If you see yourself wanting to be a leader, what has been your desire for leadership?

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Lead them to the manger today

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Baby Jesus in the Manger 2There are a lot of leadership topics that we have discussed so far since the start of Leadership Voices.  But today, I am focused on leading folks to the manger.  Something glorious happened overnight.

No, not Santa.  While the world slept, Jesus was born!

Ok, maybe not last night.  But He was born on a night like last night.  It was a night with lots of activity.  For Joseph and Mary it was the busyness of the census and travelling with the throngs of people as they all journeyed to their ancestral homes.  For many of us, it was the busyness of wrapping, cooking, cleaning and the mad rush to the 24 hour drug store as we realized that batteries really weren’t included.

It would be foolish of me to suggest or to try to eliminate all of the activities that accompany the modern Christmas season.  But I would speak to you men on this day.  I would speak especially to you husbands and fathers.  And if I am honest, I would speak to myself.  And what I would say is this:

Let’s lead our families and loved ones to the manger today.  Not literally, but figuratively.  Let’s lead our families to the manger in some form or fashion today to worship Jesus Christ the newborn king.

Don’t send them.

Lead them!

Merry Christmas Signature

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…At Least One Follower

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Encouraged by Kevin’s post about the Three Wise Men and unwilling to be out-blogged.  I found this little nugget in a book on my shelf.  I found it worthy to be posted in the blogosphere that is Leadership Voices.

college_student_computer.

There  is a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college.  Her heart sank when she read the question on the application that asked, “Are you a leader?”

Being honest, she wrote, “No,” and returned the application, expecting the worst.

Weeks later,  she received this letter from the college:

“Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower.”

My prayer is that this little story encourages and inspires you.

As we strive to lead can we admit honestly that we may not be the best qualified to lead but instead need to follow?

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Abraham Lincoln and Leadership

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Abraham LincolnThere is a lot of renewed interest in Abraham Lincoln these days.  In fact, a movie about him has just been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.  So, what is the deal with Lincoln?  Was he really the greatest president of all time?

Donald T. Phillips wrote a book in 1993 entitled, Lincoln on Leadership.  The subtitle was Executive Strategies for Tough Times.  In that book he provides significant insight into leadership principles that Lincoln exhibited and cultivated in others.  Phillips points out many unique qualities of Lincoln.  He also focuses on what he calls The Lincoln Principles.  He goes on to develop Lincoln’s Principles of Character, Principles of Endeavor, and Principles of Communication.  I don’t have time to develop each of these.  But, I recommend the book if you are interested in pursuing this line of thought on a political figure that has become a pop culture figure again of late.

One characteristic that caught my eye was the fact that Lincoln is the only U.S. president to hold a U.S. Patent.  Lincoln received a patent for a method of making a certain kind of boat more buoyant.  Not all that remarkable in and of itself.  But it demonstrates that Lincoln was creative.  He was not just a “community organizer”. 

He was not only creative; he was also a great developer of leadership intelligence and information from those around him.  Lincoln was keenly aware that people (his cabinet and his military leaders) were the major source of information and that in order for him to be a great leader he had to stay close to them.  But being close to them was not enough.  He needed the relationship to be real and intimate.  He built those relationships by holding more informal meetings with these people than formal meetings. 

What is the leadership principle here? 

Stay close to your people.  Maintain multiple informal touch points with your staff.  Walk over to their office and sit down in their space.  And talk to them about their world, their families, and their interests.  Lincoln demonstrated this principle of the value of the human being throughout his life.  Let me paraphrasing what Phillips says.  He says that the foundation of Lincoln’s leadership style was an unshakeable commitment to the rights and personal worth of the individual. 

May it be said of me that I hold the worth of my team and my fellow man in the highest regard.

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Is leading a spiritual duty?

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DSC_0304A definition of duty:

An act or a course of action that is required of one by position, social custom, law, or religion:
a. Moral obligation: acting out of duty.
b. The compulsion felt to meet such obligation.

I ask this because I feel as though as Christians, if we are called, we have the duty to answer that call. So I ask you this; If we have the ability to lead, are we morally bound to do so? Men, fathers, I don’t necessarily mean at home. Managers, I don’t necessarily mean at work. I am talking about spiritually and physically in our social or secular groups.

Maybe a better question is; Do leaders have to want to lead? Leadership, real true leadership, is hard. It is time consuming. Why would anyone want to do it? I firmly believe that true leaders are made not born. So why or at what point did these leaders make the decision to act like leaders? In other words, when did Gen. Patton, Abraham Lincoln or Tom Brady have some sort of an epiphany?

Once in a while I will spend time outside in my garage allowing my girls to play outside. And I have noticed that my youngest has become the leader of her peer group. She doesn’t realize it, but her friends always want to do what she is doing and they follow her around like the Pied Piper. Is this when we discover that people will follow us? Is this where the beginnings of leadership qualities take hold in our psyche?

I think that discovery of leadership talents within you may be the hardest part of leadership. Accepting your role as a leader is comparable to accepting God’s Grace. Receiving it, is the most difficult. I feel as though personally deciding you are a leader may be a little conceited. If that is the case then how do we discover any real leaders?

Finding my “calling” is a constant struggle for me. I have trouble listening for God to offer me clues or watching for his opportunities to be called. Additionally, I heard someone say once that a Christian should be prepared to “Preach, pray or die at a moment’s notice”. Should a Leader be prepared to incite, supervise or relinquish their leadership at a moment’s notice?

Lastly, I think it is our duty to develop new and additional leaders. The way my old CO told his NCOs to do this was to observe your team and discover who your new leaders will be. Then communicate with them about expectations, encourage them to lead, and empower them with responsibility. And they will become the leaders that you thought they could become.

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Something more important happened today

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Praying_HandsI will enter my post tomorrow or Sunday during the football game, but I felt as though my time was better spent praying for the families in Connecticut that were affected by the horrible act committed there today. So I ask my fellow leaders, followers, friends and contributors to this website, instead of just reading this – please pray for leaders in that community to do the right things and have the right words for the friends and families affected.

 

“Lord please be in Connecticut tonight with the families that are experiencing more pain than I can possibly imagine.  Please try to bring them comfort and peace, knowing that their loved ones are not suffering but enjoying the everlasting fun, freedom and sunshine that playing in your company brings.  Lord please bring the right people into their lives to help them with their grief and sorrow.  This holiday season we are enjoying with our friends and family now will always have a terrible memory tied to it for them.  I pray your Son’s birthday can bring them some peace.”

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When following is actually leading

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Three Wise MenThere is a powerful image that each of us have of the Three Wise Men kneeling at the manger in Bethlehem. These men have been known in song as “kings”. You remember the song, don’t you?

“We three kings of Orient are . . .”

Now, whether or not they really were kings is not a matter that I care to debate today. They were probably more likely some sort of religious or scholarly leader from distant lands. The point for me to make is that they were recognized leaders of some sort or another. And the image that we have of them from Christmas pageants over the years is an image of them arriving and kneeling at the manger and presenting their gifts.

But integral to the story is the fact they were also “followers”. They followed a star. And that star led them to the Baby Jesus. Let’s say it again. These leaders were also followers. Had they not been willing to put their own agendas and egos aside and become followers, they would have missed the single most important event in all of human history.

Here is the leadership trait that I want to emphasize today. Great leaders must be willing to become great followers from time to time. And the paradox of leadership is that we are really both simultaneously. And when we cease to be a follower, we cease to be effective as a leader. And the result of following that star provided these three men with an experience that was transformational and one that needed to be communicated to others.  So, according to Biblical records, these three leaders returned to their homes by a different route to avoid King Herod who was bent on destroying the baby who had been born to be the real One to follow.

What about you? Have you shown an ability to follow as well as lead?

And are you following someone or something worthy of being followed?

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What Would Winston Do?

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Winston Churchill and the TroopsIt was once very popular to wear jewelry with the letters WWJD that asked an important question – “What would Jesus do?”  That is a valid and valuable question to ask oneself when addressing life’s challenges.  But what about addressing the challenges of leadership?  I would posit that Winston Churchill and his leadership style would be a good reference for the rhetorical question:

“What would Winston do?”

What would Winston do when he tried to migrate his old blog to a new domain?  – – Oh wait.  I guess Winston Churchill had a little bit tougher problems than my silly website issues to deal with in fighting the Axis powers.

One thing I know for sure.  Winston Churchill would never give up.  He would not surrender.  He would not back down in the face of adversity.  Rather, he would stiffen his British upper lip and he would stand firm.  

The leadership principle here is steadfastness.  Some would call it stubbornness.  But in a more positive light you would have to call it steadfastness.

So, what about you?  What do you do when the going gets tough?  What do you do in the face of overwhelming adversity?  Let’s make the questions a little more personal and targeted to this audience.

  • Businessman – Are you steadfast in your commitment to integrity in your business deals?
  • Young father – Are you steadfast in your resolve to place a priority on being an influence in your children’s lives while they are young and achieving a balance in your life where your family is concerned?
  • Husband – Are you steadfast in your love for your wife and hold her up as something more precious than rubies?
  • Teacher – Are you steadfast in your role as an educator and influencer of the next generation of citizens?
  • Grandparent – Are you steadfast in your role in supporting young families by being a receptive ear and broad shoulder on which someone can lean?

Let’s not over-analyze Churchill’s life and legacy.  His own family situation was a bit of a train wreck.  But, the point I wish to make is that we can draw inspiration from historical figures and we can extract positive characteristics from ultimately flawed characters.  And here is perhaps the fundamental difference between the two characters.  Jesus’s character was not flawed.  And He can be the perfect inspiration and example for you and I.

 

Image of Winston Churchill in the public domain.
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Leadership Ethos

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ethosEthos is a Greek word meaning “character” that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology.  Ethos forms the root of ethikos, meaning “moral, showing moral character”. Late Latin borrowed it as ethicus, the feminine of which is the origin of the modern English word ethics. Strong morals however, without a strong “Ethos”, will only create a pseudo leader in the eyes of subordinates, due to one’s inability to turn a decision into action, especially during a crisis situation, when there is no play book to follow, and the ability to seize the moment is a must. It is my belief that leadership strategists, to a degree, have ignored the cultivation of a leadership ethos, and have instead created moral compartmentalization, behaviors that focus on self preservation and careerism, which inevitably erodes the important foundation of trust between would-be leaders and their rank and file. In my opinion, this does nothing to encourage the “follow me” leadership attitude needed to move ahead in today’s challenging times.

Aristotle described “ethos” as a type of leadership in which a leader influences others to change their values, and thus their performance. A leadership ethos is not about what a person says or promises. It is about one’s presence, behavior, beliefs, and core leadership principles that affect how others will follow. A leadership ethos creates a personal “aura” that is attractive and one that others will turn to in time of need.

So what is a leadership ethos?

A leadership ethos is based upon principles rather than values. Principles are foundational and timeless, whereas values are usually derived from accepted norms whose underlying bases rely on contemporary wisdom of ideas of the day. Values tend to fluctuate with trends and conventional wisdom. Principles however, transcend time, feelings, and individual desires, and involve fundamental truths as the basis for reasoning or action.

In his book, “Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior”, Richard Marcinko (founder of SEAL Team Six) created his own leadership ethos which contained seven basic principles that include: 

  1. I will test my theories on myself first. I will be my own guinea pig
  2. I will be totally committed to what I believe, and I will risk all that I have for these beliefs
  3. I will back my subordinates all the way when they take reasonable risks to help me achieve my goals
  4. I will not punish my people for making mistakes. I will only punish them for not learning from their mistakes.
  5. I will not be afraid to take action, because I know that almost any action is better than inaction. And I know that sometimes not acting is the boldest action of all
  6. I will always make it crystal clear where I stand and what I believe
  7. I will always be easy to find: I will be at the center of the battle

 

I leave you with one final thought on character. I once heard it defined as this:  Your character is defined as how you act, and what you do, when nobody is watching, or how you treat people when you have no reason to treat them well. 

I think to be a good leader, you have to be willing to be a good follower.  One of the men I am following is Richard Marcinko.  And that is a bit of my leadership ethos.

 

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A Leader and His Sword – Part 1

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In reading some of these articles there are a few Bible verses and stories that come to my mind that I would like to share with you.

The first story is found in Nehemiah 4:18 and surrounding verses.  Here the Jews are rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.  First I will point out that all the men were armed with swords (duh).  But swords at this time were the most powerful hand held weapons that existed.  It would be like carrying a tricked out assault rifle today.  The workers went about their daily routines, but they were ready for war at a moment’s notice.

Does this mean we should all keep an AR-15 nearby?  I leave that decision for you to make.

The second part of this story is the building of the wall itself.  Walls serve to protect us from the outside.  What is “outside”?  It’s anything that would harm or threaten us.  This could include storms or enemies or floods or anything we have never even thought of.  Do we need to build cinder block walls 10 feet thick around our homes?  Maybe.  Maybe a good first step would be to fix that loose back door or that one window that never shuts all the way.

Now that that’s out of the way, the second part of scripture that I wanted to mention is one that almost everyone is familiar with.  It is found in both Matthew 26:52 and also in John 18:11.  Here, Peter is standing ready to defend himself and those he cares about.  In the preceding verses we read that it was the priests that came with swords and clubs.  Peter’s life was put in danger and I believe he acted in self-defense.  Jesus told Peter to “put away” his sword.  Jesus did not say “throw away”, nor did He say “get rid of it”.

 

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