I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.
Kevin Bowser
Leader -|- Follower -|- Guide
The Big Let Down
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It has been 2 days since Christmas. And you can go ahead and admit it. You are feeling a little let down after all of the excitement, aren’t you? The presents are all unwrapped. There may still be a big mess. But the fun part is over.
Well, maybe that is part of the problem. The fun part (the party or the kids ripping presents open) is over and there is nothing left but the cleaning up of the mess from Christmas morning. We all feel that “big let down” right about now.
That feeling is normal. We all feel it sooner or later throughout the Holiday season. It comes sooner and more pronounced for some than for others. But there is always a little bit of disappointment around about now.
Everyone likes decorating the tree. We can’t wait to get the tree and get it decorated and begin enjoying the Christmas season. But no one wants to put the tree away and pack away all of the ornaments and lights for next year. That is such a let down.
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The Myth of the Perfect Christmas
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It is not a perfect Christmas for us this year. Some of my family are not here. But it is still a “Merry” one. It is still one that is full of joy and wonder and amazement that God chose to come to earth in the form of man and dwell among us.
It would be nice to say “Merry Christmas” and be completely oblivious to the world around us. But that would mean that you and I are truly oblivious creatures. The fact is, more of us are hurting and broken at Christmas than are healthy and whole.
I am here to tell you that it is okay. It is okay with me and it is okay with Jesus. In fact, your brokenness is exactly why Jesus came. Your brokenness is the dirty, filthy stable. Your brokenness is a manger made for feeding animals, not for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But Jesus came anyway. He came and He stayed with us and He cried IN our brokenness, WITH us. Because Jesus is “Emmanuel, God with us.”
And He will come to you anew and afresh if you will let him.
But to do that we have to put away this notion of a perfectly decorated tree, perfectly lighted houses, perfectly wrapped presents, perfectly planned meals and perfectly pretty family and friends to share it with. Jesus didn’t come for any of that. And actually, it’s quite the opposite.
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Wise Leaders Keep an Eye to the Future
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We are close to Christmas Day. And we are given an opportunity each year to review the greatest story ever told. Also, there are leadership lessons that are in this story that are present if you will look for them.
Consider today some leadership lessons from the Wise Men.
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Leadership on a Hope and a Prayer
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Real leadership is not done on a hope and a prayer. Yet all too often I hear, “I’ll figure it out as I go along and hope for the best.” Or, in the church world, “We will just pray hard and hope for a miracle.”
I will not, I repeat, I will not turn this into a theological debate. In fact, one is not necessary since most of us will agree that God is big enough to bail us out of any problem that we get ourselves into.
But, is it leadership when we count a miraculous intervention?
Many us flirt with a dangerous mixture of optimism and carelessness. Words like, “I’ll figure something out” have come out of my mouth on many occasions. This is not a strategy. It is not a responsible leadership approach. In fact, often it only serves to “kick the can down the road” and say that we will deal with it later.
Hope is not a strategy!
Many times I am left to wonder what someone is thinking when I see that person in a bad situation that is getting worse, yet they seem to have no clue. They often have no strategic plan, no initiative, and no sense of urgency.
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Leadership Profile: Fightin’ Joe Dunford
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It would be so easy to make this leadership profile all about a great military man. Many of you may not know him. Some of you may not have even heard his name before. His nickname is “Fightin’ Joe” Dunford.
Gen. Joe Dunford was the Commander, U.S. Forces, Afghanistan. He is a Marine four-star general and was the leader of NATO’s coalition in Afghanistan. He “is probably the most complete warrior-statesman wearing a uniform today,” says a former Marine commandant.
That is high praise indeed. And, in fact, today, he is the 36th commandant of the Marine Corps. Having recently taken command as the 35th commandant retired.
In a recent article with Fortune magazine, Dunford tells the interviewer what his first battalion commander told him as a young Marine. His battalion commander told him that there are three rules to success. The first? Surround yourself with good people. “Over the years,” says Dunford, “I’ve forgotten the other two.”
Why should I write a profile on “Fightin’ Joe Dunford?”
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Three Ways to Spot a Leader Wannabe
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I recently wrote of my travels to China, the land of the fake Rolex. And in that article I wrote about the importance of discernment. Today I offer you a test of that discernment skill that I am sure that you have been practicing and perfecting since I wrote about it several weeks ago.
There are leaders and then there are “leader wannabes.” So, how do you tell them apart? Some times it takes a little while to distinguish between the two. But, fairly quickly you will be able to tell which one is the genuine leader.
There are many ways that you could discern a real leader. But consider with me a few minutes these three distinguishing characteristics of real leaders.
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Five Skills You Need to Be a Better Up-Front Leader
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They say that speaking in front of a group of people is one of the most dreaded things that we could be called on to do. So please don’t get mad with what I am about to say. But that has never bothered me. In fact, it energizes me.
I was involved in theater for many years and I owned a speakers bureau and was a professional speaker for a time many years ago. And one of the questions that was asked of me during those years was this:
How do I get better at being “on stage” or at speaking to a group of people?
And here was my answer: Practice, practice, practice!
What is the implication for you as a leader?
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“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”
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What Happens When You Put a Bunch of Leaders in One Room?
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I had the pleasure (No, really, I did!) of joining with a group of local leaders and entrepreneurs today for lunch. A very dear friend and trusted advisor invited me to participate and it was a lot of fun.
It is interesting to watch the various leadership styles and personality types interact with one another. Some are very far along the entrepreneurial path and are running successful ventures. Some haven’t taken the plunge fully. Some are completely confident and at ease in that setting. Some . . . not so much.
One of the outcomes of the meeting was that there will be a little more structure in the upcoming meetings. Each of us will have an opportunity to speak to the entire organization about our companies. It was suggested that we take a few minutes to discuss our venture. We would take a few minutes to discuss a success. And we would take a few minutes to discuss a challenge that we are facing. I think that is an excellent idea.
It is an excellent idea because it will cause us to hone our “pitch.” One person said that in reality we are each really salespeople trying to sell the public on why they need our product, our service, or our message. But more importantly than than refining our “pitch” is that it refines our core message. Each time we speak about who we are and what we do we will get better and more succinct.
What is the leadership lesson here?
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