How amazed I am on an ongoing basis how effective leadership can often not be measured, in action or "planning". Meaning, its quite interesting how sometimes leadership and influence happen when you least expect it.
A leader can plan for years, try forever, do everything under the sun to drive a vision and direction and see results. And then it hits. The momentum swings, people catch the vision, and badda bing badda boom... things start happening.
Now... I am not saying that lazy non-challant leaders ever experience this. Nor do I think it happens in isolation from all the hard work and previous planning over the past many months and years. I am saying that sometimes, however, when the leader steps back and simply 'bleeds' the vision through conversation, small actions, and other relational steps, that this is when movement occurs, people jump aboard, and the goal is met.
Would you agree?
Showing posts with label General Leadership Stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Leadership Stuff. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Leadership has become one of the most highly discussed topics in business and ministry. However, leadership development and training remains to be seen. Its been easy to read books over and over again, go to conferences, and even listen to some motivational speakers... all around leadership. However, we have failed to help ourselves, and others, truly become better leaders.
What's missing??? Why do many successful leaders state that their greatest opportunity is better develop their teams, reproduce themselves, or as John Maxwell likes to state, "Leave a Legacy"? Because - we dont know how to take something we know and effectively help others internalize it, practice it, make it their own. Our experience in success and failure is difficult to share. There are also external factors that limit our ability, as leaders, to reproduce ourselves.
1. Time - we live in a world, both in business and ministry, where time is of the "essence". We have too much to do to sit down and train, coach, and develop someone else. Beyond ourselves, our teams don't have any time left in their days. Especially volunteers. Ministry Volunteers struggle to manage their personal lives, let alone volunteer leadership development.
2. Cost - Training and Development has been proven to be the first "thing to go" when finances get tight, especially in business. Development has long-term results, not short-term gains. Therefore, it is forgotten, pushed aside for more "important" initiatives. The ministry industry rely on expensive conferences, businesses look towards expensive consultants. Both industries believe that training and development is only worth while if it drains our checkbooks.
3. Expertise and Ability - we as leaders are not necessarily coaches and trainers. We may be able to stand up and produce a vibrant inspirational oracle on vision, mission, and success. But getting leaders into a room to coach others to new levels (asking questions to drive self-determine answers) or train others through interactive adult education principles is something of an impossible task. We leaders like to tell, preach, speak, but not listen, ask questions, support, and interact. We lack ability, let alone expertise in training and developing others.
Development, Training, Coaching.... they are missing in the theoretical side of self-development and fulfillment.
What's missing??? Why do many successful leaders state that their greatest opportunity is better develop their teams, reproduce themselves, or as John Maxwell likes to state, "Leave a Legacy"? Because - we dont know how to take something we know and effectively help others internalize it, practice it, make it their own. Our experience in success and failure is difficult to share. There are also external factors that limit our ability, as leaders, to reproduce ourselves.
1. Time - we live in a world, both in business and ministry, where time is of the "essence". We have too much to do to sit down and train, coach, and develop someone else. Beyond ourselves, our teams don't have any time left in their days. Especially volunteers. Ministry Volunteers struggle to manage their personal lives, let alone volunteer leadership development.
2. Cost - Training and Development has been proven to be the first "thing to go" when finances get tight, especially in business. Development has long-term results, not short-term gains. Therefore, it is forgotten, pushed aside for more "important" initiatives. The ministry industry rely on expensive conferences, businesses look towards expensive consultants. Both industries believe that training and development is only worth while if it drains our checkbooks.
3. Expertise and Ability - we as leaders are not necessarily coaches and trainers. We may be able to stand up and produce a vibrant inspirational oracle on vision, mission, and success. But getting leaders into a room to coach others to new levels (asking questions to drive self-determine answers) or train others through interactive adult education principles is something of an impossible task. We leaders like to tell, preach, speak, but not listen, ask questions, support, and interact. We lack ability, let alone expertise in training and developing others.
Development, Training, Coaching.... they are missing in the theoretical side of self-development and fulfillment.
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