Are You a Leader?

Are you a leader? Your immediate answer to that question might be, "No, I don't lead anyone." Consider this. One definition of "leadership" is "influence," and according to sociologists, even the most isolated individual will influence 10,000 other people in his/her lifetime! 

I challenge you to think about who you might be leading, perhaps unintentionally, but the fact is you are leading. In many cases, I suspect, it might be someone you never thought of -- the employee who loads the groceries in your car, for example, the neighbor who continually complains about the political atmosphere or a colleague in the office who looks unusually "down." 

During these troubled times, the need for healthy leadership is critical, so the next question is, "How do I lead in a way that will make the world a more productive and peaceful place?" 

Nicky Gumbel, the founder of the Alpha program, identifies seven characteristics of a good leader. (I find it interesting that in Biblical terms, the number seven means "whole.")

1. Integrity
2. Authenticity
3. Humility
4. Compassion
5. Vision 
6. Focus
7. Generosity

WOW! That's quite a mandate! The only person I know who lived up to that standard was Jesus, but the list provides me valuable guidelines for how I want to lead. Craig Groeschel, the founder of Life Church, challenged his congregation with a question I now think of often: "I was right, but was I kind?" I could apply a version of that question to all seven of those characteristics. For example, "I was right, but did I show integrity?" or "I was right, but was I humble?" You get the idea. 

I invite you to look at that list of seven and identify one characteristic you would like to improve in the coming year. Then you can apply a question that Productive Environment Institute repeatedly uses to challenge clients regarding a goal: "What is NEXT action I need to take to reach that goal?" 

I'm working on vision in 2021. A long-time friend has lived in challenging circumstances for many years. She uses a walker because she can't afford surgery to correct the problem and sometimes lives in her van with over 300,000 miles when there isn't enough to cover the rent. She often told me about her dream of moving across the US. I prayed for her often. I prayed for a job, for better health, for rent money, but I never prayed for resources for her to move. To my utter shock, her dream became a reality. Her problems are not over, but she was a leader because she reminded me I often underestimate what God can and will do if my vision is big enough. 

Happy New Year!

Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash