Hanging out with the guys today, I hit record. Hope this helps you become a better leader!
"The mark of a good leader is loyal followers; leadership is nothing without a following.”
Proverbs 14:28
To be a leader worth following, you must...
1. Be Slow to Anger
"Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.”
Prov. 14:29
"A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.” Prov. 15:1
"Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything.” Prov. 13:3
"Quick-tempered leaders are like mad dogs—cross them and they bite your head off.”
Prov. 20:2
What is the purpose of your anger?
What do you hope to accomplish? Or are you just reacting to a situation?
If you are just reacting, then you are OUT OF CONTROL not IN CONTROL OF SELF
Three C’s:
1. Control your disagreements
2. Constructive Frustration
- Decrease your response time
- Focusing your energy on positive change, not “Personal Negative Release
3. Count the Eyes
2. Maximize Freedoms
"The diligent find freedom in their work, the lazy are oppressed by work.” Prov. 12:24
The greatest resource people have is time. A leader worth following understands that every minute someone spends with or for you, is a minute they spend away from family…etc.
Are you wasting their time? or Maximizing their:
-Growth
-Time
-Family
-Passions
-Freedom
3. Grip Love
"Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.” Prov. 3:3-4
"Love and truth form a good leader; sound leadership is founded on loving integrity.” Prov. 20:28
The exception to the rule: Grip on what is good.
Let this be the guidelines for your actions towards other people….
The filter for every decision...
4. Buy Wisdom
"Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Don’t forget one word! Don’t deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom! Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it; never let her go—she’ll make your life glorious. She’ll garland your life with grace, she’ll festoon your days with beauty.”
Prov. 4:4-9
"Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.
Treat Insight as your companion. They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.”
Prov. 7:4-5
"For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.” Prov. 8:11
"The wise accumulate wisdom; fools get stupider by the day." Prov. 14:24
When you buy something you are purposefully and intentionally introducing something into your life…
-A leader worth following is always intentionally introducing wisdom into their life. They are seeking it out.
-To go and buy wisdom means that you are spending something of value (time, energy, money, effort) to gain it
5. Embrace Discipline
“So, my dear friends, listen carefully; those who embrace these my ways are most blessed. Mark a life of discipline and live wisely; don’t squander your precious life. Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me, awake and ready for me each morning, alert and responsive as I start my day’s work. When you find me, you find life, real life to say nothing of God’s good pleasure. But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul; when you reject me, you’re flirting with death.”
Prov. 8:32-36
"The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you’re lost for good.”
Prov. 10:17
"If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it— how shortsighted to refuse correction!”
Prov. 12:1
"Refuse discipline and end up homeless; embrace correction and live an honored life.” Prov. 13:18
A leader worth following is never above discipline or correction.
The moment you think you know it all…the moment you think you have “arrived” you are done for.
Leaders worth following aren’t the ones who never make mistakes, but are the ones who lear from them.
The great successes come from your best mistakes…if you embrace discipline
6. Average Up
"Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.”
Prov. 13:20
"Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed.” Prov. 15:22
"It’s better to be wise than strong; intelligence outranks muscle any day. Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel.”
Prov. 24:5-6
"You use steel to sharpen steel, one friend sharpens another.” Prov. 27:17
You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Choose wisely.
A leader worth following: 1) surrounds him/herself with people that sharpen them; 2) sharpens others
-Can’t be either or….if just get sharpened, you are exploiting others…if just sharpening, you won’t be sharpened
“Invigorates others…” Prov. 16:15
7. Set the Tempo
"Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table.” Prov. 14:23
"Appetite is an incentive to work; hunger makes you work all the harder.” Prov. 16:26
A leader worth following never expects more of his followers than he is willing to give first.
You set the tempo. Your people are a reflection of you. If leaders lead, then followers follow…so don’t blame them for where they go/are…you led them there.
8. Fuel Generosity
"You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless; when you’re kind to the poor, you honor God.” Prov. 14:31
"Be generous to the poor—you’ll never go hungry; shut your eyes to their needs, and run a gauntlet of curses.” Prov. 28:27
"Leadership gains authority and respect when the voiceless poor are treated fairly.” Prov. 29:14
"Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!” Prov. 31:8-9
What does it mean to fuel?
You are feeding…adding to…enabling something...
Do that for generosity and kingdom concern.
“The purpose of influence is to help those who have none.” Rick Warren
9. Learn Humility
"Fear-of-God is a school in skilled living—first you learn humility, then you experience glory.” Prov. 15:33
Most Valuable
The more you lift others up, the more they will see that you are worth lifting up….
Everyone always waits for the other shoe to drop. Don’t let there be “Another shoe”….false humility is no humility and it leads to failure.
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of your self, less.” C.S. Lewis
