I always have found leadership addicting. My parents were both people that had risen in life to positions of influence within their professions. I can recall their casual conversations drifting toward work projects and people challenges. They were a great resources to one another. As a child, that had an impact on me; I loved listening. Perhaps this was the seed that grew into a passion and, ultimately, a calling. I looked for classes on this topic in high school but rarely found them. I do recall leadership being discussed, but it was more about natural leadership. To this day, I believe we should teach students personal leadership at an early age. There is now research that portends to have found a leadership gene in some people. Perhaps that’s true, but I certainly don’t see that meaning we can’t all learn leadership skills and become leaders. We all are already leaders. Leadership is personal long before its public. You are your greatest resource. That resource deserves to be developed. We need a vision for our life; we need to bring our habits and resources in alignment with that vision, and we need to execute the plans that bring that vision to life. These are leadership skills. We need these skills to bring order to our personal lives. Those same skills translate into our role in leading others. Leadership is both personal and familial. If you can’t lead yourself, you can’t lead others. The same could be said for our families. As a matter of fact, Paul the Apostle, when writing concerning the selection of church leaders, said to choose people that have the ability to lead their family well. That was a long time ago, yet they were looking at leadership skills even then. A family is a group of people that require leadership. Do you have a vision for your family? Perhaps you have a vision to see your children attend college or for retirement. My wife and I wanted to raise our children to be healthy, self-sufficient leaders holding the capacity and discipline to live their dreams. Your vision for your family will be different from mine but, regardless of the specifics, vision is something bigger than this day or this moment. Whatever your vision is for your family, it requires the aligning of resources and the executing of a plan. Again, Leadership Skills. Public leadership requires an understanding of ourselves and those around us. It is not only the technical skills associated with leading toward a goal but also the interpersonal skills to build a team. A leader is relational and at the same time focused on the goal. A leader is willing to make difficult decisions in the face of opposition. I read an interesting research article in Biola University’s Journal of Psychology and Theology. They make the case that formal leadership training may be the least effective way in which we learn to lead.
“One hundred pastors were interviewed about the key events in their development as leaders. Content analysis was used to develop detailed taxonomies of the key developmental events in their careers and of the lessons that emerged from each of these events. The results indicated that, consistent with past research on business leaders, the preponderance of developmental experiences occurred in-the-trenches (32%), during times of significant transition (27%), or in personal relationships (23%), indicating that pastors develop as they are doing their work and leading on the edge of their comfort zones. Results also indicated that events were tied to predictable sets of lessons.“I am motivated as a Leadership Coach to be the personal relationship that walks with leaders through those trench experiences and transitions. I am committed to fostering leadership growth. The purpose of this blog is to extend that relationship as a resource to leaders at every level. My goal is to inform, inspire, and challenge with ideas, recommendations, and inspirations that will facilitate and empower leaders as they grow. Join me. [jotform id=”51954776646168″]]]>
