Many leaders never achieve their potential because they are “blown up” by
problems they never see coming. Because of the fear and anxiety of this pandemic year that many leaders have experienced it is worth our time to examine some leadership landmines. Keep in mind the mental – emotional health of spiritual leaders is 10x greater this year than any other year in history in which tracking data has been gathered.
Seasons of crisis can produce fear and anxiety in the hearts of leaders. When our vision becomes obscure due to crisis management, we can miss some obvious landmines that can blow up our leadership effectiveness. While we could create quite a list of potential landmines, in this podcast we will examine three landmines.
Landmine #1 – TODAY’S SUCCESS
What got you here will not keep you here! Yesterday ended at midnight! The wrong question to be asking is “Does this job have a future?” The correct question to ask is “Do I have a future?” If what you did 5 years ago still satisfies you – you have no future. So how do we avoid this landmine?
- You must recognize this landmine. Joe Frazier once stated the punch that knocks you out is the one you did not see coming.
2. Keep growing personally. Growth = Change!
3. Continually as, is there a better way?
4. Be willing to seek out and pay for outside Coaching. You cannot obtain a proper perspective until you get out of the frame. Do not assume that you have the clearest perspective and vision on your leadership.
5. Don’t protect the past. Do not build a memorial to it. Recognize that it is OK to be embarrassed by your past because today you have grown beyond your past. None of us were that good in our past.
6. Build on your success do not sit on it. Keep people around you who not impressed with you. This provokes you to excel unless you see these people as a threat.
Landmine #2 – Loosing Touch With Your People
An isolated leader is an ineffective leader! How do we avoid Loosing Touch With People?
- Recognize this landmine. Success leads to withdrawal – “I don’t need to see the people. Failure leads to withdrawal – “I don’t want to see the people.”
2. Value People – they are your only appreciable asset!
3. Avoid Positional Thinking – Do not fall into the positional trap!
4. Love the people you lead – people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!
5. Understand that you are in the people business6.Understand and live into the Law of Significance. This law states that one is too small of a number to achieve greatness!
Landmine #3 – Betrayal of Trust
Warren Bennis claims that trust is one of six basic ingredients of leadership.
“Integrity is the basis of trust, which is not so much an ingredient of
leadership as it is a product. It is the one quality that cannot be acquired,
but must be earned. It is given by coworkers and followers, and without it,
the leader cannot function.” Trust is the foundation upon which relationships
in every setting are built.
Receiving Trust from others is the result of
Character
Confidence
Consistency
- Value character more than success.
2. Focus on shared goals more than personal agendas
3. Do the right thing regardless of personal risk
4. Be accountable to others5.Follow the Golden Rule
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
Shepherdsadvantage@gmail.com
