Tag: Essential

Elimination

Once you understand what is essential, you need to ask, “What must be eliminated?”

These elements distract leaders and become time stealers, robbing leaders of the time to focus on essential matters.

Through the process of eliminating areas of lesser importance, leaders can focus their time and energy on the essential side of the “to-do” list.

Spiritual leaders realize the need to prioritize life and work by recognizing the proper balance between what is urgent versus essential.

Take a few moments and consider the application to your leadership and what can be eliminated to help you lead better.

Essential Matters

Every leader wrestles with determining the difference between urgent and essential matters. Often times the urgent matters distract leaders from what is essential.

While leaders in every field deal with how to address the balance between these two areas, the stakes increase when considering spiritual / eternal matters.

Jesus was masterful at asking questions. One of the great studies of the Gospel accounts involves the questions asked by or of Jesus. A study of these questions demonstrates His powerful leadership.

Spiritual leaders are needed who recognize what is essential and lead with an urgency to help others discover the same for their lives.

Primal

Do leaders think from a primal perspective? Before we drift into the early stages of evolutionary development, primal carries the impetus of something that is essential or foundational.

Nothing could more essential and foundational to eternity than spiritual leadership.

How does the idea of primal apply to the surroundings of leadership?

The idea relates to the beginnings, first things, primary, essential, and foundational elements of all that is connected to life intellectually, physically, emotionally, and physically.

These elements are the building blocks of all leaders and include integrity, honesty, strong work ethic, passion, confidence in God, discipline, and balance.

Essential Leadership

What is essential and what is not? Spiritually speaking, there are many answers: Here are four.

1) Character: General Schwarzkopf said, “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy.”

2) Passion: It’s about sacrifice. Knowing what we are willing to give up is essential to our leadership.

3) Vision: Vision is about seeing into the future. Faith is essential to the vision of spiritual leadership.

4) Goals: David Schwartz said, “Goals are as essential to success as air is to life.” Goals are the essential fuel for leading.

These are only four areas that are essential to our leadership.

Essential Leadership

What is essential and what is not? Spiritually speaking, there are a number of components that play a key role.

1) Character: The late General Schwarzkopf clearly indicated that character trumps strategy.

2) Passion: The origin of this word involves suffering. What are we willing to give up to lead?

3) Vision: Vision is about faith, and faith is critical to the development of leadership vision.

4) Goals: Without goals we have no clear way of knowing where we are going.

These are only four areas, but each of them are essential to effective leadership.

Preparing for the New Year

How do you close out one year and begin another? We like a fresh start, new opportunities, a renewed sense of hope that things will be better. Perhaps this is why New Year’s Resolutions are popular.

As you close out 2021 and start 2022 consider four possibilities.

1) Establish essential resolutions. These are resolutions that build confidence in our leadership.
2) Set daily reminders. Find a way to remind yourself of these resolutions every day.
3) Connect resolutions to others. Use a support system to encourage fulfilling each one.
4) Celebrate each victory. Find a way to celebrate the achievement with a reminder of more to come.

Strength of Leadership…

Is this urgent or essential? What should you stop doing? 

In Forbes magazine, Mike Maddock asks another question, “What makes you feel strongest?”

Great leaders focus on their strengths. Numerous sources claim that leaders should focus 80% of their time on their strengths and 20% on weaknesses.

While this may sound opposite to what we consider, great leaders prove the theory.

Focusing on the areas of passion and strength makes a good leader great, and makes a great leader outstanding.

Leaders must take time to ask the right questions and make sure they provide answers that help them reach their greatest potential.

Eliminating Distractions…

A Forbes article presents several questions every leader should ask. One that demands thought is, “What should you stop doing?”

When a leader understands what is essential, there are certain elements to be eliminated.

These elements are distracting time stealers, robbing leaders of their focus on essential matters.

Through the process of eliminating areas of lesser importance (what we should stop doing), leaders can focus time and energy on the essential side of their “to-do” list. 

Spiritual leaders realize the need to prioritize life and work by recognizing the proper balance between what is urgent versus important.

Essential Questions…

Voltaire was noted for saying, “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.”

The Forbes website provides information about several areas concerning leadership. An article in June focused on “Four Questions Great Leaders Ask.” Leaders must first ask, “Is this urgent or essential?”

Every leader wrestles with determining the difference between urgent and essential matters. Often times the urgent matters distract leaders from what is essential and the stakes increase related to spiritual matters.

Spiritual leaders are needed who recognize what is essential and lead with an urgency to help others discover the way to what is essential for their lives.

Primal Leadership…

Primal comes from a Latin word meaning “first.” The idea relates to beginnings, first things, primary, essential, and foundational elements of all that is connected to life.

For leaders, it is essential to understand the primary / first elements that must be in place in order to achieve success.

These building blocks for spiritual leaders include integrity, honesty, strong work ethic, passion, confidence in God, discipline, and balance.

Additional elements may exist, but these are the “primal” ones of leadership.

When leaders build on this foundation, their strength of character provides hope for everyone who follows.