Tag: Learn

The Passion Pyramid

Yesterday, I wrote about passionate leaders where I discussed Steve Moore’s emphasis on interest-based and issue-based passion. Steve’s book, Who is My Neighbor, digs more deeply into the idea of what he calls the passion pyramid.

He refers to four levels of passion.

The first level involves the inner desire to learn.
The second level is where we engage in activities we are passion about.
The third level is when we influence others to participate.
The fourth level requires sacrifice of time, energy, and resources.

Passion cannot be hidden. When we become passionate about Christ, we will change the world.

Win or Learn

We live in a competitive world and winning dominates every sport. Individuals and teams desire to be winners at all cost. Losing is not an option.

Nelson Mandela said, “I never lose. I either win or learn.” Imagine this mindset. The concept of losing doesn’t exist, but rather learning.

When we think in terms of losing, we miss the opportunity to improve. We can easily fall into the trap of compromise in order to win. We cut corners, minimize relationships, and view people as objects to our own end.

We must learn, improving who we are and what we do for the benefit of God’s church and His glory.

Surviving Discouragement

Leadership will always suffer times where difficulties create discouragement. How do leaders survive these times and grow stronger as leaders?

Here a few suggestions to consider.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Knowing adversity will come helps to prepare.

Focus on an area of expertise. We might phrase it more accurately, “One at a time.”

Learn the value of walking away. There are times when taking a break helps.

Seek counsel with other survivors. The experience of others can provide encouragement.

Remember to seek the good in all situations. Sometimes easier said than done, but helpful.

Learning how to survive when adversity exists makes leaders stronger.

Preventing Emergencies

Recognizing problems in advance and preventing them from becoming emergencies both provide powerful benefits.

What can a leader do to recognize these problems in advance?

Accept that problems will happen. Living in denial, ignoring, or hoping a problem will go away is an invitation for an emergency.

Practice good communication. Many problems could be detected sooner if leaders listened more carefully.

Ask appropriate questions. At the first sign of a problem, learn to ask the right questions.

Learn from the past.
Lessons learned from previous experience are a foundation for the future.

There are no exact lists to resolve every problem in advance. However, these few will help.

A Teaching Leader

Leadership thoughts are found everywhere. I appreciate friends who are constantly looking for and sharing these thoughts with me.

A few years ago, a good friend sat down to have some tea before going to bed and on the tea bag he read, “To learn, read. To know, write. To master, teach.” Unknown

The thought is powerful and has great application to our leadership.

The last part of the thought encompasses the whole of it. Most of us have heard, known, or experienced how the greatest amount of learning takes place when we teach. Teaching the material helps us master it.

Benefits of Failure

What or who determines failure? Why is failure seen as negative? How can leaders learn and improve their leadership?

Recognize failure is inevitable. No matter who you are failure takes place.

Acknowledge and take responsibility. Do not ignore, deny, or cast blame when failure occurs.

Remember the words of Winston Churchill, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Do not hesitate to act. Waiting to act creates a perception of apathy.

Learn from failure and make changes to prevent the same mistakes.

Work to build a series of successful events or programs to reassure the strength of the leadership.

Investing in Leadership

How are you investing in the future of leadership?

We should think about the daily approach to leadership on several levels. What stands out as necessary for leaders to consider as a daily investment?

Pray…
Look at the goal…
Share the plan…
Help someone…
Read, grow, learn personally…
Take a few minutes for yourself…
Listen closely…
Rest…

We may even practice a few of these on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis. Never let a day go by without making these a part of your life in some way as a spiritual leader.

It is an investment with imperishable returns.

Godly Leaders…

William Arthur Ward said, “The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give.”

Learning, growing, changing, overcoming, caring, serving, daring, befriending and giving are key elements found in the activity of great leaders.

Additional words are also significant: adventure, purpose, nature, challenge, essence, opportunity, secret, spice and beauty.

Each word is intricately positioned and lends to the development of godly leaders.

Positive and Godly Influences…

The world is filled with negativity. We cannot escape a negative and toxic environment. However, we can choose to allow or not allow these negative and toxic elements to take up residence in our mind.

A few suggestions might help when considering what to do.

Avoid as much negativity as possible.
Learn to walk away or turn it off.
Find positive people to spend time with daily.
Be the most enthusiastic person you know (Pro. 23:7).

The choice is ours, but leadership thrives when the mind dwells on positive and godly influences (Phil. 4:8).

Stop Picking Up The Slack…

Who picks up the slack when someone fails to fulfill their responsibility? Usually, it is a leader.

When leaders take the responsibility because someone a) does not know how, b) is unwilling, or c) is too lazy to do the work, they create challenges to their leadership.

In order to turn the situation around, consider the following.

1) Evaluate all the details.
2) Learn the art of delegating.
3) Start with smaller responsibilities and increase as faithfulness is demonstrated.
4) Equip others with the proper tools.
5) Trust the job will get done, and reward accordingly.

These few steps help leaders move forward.