Leadership has become one of my favorite subjects to learn about. There is something about great teams that always seem to be anchored with a great leader. Likewise, bad teams are usually populated with members who are afraid to assume the role of leadership.
We all have different roles in our lives. In my case, a few roles I have are teacher, coach, and husband. I have a strong conviction that in each of those roles, my ability to lead will make each situation more fruitful.
The highest value in leadership must be humility. This is not a doubt in our own ability to lead, but our desire to serve the needs of others before our own.
While I was recently visiting family in Montana, I had the opportunity to attend The Global Leadership Summit. This was filled with speakers from different backgrounds, including pastoral, business, and sociology. Bill Hybels, a pastor from Chicago, shared what he calls the 4 lenses of leadership. These are great things for us to consider in our lives if we feel called to be a leader in our roles.
PASSION, PEOPLE, PERFORMANCE, LEGACY
Our PASSION can come from a dream for something we want or also a frustration with how things currently are. It is the job of leaders to remain passionate in their work. This can be done by surrounding ourselves with the right people, bringing ourselves to the right places, and providing ourselves with the right material.
Interacting with other PEOPLE needs to be an effective way to establish trust. Not only so our team trusts us, but so we can trust our team. This is how we build culture in our teams. It is also important for leaders to focus on talent observation and notice where our team members can thrive.
When it comes to PERFORMANCE, the first task is to identify what progress needs to be made and what we should measure. On a more detailed note, leaders must be able to effectively communicate to each member what their individual progress looks like. As Hybels said, “It’s cruel to not let somebody under your leadership know how they are doing.”
Leaders must be conscious to the LEGACY they are leaving behind. What do you want people to remember of you once you leave? One thing he mentioned about legacy is that it is never too late to adjust your legacy. With a combination of humility and redirection, a poor leader can shift the direction of his/her legacy. This is an important lens because it affects the continuation of the culture of the team once there is a change in leadership.
#LiftAsYouClimb
