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Are you a busy leader? I was, but now I’m not so sure I want to be. The busy leader can be too busy to have a complete thought, plan, have margin for the unexpected, make themselves available to those who need them, listen to others or even take deep breaths.
Where are you a leader? Consider printing these 10 statements and take inventory of your leadership life as you rate yourself on a scale from one to 10, with 10 being excellent for each roleyou fill.
1. You often evaluate how you’re doing. ____
Do you take the opportunity to regularly get feedback on how you are doing? Do you belong to a peer group that challenges you?
John Maxwell once said, he asks someone once a day, “What it is you need to tell me that I need to hear today?” You are not a good leader if you assume all is good and ignore opportunities to hear constructive criticism.
2. You believe you are not the smartest one in your organization/board/team. ____
A good leader certainly needs to be smart. It is a great advantage for a leader to be able to keep up with the intellectual demands of the job.
However, you are not a good leader if you think you must be or are the smartest one on your team or in your company. Only hiring those you feel are not as smart as you will cause you to miss out on a wealth of ideas and synergy (Proverbs 20:18).
3. You initiate projects/change/ideas. ____
Many leaders simply maintain the status quo; strong leaders initiate action. Great leaders also follow through with the initiatives they’ve developed, even if their persistence in achieving those goals comes off as tenacious or determined.
4. You are growing and developing your knowledge and skills. ____
I believe in the saying, “leaders are readers.” As technology and culture rapidly changes, a leader needs to keep pace with the change. Good leaders can learn new things from reading history, biographies and even fiction.
Obviously, there are also vast numbers of books and blogs targeted at leadership. You’re not a good leader if you leave the learning to others (Proverbs 15:14).
5. You communicate, consistently, thoroughly and effectively. ____
Whether it is spreading the team’s mission and vision or taking advantage of a coaching moment, communication from a leader is critical. A good leader knows this and spends time making sure there is clear communication.
You are not a good leader if you use email as your main form of communication. Even if your team is scattered all over the world, there are much better options than email to make sure body language and tone are correctly conveyed (Proverbs 15:23; 16:15).
6. You want to be an employee in your own company/board/team. ____
A good leader has built his/her team on integrity, excellence, teamwork, a learning attitude and healthy values. Which mean this leader would not mind working in that environment as an employee.
You are not a good leader if you have used other methods to build your team. Whether it is intimidation, secrecy or micromanagement, these methods would not be acceptable to you if the roles were reversed and you had to work in that same environment as the employee (Matthew 18:23-35).
7. People ask for your advice. ____
A good leader is a learner, open-minded and a great listener. As a result, people naturally gravitate to him/her for advice.
On the contrary, you may be critical, unapproachable or refuse to listen. In these cases, people will seek wisdom and advice elsewhere (Proverbs 13:14; 14:7).
8. Your team knows your vision for the company/organization. ____
Great leaders have a vision and share it.
A good leader knows that she cannot hold her vision for the company close to the vest. She knows she needs other DNA carriers spreading the vision. Therefore a good leader over-communicates the vision and reinforces it with policy and process decisions.
You are not a good leader if your team cannot describe in detail your vision for the company. You have not done your job if they cannot recount how they are personally responsible for carrying out that vision in their particular job. Quit protecting it and get it out there (Nehemiah 2:11-18).
9. You are more interested in the success of your team than yourself. ____
A good leader knows that he can get anything he wants in life if he will just help enough other people get what they want (Zig Ziglar). A good leader seeks to remove obstacles so his team can be more productive.
You are not a good leader if you think someone has to lose in order for you to win. You are missing out on tremendous fulfillment when you love yourself first and foremost (Proverbs 11:24-25).
10. You are following the right leader. ____
A good leader knows they are not the highest authority. By using the Bible as a guide for leadership, they make sure to operate within what the Creator intended.
You are not a great leader if you are following anything or anyone other than God. Sure, you can learn from other godly leaders, but by relying on them you invite disappointment. Put your trust in the only One worthy of your full trust.
Which of these resulted in low scores? Choose one or two and set a goal or next-step commitment. Then, find a small group, mentor or Christian coach to hold you accountable in these leadership roles.
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan” (Proverbs 29:2, NKJV).
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Have you ever felt the pull to full-time ministry work as a missionary or pastor? If not, you can still make a Kingdom impact without quitting your current job. In this eBook, you will learn the four essentials that can change your perspective of work, your workplace, and most importantly, your heart.
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