October 7, 2010

Five Steps to Leadership Success

Becoming a skillful leader can be a daunting task. You know where you want to go but have no idea how to get there. Here are five steps you can take to move your leadership to the next level today:

1. Focus on developing your character.
So many leaders focus on their competence, but neglect their character. Proverbs 10:9 (NIV) says, "The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.” Your character will either protect or pollute your leadership. A character problem will infect everything you touch. It’s something that skill can only cover for a short time. Eventually, it will be found out and will come through loud and clear. If you cannot be trusted, you will not be followed.

When you make a wrong choice (and you will), the last thing you want is a reputation for lacking strong character. If people question your heart or your motives, those types of issues are almost impossible to recover from. Focus on developing humility and being a person of integrity. From those two qualities, everything else will fall into place.

2. Be honest about your weaknesses. (And yes, you have them.) You are not God’s gift to leadership. There, I said it. We all have weaknesses. You know what else? The people that follow you know them better than you do. Becoming a more skillful leader means identifying the areas that you need to grow in. Be honest with those that have to directly follow you, and — here’s the hard part — ask them what you may be missing. What we identify as our primary weaknesses may not be the same as what others see in us.

It’s part of our nature to think that we are more skillful, productive, efficient, and effective than we actually are. Take the blame for your mistakes, don’t shift it.

“Risking the appearance of weakness takes strength.”

- Seth Godin, author and wildly popular blogger, in a recent post.

I’ve found that people are more inclined to follow a leader, in spite of their weaknesses, when the leader is honest in identifying and strengthening those areas.

3. Take personal responsibility for your growth and development.
Hebrews 5:12-14 (NLT):

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. [emphasis added]

Even though they had been believers for some time, this particular group of people were still spiritual infants, still trying to grasp elementary concepts. Why? Because there was no growth. They hadn’t committed themselves to maturing. They needed someone to come back and teach them the “basic things” again. As such, they were unable to step into the role of leading someone else along the same journey of understanding God’s word. They were unable to lead because they were not growing.

The same is true for us. We are expected to grow and it’s our responsibility to make sure that growth is taking place. Don’t sit around waiting for the right resources or information to come to you. Be proactive, and seek them out!

4. Invest in people. Get off your high horse.
By nature, I am not a people person. I’m an introvert. It’s often difficult for me to come outside of my shell and talk with people. As a leader, I have to put my personal preferences aside. Your genuine investment people will yield immeasurable returns. Especially in the context of spiritual leadership, it is vital that people know that you sincerely care for and love them. If you don’t, you shouldn’t be leading them.

A call to leadership is a calling to servant-hood. Find ways to serve people in ways that are outside of the normal scope of your interaction with them. Appreciate their contributions. Commit to developing them. Don’t walk past them, stop and talk to them. Pray with and for them. Love them. They deserve it.

5. Find a trustworthy, experienced leader that can mentor you.
All of this stuff is exceptionally difficult to navigate on your own. Having a mentor is a key to your success as a leader. It helps to have someone that has been where you are and can offer suggestions to guide you. When cultivated, a mentor relationship will provide accountability and balance to your life and your leadership. Be sure you meet regularly, and the time together is transparent. This is not a time to save face, it’s a time to grow!

If you don’t have one now, pray and ask God to show you. Though it sounds trite, I prayed for a long time before God brought the exact person into my life that I needed in that role. Don’t rush into this, take the time to find the right person.

These are five simple ways to improve your skill as a leader. Be intentional about putting them into practice, and you will see immediate results and prolonged success!

What about you? Are there other things would you add to this list? What has been of value to you on your journey?