Oh, Duh!

If one’s leadership is not observable, then by what means does one’s leadership convey influence for others?  However, how many holding leadership roles attempt to lead without being transparent and observable.

Being observable in leadership is essential during difficult circumstances.  The ever insightful C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”  This latest COVID-19 pandemic has provided the servants of God with a great opportunity to be observable leaders. I am rejoicing as I see many of you so visible sharing love of God and neighbor via social media that respects social distancing.  

Being observable alone is not necessarily a good thing.  It must be accompanied by the behaviors that produce a desire, an inspiration, a motivation for someone to want to be a follower.  As a great leader, one who displays strong leadership, what are the key observable behaviors that are present? Being a good manager of projects and people likely make the list.  But equally important is the observable quality of caring for those you lead. The adage is quite true when it claims, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”  As the Apostle Paul writes, “…the greatest of these is love”, Jesus proclaims love is what dictates one’s obedience to his leadership in the Way, going so far as to say, “by this shall all men know you are my disciples if you have love one for another”, and the Apostle John quotes Jesus’ teaching saying, “love one another.”  Strong leadership, that is being a great leader, requires a balance between all the rock-solid things productive managers do bound together in the mortar of personal relationships.

Once I was in a senior position with an associate or assistant.  I am being somewhat secretive here to protect the identity of others.  For the first ten years I held that position I was in a financial straight, always having enough money to meet my financial obligations, but never enough for any frills for my family.  Personal choices and external circumstances in my life had created a situation requiring a quality cashflow without leaving room for appreciable profits because of much overhead. It was a trying time for me and only by the grace of God did I survive it.  Yet it was in that straight that my understanding of depending fully upon God for all my needs matured. At the end of that time, seemingly miraculously, God delivered me from my bondage. During that time, my associate was very kind to me. Having plenty of available financial resources and a gracious heart, luxuries I could not afford were provided at no cost to me with love and graciousness.  With a young family it kept my children from experiencing the tribulation I had created for myself financially. I am so grateful to God and to my associate. However, a few years later my associate experienced the same type challenge I had endured for those ten years. After two years of such trouble, my beloved associate said, “I would not have known how to face such challenges if I had not watched you for ten years and had not seen the Lord’s deliverance.”  Sure enough, in due time my associate was also delivered, and in all things, God is glorified.

You have heard me often share in Leadership Meetings with such common quotes as:

• “The best leader is an even better follower.”

• “Be transparent with those you lead.”

• “Share your successes, failures, and overcoming of obstacles with those you lead.”

• “Everyone is a leader.  The question is whether you will be great leader?”, Etc.

But the one I’m wanting you to remember now is when I’ve shared with you before, 

• “Leadership is simple, but it isn’t simplistic.  Leadership is complex, but it isn’t complicated.”  

The implication in that remark is there are rules, dynamics, characteristics, choices and behaviors that impact one’s leadership AND they can be learned, adopted, and applied in your leadership role.

• “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” – John Maxwell

Leadership is important for the success or failure of whatever it is you are doing that involves others.  You are in a leadership role or you would not be reading this piece. I encourage you to view life from your leader’s perspective and allow it to glorify God and bless others.  

There is nothing new in quality leadership.  This is an amazing thing. Regardless of religion, technology or the lack thereof, leadership stands and falls because of the same principles.  The laws and principles that governed leadership in millennia past governs leadership now and will govern leadership forever. Leadership is teachable, learnable, and applicable for anyone wanting to become a better leader.   So, it is time to give attention to those who have gone before us. Starting with the most recent articles I’ve read and then onto the beautiful works of others over many years in leadership.

With leadership being observable, one might ask, “are there any commonalities to successful leadership?  Could one discover those commonalities and duplicate them for better leadership quality producing higher percentages of success?”

Published in the March 2019 issue of amp: Arkansas, Money, and Politics online magazine, Dr. Jeff Standridge wrote an article “Leadership Drives Success” dated February 27, 2019.  He immediately followed that with another article “Effective Leadership Requires a Delicate Balance” dated March 25, 2019, and it was published in the April issue of the same magazine.  In the introduction of that second article he makes some observations and claims.

“The outcome of our own research, combined with the research of those that had gone before us, created an epiphany of sorts that began to solidify a simple, yet profound, model of personal and interpersonal leadership.  This model, when understood and consistently applied, resulted in meaningful and sustained success – whether serving as an individual contributor, a leader of small teams, or a leader of large organizations.”

“What has become clearly obvious, from years of personal experience and observation, validated by multiple researchers, authors and experts … and left unsaid (or at least unclarified) by most, is that sustained individual and leadership success requires a delicate balance between two very specific domains – results and relationships. Effective leaders, as well as effective individual contributors must maintain a delicate balance between the consistent delivery of results (things) and the consistent and deliberate development of strong relationship with those who help sustain those results (self & others). This led me to a critical discovery in my own understanding of leadership – which is that effective leadership requires a delicate balance, a balance between results and relationships. Refusal to understand and honor this balance will result in failure.”

“At the end of the day, high performance leadership requires balance between the ability to manage things and lead people, including the ability to lead oneself. It is this reality that forms the foundation of truly effective leadership – the kind of leadership where high performance is sustained over a long period of time due to the proper balancing of results with relationships. More simply put, it is the form of leadership that produces results day after day after day, while building and maintaining strong, trust-based foundations of influence and relationship along the way. And that, my friends, is the rest of the story – leadership drives success, but effective leadership requires a delicate balance.” 

You can read more here: https://armoneyandpolitics.com/effective-leadership-balance/

In Dr. Jeff Standridge’s first article “Leadership Drives Success” he says, “Over the years, I’ve come up with a solid definition for leadership. Admittedly, I’ve begged, borrowed and stolen pieces for this definition from multiple people, including Brian Tracy to Stephen Covey and others.” 

“That definition is as follows: Leadership is the most important requirement for personal or business success. To define it simply, it is the willingness to be held accountable for results, and then to deliver on that responsibility, no matter what the external situation, circumstances or pressures.”

“There’s a lot in that definition. First of all, it’s a requirement. No matter what your role or level in an organization, to be successful, requires personal leadership Over the years, I’ve had numerous young professionals come to me for guidance and advice. Often, they echoed the same statement, “I want to be a leader.” To which I would reply, “Then go be one.” Leadership is not about position or rank or title. Leadership is about behavior. It is what one does!”

“Secondly, true Leadership requires a “willingness to be held accountable for results.” That requires an act of submission. It means that real leaders are willing to become vulnerable. They don’t expect others to do something they’re not willing to do themselves. True leaders are willing to be weak, so that others can be strong.”

“Thirdly, real Leaders have integrity. When I was in the medical field, I came to better understand the real meaning of that word. Integrity literally has to do with being “whole.” When the skin or a bone has a loss of integrity, it is broken. When something has disintegrated, it literally breaks apart. When something is integrated, it is brought together. When we have integrity, we are whole and when we do not, we are broken … plain and simple.”

You can read more here: https://armoneyandpolitics.com/leadership-drives-success/

Use of the whipping stick for correction and the carrot stick for enticement are rare in top-level leadership.  Instead, the power of leadership done well creates an intrinsic motivation for others to be influenced by the leader regardless of that person’s rank, position, title or pedigree.  One’s leadership usually is found in the balance of productivity and relationship.

If you do not yet hold a title, position, or office that demands respect as a leader, it is totally irrelevant for your leadership development.  Begin right where you are to become the leader God has commissioned you to be. No office, title, or position outside of being a disciple of Jesus Christ is required.  When you demonstrate observable behavior that includes positive RESULTS and genuine RELATIONSHIP, people will line up to follow you and experience the same in their life.  As a believer, you have but one Master and his name is Jesus the Christ. As a believer, you are called to serve God and humanity. I think Dr. Jeff Standridge has captured well the dynamic for the magnetism of quality leadership.  

There is another adage that says something like, “the wise learn from others, the intelligent learn from experience, and the fool never learns.”  That is especially true of personal leadership development. Yes, there are leaders who learned leadership heuristically. In fact, most leaders have at least a part of their development secured in heuristic processes through a myriad of experiences.  However, a student of leadership will likely develop to greater heights and in a shorter length of time than a leader who refuses to be a student. A leader refusing to be a student is almost an oxymoron and a great leader is always a student for the entirety of his or her days.

Enjoy your leadership, be strengthened by its challenges, and above all glorify God and serve others in your leadership.  You were created to be a great leader. You will succeed if you submit to the fundamentals of leadership. Don’t wait for an office to flex your leadership muscles.  Begin serving God and others openly now and your leadership will speak for itself. Be strong and courageous in Christ, dear friends. Use every obstacle, barrier, hardship, and tribulation to glorify God, serve those needing to be served, and fulfilling your personal God given commission.  Be a ministry partner with others who share your conviction of vision, purpose, and mission. Learn from those who have gone before you. They shared leadership truths so you would not have to follow the longer path they followed to reach greater heights. Honor them by learning, adapting, and applying the wisdom of their work.

Well, okay, now I’ve just gotten preachy.  But my heart is encouraged to see you develop into all God desires for you to be.  I expect to see the soles of your feet on the ladder of successful leadership. I am here to serve God and you in facilitating your success.  Be strong and go far for our King and Master as you Focus on Jesus and Follow His Plan.