Fear Will Kill Leadership

If you are a leader or you wanna be a leader but you operate from fear, it will kill your leadership. You are not a credible leader and you have no business leading others. By definition fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Another definition says it is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; As a leader, confidence is your friend, fear is your enemy. Even if you are uncertain about the decisions you make, fear has to be squashed or people can’t follow you.

I have begun another year of working with potential leaders. Training them for full-time ministry. Each one of my students has the opportunity to be the student leader throughout the nine-month program. Many of these new, young leaders are afraid. I’m not sure they are afraid to lead as much as they are afraid to make a mistake. They want to get it right if for no reason but to avoid correction from me. Yet correction is good. Especially when you are being trained. There is no safer place for a novice leader than to have a teacher, trainer, coach to guide them through the speed bumps and train wrecks that often come when you are leading, whether you are a novice or not.

As I remember all that happened 10 years ago on September 11th, one thing was sure, the leadership in this country had resolve and determination that we as a nation could move on and that our enemies would be more fearful of us in the days to come than the fear they evoked in this nation. I am not sure about the fear we evoke in our enemies 10 years later, however I am hopeful for us as a country. I remember when nations feared America. They had a healthy respect for us when I was younger. I’m not so sure today – but I am hopeful.

As a leader the best options you have when fear creeps in – and it will – is to face it head on. Running from it or pretending it is not real for you, won’t save you. Facing your fear means acknowledging that you are afraid. Where and how you acknowledge it is important. Those you are leading should rarely see it, if ever. Trusted advisers and mentors are my recommendation. What ever you do, don’t push it down. Fear like many other strong emotions has a way of leaking out of us when we least expect it. So face it and then move forward. Action is a great equalizer and has a great way of helping you move past fear. Do something…, Make a decision…, but don’t sit in your fear and allow it to paralyze you.

I tell my students, “I would rather you make a wrong decision, than no decision.” Do something, say something even if it is the wrong something. If it doesn’t work, move on to the next thing. That is leadership. I don’t always have the right answer. I don’t always know what I should do in any given situation I find myself, however I am very good at assessing my options, engaging others to give me input so that I can make an informed decision and keep things moving.

Fear of Failure is a huge obstacle for leaders, whether you are a novice or a seasoned leader. Failure isn’t fun, but it is a great place to gain experience so that you become more effective in your leadership. If you are afraid to fail, you can’t lead. Failure is part of the leadership diet. You aren’t going to get it right all the time, however, you can gain a ton of experience that goes a long way when leading people. Inventor Roger Von Oech says “the benefits from failures are twofold: first, if you do fail, you learn what doesn’t work; and second, the failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach.”

For Novices or For Seasoned Leaders: When fear creeps in and you don’t know what to do – Take Action! Being paralyzed with fear will erode your credibility with those who are following you. Talk to a mentor or trusted adviser and then take action. If you stop moving because of fear it will be hard to begin again.

Lastly the Bible tells us that God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind. A sound mind is the key. Most fear is born in our minds, whether the fear is real or imagined – it hijacks us none the less. Get your head in the right place, develop a clear plan of “attack” and move forward! Enjoy your journey!

Politicians – Kids in the Sandbox?

As I have listened to the news over the last several weeks, I am disappointed as an American citizen. On many levels our immediate future hinges on a group of men and women in our nation’s capital playing nice in the sandbox of the Senate, the White House and the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, they have forgotten they are there to serve the people of this nation and not their political agenda.

The press conferences over recent days looks like children throwing sand at one another and there seems to be no adult supervision for either side to reset and begin to listen one another, to play together – to work together. We as a country, a great country I might add have lost something over the years. We have lost our patriotism. We have lost our ‘fight’, that innate thing that drives us as Americans to play to win, to live to win. Instead of ensuring the success of this nation, we have settled for infighting. It’s not about the success of a nation, it is about the success of individuals. It’s about being right rather than doing the right thing for this nation.

What happened to our elected officials serving the American people that elected them to their respective offices? What happened to working together for the good of this nation, for the union? The issues that we face as a nation concerning the debt is not a simple issue. It’s not. I am not sure how much of it I truly understand. But what I do know is that we can not allow the elected officials in this country determine our future because they can’t work together. We are better than that as a nation. This country was founded on unity – uniting for a common purpose. I am weary of the finger pointing that I see coming out of Washington, D.C. Where is the leadership?

Leadership is about serving, not about blaming.

Leadership is about accountability and ownership for the results we have in our organizations both good and bad. I don’t see ownership or accountability, I see men and women more concerned about what they want, rather than ensuring that the needs of this nation are met. It doesn’t matter who is right and who is wrong. It doesn’t matter whose idea it is, it only matters that we work together to handle the challenging issues facing this nation. It’s possible for kids that disagree to find peace in the sandbox. It takes choosing to share, choosing to listen, and choosing to play nice. If kids can find their way past their differences, how much more should the politicians in the greater sandbox of D.C. find their way to peace through learning to work together so that we can move forward in this nation?

Feedback for Leaders

Giving and receiving feedback is critical for the success of leaders. Many leaders enjoy giving others feedback, but they don’t always want to get it. Not receiving or not being willing to receive feedback can be a fatal mistake for leaders who want to excel. For new leaders or even seasoned leaders check yourself. How do you respond when people give you feedback. Do you bristle? Do you put up walls? Do you create a hostile environment or hostile workplace because of feedback you have been given? Do a pulse check and see what you do and how you respond.

For new leaders or novices: Be open to feedback. You will not grow beyond where you are today without hearing both positive and constructive feedback. One recommendation I would make to you as a novice, seek out the constructive feedback. Even the kind that hurts. Listen to the feedback and then decide what you are going to do about it. Don’t ignore it, but don’t be reactionary either. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Use it to grow! Process what is being said and determine how you can use the feedback to grow up and be a better leader.

For seasoned leaders: Be open. Don’t be quick to dismiss feedback you have received. What if what is being said is true? That is always the first question to ask yourself when you receive feedback. Is it true? Don’t judge or dismiss the person that gives the feedback. Move past that and assess what is being said. Once you identify whether it is true or false, decide what you are willing to do about it. You may not be willing to do anything about it, but don’t ignore it. If the feedback is consistent with what you have heard in the past, you may want to consider an action plan and begin to do some work. If it is not true or you have never heard it before, tuck it away. File it in your memory bank and move on. If it comes up again, consider what you are willing to do to deal with the feedback you are receiving.

Feedback is about growth. If you dismiss feedback because of who you are receiving the feedback from, you may miss an opportunity to stretch and grow. Stunted growth means you are regressing and eventually you will hinder forward progress! Think about it!

Leader’s in Training

Today I had the opportunity to meet with our Children’s Ministry Director about our Leader’s in Training (LIT) program. We will be teaching young people ages 10-12 about leadership. It will be an interactive, technology driven and hands on opportunity for young people to learn about leadership. They will also have opportunities to actually lead other young campers.

We seem to be deficient in leadership in this country. To have an opportunity to awaken leadership in the hearts of young people is exciting. The best part will be to see these young people blossom over the summer. My desire is to see them understand who they are and their eventual impact on those in their generation as they continue to grow up.

Are we leadership deficient in this country? I think so. Some key qualities missing from those in leadership positions today include integrity, vision, strong character. These are just a few qualities that need to be developed in our young LIT’s.

Thought For The Day! – “Spend Your Day!”

The day belongs to you and what you do with it will determine whether you were productive or not. For leaders, productivity is everything. Another word for productivity might be results. What did you set out to accomplish when you woke up today? Did you achieve those results? If not, you didn’t win the day.

Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.” By Carl Sandburg

As I sat with parents yesterday afternoon, one of them, a dad shared that he lost 40 pounds in one month! WOW! That is impressive. When I asked how he got those results, he began to share the price he paid to have those results. He said “no” to some food items that most of us eat without thinking, like breads and pastas. I don’t know about you, but I like both of those items. He is able to walk away from them and select fruits and vegetables for a season in order to get the results he wants to get. He also exercises a lot. Back when he was losing the 40 pounds he didn’t give himself options for walking. He went every day. When excuses rose up, he chose to push them aside and go walking anyway! That is determination to get results!

As aspiring leaders or even as seasoned leaders it can be easy to allow challenges, issues and even things we like, to get in our way of the results we say we want to have. I was challenged to hear the price this parent is willing to pay to have the results he wants for his health. He said to all of us a the table enjoying a pizza, “every meal is a battle and what you do (your choices) will determine whether you win.”

I believe that thought applies to choices and decisions that leaders make everyday. In your organization, even in your personal life. Your day belongs to you – at the end of the day did you get the results you intended to have when you began the day? If not, what got in your way of winning the battle for that day? Assess it, and make the adjustment and determine that tomorrow is a new day of opportunity and you get to win! Enjoy your day today!

Write The Vision And Make It Plain

As I begin my new journey here at Leaders in Training, I want to begin by clarifying my vision for this blog site. My purpose is to learn as much about leadership as I can. I want to share my journey, what I have learned as a leader, in hopes that some new leader or novice may learn from my mistakes, and my successes. I want to coach potential leaders, novices and seasoned leaders. That’s what I get to do everyday and I want to share what I do, what works, and what doesn’t work. I want to learn from my audience and I want to challenge potential leaders or “wanna be” leaders to step up and step out and begin to lead.

Leadership is a missing ingredient in this country today. We have people in positions of leadership, but where are they really taking us? I am not confident in our current leaders and we have another generation of people coming up that will one day lead this country. What will they use as a model for leadership? Who will they use as a mentor?

Vision by definition is the act or power of seeing. Unusual discernment or foresight. Seeing something before it is manifested in the natural realm. Great leaders have great vision. They see what they want to accomplish or where they want to go before they ever get there. Great leaders have vision and they can tell you about it. They can write it down and you will be able to begin to see life form out of the vision of a person.

As I sat in a meeting yesterday afternoon, I realized that our leader, our visionary declares his vision to us on a regular basis. He rehearses the vision with us, he gives us examples, he lives it and breathes it every day. Our responsibility as leaders in the organization is to grab the vision and run with it. Our responsibility is to rehearse the vision, live and breath the vision and share the vision with those who are following us.

As a leader if you have no vision, no one will follow you. Why? Because you can’t take them any where. It is as simple as that. With vision, you can run, knowing you have a destination, without it, you are stalled and the people are stalled and eventually they will find someone else to follow.

For new leaders or novices – check your vision. Can you see clearly where you need to take your team or organization? If it is not clear to you, how will they run? If you are not clear on the destination, stop and reassess. Take some time, a season, to be alone and get clear about where you need to lead people. Notice I didn’t say where you want to lead people. Your leadership, your vision must be connected to purpose and destiny.

For seasoned leaders - check to see if the troops are running with the vision. Is there a blueprint that they are following? Are they off track or on point? Has the vision been diluted by the cares of the day or the challenges you are facing? Write the vision and make it plain that your team may run with it. Go back and rehearse the vision, declare the vision, rewrite the vision, and live the vision!

Welcome

Welcome to Leaders in Training! This is my place and space for downloading my thoughts on leadership. I work with potential leaders and leaders everyday and I know there are things that come out of my mouth that help new leaders grow and develop into solid leaders. Hence the name Leaders in Training. My desire is to share nuggets on leadership that may assist the most effective leaders to the novice – the leaders in training.

You are welcome to ask questions, share your comments and thoughts and I absolutely love a healthy debate. Share your ideas and your experience as a leader. I believe we can learn from our successes and our failures, so if you are game, jump into the dialog and lets chat! I look forward to connecting with you on my journey to completing my book called Leaders in Training!