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Hi Everyone!

I went to Church tonight and we just started a class on “Leadership” that is AMAZING, and I thought I would share some of the things we discussed.  The class is taught by the lead Pastor of a congregation that runs over 10,000 people a week in worship service, and had 4300 in Sunday school last week.  Also a retired Air Force colonel with an extensive background in managing large corporations is involved as well.  The class has maybe 25 people in it, so I feel really fortunate to be so up close and personal with these great men!  Some of you may not consider yourself a “leader” but I assure you that we all are leaders if we impact the lives of other people by our actions.  A teacher helps raise other peoples kids, a mom and dad lead by example, so no matter your occupation, I hope this article helps trigger your thought process of “How can I lead better?”

Tonight’s lesson was “Purpose” meaning what is my purpose in life, Who Am I? and “Whose” Am I?  Think about the last question..Whose am I?  Most people when confronted with a situation instantly think, How will this effect me??  Thats the Who Am I person.  The Whose am I person will tend to ask the internal question when a situation arises of “How will this effect them, or how can I serve you?”  I struggled early in my career about my own needs, my own income, etc and what I’ve found over the years is when my focus shifts toward the needs of who am I talking to, the “salesy” aspect goes out the window. People don’t care what you know until they know that you care!

Your “Purpose/Mission” should be clear, and if you haven’t thought about it in a while, I invite you to revisit your Purpose.  Maybe life hasn’t gone how you wanted it too, or maybe its great…life is full of seasons and you can’t change them.  They always come, and we have to adapt our lives when they change.  3 keys they mentioned to being a good leader are:
#1 Choosing to Serve rather than be Served, putting others first and asking how can I serve you versus what’s in it for me.

#2  Belief in People- If you think every employee, child, person etc is lazy and stupid for example, thats exactly what you project outwardly and the exact response you will get from them!  Try to be a “good finder” by seeing the good qualities in people, and situations and internalize those beliefs!

#3 Humility and Confidence – Sure you’re the authority figure, but ask yourself if you like taking orders or working in a team environment?  Keep the word “I” out of your vocabulary so much…I did this, I did that, because people won’t follow “I”.  Try instead to publicly lift others up in front of their peers.  Write a note, a personalized note or a greeting card, to a loved one (spouse, parent, etc) and tell them what a great job Johnny or Susie is doing.  By going “above” them, the impact is 10 times greater.
A king sits on a throne and others sit in seats around them.  Try putting other people “in your seat”.  There is no I in TEAM and teams grow much faster than individuals.  Build an environment that consists of a true team that has a clear mission.

Speaking of mission and goals..write “B-SMART: Goals. Selecting the right goals is crucial, and being clear with a time stamp is necessary.  We can’t be all things to all people, so take what skills you have, passions, and work around that skill set.  If you can get better in an area, go for it!  Here is the B-Smart outline:

Balanced across multiple goals – 3-5 Critical Areas, Weight Loss, Health, Income, Family Time, Career Change, Etc Narrow the focus down and work towards the goal                                                                                                                            Specific – Be specific on what you want, and tell yourself often if not daily what you want.  Your subconscious is ALWAYS listening! I want $100K in the bank!
Measurable – How much weight do you want to lose? How much income? How many vacations do you want to take? Taking score is a key to believing you can get there!
Attainable – $1 million a year may sound like a stretch, 100 lbs lost might be too, start with an attainable goal and readjust once you’ve hit your attainable goal!
Results Focused – How will this change my life if I achieve it? Will I feel good about myself? Will my relationship with my kids be better? Start with the end in mind!
Timely – A goal without a time-stamp is a dream or a wish!  Give yourself a date to achieve your goal, and do little things DAILY to make them happen!

Whether you are a believer or not, we all have heard of this guy named Jesus, and its safe to say he was a pretty good leader!! He “recruited” 12 men to carry out his “vision” to the world, and those principles are still followed to this day.  2000+ years later, its clear he had a purpose and a mission to reach an entire universe and I think he succeeded!  He lived a life of serving others, saving others, being humble, and he paid the ultimate price for his followers.  Talk about being a “Servant” leader…WOW!

In closing I ask that you be clear, be focused, be trainable, and go out and lead the people in your life!  You never know who you might impact in a positive way by your actions, your kind words, and with the example of the person you are.  Strive to work on yourself, never stop believing in yourself, and I hope everyone has a great rest of your week! Take care…

Dean Ethridge