Growing In Leadership: the Pain of Exploring “Deep Waters”

Proverb

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”

A Thought

“What's it all about, Alfie?”

Burt Bacharach asked an important question in his Alfie lyrics: does his answer help the leader know, control and give her/himself as a leader?

Is the answer to purpose – to love?

Just what does it mean “to love” anyway?

If you live your life and you "can't get no satisfaction," then your personal insight to the question does matter: Is love something you are in? Or is it something you do? Is it a bundle of nice feelings or a set of refreshing behaviors?

If love is about you then, is it really love? Might be lust. If It’s all about you, it is not love!

What's it all about, Alfie?
Is it just for the moment we live?
What's it all about when you sort it out, Alfie?
Are we meant to take more than we give
or are we meant to be kind?
And if only fools are kind, Alfie,
then I guess it's wise to be cruel.
And if life belongs only to the strong, Alfie,
what will you lend on an old golden rule?
As sure as I believe there's a heaven above, Alfie,
I know there's something much more,
something even non-believers can believe in.
I believe in love, Alfie.
Without true love we just exist, Alfie.
Until you find the love you've missed you're nothing, Alfie.
When you walk let your heart lead the way
and you'll find love any day, Alfie, Alfie.

Wrestling with purpose is critical for the leader:

• Do you know why you are here?
  
• For what have you been created?
  
• How do you define your reason for being in this “moment we live?”

A Challenge

Have you taken the time to “sort it out?”

Lyrics copyright property of holder of that copyright: See http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/burt-bacharach-lyrics/alfie-lyrics.html

Copyright 2011 ©P. Griffith Lindell

No Shortcuts to Leadership

A Proverb
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

A Thought
The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

Shortcuts in life, and in business, are doomed to certain poverty. Do you believe that?

In our culture, diligence is out. Blatant self-promotion, even looking silly, is in.

Looking for the shortcuts has become the grist of reality TV and a way of American life. Planning has become confused with scheming, alliances, lying, quick decisions, "winning" at all costs.

Howard Shultz, founder of Starbucks, relates, “A phrase used by one of the most organized and successful companies I ever worked for….Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance!"

Planning, preparation, performance, prosperity - No short cuts in that list!


What defines your path to prosperity?



Copyright ©2011 by P. Griffith Lindell

1. Proverbs 21:5 (NLT)

Leaders Who Chase Success Chase the Wind.

A Proverb
"...most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind."1

A Thought

"Business success is good: personal significance is what matters."2

A History

Figure 1

Sometimes the pursuit of success gets in the way of achieving personal significance. This is not any kind of significance - I mean the kind of life that adds meaning to other’s lives, is a positive force with those we “touch” and gives energy and does not take energy from others.

You may be driven, in some subtle way, to achieve some sort of status - success. You behave in ways that will yield the recognition you consciously, or unconsciously seek.

Relationship-building people, unlike status-driven people, respond to different modes of behavior – behaviors that seek to serve others - significance. The concepts surrounding the principles of servant-leadership are based more on relationships (personal significance) than status (success), for example.

The “things” that hinder our progress on our journey to significance often are hidden simply because we don’t move with intentionality toward the kind of significance that adds meaning to others. Our culture stimulates our drive for success. Scriptural culture drives individuals to achieve humility – the ultimate in personal significance.


Which are your chasing?


Copyright © 2011, P. Griffith Lindell.
_______________________________________________
1 Eccl. 4:4

Figure 1 "significance." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 08 Mar. 2011.

2 Lindell, P. (2011). Struggling With Your Business? 10 Questions to Consider Before Investing A(nother) Dime. (pg. x). Woodburn, OR: Lindell Associates, LLC.

Leaders and Self-control

A Proverb
"A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls."

A common characteristic of failed leadership is a lack of self-control - a lack manifested in many ways: but most important among them is the blame game.

Taking full responsibility for our actions, learning from mistakes and using what you have been given to its full advantage are “walls” that will protect the leader.

Learn self-control by:

Curbing curiosity – everything is permitted, but not beneficial – explore carefully also evaluating impact

Checking pride and vanity – it’s not about you – it is always about them (customers, staff, suppliers, stakeholder of any kind!)

Containing anger and revenge – these drain you; and equally important, expressing them will not draw others to you

Confining personal ambition – When yours is palatable, it pushes people away – they will not follow.

Emptying yourself of destructive curiosity, vanity, revenge and self-centered ambition creates a void that is crying out to be filled: fill it with the God who created you. He will build strong walls to protect you. It is his indwelling that will grant you peace and safety as you learn to control self by giving control to their Creator.

Which of those four “Cs” do you need to work on?



Copyright © 2009-11 by P. Griffith Lindell