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You Can Be a Leader
“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t want to go, but ought to be.” – Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady of the United States
God often calls young people to lead, and sometimes in the most unlikely circumstances. For instance, who recognized David as a leader? God did. And that’s all that mattered. David proved himself over and over to be the leader God said he was. What made David a leader? David believed in himself, and he answered God’s call.
There are several reasons why young people are called by God to lead:
- You speak best for and to your peers. When God chooses young people to lead their own generation, it is often because they communicate best with their peers because they share the same experiences and language.
- Your whole life is ahead of you. Some experts estimate that the average person influences at least 10,000 people during his lifetime. If a person begins to lead at a very young age, the number of people he can influence will be much higher.
- Doing the impossible! Young people are much more likely to believe in and go after the “impossible” than most older folks who have been hardened by the world. Young people see the opportunities that are ahead instead of the obstacles.
- You are enthusiastic and determined. Enthusiasm, idealism, focus, energy–these are all things young people can use to answer God’s call.
- You are unpolished and inexperienced. That may sound like a put down, but it’s not. The Bible says God is the potter and you are the clay. God wants to take you just as you are and make you into something wonderful.
Leader’s Prayer: I want to follow you, God, wherever You want me to go. I hear You calling my name, asking me to serve You as a leader. I am willing to answer Your call. Work through me, Lord, to make good things happen.
Stop and Take Notice
Whom does everybody look at when you try to decide what to do when your friends get together? Whom do others agree with when you argue over the rules of a game? Whose clothes does everyone want to copy? It’s the real leader whom people turn to—the one with influence. A leader looks the same in your Scout troop, your youth group, your classroom, or your team. The number of followers someone has will tell you whether or not that person is a leader. Consider the different levels of leadership:
1. Position
At the first level of leadership, you are in charge because you have been appointed to a leadership position. At this level, others follow you because they have to. You haven’t done anything to influence them to keep following you.
2. Permission
People follow because they want to, not because they have to. Before anyone follows you willingly, he must know you care about him as a person. People can tell right away if you’re insincere. You see, true leadership begins with the heart, not the head.
3. Production
Here, you make things happen. People follow you because you have influence. You’ve built a team. Your followers like you and what you’re doing, and together the whole bunch of you are working toward some really great goals.
You gain in influence the more humble you are. Giving of yourself and making sacrifices stretches your ability to influence others. Look around you to see who needs help.
Integrity: Wearing Yourself Inside Out
Integrity is the most important ingredient of leadership. Integrity means standing up for the values and morals you believe in, no matter what. A person with integrity is the same on the inside as on the outside. He is who he says he is, and he does what he says he’ll do.
If you have integrity, you will be consistent, and your beliefs will be mirrored by the way you act. There won’t be any difference between what you appear to be and who you really are—no matter how tough the situation.
Here’s the Trust Test:
- Are you the same person no matter whom you are with? Yes or No
- Do you make decisions that are best for others when another choice would be best for you? Yes or No
- Are you quick to recognize others for their efforts and contributions to your success? Yes or No
To earn trust, a leader must be true to what he or she is like on the inside. A trustworthy leader must be authentic. What are your values and beliefs? Write 3 words that best describe you.
Change: Moving On
When leaders force ideas on followers, the followers might avoid the change. A wise leader allows followers to contribute ideas and to be part of making decisions. Change means trying new things, and that can be scary. Fear makes some people avoid change.
Leaders have 2 characteristics: (1) They are going somewhere; and (2) They are able to persuade others to change and go with them.
A good leader will always admit when he or she is wrong. Watch how fast your followers run if you make a mistake and don’t admit it. A good leader appreciates the things followers do to help make change happen. And a great leader lets followers know how special and great they are.
We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.
How to Get It All Done
Two things many people find hard to do: (1) Thinking of things in order of importance; and (2) Doing things in order of importance.
To get through the maze of things that you have to do, you need to be organized. And to be organized, you have to do things on time.
All leaders have to spend time on leading, but good leaders know how to rely on their followers for help. Good leaders learn to ask others for help with smaller jobs so they aren’t overwhelmed by the entire project.
Before putting off until tomorrow something you can do today, study it. Maybe it’s something you won’t have to do at all!
The three “R’s” of Time Management:
- Required: What is required of me? What do I have to do that no one but me can do? Write three things that are required of you. A good leader learns to delegate, which means asking followers for help.
- Return: When you put your best effort into a project, what you get back is your return.
- Reward: If you love what you’re doing so much that you would gladly do it for nothing, then the great way you feel when you’re doing it is your reward.
Traps: “You can’t have it all.” Do you know why animal trainers carry a little chair when they go into a lion’s cage? The trainer holds it by the back and jabs the legs toward the face of the lion. When the poor lion tries to focus on all four legs at once, he can’t do it, and a “frozen” feeling comes over him. Whenever you get that frozen feeling, prioritize! Unfortunately, you may have to give up some things in order to do what’s most important.
What good things are you willing to give up for the best?
What to Do When Problems Come Your Way
A good test of a leader is his ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.
When you’re looking for the right people to help you understand a problem, don’t forget to include God. He’s the ultimate authority. Most problems aren’t what they first seem to be.
A good leader always involves her followers. A good leader is more like a coach than a King. A coach brings out the best in others, helping them to reach deep down inside and discover the best they can be. Good leaders involve their followers in decision-making and problem-solving. Remember that it’s important to make others feel they are part of the solution.
Self-Discipline: Exercising Your Willpower
Self-discipline, willpower, self-control—whatever you call it, get a grip on your life. If you can’t lead yourself, you can’t lead your followers. A self-disciplined leader knows how to stay focused and work toward achieving goals.
Sometimes self-discipline becomes the choice of achieving what you really want by doing things you don’t want to do.
Being organized is an important part of being self-disciplined. We’re all overwhelmed sometimes. But being organized helps avoid being overwhelmed. When you’re organized, you know what you need to do. You prioritize things in order of importance.
Responsibility: Be responsible:
- For who you are
- For what you can do—do it as well as you can—even if you’re not the leader
- For what you have received
- To those you lead
Role Model: I will:
- Live what I teach
- Do what I say
- Be honest with others
- Put what is best for others ahead of what is best for me.
Deciding what to be is more important than deciding what to do. Your character—the kind of person you are—will determine what kind of leader you will be in whatever career you choose.
What’s Your Attitude?
Proverbs 14:17 – A person who quickly loses his temper does foolish things. But a person with understanding remains calm.
A spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar. In other words, how people react to you has everything to do with your attitude. A good one brings people in; a bad one pushes people away. Attitude is more than appearance, talent, skill.
Great leaders understand the right attitude will set the right atmosphere, which enables the right response from followers. Your attitude determines how you handle your emotions. Notice I didn’t say your attitude determines how you feel. Your attitude can’t stop your feelings, but it can keep your feelings from stopping you.
The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails. God chooses what we go through. We choose how we go through it.
Reach for opportunities instead of excuses. Success is not an accident. It is something you work hard to achieve. Working hard means looking inside, seeing what’s there, and changing any problem thinking to right thinking.
Here’s a simple plan to help change wrong attitudes:
- Say the right words.
- Read the right books.
- Listen to the right CDs.
- Be with the right people.
- Do the right things.
- Pray the right prayer.
- Do the first thing every day, not only when you feel like it.
From Dreams to Reality
True leaders keep following their dreams—no matter what happens. So, take a look inside. Are you letting something stop you from dreaming big dreams?
God’s gift to you is your potential—your talents and abilities. Your gift back to God is what you do with your potential.
Success is:
- Knowing God and what He wants for you;
- Becoming as good as you can be; and
- Doing things that help others.
Great leaders explain their vision by “painting a picture”. Where you put the horizon shows people how big the dream can be. Your responsibility as the leader is to put plenty of sky into the picture. You want to encourage your followers to reach for the stars!
Put what’s important to your followers in your picture. Listen to what your team members have to say. Great leaders don’t work alone. They work with their team to accomplish great things.
Your Turn to Lead
Now, you’ve learned influence, integrity, change, priorities, problem-solving, willpower, and attitude.
If you remember these assumptions, you’ll make a lot of friends:
- Everyone wants to be valued. People need to feel important! It’s a leader’s job to make people feel valued.
- Everyone needs encouragement. Encouragement is like oxygen for the soul. Henry Ford said, “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” Every leader wants to bring out the best in people.
- Everyone needs a role model.
- People want to participate. Five biggest motivators that people want:
- To believe their contributions are valuable.
- To be a part of dream-making and planning.
- Recognition (this is a biggie.)
- Clear ideas of what they are expected to do.
- To know they can be successful.
Cutting remarks, even in jest, can hurt. A good leader knows when to be sensitive, even when having fun.
Great leaders make people their priority. They never appear preoccupied or in a hurry. Learn to be a good and caring listener. Remember—put people first!
If you want to be a great leader, give your team members opportunities to try new things and learn new skills. Don’t feel threatened by the achievements of others; instead, be supportive of their success.
Everyone wants to know how his contribution is making a difference. You can help with that by really knowing each person on your team: What things are they good at? What things aren’t they good at?
Leader is more than just a title. It’s who you are and how you choose to live your life. It’s setting a good example, reaching for your dreams, and having awesome relationships.
Maxwell finishes with an Old Chinese Poem:
Listen to people.
Be with them.
Love them.
Start with what they know.
Build on what they have.
And of the best leaders,
When their job is through,
And their work is done,
The people will say,
“We did it together!”