Have you ever heard of George Jetson? He was born on July 31, 2022. The cartoon show, The Jetsons, first aired in 1962 but was set in the future – 2062. Will we ever experience a Jetson society? Food for thought! The world is constantly changing, and technology is continually improving, but one common denominator still exists – leadership is very important!
As a leader, what is your Vision? If you don’t have a clear direction and vision, it won’t be easy to convince those around you to follow and listen to your thoughts and ideas.
The Golden Rule, Matthew 7:12 in the Bible – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, treat others as you want to be treated. Think about this message the next time you are driving in rush hour traffic, standing in a long line, or at that next youth sporting event. What is your attitude in situations that rile you up?
Chinese Proverbs – Inspirational Words of Wisdom:
If you want happiness for an hour – take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day – go fishing.
If you want happiness for a month – get married.
If you want happiness for a year – inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime – help others.
You help yourself by helping others. Leaders are helpers! As a leader, you should strive for self-improvement. People that are constantly improving prepare for that improvement; contemplate that improvement by slowing down, meditating, and listening; and apply what they have learned to become better.
People of character do what is right regardless of the situation.
Do you follow your dreams? You must set aside time to create the thoughts that lead to dreams. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you end up where you want to go?
Preparation may not guarantee a win, but it puts you in a position for the win! How prepared are you?
Are you a catalyst? When it is crunch time, do you want the ball, or are you the one that provides the assist? Both are hugely important and are needed to have a great team. All players on the team should strive for improvement. Look for a mentor to help you strive for that continual growth. This will push you to get out of your comfort zone and will push you to grow.
Real leaders are very passionate about what they do. Leaders go above and beyond helping those around them discover their passions. How do you lead others to discover their passions? Start by making them the focus of the conversation, rather than yourself. Once they are the focus, ask questions like, what do you sing about, what do you cry about, what do you dream about, etc. These questions will get them thinking and will be a constant relationship reminder for that leader to engage and grow their people.
Do you have leadership intuition? That intuition came from the combination of natural ability and learned skill. It is an informed intuition. It causes leadership issues to jump out. What others don’t see, leaders do see. Leaders become –
- readers of their resources – they understand how to utilize and leverage their people to attain goals,
- readers of trends – they understand changing conditions and sense when something is coming,
- readers of people – they read people and use their intuitive skills when managing, and
- they understand themselves, they look out for their strengths and weaknesses, and they address their blind spots.
Work on that leadership intuition and strengthen it to become that great leader.
Leaders understand when to talk and when to listen.
Integrity results from self-discipline, inner trust, and a decision to be relentlessly honest in all situations. As Billy Graham said, “Integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together. We must constantly strive to keep our integrity intact.” Leaders strive to have integrity in all circumstances and at all times.
Do you focus on the present/today, or do you focus on yesterday and dream about tomorrow? Focus on today to make tomorrow better. Focus on today and don’t dwell on what happened yesterday. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dream about what is to come or not reminisce on what has happened. It means to focus on today and accomplish what you can control in the present. You can’t change yesterday, and you can’t count on tomorrow.
The leader’s goal is to develop people around you to a point where they surpass your knowledge and ability. Are you adding value to your team and organization? Are you continually lifting and encouraging others? Is your mindset more on creating team victories, not producing individual stars? Your leadership goal is to develop a lifestyle of empowering leaders. Put others first to help accomplish that goal.
Is creating an image what you are attempting to do? Image is important, but integrity is what truly defines a person. Image promises much but produces little. Integrity never disappoints.