The late Noel Pinnock, who also was a contributing writer, penned this insightful piece regarding the makings of a leader in 2019. He detailed how he used those tools both personally and professionally deeming them invaluable in business and everyday life:
Leadership begins with you and success rests in the arms of those who you lead inspire, and
develop.” I express this with my team daily. When I serendipitously constructed this statement, I
did not truly realize its impact and cascading effects.
Productivity and morale increase when people possess ownership and it is this dynamic that drives organizational transformation, community buy-in, and personal success. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish a pre-determined objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Success can be defined in many ways.
According to the Merriam Dictionary, success is the achievement of something planned or attempted. Obtaining success is not an insurmountable task but it is intentional; it is not an enigma, but it is predicated by leadership.
Are leaders born? Well, this is a highly debated question because so many perspectives are floating around. Which of the following statements about leadership are true?
- Leaders are born with a natural ability to lead
- Leaders are individuals who have been assigned positions of authority
- The terms “leader” and “manager” essentially define the same role
If you answered ‘no’ to all the statements, then you are correct. Some believe that in order to be a leader and promote intentional success, the person must have genetic fortitude or work in a position of authority.
While others believe that individuals can be trained to function in a leadership capacity. Well, these perspectives are not very inaccurate because it is my personal belief that great leaders have an innate desire to selflessly serve as well as develop themselves on an ongoing basis to keep their saws sharpened.
As we approach a new tomorrow today, new and seasoned leaders need to be encouraged. When they arrive in new situations, they encounter many changes and undergo many changes themselves.
Encouragement helps them reach increased potential; it empowers them by giving them energy to continue when they make mistakes.
Use lots of positive reinforcement with your people to promote success. Don’t take acceptable work for granted; and thank people for it. Praise a person every time you see improvement. And personalize your encouragement any time you can. Remember, what motivates one person may leave another cold or even irritated. Find out what works with each of your people and use it.
UCLA basketball coach John Wooden told players who scored to give a smile, wink, or nod to the player who gave them a good pass. “What if he’s not looking?” asked a team member. Wooden replied, “I guarantee he’ll look.” Everyone values encouragement and looks for it – especially when his leader is a consistent encourager.
LEADERS LEAD BECAUSE THEY:
- Look at possibilities and visualize what might be;
- Elevate the expectations of those working with him or her;
- Activate commitment by defining the way; and
- Develop trust.
Are you looking to be a leader in your community, job, or home? If your response is yes, then there is not one formula to make the transition. Remember, the leader that positions him/herself too far in front of his/her troops begins to look more and more like the enemy, which means to be a leader you must have followers.
Followership is an elected function as people must elect to follow you and in return you must develop a bond of trust with those who share in your vision. Trust is a two-way street. A leader shows that he or she is willing to entrust part of the vision to others in order for them to carry it out (remember my coined phrase).
By empowering others to do their part, a leader earns their trust, and success is only inevitable.
So, how do you spell success? Well, my response is simple, L-E-A-D-E-R-S-H-I-P! Remember, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers {leaders} are few; therefore, pray to the Lord (God) of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest (Matthew 9:37-38 NIV).
The harvest is ready and there is much work to do! If you are leading, inspiring, informing, and educating, then keep up the good work but if you are not, then it
is never too late to start.
Remember there is no success without successors. Someone must be able to steward your vision and be able to carry the torch after you have left the scene. In fact, I believe, like the late Dr. Myles Munroe, that we have to make ourselves, as leaders, unnecessary and afford other opportunities to lead and move into position. Let’s face it readers…to be successful, one has to:
- Understand self (strengths and weaknesses)
- Learn and grow continuously
- Set clear expectations and execute
So, there you have it, who are you pouring into…in your organization, community, or home? This is the true question that must be answered when demystifying SUCCESS to achieve SUCCESS!
