leadership development – Page 15 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Leadership In a Word: Legacy

Posted February 22, 2018
by dougdickerson

The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith. – Billy Graham

A word about legacy

The world was saddened to hear the recent news of the passing of Rev. Billy Graham. His life and ministry were one of selfless service to the world.

If you were to look back on the landscape of history the past one hundred years or so and point to leaders who have made a lasting impact for good upon the world, Billy Graham would most certainly be on the short list of those people.

In a world filled with so much division and strife, his passing is a reminder to us of a better way.

Ours is a culture that in many ways has forgotten what selfless service, love, grace, and forgiveness is about. The opening sentence in Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life crystallizes the point that must be made, “It’s not about you.” Yet, too often our lives and actions say otherwise.

The legacy of Billy Graham is not one of just numerical measurements. Yet, a report I read said he conducted 417 crusades around the world. The impact of those crusades will only be known in eternity.

The legacy of Billy Graham will be marked by a life lived in obedience to God’s calling and his selfless service to others. His life modeled servant leadership. It was a life well lived.

What about you? Your life and legacy as a leader may not rise to the scope and reach of Billy Graham, but your service matters.

It matters to the people you serve in your community.

It matters to the children you foster in your home.

It matters to the people you serve in your local soup kitchen.

It matters to the colleague you work alongside who needs your encouragement.

It matters not so much in the big things we do but in the small.

How you will be remembered tomorrow is created by the random acts of kindness that you do today. Your legacy is a choice. Today matters.

Legacy quotes

“God has given us two hands – one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.” – Billy Graham

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” – Shannon L. Alder

“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” – Benjamin Franklin

“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” – William James

A final word

I am thankful that I can say I was able to attend a Billy Graham crusade in my lifetime. His life and legacy will always be remembered. He set the bar high as it relates to living a life of service to others. I am glad he did. The world is a better place for it.

What legacy are you preparing?

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Leadership In a Word: Doubts

Posted February 15, 2018
by dougdickerson

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Word study

Verb

To be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe
To distrust
Archaic. To fear; be apprehensive about

Source: Dictionary.com

A word about doubts

Doubts. It’s a confession that many leaders are not willing to own up to. But if you hang around in leadership for any length of time you will have your fill of doubts. I know I have.

I am reminded of a story from Bits & Pieces some years ago about Lord Halifax, a former foreign secretary of Great Britain, once shared a railway compartment with two prim-looking spinsters. A few moments before reaching his destination the train passed through a tunnel. In the utter darkness, Halifax kissed the back of his hand noisily several times. When the train drew into the station, he rose, lifted his hat, and in a gentlemanly way said:

“May I thank whichever one of you two ladies I am indebted to for the charming incident in the tunnel.” He then beat a hasty retreat, leaving the two ladies glaring at each other.

That amusing little story subtly reminds us that our own self-doubts have a way of glaring back at us from time to time. But what tends to be the source of our doubts? There are perhaps numerous reasons why we tend to have our doubts as it pertains to our personal leadership and confidences we should have. But here are three common ones.

We have doubts when we listen to our critics

If we spend too much time entertaining the voices of our critics we can unwittingly position ourselves for disappointment. This happens not because the critic is right but because we allow those opposing voices to linger.

Mindset author Carole S. Dweck said, “Why waste time proving over and over how great you are, when you could be getting better?”. It’s when you change your mindset that you erase the doubts of your critics and most important – yourself.

We have doubts when we have the wrong attitude

The day you own our attitude is the day you begin to tear down the destructive force of your doubts. Zig Ziglar was right when he said. “Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.” You can’t expect to grow as a leader and reach your full potential so long as negative attitudes fill your mind.

Take a moment, right now, for some intentional reflection. If your current attitude/mindset was set like a thermostat for the rest of the year, do you think you could confidently look back a year from now and believe in your heart that you would be better off at that time? How do you think your attitude impacts those around you? What needs to change?

We have doubts that serve a greater purpose

We have to be ever-mindful and vigilant about the messages and voices we entertain and the mindset we develop. It’s an intuition skill that we develop over time.

But not every doubt serves a negative purpose and not every critic is wrong. This is where, as leaders, we must listen with a discerning ear.

As a leader, don’t mistake constructive criticism from a friend or peer as a critic out to harm you. Trusted confidants who are able to speak truth into your life are essential to your leadership growth. How you receive the truth along with how you apply it, will make all the difference to you going forward.

Not every doubt is your enemy; not every praise your friend. As a leader, you must know the difference.

Doubt quotes

“Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality”. – Ralph Marston

“Face your fears and doubts, and new worlds open to you”. – Robert Kiyosaki

“I think you’re not a human being unless you have doubts and fears.” – Mike Krzyzewski

“Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn’t be done.” – Amelia Earhart

A final word

If you have doubts as a leader from time to time welcome to the club. We all do. Never allow your doubts to get in the way of your destiny. You are stronger than you think. You are not the sum of your fears. Turn your doubts into stepping stones on your way to achieving your dreams and fulfilling your destiny.

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Leadership In a Word: Mentors

Posted February 1, 2018
by dougdickerson

Seek out counsel and be a mentor to people, because they learn how to be mentors. – Cathy Engelbert

Word study

: a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son Telemachus

2a : a trusted counselor or guide

a mentor who, because he is detached and disinterested, can hold up a mirror to us
—P. W. Keve

b : tutor, coach

The student sought a mentor in chemistry.
Source: Merriam-Webster

A word about mentors

Long before John Maxwell, Jim Collins, Andy Stanley, Simon Sinek, Patrick Lencioni and many others who have inspired me on my leadership journey; there was Dr. Tom Wilson.

It was in Dr. Wilson’s organizational behavior and leadership class at Southeastern University more than thirty years where the flame and passion for leadership was ignited in me.

We bonded quick and shared a passion for reading. We’d exchange books and talk about them. He was a challenging professor but caring. He inspired and prodded us to become our best and did it in a way that if he said we were going to charge hell with squirt guns we’d all sign up and do it.

But most of all, he was a mentor. And for that, I will forever be grateful. With great sadness, I’ve learned of his recent passing. He will be remembered fondly and missed greatly.

As I reflect on what Dr. Wilson meant to me personally, I can’t help but think of the impact and importance each of us has for mentors in our lives.After more than thirty years removed from his classes and more than a few gray hairs now, I am more intentional about the impact I can have in the lives of others.

Writing the Harvard Business Review, Jack Zenger addresses the critical need for leadership training at an earlier age. HIs research shows that the average age of supervisors entering leadership training is 42. However, the average age of supervisors is 33. Simply put, we are waiting much too long to equip them with the leadership skills needed to succeed.

The simple truth is this – we need mentors who can impart their wisdom and knowledge on to us. As leaders, we never stop learning and we must never stop growing. Mentors can speak truth into our lives and help us keep a healthy perspective.

My purpose – my why is about developing, inspiring, and mentoring as many leaders as I can. That passion, in large part, was because one professor cared enough to pour into the lives of his students in ways he probably never realized.

Thank you, Dr. Wilson and Godspeed.

Mentoring quotes

“ The best way a mentor can prepare another leader is to expose him or her to other great people”. – John Maxwell

“Colleagues are a wonderful thing, but mentors, that’s where the real work gets done”. – Junot Diaz

“The delicate act of mentoring is someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”. – Steven Spielberg

“My best mentor is a mechanic- and he never left the sixth grade. By any competency measure, he doesn’t have it. But the perspective he brings to me and my life is, bar none, the most helpful.” – Brendon Burchard

A final word

Being a mentor is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Be it in your house of worship, community, company, or otherwise enriching the life of a child – mentoring is one of the greatest acts of leadership and service.

*Note: Leadership In A Word is my writing theme for 2018. Each week the focus will be on a word that impacts you as a leader. My style is new but my message and commitment to delivering fresh leadership insight to you are the same. It’s my sincere desire to help you grow as a leader and to partner with you in reaching your full potential.

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Leadership In a Word: Humility

Posted January 25, 2018
by dougdickerson

Have the humility to learn from those around you. – John Maxwell

Word Study

Humility means “the state of being humble.” Both it and humble have their origin in the Latin word humilis, meaning “low.”
Humble can be used to describe what is ranked low by others, as in “persons of humble origins.” People also use the word of themselves and things associated with themselves; if you describe yourself as “but a humble editor” or refer to your home as your “humble abode,” you are saying that neither you nor your home is very impressive.
Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

A word about humility

In the sometimes rough and tumble world of leadership humility is not necessarily word that would describe the temperament needed in the face of adversity and tough decision making.

But I’d like to submit that humility is exactly what’s needed and in fact is the missing secret sauce in leadership.

In his book, My Years With Winston Churchill, Norman McGowan writes:

Winston Churchill was once asked, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?” “It’s quite flattering,” replied Sir Winston. “But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big.”

Churchill, the powerful Prime Minister of Great Britain during a most turbulent time in world history, kept a proper perspective of himself and didn’t allow an over inflated ego cloud his judgment as a leader.

As a leader, there’s nothing wrong with being confident and sure of your abilities. The people you lead need solid, sound, and secure leaders at the helm.

But what is the tipping point when your leadership resembles arrogance, pride, egotism, self-importance, and pretentiousness more than humility?

Perhaps it’s time for some honest self-assessment and reflection. Better yet, why not put your cards on the table with your inner circle and allow them to speak truthfully to you about what they observe?

Humility in leadership is the understanding that it’s not about you or me, that the pathway to greatness is found through serving, and that the old adage is as true as it’s ever been – pride goes before the fall.

Humility quotes

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less”- Rick Warren

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” – Jesus, Mark 10:43

“What humility does for one is it reminds us that there are people before me.” – Maya Angelou

“With pride, there are many curses. With humility there come many blessings.” – Ezra Taft Benson

“If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know who you are.” – Mother Teresa

A final word

The world is looking for strong leaders. But the often overlooked characteristic of strong leaders are those who are comfortable enough in their own skin to lead with humility.

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Four Leadership Lessons from Ebenezer Scrooge

Posted December 18, 2017
by dougdickerson

Hello, Ebenezer, I’ve been waiting here for you… – The Ghost of Jacob Marley

Listen to most any radio station and you will hear the Christmas Carols. The stores are decorated and the bells are ringing. Yes, Christmas is upon us. Are you ready? Are you in the Christmas spirit?

The festivities and good cheer can bring out the best in people. It’s a time to reflect, give thanks, and give back.

But it’s also a time to look back on another year before it closes out and reflect upon your progression as a leader and to make plans for your growth and development going into the New Year. With the help of one such literary character of Christmas, we will learn some lessons of leadership that can help you all year.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a favorite for many. It’s a timeless story that has entertained for generations. But let’s not overlook the leadership lessons that can be found in the story. Here are four.

Epiphany’s happen for a reason

As Scrooge was preparing for bed he was visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley. Marley shows Scrooge the fate that had befallen him due to the way he abused the poor and hoarded his wealth. Marley’s fate was now to walk the earthbound in the chains of his own greed. Marley explains to Scrooge that this too would be his fate if he did not change his ways.

There comes a time in the life of every leader that you must take stock of who you are, where you are, and re-connect with your purpose in life. Your epiphany can be a wake-up call to make some major changes in your life or it can be to reaffirm the course you are on. But regardless, pay attention and heed the warnings.

Not everything that glitters is gold

The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge on a stroll down memory lane from his time as a young man. He is seen enjoying a Christmas party given by his boss Mr. Fezziwig. But things take a foretelling turn when the ghost shows him a Christmas in which his fiancée, Belle, leaves him because she realizes he cares more about money than her. He then sees Belle several years later on Christmas Eve happily married to another man.

Scrooge was blinded by his love for money and by his greed. It became his identity. It was more important to him than relationships. In leadership the bottom line is not money; it’s people. Don’t mistake your money for power or your influence for integrity. They are not the same. When you are right on the issue of people and relationships everything else will eventually take care of itself.

Words matter

The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge the festivities of London as well as a sickly Tiny Tim, Cratchit’s son. Upon expressing his concern for the boy, the ghost informs him that he will die unless something changes. The ghost uses Scrooge’s words about “decreasing the surplus population” against him. Presented with two more sick children to see, again, his own words, “Are there no prisons, no workhouses?” come back to haunt him.

As leaders, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and say things that we wish we could take back. I’ve spoken my fair share. How about you? Perhaps it’s time to learn how to pause a few seconds longer before speaking the first thing that comes to mind. How about a more kind and thoughtful approach? Make no mistake – words matter. And you can do a lot less damage with your mouth closed.

It’s never too late to change

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge Christmas Day one year later where Tiny Tim has died just as the previous spirit predicted he would. Then the ghost shows Scrooge scenes of the death of a “wretched man” and how some people make fun of him and are even relieved that he is dead. The ghost then shows Scrooge the tombstone- and it bears his name. Scrooge weeps over his grave and begs for another chance before awakening to find that it’s Christmas Day. A remorseful Scrooge repents and becomes a generous man. He visits Fred, gives Cratchit a raise, and takes Tiny Tim under his wings.

To be sure, leaders are human and come with many flaws. But the story of Ebenezer Scrooge is a reminder about the importance of generosity, the value of relationships, and what matters most in life. It’s a reminder about the importance our lives moving in the direction of redemption.

*I wrote this article several years ago. I bring it back each year as a reminder to not be a Scrooge!

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Leadership And The Art of Change

Posted December 10, 2017
by dougdickerson

Life is a long process of getting used to things you started out to change. – Frank A. Clark

As the story goes, it was on June 4, 1783, at the market square of a French village of Annonay, not far from Paris, that a smoky bonfire on a raised platform was fed by wet straw and old wool rages. Tethered above, straining its lines was a huge taffeta bag 33 feet in diameter. In the presence of “a respectable assembly and a great many other people,” and accompanied by great cheering, the balloon was cut from its moorings and set free to rise majestically into the noon sky.

Six thousand feet in the air it went—the first public ascent of a balloon, the first step in the history of human flight. It came to earth several miles away in a field, where it was promptly attacked by pitchfork-waving peasants and torn to pieces as an instrument of evil.

From the earliest days of man, change has been a difficult proposition. We are creatures of comfort and creatures of habit. Shake up the apple cart and you will have a fight on your hands; especially if you are a leader. Take the workplace for example. In a recent survey commissioned by talent management firm Plateau and conducted by Harris Interactive, finds that 74% of workers-satisfied or not- would consider leaving if approached with another offer. In other words, change is always in the air – yes, even at your office.

Steven Covey said, “There are three constants in life; change, choice, and principles.” And as a leader how you integrate those truths is an important part of your leadership style. Here are three insights about change that will challenge the way you think about it and how it can help you as a leader.

The change we want – looks outward. In leadership when we think about the changes we want it usually has something to do with someone else. Our grumblings often center on what someone at the office is doing; or not doing, that frustrates us. People are not performing at the level you want, there is too much in-fighting or office politics, performance goals are not being met, etc.

The change you want is the frustration of your leadership. It is frustrating because it has you focused on things at the margins that steal quality time in terms of productivity. All you know is that you are frustrated and something has to change. And unfortunately, creating change out of frustration tends to lead to unhealthy choices regarding change and does not help you in the long term.

The change we need – looks inward. One of the hardest things for a leader to do is to look inward with a critical eye. The British politician Nancy Astor said, “The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything or nothing.” And so long as you want to change everything else but remain unwilling to change yourself it will remain an encumbrance on your leadership.

The change you need is the necessity of your leadership. It is when you honestly evaluate your strengths and weaknesses; your blind spots and attitudes that inward change begins. Improvement will only happen when you look honestly in the mirror and make the changes you need to make before expecting them from others. But it’s when you are transparent, ask for feedback, and demonstrate humility that you can begin to create a culture of change in your organization. And the day you learn to let go of the things you can’t change in other people is the day you let go of many of your frustrations as a leader.

The change we celebrate – looks upward. Max Depree said, “In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to by remaining what we are.” In leadership, the goal is not to sit back and rest in our comfort zones. We should constantly be striving to become what we need by embracing that which we must. Change is a constant and we must welcome it and be open to it if we are to grow.

The change you celebrate is the blessing of your leadership. It is a blessing when you forget about trying to change other people and change yourself. It is a blessing when you embrace your calling and purpose as a leader and fulfill your destiny not because you resisted change but because you dared to welcome it.

Bonus Feature: Click on the link below to listen to my new podcast!

https://www.spreaker.com/user/dougdickerson/margins-of-grace-in-leadership?autoplay=true

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Leadership Tested By Fire

Posted October 2, 2017
by dougdickerson

Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
-Provided by the author.

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows your true colors”. – James 1:2-3 (The Message)

In November 2016, terrible fires raged through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Fires ripped through popular destinations such as Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in Tennessee. It was reported that roughly 10,000 acres of land were burned.

Many thought at the time that the recovery of the forests would be years in the making. But to the amazement of many, life is returning sooner than many predicted.

In a local CBS news story, the headline reads, “New Life Sprouting In The Smokies”. Highlights of the story are given by Dr. Andrew Miller, a mycologist from the University of Illinois working in conjunction with the University of Tennessee and Savannah State University to study the effects of the fire.

Dr. Miller states, “It’s only been a few months, but we can already see fungi are growing back again”. He added with this incredible observation, “They’ve basically been sitting in the soil as spores waiting for the fires to come along, and as soon as that happens they fruit in abundance and they’re basically all over the place”.

If you hang around in leadership long enough, you will go through the fire and times of testing. It comes with the territory. So the greater question I’d like to explore with you is this: How do you plan to come through it? Your leadership can, like the fungi, rise from the ashes stronger, or it’s the place where it will die.

After 30 plus years of leadership, here are a few things I’ve learned and some encouragement I’d like to pass along.

It’s in the fire you are pruned

Dr. Miller stated, “These fungi are the first to come in, they decompose all the other stuff until the rest of the growth comes in”. What a powerful statement.

The fires you go through in your leadership are the necessary times of pruning you need for future growth. Just as the fungi decompose all the other stuff in order for the rest of the growth to come in, so too, are the times of testing that comes your way. Growth will not occur until all the things that don’t belong like bitterness, jealousy, and unforgiveness- things that you need to let go of, are gone.

Right now you may not like going through the fire, but it could the best thing to happen to you in the long run.

It’s in the fire you are prepared

Another highlight from the story is that the tiny pyro-nema fungi that they’ve discovered only grow after a fire. It’s job? The tiny particles are the food for the plants and trees to grow again.

When you go through the fire, you will learn and discover new things about your leadership that you may not have known before. The fire can expose things that may not have otherwise surfaced had you not gone through it

It’s after we come through the fire we can be more empathetic, more understanding, and more mindful of growing and developing the leaders around us. How do we get new growth and new skills? By going through the fire.

It’s in the fire you are proven

I’ll be honest with you – I don’t like going through the fire any more than the next person. It’s painful and it hurts. But it’s in the fire that your leadership is proven.

Dr. Andy Methven, a biologist at Savannah State said, “It was a high-intensity burn and pretty much everything was burned down to the ground, and to see things coming up in that area just a few months after the fires is impressive,” He added, “I’ve been impressed with how quickly the plants have sprouted, even in the last month, it’s amazing how quickly it’s recovering.”

How will you recover after going through the fire in leadership? What will be the observations others make about you and your growth? What differences will they see in you? It’s in the fire that your leadership is proven and will shine.

It’s in the fire that you are productive

It’s when we’ve successfully come through the fires in leadership that we have new growth, a new perspective, a new outlook. Your leadership will take an incredible turn for the good if you keep the right attitude.

Regarding the fires, Dr. Miller made one last remarkable statement, “Probably this time next year you’re going to have a hard time telling a fire even came through this area. The soil is going to be pretty much back to the way it was before”.

I don’t know what fires and testing you are going through right now – but I do know this much- it’s a time of great challenge to your leadership. There will be times you will want to walk away, throw in the towel, and move on to something else.

But if you will keep your heart right, your faith strong, and see it for what it is – a season in your leadership when you are being pruned, prepared, proven, and productive – God will bring you through, and you will come through it stronger than ever before.

Let the fire, as painful as it is, do its work and don’t let the ashes bury you. Your destiny as a leader depends on it.

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Embracing The Leadership Process

Posted September 8, 2017
by dougdickerson

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. – Jack Welch

For the baseball fan, everyone is familiar with the great Ted Williams, the Hall of Famer from the Boston Red Sox. Known as “the slugger”, he was once asked about his ‘natural ability” to hit the ball. He’s said to have replied, “There is no such thing as a natural born hitter. I became a good hitter because I paid the price of constant practice, constant practice.”

For the leader, Williams’ answer is an accurate summation of what good leadership looks like. It’s about stepping up to the plate, it’s about the daily grind of practice. In short, it’s about commitment. It’s all about embracing the process.

But for many aspiring leaders and even for those who’ve been around a while, the process is the pitfall.

Writing in the book Rooted – The Hidden Places Where God Develops Us, author Banning Liebscher makes this observation:

“God always develops us before He develops our vision. If we don’t understand this, we will resist Him, get frustrated, and ultimately end up disappointed and disillusioned. But if we expect and embrace God’s root-building process in our lives, guess what? We will not only set ourselves up for success, but we will set ourselves up to thrive in that process. So let’s embrace the process.”

While specifically addressing the development of your faith, this principle is transferable and speaks volumes about the leadership process.

When we short-circuit the leadership process we cause harm to ourselves, and to those we are trying to lead. We want to avoid, rush past, or skirt the teachable moments – moments that could be unpleasant perhaps, but in doing so, we fail to properly develop the leadership skills that come with it. The result? We tend to move up as leaders with deficiencies in key leadership skills we need. So what’s the solution? Embrace the leadership process.

Here are a few leadership skills that you will not want to rush in their development. In fact, most of these will be ongoing over the long haul of your leadership. Here are just a few of them.

Embrace the process of reflection and reading

The truth be told, this is a skillset in leadership that you will always carry with you. Developing this skill in the formative years will serve you well in the latter years. Make the time to read, reflect, and expand your horizons. The old adage is true, “leaders are readers”, and leaders are always learning. I will add that prayer is an essential ingredient to the development of this skill set. Mark Batterson summed it up this way, “One God idea is worth more than a thousand good ideas’.

Embrace the process of time management

Jim Rohn was spot on when he said, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you,” and you must embrace the process of learning this skill. There are many tools and technologies to help you with the implementation of this skill, but ultimately it’s a discipline you have to master and I don’t think there’s an app for that. It’s on you. Time management is too crucial to your success as a leader so embrace it quick.

Embrace the process of conflict resolution

Most people I know avoid conflict. They avoid it at all costs. But if you are going to succeed as a leader, you must learn and develop this delicate but essential leadership skill. You will have to dig deep to pull off sharp conflict resolution skills such as its timing, knowing what to say, what not to say, tone, and moving toward your desired outcomes. As a leader, you will need this skill. Embrace it and learn it.

Embrace the process of people skills

It’s been said in many ways and by numerous people – people are your most appreciable asset. Simply put, no shortcuts are allowed in the process of developing your people skills. It will make you or break you as a leader. If you don’t fully embrace the process of learning and developing your people skills, you are setting yourself up for failure. How smart and talented you are mean little if you don’t know how to treat your people and if they don’t respect or trust you.

Embrace the process of personal growth and development

All of these skills that I have presented, and more, all about your personal growth development as a leader. But know this, first and foremost leadership is an inside job. You must learn to lead yourself before attempting to lead others. This is why the process must be embraced.

Leaders are not grown overnight. It takes time. It’s a lifelong commitment to learning and growing. School is always in session for the leader. Embrace the process!

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Start With Low Fences

Posted September 2, 2017
by dougdickerson

“I work on the same principle as people who train horses. You start with low fences, easily achievable goals, and work up. – Ian McGregor

Developing your skill sets as a leader is not an overnight process. It’s something that takes time and commitment. It’s a process.

I liken the process to one of my favorite hobbies – photography. Back in the day of first learning my photography skills things were much different from today. It was all manual. Various photography classes back then taught me the fine art of things like shutter speeds, f/stops, dark rooms, lighting, composition and more. You had to learn the skill in order to be good.

Nowadays with a few hundred dollars, you can purchase a fully automatic camera that takes all the guess work out of it. Ask the owner to switch to manual mode- not to mention the rule of thirds, negative space in composition, etc. and take a picture, most would be at a loss on where to begin.

Here’s the problem. With that expensive fully automatic camera in your hands, it can make you look better than you are. You can have the fancy equipment, but without the training on how to use it, you are creating a false impression.

One of the dangers in leadership is bypassing the learning process and securing the foundational principles needed for growth and maturity. This is why many an aspiring leader never reach their full potential. They rush the process. But with an open mind coupled with the attitude of a student, your leadership skills can be developed and you can rise to the next level.

It’s when you start with the low fences that you earn your leadership stripes. Here are a few low fence concepts worth considering as you think about your future and growth as a leader.

The low fence of humility

There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Aspiring leaders can blur the lines when they think their degree conveys wisdom. Your formal education is your right of passage to your real education. A strong dose of humility is in order starting out and is well worth remembering when you are older. There’s always something new to learn.

The low fence of dependability

There are no shortcuts on the path to proven leadership. It takes men and women who are willing to roll up their sleeves and earn their stripes. If you can’t be counted on in the low fence things of your leadership how can people raise their expectations of you for greater things? It’s in the daily grind that you show yourself dependable.

The low fence of flexibility

Sometimes in leadership, you have to throw out the script. Your growth and sanity as a leader will be tested with this low fence skill in more ways than you can imagine. If you can learn this low fence skill early it will save you a lot of grief later.

The low fence of loyalty

Loyalty is one of the pillars of leadership. All the creative powers in your arsenal of skills will not amount to much if loyalty is an afterthought. Faithfully striving to represent the values, mission, and vision of your organization should be the focal point of all that you do.

The low fence of service

The heartbeat of leadership is service. It’s about adding value. It’s about lifting others up, not tearing down. It’s servant leadership. The beauty of this skill set is that you never outgrow it. But with your growth and development as a leader comes the opportunity to have a greater impact. Develop this skill early while the fence is low. But never forsake it. The more you give and the more you serve, the greater the influence you can have.

Just as low fences are the starting points for training horses, it’s where you begin as a leader. But you are not designed nor destined to stay at that level. You have a higher destiny that you need to walk in. Low fences are where you start, but they are not where you should stay. You must raise the bar.

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Leadership In Times Like These

“Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…” I Chronicles 12:32

There’s no question that we live in peculiar times. As a leader, it is more important than ever that you have clarity of heart and mind in order to lead effectively.

Our country is torn by many great divides. Tensions are high and divisions are running deep. People are looking for answers. It’s important in times like these, as it was in the days of Issachar, that we as leaders are people who understand the times and know what to do.

I realize this is somewhat of a departure from my customary tone of writing that I deliver each week, but perhaps I am looking at our world these days with a different perspective.

My first grandchild is turning one year old, and I am thinking about the kind of world he is growing up in and the type that he will inherit. As our family celebrates this momentous and joyous occasion it is causing me to take a step back and put leadership in a sharper context. What type of world do I want him to know and inherit? Here are a few thoughts on how we get there.

In times like these, we must lead with love

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” said John Maxwell. And this is the rallying call for all leaders today. If our leadership is going to amount to anything worth espousing it must be done with hearts of love. Enough with the hatred and vitriol, it’s time to lead with love.

In times like these, we must espouse servant leadership

For many in leadership, it’s all about the quest to get to the top. It’s a “what’s in it for me?” attitude. Yes, it’s self-serving, and yes, it’s everything that is wrong with leadership. Servant leadership is about adding value. It’s about enriching the lives and growing the leaders around you. It’s about raising others up, not tearing them down. It’s about contentment in being second in a “me first’ world. It’s about a “what can I give?” attitude in a self-absorbed world.

In times like these, we must lead with humility

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less,” said Rick Warren. What a powerful thought. We have enough leaders thinking more about themselves than perhaps they should. Perhaps it’s in times like these we need to be thinking less of ourselves and more about those we can serve, those we can lift up, and how to bring people together.

In times like these, we must lead with open hearts

If there was ever a time for us as leaders to open our hearts to those around us it’s now. We must stop talking and screaming past one another and learn once again to listen. As leaders, we must be the change we seek. We must open our hearts and see that we all have a stake in the outcome of the type of the world we want to know and leave behind.

In times like these, we must lead with clarity

The men in the day of Issachar were men who understood the times in which they lived. It’s up to us as leaders to do the same. Our voices, the lone ones in a sea of instant reactions and opinions, must be the calm ones in the storm. In times like these, we must lead with a steady hand and moral clarity, and with the courage of our convictions. Our voices need to be heard and our message delivered with love and humility.

In times like these, we must think long and pray hard.

It’s no secret; leadership is hard. It’s hard in the good times, not to mention in times of difficulty. We need more leaders who think long. We need leaders who know how to look at the big picture and see into the future. But, we would all be amiss if we thought we could do it alone. We must be leaders who understand the power and necessity of prayer. Understanding the times in which we live comes with a price. We must seek wisdom from outside of ourselves when we know it’s not within us. We need God’s help.

The times in which we live present us as leaders a tremendous opportunity. Are you ready to lead in times like these?

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