by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 4, 2012 | Communication, Decisions, Leadership, Personal, Self-Leadership, Servant Leadership
If something is gained by personal sacrifice, how much more valuable is it to you?
An athlete crossing the finish line for their first marathon appreciates that all the time and effort put in to training has been worth it. The same can be said for life. While the idea of sacrifice especially on a personal level makes most people uncomfortable, it is essential if you are to build strong character.
As a leader you will have many responsibilities and be faced with many challenges. It will require a depth of character to achieve your goals. Character is often molded through challenges. As a leader there are three common areas of your life that you may need to sacrifice. Think of them as character building exercises rather than sacrifices and you can become an influential leader.
As a Leader you sacrifice your Time.
A true leader will sacrifice their personal agenda for the sake of an organization’s goals. People will require meetings with you. They will need your input when making decisions and all of this demands your time. Many CEO’s are in the habit of working long hours. They know that they have to sacrifice their time in order to help the organization succeed. Of course a wise leader will balance this with a need for rest. But as a general rule a leader often has to sacrifice their personal time for an organization.
In addition to sacrificing your time, on my next post I’ll share the second sacrifice leaders must make – their energy. Stay tuned!
Have you ever had to sacrifice your time? If so, how?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 16, 2012 | Communication, Empowerment, Encouragement, Leadership
It is not just a leader who needs to be encouraging in an organization. A leader needs to know how to surround themselves with a strong team that can also provide them with support when needed. A leader takes on a lot of responsibility. Because they have a position of prominence their actions are often criticized.
Who is encouraging you when you are having a bad day?
Encouragement should be a two way tool. When as a leader you develop an encouraging work environment you should be able to lean on your team for support occasionally. Encouraging words strengthen relationships and make you a stronger team. On days when challenges seem huge, that is when encouragement is most vital. A leader says to the team “Yes you can do it” and the team’s encouraging response is getting to work and believing the leader’s words. When things are going wrong, a leader who is willing to roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to turn the situation around encourages without words. In cases like this, actions are more encouraging, earning a leader respect and helping to build stronger relationships.
Who encourages you? Who pours into you?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 9, 2012 | Communication, Empowerment, Encouragement, Leadership
To be able to offer genuine encouragement as a leader you need to get to know your team players. In working with them you can find out their strengths and weaknesses. Focus your encouragement on both areas. Use an individual’s strengths to build up the team and move it forward towards its goals.
Use weaknesses as an opportunity for learning or training. With encouragement people work better as a team, there is more cohesiveness in an organization. Effective teamwork results in people that feel motivated and empowered. People will be more willing to put forward ideas and less scared to fail. A culture of encouragement is contagious and filters down through an organization. As a result an organization will enjoy a positive and creative energy. Leaders should make a conscious effort to incorporate encouragement into their daily communication with their team. This develops and models a culture of encouragement and result in positive attitudes.
How will you these helpful tips?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 7, 2012 | Communication, Empowerment, Encouragement, Leadership
Encouragement is something that can spur a team on to reach big goals. Any professional sports team will tell you how valuable it is to be playing at a home ground. The encouragement of seeing a stadium filled with team colors as they run out onto the field gives players a huge emotional boost at the start of the game.
And then in the crucial parts of the game, when there is a break in play, when the team is about to score, the stands erupt! So many times it’s the cheering and encouragement of the fans that seems to help carry the ball over the goal line. This is the power of encouragement and smart leaders know that it plays an important part in any team. When a team member is encouraged in an area of weakness and they grow as a result, it benefits the whole team. By initiating a culture of encouragement a leader sets his team up for success.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 5, 2012 | Communication, Empowerment, Encouragement, Leadership
Encouragement is often something that leaders overlook. They think that providing vision and management is enough to get a team to work together or achieve a goal. However, remember that teams are made up of individuals who have different personalities and talents. The organization will only benefit from those talents if encouragement is part of the culture.
Often people lack confidence, especially in a work environment. They will hold back if they think they will be mocked for their ideas or that they may fail. Fear is one of the biggest reasons people fail to reach their goals, because of their fears they don’t even try. In his book “Be All You Can Be!” John C. Maxwell explains that people need to be told “Yes you can” before they may try something new. This is the role of a leader, to provide encouragement and tell people that “Yes they can”. Your encouragement as a leader in a way gives people permission to succeed.
Who have you encouraged or inspired lately?
by Clarence E. Stowers | May 18, 2011 | Communication, Decisions, Leadership, Self-Leadership, Vision
Jesus was an innovative teacher who taught in an innovative way. He came on the scene to explain God to a group of people who were confused about God. They saw God as as distant, demanding, and unapproachable. Therefore, Jesus used word pictures, parables, and fatherly imagery to show how God desires a relationship with His people. Jesus’ innovative way of teaching upset the status quo and ultimately played a part in His crucifixion and death.
What’s the lesson: Innovation is costly!
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com recently shared his approach to innovation—both how to do it and how to stay focused when critics question high-risk projects. You can read the entire article HERE.
He said:
I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you’re going to innovate. That’s actually a serious point. If you’re going to do something that’s never been done before – which is basically what innovation is – people are going to misunderstand it just because it’s new.
Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO of Amazon.com (BusinessWeek.com April 17, 2008)
I agree with Bezos’ thoughts on innovation and see why most leaders play it safe and copy others. Innovators drink from the fountain of being misunderstood while ultimately paving the way for others.
Question: Do you agree or disagree with Jeff Bezos’ statement?
