Building a Solid Foundation For Leadership, Pt 2

On a previous post, we identified the six major styles of leadership. They are:

1. Charismatic
2. Transactional
3. Transformational
4. Participative
5. Situational
6. Servant

The style(s) which work best for me are Situational combined with Servant.

Situational Leadership forces you to re-think every situation as it happens. You may even make two different decisions to similar problems because of the overall circumstances.

When the two are combined, not only can you adjust as needed. You also put others first. This is an unbeatable approach to leading others.

However, to make this work, you'll need a solid foundation. If not, you may lose your effectiveness and be perceived as a Chameleon (The type of leader who is always changing his decisions to blend in). 

My foundation is reflected by my personal mission statement. 

My life purpose is to help restore others to fulfill their purpose using God as the foundation. I focus on who I am and display the highest level of morals, values and integrity at all times.

I view my statement in the shape of a pyramid. I chose this shape for two reasons. First. pyramids are impossible to blow over. Second, I can label each corner of the pyramid with my morals, my values and my integrity. Then holding it all together is God who sits on the peak.

Regardless of which style you prefer, you must build a strong foundation to be successful.

Building a Solid Foundation For Leadership

Having a strong foundation is vital for long term success in any area of our life. The foundation is the basis which supports the entire structure. This is true for religious beliefs, building homes, financial plans, relationships and so on. Without a strong foundation, the structure will collapse.

Leadership is no different. The foundation of your leadership style has to stand the test of time. It must hold up against the weight and pressure being forced onto you.

Matthew 7: 24-27 in The Message states:

These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

 "But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards."

Do you know what your foundational beliefs are? Can you stand firm on them even when they are unpopular?

Your actions as a leader must be congruent with your philosophy. Failure to maintain consistency will harm your leadership abilities. Others will perceive your inconsistencies as weakness or lack of confidence. EIther way is bad. Hebrews 13:7 in the Message states:

Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. Take a good look at the way they live, and let their faithfulness instruct you, as well as their truthfulness. There should be a consistency that runs through us all. For Jesus doesn't change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself.

Do you have the proper foundation? How would you rate yourself on consistency? 

Guest Blogger James Castellano: Shoot for Effectiveness with Your Employees and Efficiency Will Follow

Guest Blogger James Castellano: Shoot for Effectiveness with Your Employees and Efficiency Will Follow

Posted using ShareThis

Guest Blogger James Castellano: Shoot for Effectiveness with Your Employees and Efficiency Will Follow

Guest Blogger James Castellano: Shoot for Effectiveness with Your Employees and Efficiency Will Follow

Posted using ShareThis

Blogs

I'll be guest blogger today at www.1to1media.com/weblog, Please click link and follow me there.

Thanks

James

Finding the JOY in Servant Leadership

There are different philosophies accepted as the major leadership styles. Servant Leadership is classified by some as a style and by others as an enhancement to a particular style. Servant Leadership simply means putting others ahead of yourself. Jesus practiced servant leadership perfectly.

The scripture that explains this best, Mark 10:31 from the Message... 

And then the bonus of eternal life! This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first."

Many new leaders think of leadership as being in charge. They fail to realize the difference between being the boss and being the leader. Having a title does not necessarily make you a leader. True leadership is earned over time, not bestowed upon us with a title.

In my opinion being a servant leader is the best way to lead. How do you accomplish this?

From a Christian viewpoint an easy to remember and simple to use three step process sums it up. This process is The JOY Principle.

1. Jesus- He comes first (Deuter. 5:7)
2. Others- Placing other's needs after Jesus and before ourselves (1 Cor. 12:28, Eph. 4:29)
3.Yourself- Our needs come last. (Rom. 12:3, 1 Tim. 4:15)

We'll cover the process in more detail on the next post, until then God Bless!

Guest Blogger

I have the privilege of again being a guest blogger at 1to1 Media.com. My post will air on 4-22 discussing effectiveness and efficiency. Please log on and participate in the discussion.

www.1to1media.com/weblog

leadership DNA (LDNA)

The third major factor in our Leadership DNA is association. In normal terms, who we hang around with. This is straight forward and though there is not much to talk about here, it is as important as the first two factors.


The old saying, "if you hang out with dogs, you get fleas" is true. As is "guilt by association."


It is nearly impossible to stay positive if you are surrounded by negative people. It is equally as hard to stay negative when you are surrounded by positive thinkers. Certain groups will tear you down, while others lift you up. Pick your friends and business associates with care.


Proverbs 11:14 NKJV states, Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. 


In all areas of life we reap what we sow and sowing good relationships with like minded and positive people will pay dividends forever. This goes for both parties of the relationship.


In conclusion, the three major components of LDNA are:


1. Discernment- how well you know yourself
2. Normalize- the stability of your emotions
3. Association- who you build relationships with


Everyone one of us has the ability to make the necessary changes in these areas. Doing so will help you become a more effective leader, friend, spouse and person.


God Bless!

Leadership DNA (LDNA)

The second phase of leadership DNA is our emotional state. How stable are we in good times or stressful times. Can we normalize our reactions?

To Normalize means conforming to a specific state. This translates to being aware of how you react to certain stimuli. It goes deeper than knowing how you react; to normalize means reaction properly without thinking about it.

A key to being an effective leader is to model appropriate behavior regardless of the situation. And when you don't, own up and make it right. Learn from these breakdowns and program yourself to react better next time.

I have been blessed with an inner calmness. Because of my discernment I am able to bring my calmness outward and use it effectively in stressful situations. I believe this trait can be learned easily. If we take a few seconds before we respond, we can normalize our reaction to any situation.

Proverbs 29:4 sums it up, "A leader of good judgment gives stability; an exploiting leader leaves a trail of waste"

In review, our leadership DNA is based on how well you know yourself and how well you can react to outside stimuli. The third factor, association will be covered tomorrow.

God Bless!

leadership DNA (LDNA)

The first step in determining your leadership DNA is discernment. It is defined as Keenness of insight and judgement.

How does this translate?

A portion of our LDNA consists of how well we know ourselves. Do you know yourself inside and out? If you were looking at yourself, how would you describe you? Ask someone you are close with to be brutally honest with you and then ask yourself if that is what you saw when you looked at you!

Next; do you know your life purpose? Do you know what really turns you on? What motivates you? Can you motivate yourself?
If you cant answer these in five seconds, you probably don't know what you are about.

I've heard it said the 11th commandment is" Thou shall not fool thyself!" Meaning of course be real with yourself.

If you aren't the person you aspire to be, so-what. You can go through the change process and reach your goals. Many have done this and many more are works in progress.

You cant be a successful leader until you can lead yourself and the first step is knowing who your are and what your purpose is.

Proverbs 28:11 says it clearly. Others will see right through you if you aren't real in thoughts and actions.

An example of this in my life dates back to 1986. I wanted to quit my job with a large defense contractor and become a financial planner. At that time I was an introvert. In fact, a super introvert, or so I thought. It was difficult for me to start conversations with strangers. The real issue being my self-confidence was non-existent. A big problem as a 100% commissioned sales person.

I had to change and change fast if I wanted my family to eat. I read book after book on sales and building confidence. I attended every seminar possible and eventually I overcame. Although I didn't hit it big in sales at the time, the education I received made me successful in other areas.

Had I lacked the discernment and judgement to recognize my flaws life would be completely different.

Spend time and get to know yourself honestly. If you have not established a personal mission statement, now is a good time to do so. A mission statement will help you discern who you are!

I'll help you create your own mission statement if you'd like. Post a comment or send an email to james@sowingseedsministries.com

God Bless!

Leadership DNA

What is leadership, what is DNA and what is leadership DNA?

The definition of a Leader I like is: One who sets a vision and provides his followers with the resources and guidance to bring the vision to fruition. Leadership is the act of doing so.

DNA is our makeup as a person. It is inner blueprint and in this context, how we operate both consciously and sub-consciously

Leadership DNA is our inner blueprint as a leader. The things we do and the way we act both consciously and sub-consciously. This could be compared to Emotional Intelligence (EI).

The areas of our leadership DNA we'll discuss are as follows:

1. Discernment- How well do we know ourselves, what we want and how we get motivated? (Proverbs 28:11 NIV)
2. Normalize- How stable are we emotionally, professionally and publicly? (Proverbs 29:4 MES)
3. Association- Who is our inner circle? How well do we get along with others? (Proverbs 11:14 NKJV)

We'll discuss each area through the week. God Bless!

Why cant every day be Easter?

During the last week while reflecting on the resurrection of Jesus a thought occurred. Why cant every day be our own resurrection?

Romans 8:13 says For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live(NIV).

Taking this to a personal level, why can't we experience a personal resurrection every morning?

How will I accomplish this? Everyday when I wake I"ll do the following:

Rededicate my life to Jesus
Repent for my sins
Have a fresh positive outlook for the day
Bless someone, somehow
Resist temptations by praying

The pressures of life can be great and overwhelming at times. When we start the day right, we'll have a much better chance to make it through and be successful in our walk with God. See Romans 7:14-25 for more information.

Are you up for the challenge?

My awesome wife was faced with an integrity test and she passed w/o any hesitation. What an inspiration to all of us. I praise God for her!

A beautiful day in PA. Blogging on Easter at www.leadingisreading.blogspot.com

This week in Blog Land

This week has been filled with thoughts and prayers of thanks for what Jesus Christ did for us 2010 years ago. Stop and think about him giving up his life so we can live more abundantly. It blows the mind, yet we celebrate with egg hunts and chocolate bunnies. I am guilty of this.

The rest of the week is going to be awesome as we lead into Easter Sunday. An event that should be celebrated everyday with the same passion as we'll witness on Sunday.

Thank You Jesus for all you have done in our lives. We honor you with our tithes and prayers and thank for the blessings you have bestowed upon us!