Challenging times require leaders who can lead others through the challenges. Now more than ever, we need great leadership in our government, schools, businesses, hospitals and organizations. Good leadership won’t suffice. We need great leadership. There is a difference.
- Good leaders get people to believe in them.
- Great leaders inspire people to believe in themselves.
- Good leaders say “Watch what I can do.”
- Great leaders say “Let me show you what you can do.”
- Good leaders catch fish for others so they can eat today.
- Great leaders teach people how to fish so they can eat for a lifetime.
Having worked with countless leaders over the years in businesses, schools and professional sports, I’ve realized that great leadership is really a transfer of belief. Great leaders share their belief, vision, purpose and passion with others, and in the process, they inspire others to believe, act and impact. Great leaders are positively contagious and they instill confidence and belief in others.
Great sales managers inspire their sales people to believe in themselves and their product/service. Great school principals inspire their teachers to believe they can make a difference. Great teachers inspire and empower their students to believe in themselves. Great pastors inspire their congregations to serve and impact the community. Great sports coaches inspire their teams to believe they can win. And the people who have changed the world have been those who instilled in others the confidence to step up, serve, take initiative and create positive change. You don’t need a title to be a leader. You just need to lead.
To lead others in a powerful way you must invite them on your bus, share your vision for the road ahead and then encourage, empower and inspire them to drive their own bus. In the process, instead of having just one bus that you drive, you create a fleet of buses and bus drivers, all moving in the same positive direction. When you create a fleet of buses and empower people to drive their own bus, you generate an amazing amount of power and momentum that becomes an unstoppable force. This is what great leadership is all about.
As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.
Alert: Kleenex may be needed while reading this post. It is very personal and very moving.