This is part two of our recent blog post, Twelve Characteristics of Great Leaders. The purpose of this blog is to empower everyday leaders to become great leaders. Hope you enjoy.
Characteristic 7: Challenge your team to excel
Our followers will rise to the challenge, but no more. Therefore, we must challenge them to excel; that is to achieve more than normal. If we don’t make excellence the standard, they will produce average results. And average, mediocre results are the kiss of death for churches, businesses, and organizations. My great friend, Joe Washington, a talented Christian motivational speaker is fond of saying, “average is the bottom of the top and the top of the bottom.” He’s entirely correct.
Characteristic 8: Possess solid character, values and integrity
Humans have suffered failure from a lack of solid character, values and integrity from the Garden of Eden to the present. To avoid failure; therefore, great leaders must possess these qualities. These qualities are indispensable for very different but related reasons. First, solid character is important because it upholds the weight of success like nothing else. In other words, without character, success can destroy people. Second, our values guide us to success. That’s because they determine why we do what we do. And integrity means having yourself together in all areas. Dr. Henry Cloud, the great Christian psychologist, says integrity is based on the all-encompassing concept of “personhood,” not just moral ethics.
Characteristic 9: Communicate the vision clearly
Great leaders are effective communicators, especially of their vision, ideas, and expectations. They are prolific at communicating their vision orally and in writing. They treasure the principle in Habakkuk 2:2-4, which says write the vision down and make it plain so others can run with it. They have mastered the key to great communication which is making sure the vision is clear in their hearts and minds. Moreover, they know an uncertain and unclear sound coming from the leader will confuse their stakeholders and followers.
Characteristic 10: Reward your team generously
Many leaders today make much more money than their followers. Don’t misunderstand me; great leaders who perform well and build value for their churches, businesses or organizations should be compensated handsomely. Nevertheless, they should share those rewards with the people who produced them. Great leaders understand this insight and appreciate great talent and recognize that it’s hard to attract and keep it; so they comprehend the wisdom of rewarding their team members and employees generously.
Characteristic 11: Keep the team focused
Great leaders don’t bite off more than their churches, businesses or organizations can chew. They concentrate on what creates the most wealth and value for stakeholders. They commit to what God has called them and their followers to do. They appreciate the principle that 20% of what they do produces 80% of their success. Thus, they keep their teams focused on that 20%.
Characteristic 12: Know when your season ends
Lastly, country singer Kenny Rodgers famously said, “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, Know when to fold ’em, Know when to walk away, Know when to run…” King Solomon used different words to make the same point thousands of years earlier when he said, “There is an appointed time for everything and a time for every affair under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1. Simply put, great leaders don’t outlast their purpose. They know their churches, businesses or organizations suffer if they remain in their positions past what I call the “productive period.” Rather than staying too long they groom their replacements so their visions can continue to grow and expand.
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