What Kind of Leader Am I?

I volunteered today at Church for the last day of the Leadership Summit at GCC. Its been a long while since I have been able to help out. I helped out in guest services but also was privileged to listen to Jimmy Carter, who I have had some very mixed feelings about (politically, not humanitarian wise). His gentle nature came through in the interview and the media's view of former President Carter was proven wrong by this treat of hearing him "in his own words".

I also saw the most heart wrenching story about a young man born without eyes or the ability to stretch out his arms and to use his legs. This little guy started playing the piano at one and they shared footage of him picking out the notes and playing songs. He grew up with music and his father, who not only helped him accomplish things even though he had so many barriers to do so, but also went to class with him daily and worked the midnight shift at UPS. The boy, now being high school age, has taken up the trumpet so that he can march with his school's band. He sits in his wheelchair and his dad maneuvers him around the formations each and every day. The father demonstrates unselfish love and is totally devoted to his child. Amazing. Thanks to satellite, we were able to hear him sing and play for the leadership summit. I know that the love and support I give my kids is criticized because "they need to just be off by themselves". I love that my grown children are also my closest, dearest friends. My children all have their own lives, friends, relationships, and interests but we have our times together as well. Those that criticize might want to see if maybe their criticism stems from maybe wanting that kind of precious relationship with someone they love. Hmmmm ... something to think about. I will never apologize for my relationships with those that God entrusted me to guide, love, and raise. Why should that stop when they reach a certain age? The guiding is now by their choice and the raising is done leaving only love and the relationship built around all of those things over the years.

I started thinking about my own leadership skills. Jimmy Carter still leads today even though people tore him apart and expected traditional perfection. He had his own style and people genuinely respond to his style. I am very relational. I think this is why my teams that I work with out in the field respond to me not with "I have to do this" but "I want to do this and she will be proud of me because I am doing the right thing and treating people the right way". I get that feedback a lot. Though its a business world, I take pride in good old fashioned relationship building to help others feel great about themselves due to improvement, or success, or accomplishment. It is when we build others up that we find the greatest return and response. We have all had leaders that are so caught up in their own importance that they forget about being relational which is what breeds team success, not fear. Life is not about perfection but about doing the right thing towards each other which gives you the results that businesses need to succeed. Isn't it better to do something to please then to do something out of fear with a bad attitude. Teams crumble and fail because disdain breeds discontent and detachment. Wouldn't it be great to daily be told what we are doing right and less about why we didn't dot an I or cross a T? Wouldn't it be great to look at the whole picture to see how much and far we have come instead of looking at today and not being good enough? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could brag about our leadership in our work no matter what work we are in, as we strive to use them as a positive example instead of looking to them as what not to be like? I feel I am not a perfect leader and I embrace opportunities to constantly grow and learn and improve, but God gives me chance after chance to try to be the best I can be. I never have to fear that God will fire me because I didn't send out a perfect memo. As long as I am lifting and helping others to be the best they can be, God shows me I am doing a good job as a leader. Wouldn't it be great to have that kind of affirmation every day at work?

By the way, our new series at church deals with the work place. May we all listen and learn about that place we call "work" and turn that into a workshop using God's strategies for success instead of our own. Success would belong to us all!