Unnecessary Barriers

Today I'd like to post a few thoughts I have about leadership.  Leadership seems to be a key word in today's culture.  While some feel it is overemphasized, I am not in that category.  I believe people want to learn leadership because they want to be empowered to be more effective in their areas of influence, workplace and even in the church.  So occasionally, my blogs will move from a "devotional nature" to thoughts on effective, practical leadership practices.

As I've had opportunities to both lead in different spheres of life and be led by a variety of leaders, I have noticed that there are four issues that can become unnecessary barriers to effective leadership and can greatly inhibit a person's ability to mobilize and move forward a group of people.  Though I am certain this is in no way a comprehensive list, these issues are a good start in evaluating the self-imposed limits we place on our leadership potential.  


1.)  Punctuality:  When a leader fails to take seriously appointments and schedules, people feel their time isn't valued.  This is a form of disrespect.  Part of my Army training suggested that you were only on time if you were 10 minutes early.  If you were a leader of those 10 minutes early, you'd better be there before they are.  Leadership is diminished when we consistently fail to practice healthy time management.  Don't leave the people you are leading standing around waiting on their leader. 

2.)  Preparedness:  As a leader, we all understand there is a number of agenda items competing for our time.  There are moments when we want to use those competing claims as an excuse for a lack of preparation, DONT!  People don't care, nor do they want to hear your excuses.  Leadership often requires a sacrifice of time, sleep, and even meals to ensure that if you are the one that called people together to lead them, honor their willingness to be led by having your stuff together.  Often we fail in preparation because we lack the foresight to start planning far enough out to ensure their is appropriate time even in the face of unexpected disruptions. 

3.)  Presumption:  Leaders MUST be good listeners!  Too often we presume things upon those we are trying to lead without having properly heard from them.  Instead of entering a situation with a ready-made set of answers, one must understand that every leadership situation is different depending on the goals to be accomplished, the people being led,  the issues surrounding the group, and the context you face.  The leader must be willing to suspend some of which might automatically be presumed in order to ensure they have both an adequate and accurate assessment of the people led and situations requiring leadership.

4.)  Pride:  Pride makes a person inaccessible.  It is both a barrier to relationships and devalues authenticity.  Pride is the assumption that "I know what I am talking about, you fall in line."  Pride refuses to empower and share leadership because sharing is seen as a threat.  Pride makes leadership lonely because it distances the leader from the people being led.  Pride leads through smoke and mirrors, control, fear, manipulation, and charisma.  Though prideful leadership may accomplish feats, those being led will resent the process and person through whom those feats were accomplished. 

Each of these four components can be corrected and the unnecessary barriers to strong, healthy, effective leadership can be removed.