Whether you’re in ministry, business, education, or the non-profit sector, leadership capacity will ultimately determine your effectiveness. Author and speaker, John Maxwell, calls this the Law of the Lid: Everything rises and falls on leadership.
Understanding how to grow your leadership capacity is important, but it’s just as important to understand what holds you back.
Here are four things that consistently hack away at leadership:
#1 Leaning on your title or position. Weak leaders lean heavily on their title or position to establish authority. These propped up kings and queens have power over people, but authentic leaders have power with people. Authentic leaders have no need to lean on their title or position. They earn the trust of their people through the consistent demonstration of character and competence. Insecure leaders lean on their title to establish authority. These propped up kings and queens have power over people, but authentic leaders have power with people. Share on X
#2 Confusing authority and competency. I thank Andy Stanley for sharing this piece of wisdom. Let’s face it, most senior organizational leaders have authority over areas in which they have little or no competence. Just because leaders have authority over the departments that report to them, doesn’t mean they should direct the details. The best leaders have the smarts to pick the right people to do the job and the self-restraint to leave them alone while they get it done.The best leaders have the smarts to pick the right people to do the job and the self-restraint to leave them alone while they get it done. Share on X
#3 Trying to have all the answers. Nothing good happens when a leader tries to have the right answers all the time. It increases stress when you know you don’t have the answer but feel you should. Appearing to have the answer, when in fact you don’t, is demotivating to the people on your team, especially those that DO have the answers. When a problem emerges and you don’t know what to do, simply inquire to the group, “Anybody have an idea?” Leadership is about bringing out the best in others. Build up your team members by asking for their help, seeking their wisdom, and enabling their talents. Appearing to have the answer, when in fact you don’t, is demotivating to people on your team, especially those who DO have the answers. Share on X
#4 Neglecting your interior life. This is more of an erosion of leadership than hacking away at it. It’s a slow fade, often an unnoticeable drift. The daily habit of personal prayer, seeking real conversational intimacy with God, cannot be replaced by anything. No amount of vision, passion or giftedness can bring Life to the leader in the way personal prayer does. Daily deposits of prayer or the lack thereof, have immense consequences on leaders. Unfortunately, talented leaders can go a very long time relying only on talent and hard work. Real leadership happens between two prayer times, the longer the gap, the thinner the leadership. Personal prayer brings substance to your leadership.Personal prayer brings substance to your leadership. Share on X
Bad habitual patterns are hacking away or eroding at leadership. I have identified four, do you have any others for us to watch out for?
Build up your team members by asking for their help, seeking their wisdom, and enabling their talents. Share on X Real leadership happens between two prayer times, the longer the gap, the thinner the leadership. Share on X No amount of vision, passion or giftedness can bring Life to the leader in the way prayer does. Share on X