LEADERS HAVE TO GROW UP
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Like it or not, we are all getting older. Whether you are the six, 26, 36, or 76 years old, you are getting older every second you continue to live. The one thing we can’t control in life is time.
One of the greatest gifts God has given me is being a father. Yes, it has challenges, but the advantages of being a father far out way the negatives. My three boys have changed my life significantly.
I love watching them get excited about the things they love doing. One of my boys was playing a soccer game several weeks ago. He is an intense competitor like his father and has good athleticism for his age.
Unfortunately, my son’s team lost their game that day. And like any other competitive child, my son had a hard time dealing with the lost. I decided to use this as an opportunity to teach him a life lesson, in which I would like to share to help you whether you are leading yourself or anyone else.
As leaders, we can’t afford to throw a tantrum by saying and doing anything that will cost us our leadership. We have all seen leaders in pivotal positions making irrational decisions damaging their leadership. In various industries from political offices, church offices to presidents of Fortune 500 businesses, we have seen leaders pouting, degrading, and debasing others and their leadership for several reasons. But there is no justification for these behaviors.
When my son chose to behave poorly after a lost, I shared the following statement with him,
“Whether you win or lose, you win or lose with class and grace.”
So as leaders, we should choose everyday to lead with class and grace.
1. Lead with class. When we lead with class, we lead with our hearts. Many leaders make poor decisions because they don’t listen to their hearts.
“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
I do think it is important to look at the numbers, trends, and any other statistic to help make us make decisions. But many of the statistics we consider don’t take into consideration heart.
2. Lead with grace. Many times when we speak of grace, we are usually speaking of the generosity of God. I am very grateful for the grace of God, but leaders should follow God’s example.
There are many opinions about how leaders should lead, but the greatest leaders lead with grace.
This doesn’t mean they are soft or a suck up. It just means these leaders lead with compassion and sensitivity to the needs of their followers. These leaders understand where their followers are and where they are going because every leader has once been a good follower.
The success of your leadership depends on your ability to lead with class and grace. So I challenge you to be thoughtful and caring when making any decision as a leader.
Peace and Prosperity,
Bryant Hall
MTN Universal, LLC
