Leading 101 -- Am I A Leader?

There is much to learn about leadership. Every day, a leader can learn new things. Each experience will provide insight to be reflected upon. Such experiences are valuable, so that those leadership theories will be put to the test. And what works and what does not can be known. The next time around, the leader will have wisdom. But before we proceed, there is one question facing us that we have to answer:

Leading 101 -- Am I A Leader?

If you have not been in a leadership position before, you may be asking yourself this. And you think, that others are lucky since they don't question themselves whether they have it in them. Well, guess what, even leaders will sometimes doubt themselves. We are all humans, and there will always be times when we doubt ourselves, our capabilities--but having doubts, does not make us unworthy of leadership positions.

So, when you ask yourself, "Am I a leader?" -- "Yes, I can be!" should be the answer.

Enthusiasm and Leadership

What does being an effective leader require?

There are many things actually--but one thing that really makes one stand out is his or her enthusiasm. Without it, one just can't lead effectively. Picture this, even if that leader has the one greatest idea in the room, if he can't influence his team,what are the chances of his idea succeeding? Right?

To be an effective leader, one must learn to inject enthusiasm into his system. Leadership is not just about brains, it's about getting others to your point of view. Being positive and enthusiastic will make you more effective in your leadership role.

Try observing successful leaders, can't you see how they are being enthusiastic about their work, ideas, etc? Now you know what sets them apart in their leadership role--Enthusiasm.

The Heart of the Leader

If you are handling people, you should hone your leadership skills.

The one thing that your people will be looking at though, is your heart--whether you easily give up when obstacles arise or whether you continue on persistently despite of any hindrances along the way.

It is not easy leading people, you know that--anybody in a leadership role knows that. But if you are in a leadership role, you should act the role and make things work--it is your job and that is expected of you.

It is lonely at the top--very true, and this is what is happening almost everywhere. Leaders are not after popular decisions, they are for making the right decisions. It is not a popularity contest, otherwise, you can't make the best decision for your company or your business for that matter.

Leadership is not for everyone. Some just don't have the heart for this. At times though, you see yourself caught in this situation. It is like the story of Moses in the Bible--he did not want to lead, but he was called, so he complied. And with the grace of God, he was able to lead very well.

With Moses' story, you can at least share the feeling that anybody has the potential to lead. But what is important is to watch your heart--it should have courage. Without courage, you can't lead very well. It may be worthy to share though, that there is no leader that is not afraid, the successful leader though just walks through fear and experiences it head on.

You will be successful if you act despite the fear. Fear is always there, the challenge is to act your part anyway. Don't let fear stop you. Use it to challenge yourself. It is through this situations that you will grow as a leader.

A True Leader Knows Himself…

To be an effective leader, you must know yourself. If you aren’t sure of who you are, you will end up following other leaders’ footsteps—you would not be able to lead in your own unique way. What is worst, is that you will look bad and wanting by not using your own leadership style.

So the first thing, is to really look deep inside and accept who you are now. Lead in your own unique way. If you read in leadership books, there are various personalities of leaders—and if you get to the bottom of it—it doesn’t really matter that much, as any styles will have pros and cons. What matters most though, is being able to use your unique strengths to lead your group—in your own effective way.

Just Do It: Leadership Lesson 2

Plain and simple: JUST DO IT!

Sounds simple? Try it! You will see that these 3 words are easier said than done.

Not all are gifted with a positive disposition in life. Not all are positive thinkers. Some have to work twice as hard to get their minds in the right track.

In my case, I don't always feel good, and this affects how I lead. At times, I don't feel confident and my self doubt strikes me hard. My mind then starts to struggle with the negative thoughts against the right thing to do.

At these times, the "just do it" maxim will be like putting a flag on the highest hill.

It will feel impossible to combat the strong negative thoughts; you will need more than just saying "just do it!". But we have to start somewhere, and saying so will be a major step.

This is critical, so take note: The "just do it" maxim will not be the magic pill. There is more you have to do, but you have to start with this. So JUST DO IT!

The Called Is Made Qualified: Leadership Lesson 1

Regardless of our backgrounds and our pasts, when God calls us to Lead, we should obey.

I am unworthy: So what? Should you care if you make a mess out of it, or if you should succeed? Let us go back to the point that if we are following God's plans, it is not about us: it is about Him--it is about God! There is no need to worry too much, or even worry at all: God has already planned everything.

What if I fail? Ah, yes you could fail. And yes, you could experience shame and disappointment, but it is expected. God did not promise that He will remove all obstacles along the way. He only assured for the provision of strength to make it through--if we believe in Him. Temporarily, you may suffer setbacks, but it will all end up for your good. God plans it to be so.

The called is made qualified: and we better believe it!

Do not be overwhelmed by the worldly threats and dangers, because when God wants you to lead, He will provide you with the resources to be effective in that role. You don't have to trust in yourself actually, you only have to trust God--the rest will follow.

Called to Lead? Part II

I've done some thinking lately--and a lot of reading too.

Books ranging from Marcus Buckingham's "Go Put Your Strengths to Work", Joyce Meyer's "Battlefield of the Mind" and Larry Julian's "God is my Success." I've also read back, John Maxwell's "Your Roadmap for Success"--whew! My mind has been bogged for quite a while already, and it's getting tired.

A lot of questions. A lot of answers. Yet, what is right for me really? There are a lot of right answers, but I don't know which of those I will follow. Each answer has an advantage, and a corresponding disadvantage. So, i think it will all boil down to what the purpose God has for me.

I think (as of now) I will have to try honing my leadership skills more; meaning, I will give it another shot. I will try to do what I can to make well in this area.

It is safe to say now, that I am up for the challenge, the challenge of leadership, at this point of my life. So, let us say that I may be called after all to lead, but then again, don't think that I am qualified. (I'm hoping on the saying that, "God qualifies the called.") So God, please qualify me... =)

For this time being, I am closing this issue. So am I called to lead? I am answering the call, perhaps I am. =) God bless my plan, I hope this is yours as well.

Called to Lead? Part I

I'm not quite comfortable leading in certain situations.

As the need arises, I will step up though and take charge. But these instances, are not many. There are just certain things that I care about more, and at times, when I feel that a situation is not part of my priority, I tend to leave it alone--and let others take the role of a leader.

Some have evaluated my leadership and say that I am not as aggressive. But I don't justify myself, I don't think/feel that I need to. But deep inside, I know that they are wrong. I can be very aggressive if I feel I need to: and this is when I consider the situation to be important for me. If not, and if I know that there are others who can take the limelight, I let it be.

But leadership in most organizations, as I understand it, requires one to lead in almost all aspects of the job, whether it involves your actual work or merely extra-curricular activities [note the 'merely' there, speaking of bias =) ].

Personally, I am not into extra-curricular activities. There was one instance when a colleague of mine from my previous company told me that if I wanted to climb the ladder of success, then I would need to get some exposure through such activities. (Ah excuse me, I don't want to climb that ladder! hehe) If that is how one gets noticed to get promoted, then I'm definitely in the wrong company.

My thinking has always been that work performance should be the basis for any promotions (or to get noticed). The success of the business is not how good you sing, dance or plan an extra-curricular activity, etc... The company does not gain profit through such, so why is it that the ladder of success is placed there? =)

Because I'm not good at extra-curricular activities, I sometimes question my ability to lead, in the context of having to include leading in such activities.

This has been a challenge for me, actually. It is an area of weakness, again, if I should base it in the context of what is required by most organizations. And where most of my colleagues find this fun, I too enjoy it. It is just that I enjoy reading good books more. I hope they enjoy reading, as much as I do. I can definitely attest, they will learn a lot from great people there.

But anyways, going back to my weakness, I find comfort in what I read recently in the Book: "God is My Success" by Larry Julian -- it says: "God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called." Now if this is the case, do I have hope then?

I have lots more to share... 'til next post. =)