To be successful today there are a few things we must have. We’ve always needed them. We need them even more today.
Here are 3 must-haves for success in leadership today:
Efficiency – There is never enough time or enough me. All leaders are pulled in so many directions. It’s easy to get distracted — and distractions are almost always things of lesser value. If you don’t have a plan for each day you’ll waste most of them — certainly not live up to the day’s potential. Today’s leader must learn and master efficiency.
Adaptability – Things are changing fast. Profusion is at an all time high. By the time I learn my phone there’s another update or another phone. And, it impacts every area of our life. If we are not going to change our core values and mission — and we shouldn’t — nor should we have to — then we must learn to adapt our strategies, systems and processes. Doing the same things that previously worked is no longer a sole option. We must embrace change.
Accountability – This is not a holdover from an 90’s Promise Keepers movement. Honestly, it’s a growing new concern for me. In my opinion, the focus on strong leadership can be taken to an extreme. We have created some powerful people with limited accountability. Church plants can be notorious for this. How many moral failures do we need to observe to understand this one? If you can create energy around a vision and attain a level of success, a leader can be given way too much individual authority — with no one to speak into the dark parts of the leader’s life. If numbers are good, budgets are met, many pastors are given way too much authority. I see this in business also, but it’s closer to me in churches.
I’m sure there are many more. Those are the three on my mind.
I like your Adaptability. I taught our church just last week about the "hidden" beatitude: "Blessed are the flexible for they shall not break." 🙂
If we're not flexible, willing to adapt our wisdom to our vision within a new culture, area, mission, or whatever, we as leaders, will be the ones falling apart while everyone else stands waiting for direction wondering why we're not moving fast enough. I've learned that about every 10 years or so (maybe even less these days) society changes, technology changes, and leadership approach often stays stuck. We can change, we can improve and we can be flexible without having to compromise our values and maintain a Godly character. Most leaders hate flexibility and adaptability because it forces us to learn new methods or relearn how to implement old methods into a new system. It's crazy, but possible to lead effectively.
Thanks Ron, good post.
These are good additions. Thank you.Â
One of my biggest struggles is that of efficiency for sure – in fact, that is a constant prayer for me – "Lord help me to be more efficient today that I was (or wasn't) yesterday." I feel the push and pull of culture, family, the ever-present internal pressure to spend more time with the Lord – all of it tends to scramble time, rather than the disciplined efficiency that I would desire. Thanks for the reminder and encouragement!
Thank you Rich. God bless.Â
We definitely live in a world that is in a continuous evolution. The things we know today seem to be useless tomorrow. This is why good leaders need to adapt fast and to sustain their result with numbers. It is easy to state an idea, but it is hard to demonstrate its sustainability. I would add the following traits to your list: honesty, communication and commitment.
Yes. Thank you.Â