 |
| Leadership and Mentorship: Lessons From a Few Years in Leadership |
Anyway, here is what I have to say about what I have learned from leading in various capacities while on different teams these past 10 years. I'll go straight to the point and keep it as short as possible;
1. When practising leadership, some people or things will never change. Wisdom is when you know which ones and grace is when you understand how to deal with each without compromising progress.
2. Every great leader needs at least two kinds of people; someone who looks them in the eye and points out all the stupid things they are doing, and another one who pats them on the back and tells them they're doing great.
3. Only God has got your back. People will say they do, but they mostly understand so little of the weight of whatever they are promising.
4. People are fantastic. People are messy. Get used to it.
5. Not everyone wants the success of your team or leadership. There are members of your team and sometimes even leaders above you that will always think that you're not good enough. Get used to it.
6. Competing with other leaders and comparing yourself with them are some of the most stupid things you can do as a leader.
7. Your main goal as a leader is to simply glorify God and leave a legacy that gives Him glory. Everything else is overrated.
8. Lead. Be on the front line. Give direction. That's what leadership is all about. If you're doing anything less, you're missing the point.
9. Your passion and vision will be what determines where your team is headed. The lazier and less committed you are, the more your team falls apart.
10. There are so few leaders and mentors today, but so many people with positions and titles, that's the crisis of leadership in this century.
11. A perfect person cannot lead. Leadership is messy almost all the time, so a perfectionist will die sooner than they can make a second step in the right direction.
12. Great leaders never work alone. Never. (I learnt this from Andy Stanley). No matter how good you are, you'll always need people.
13. As a leader, the Spirit of God has got to work in you before He works through you. It's useless and stupid to keep giving instructions you never follow.
14. Do your work, play your part. Leave the consequences to God.
15. Keeping up and practising spiritual disciplines with consistency is what helps to keep you grounded as a leader. Get this document on discipleship and read about spiritual disciplines therein.
16. Learning new ways to lead and being open to new ideas helps a leader avoid moving around in circles.
17. My mistakes as a leader don't only affect me but a few hundreds of people that look to me.
18. People don't have to like you, but they sure do need to know where you stand on the most important issues of life.
19. I'll at any time accept on my team the committed, consistent and available person than the unavailable that seem influential.
20. Burnout, loneliness and depression are never that far in leadership, so delegate and share more.
21. There are always people under and around you that can lead better than you do, so stay humble.
22. People will quit on you. It's normal. Please don't overthink it.
23. Let your word be your bond; and let your actions always agree with whatever your mouth speaks. It is stupid to make promises that you are not ready to follow through to fulfil.
24. So many of us leaders only choose to see those under us through what they give and what they do and not what they can become. That's prejudice.
25. People are always waiting on the leader... Most of the time, they will only do and go as far as the leader does and goes.
26. There is a difference between wanting a leadership title and loving to lead; and a difference between commanding and leading.
27. Leaders are not gods, they're tempted and face challenges just like everyone else. Of all gifts, I think leadership is the most overrated.
28. Only leaders that have been tested and tempted and have hit rock bottom can understand, empathise and pray with people who hit rock bottom.
29. Instead of complaining against leaders, pray for them and offer advice.
30. Team meetings help leadership more than you could ever imagine. Almost all successful leaders hold consistent, true and constructive meetings.
31. Great leaders are some of the most unappreciated people in the world.
32. There are blind leaders who neither have vision, passion nor direction. A life under them is like living in hell.
33. To any reasonable leader, gossip is shit.
34. It doesn't matter how long you've been in leadership or in ministry, you just haven't learnt enough yet.
That's all for now.
Bonface Morris.
No comments:
Post a Comment