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leadership

Feb 26 2014

Developing F.A.T. Leaders

I love living in a small community. The pace of life is laid back, the people are friendly, and there is more of a sense of community. That does not mean that we are without our problems and stresses, however. There is a lack of privacy as everyone seems to know everyone else’s business, having to drive longer distances for shopping and entertainment choices, and a smaller pool of human resources to draw upon for businesses and civic organizations to name a few. That smaller human resource pool can pose a real leadership challenge.

Leaders in larger communities have an easier time finding people who already have leadership qualities and experience. As a result, leaders in larger communities may not need to be as skilled in leadership development as leaders in smaller communities. For those of us living in a small community, it is imperative that we become experts at leadership development because there simply are not enough experienced leaders to draw from.  Leadership development is extremely important yet it is a skill that is often neglected or missing from a leader’s toolbox.

It has been my experience in small town living that far too often leadership teams are chosen using the “breathing and willing” method. If a person is breathing and willing to help they are put into leadership positions whether they are qualified or not.  No leadership training is provided, it is sink or swim. As a result, the organization experiences a constant turnover of leaders as new leaders take off like rockets only to burn out after two or three years as they hit the lid of their leadership ability.

Another method used in selecting leaders, especially in churches and civic organizations, is the “longevity” method.  Whoever has lived in the community or been part of the organization the longest is put into a position of leadership, as if longevity somehow automatically qualifies a person for leadership.

Whether you are trying to build a management team for a Fortune 500 company, leaders for a small town civic group, or developing student leaders in your school, there are some basic principles of leadership development that all leaders can learn and benefit from. Building strong leaders begins with selecting strong leadership candidates. To do that I recommend using the “FAT” test.

“FAT” is an acronym that stands for three core character qualities to look for in a leadership candidate. Before investing your time and energy in developing a leader ask yourself, “Are they FAT?”

F stands for Faithful. Is this person faithful? Do they follow through when they say they will do something? Can you trust their word? Is this the type of person who, when they say they will do something, you are confident that it will get done, or do you have to constantly keep on them to finish the task?

Leaders must be people you can trust. They must follow through on their commitments. If you cannot answer a confident “yes” to the question, “Are they faithful?” then stop right there. Do not even consider a person for leadership unless you are confident in their faithfulness. You will save yourself and your organization a lot of trouble and heart ache if you move on to someone else.  Faithfulness is a prerequisite to good leadership.

In my next post I will address the other two characteristics of the FAT test. They are “available” and “teachable.”

Written by admin · Categorized: Leadership, Youth · Tagged: building leaders, developing young leaders, Ken Lawrence, leaders, leadership, leadership development, youth, youth leaders, youth leadership

Jan 09 2013

13 ways to make 2013 a positive and productive year

It’s a new year full of potential! 2012 is gone and now 2013 lies before you just waiting to be conquered. Here are my 13 ways that you can make 2013 a positive and productive year:

13. Wake up every morning and thank God you are alive. Every day in the US over 6,500 people don’t wake up. World wide over 153,000 people die every day.  If you wake up you are blessed.  Embrace life and be thankful to be alive. This is the day The Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it.

12. If you have a job or business to go to don’t complain about it, be thankful. Over 12.5 million people are unemployed and looking for work. See your work as a blessing, not a necessary evil. Embrace it and give it your best.

11. Do your best at work. If you feel unappreciated at work don’t let your work quality suffer. Keep pride in your work. When you do more than you are paid to do you will eventually be paid more for what you do. Maybe not by your current employer, but you never know who is watching. Good workers are hard to find. Build your reputation of doing good work in all situations and you greatly improve your chances of future rewards. Knowing you have done your best will help your attitude, even if you feel no one appreciates it. Work as if unto The Lord. It will pay off in the long run.

10. Help others. Think outside yourself. The more you give to others the better you will feel about yourself. Helping those who are worse off than you gives you a new appreciation for what you have. Give generously, full measure, pressed down and overflowing.

9. Take a mission trip to a foreign country, impoverished Indian reservation or inner city slum. Spend at least a week with the impoverished. Seeing how little the rest of the world has will help you see how truly blessed you are. It will also help you re-prioritize your life. Most of the world lives on less than $2 a day. You are blessed. You will discover you can live with a lot less than you think.

8. Exercise. Nothing helps your attitude like exercise. Get your heart pumping for at least 20 minutes each day. It will relieve stress and help clear your thinking. You will feel the difference.

7. Get outdoors, breathe the fresh air and soak up the sun. Don’t stay cooped up indoors. Don’t spend extended time in dark, dull environments. Get outside as much as you can.

6. Sleep. Studies show most adults don’t get enough sleep. Get at least 6 hours and preferably 8 hours of sleep each night. When you are well rested you will have a better outlook on life and be better prepared to handle life’s difficulties.

5. Schedule fun. Nothing takes the joy out of life more than overwork. The old adage, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is true now more than ever. Take time to relax and have fun. Take a day of rest every week.

4. Eat healthy. A junk food diet causes a rollercoaster of energy highs and lows. Each crash causes mental fatigue that affects your mood and attitude.

3. Live the year intentionally. Don’t let the year run itself, take control of the new year. Set goals and priorities, develop a plan of action for what you want to accomplish and then work the plan. Budget your time. Set priorities. Take control of your life.

2. Start every day with the Lord. Pray and read His word to start off the day. Get God’s perspective on the day and any problems you may face. Remember, Jesus is bigger than any difficulties you may face. “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

1. Hire a life coach to help you develop a plan for the new year, keep you on track with your goals and help you keep control of your life. Studies show that having someone who will hold you accountable for reaching your goals increases the probability of success 85%.

Ken Lawrence is a member of the John Maxwell Team of coaches, teachers and speakers. Ken specializes in helping people and organizations be the best they can be.  He can be reached via email at Succeed @ LifeCoachKen.com or visit his website www.LifeCoachKen.com

Written by admin · Categorized: Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, Friends, Life · Tagged: coaching, goals, growth, health, leadership, Life Coach Ken, new year's resolution, positive, purpose, success, teaching, training, work

Oct 21 2012

Two Sides to Every Story

Proverbs 18:17 says, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” Another way of saying this is “there are two sides to every story.” How many times have you experienced this proverb? You hear someone tell about some unjust situation (usually they are complaining about what someone did to them). Hearing their side of the story you instantly side with them, agreeing that they were unjustly treated and the perpetrator is a scoundrel. You side with the one you heard first.

But then later you hear the second party’s side of the story and you realize that they were justified in their actions, it wasn’t malicious or unjust, the other person just didn’t agree with the decision. Have you experienced this before?

Or perhaps you were the second party and you have experienced the wrath of a “disinterested third party” who believed the first party’s story and took up offense for them without ever coming to you to verify the facts of the situation.

We can all learn from this proverb by not jumping to conclusions with only half of the story. Successful leaders must learn this skill to maintain the respect of those they lead. If you become known as someone who believes the first thing you hear you will be a manipulated puppet of those you are supposed to be leading.

Likewise, if you are known as someone who believes the last thing you hear you will be seen as week and easily swayed. This person is like the character of Coach from the 1980s sitcom Cheers. Someone would say something to Coach and he would echo their sentiments as if they we concrete elements of truth. Then someone would rebut what the first person would say and Coach would agree with them and declare his new “fact” in complete contradiction to his first statement.

While this behavior makes for good comedy on TV, it is terrible for leadership in the workplace, in the church, or in the home. As a successful leader we must keep Proverbs  18:17 in mind, search out both sides of the story and weigh all the facts before we make a decision. Taking sides without knowing all the facts will kill a leader’s reputation and weaken your ability to lead effectively.

A good thing to remember in managing conflict between others is: If you are not part of the problem or part of the solution, stay out of it or you will add to the problem and hinder the solution.

Helping you live life abundantly,

Life Coach Ken

Written by admin · Categorized: Life · Tagged: Ken Lawrence, leadership, Life Coach Ken, problem resolution, relationships, self control, success

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