Fifteen Random, But Inspiring Leadership Thoughts

I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership this evening, and what a privilege influence is. Rather than carefully craft a lengthy article about a single topic, I thought I’d spill out everything I’ve been pondering and let you sort it out. Here are some random leadership thoughts to get your inner leader’s juices flowing…

• Everybody leads somebody whether they intend to or not. Somebody’s always watching you.
• Leadership isn’t about being great, but building great people.
• You have to lead yourself (discipline) before leading others (discipleship).
• Failure isn’t final unless it kills you – learn from it and be better.
• It’s always better to find ten people and equip them for a work than to do the work of ten people.
• Every leader will answer to God for the responsibility and stewardship of his or her influence.
• You can’t lead from the rear.
• People don’t respect what you don’t inspect – check in on those whom you are leading.
• Inactive leadership gets you nowhere. Reactive leadership gets you in trouble. Overactive leadership gets you lost. But proactive leadership puts you out in front every time!
• Integrity and character always matter more than skill, talent, and genius.
• Decision-managing is just as important as decision-making. What you do after the choice has been made is just as important as the choice you’ve made.
• A leader must be a reader, a learner, and a listener.
• At some point, research, prayer, and consultation must give way to forward-leaning, risk-taking action!
• Leading people without loving people is sheer tyranny.
• Leading is more than reading lists – get out there and lead!

I’d say these might become a book someday, but they would merely be a rehashing of all the reading I’ve been doing for ten years. I’d rather just get busy leading.

photo credit: wmshc_kiwi