L Chronicles: Becoming A Leader's Leader

I had an interesting epiphany this week. Amidst the throes of change, unexpected twists and turns, and even some disappointment, I uncovered a valuable lesson about leadership.

Last year, I decided to really start scaling my company's operations and one of the ways I have gone about doing that is team building. It's been a fascinating learning process, and I do feel much more competent as a leader. That confidence didn't come without some mistakes, but I firmly believe in the value of experience.

I was faced with several decisions throughout the week - all of which involved people other than me, seen and unseen. As I analyzed the options and attempted to look at every angle, I took a step back to consider what the situation may look like through the eyes of the people affected. I attempted to balance the greater good for all involved with any personal issues I had. I found myself wanting to make decisions based on my personal logic versus the logic of the many stakeholders who are affected by my choices. I took the responsibility of not necessarily doing what was easiest or most comfortable.

On a recent Inspired Living Coaching Call, I talked to the members about leadership and how important it is to remember that as a leader, you're responsible, to varying degrees, for other people. Your interests have to become a smaller piece of a bigger puzzle and your choices have to reflect that.

As I sat pondering each of my choices after the fact, I realized that I had grown as a leader in my ability to have uncomfortable conversations and do uncomfortable things. Then I realized that among my team building goals was to groom leaders, not followers. I want my team members to be empowered - to be confident in their decision making abilities and to be able to make the tough call - even when their emotions are on an obstacle course trying to do it.

And I realized that in order to groom this ideal leader, I have to be that person first and lead myself. I have to develop the mental toughness and emotional tenacity necessary to separate personal feelings from any business at hand and then be able to exemplify that with my team.

I certainly don't profess to have all the answers, and I respect my growth as a learning process that comes with its share of mistakes and challenges. But I'll continue to push onward and upward, evolving as a leader's leader as I go.

Later.

Servanthood = Poverty?

So, this is something I've wrestled with personally and have only recently come to terms with...say in the past year or so.

Why do people insist on people/companies/organizations in service being broke or breaking even?

I know the answer to this question, but it perplexes and slightly annoys me. I mean, my thinking is this - as a person who is doing exceptional work in the world, serving people, changing lives, etc, , I deserve to be very handsomely compensated for my work. After all, I am creating value and adding to the lives of others.

I've seen this "Why do they make so much?" mentality a LOT with clergy, nonprofits, etc. Nonprofit shouldn't mean poor and struggling!!! But in this country, it does. People seem to associate corporations with greed while associating nonprofits with just scraping by. Why can't those who are doing meaningful work be paid well?

The thing about it is that there are a lot of people who ARE doing great work and are being paid well, but that's often because they keep their earnings under wrap.

I run a company that teaches teen girls how to successfully transition to womanhood...people assume we're a nonprofit, but we're not. The work we do SERVES young women and transforms lives - that's important! And it's economically viable.

I believe that God's children should live abundantly...after all, isn't that why Jesus came? Why, then, do we insist on pastors and other people barely squeezing by and even become resentful and indignant if they make 6 figures or better? They deserve to be WEALTHY! They deserve to have overflow!

I think part of the issue is this fear of not having enough...people almost subconsciously feeling that when the pastor/socially conscious entrepreneur/nonprofit founder has more, everyone else has to have less. But the reality is that the same way those people create value and are in turn compensated, others can be too.

I also think there's some strange idea that once the accumulation of money pass a certain point, it becomes evil. Money is amoral...it's neither good nor bad. Money is an energetic form of expression...if you are a generous and kind person, having more money gives you more opportunities to express that. If you're a selfish, arrogant jerk, then money only places the magnifying glass over that.

Financial abundance is not a bad thing...and there's nothing wrong with people who are servant leaders living well. If people feel guilty about another person's value creation, it may be time to evaluate whether they are truly living their passions and doing so at the highest level so as to create their own abundance. While those who are in the middle can be too self-righteous to give to the poor yet too noble to have as much money as the wealthy, I've never seen the wealthy criticizing another wealthy's wealth!

In short, you can't help the poor if you're one of them! Money provides more opportunities to express yourself and insisting that people in servant leadership positions avoid abundance is a reflection of one's own attitude towards money and abundance.

Just my opinion...for today. :-)