Lately I've been talking to a friend of mine about Leaderhsip accountability. Take a few moments and think about how many orphanages you see in your community or country. How many of those are really genuine? Yes they might be taking care of orphans but look at the lives of those spearheading them. Many people have become wealthy just by running orphanages in Africa. The source of their wealth are the funds that come from donors in the west. I do not dispute that there is some work happening but most of it is just to appease the hand that feeds them-just to keep the money coming. How do people like that sleep at night?
This got my friend and I thinking and we came up with one major reason for such a problem-the lack of accountability.
Accountability is allowing oversight from other people or organizations in the work that you're doing. Its voluntary submission to other's people's opinions, criticisms, encouragements and ideas. Accountability is accounting for everything involved in the vision and being answerable to other people. Most "founders' of these so-called NGOs have not been willing to let other people ask questions about what they're doing and as a result these NGOs-whatever form they take-become personal bank accounts and a source of livelihood.
Leadership in whatever area MUST involve accountability and systems that allow this to happen.Society MUST demand this of us as leaders in government, education, NGOs, business etc.WE must be answerable to the people that we lead or the people that support our causes. We must be transparent in our financial and managerial dealings.
Am honestly fed up of hearing people coming up with all sorts of NGOs that simply pledge to do what everyone else is doing and as a result we see the same level of impact-Average.
So are you accountable as a leader and to who? Who keeps you in check in your personal, financial and leadership dealings? If you don't have anybody begin to put systems in place. Accountability is the undiscovered secret for success. Many think accountability limits but this is not the case. If anything it opens tremendous doors for you because people begin to TRUST you. When your life and dealings become an open book, even those who don't know how to read begin to learn so that they can be part of your life story. When people see a worthy cause led by transparent leaders their hope for a better world and healed humanity are rekindled. So go and be that leader.
To your Success,
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
THE SEDUCTION OF POWER
The Constitution of any nation is usually a subject that arouses interest and high emotions in both the political arena and the general citizenry. For any nation, the constitution is a document that gives guide lines on how the nation will be run and also elaborates on the rights of the citizens. The constitution also gives power to the president to do certain things and make certain decisions concerning the nation.
However, for many third world nations the president has so much power that he can easily become oppressive within the confines of the Constitution because it affords him the power to do so. This is not a fair deal for the people because power vested in one man or woman can become lethal for the entire nation. As we speak, there is a battle for a new Constitution underway in Zambia and the issue of limiting presidential Powers and the separation of the Legislature from the judicial system is high on the agenda.
Is power bad? Of course not BUT how one handles that power is key. In fact I like the word Authority better than power because it seems to communicate the idea that one is actually placed in an authoritative position by some else- in the case of a president its the people that elect and give authority.
I do not mean to go on a political tangent but politics offers the best example for what I want to talk about; The Seduction of Power.
Have you ever been in a situation where your peer at work was given a promotion and his personality seemed to change overnight? All of a sudden he couldn't have lunch with you because he cannot be seen interacting with a subordinate. Believe me this does happen.
You might get this same reaction from a person who has moved out of your low class neighborhood into an upper class one. All of a sudden they cant interact with you because you're below them.
Well, power can do this to people and I want to deal with one major reason for this kind of metamorphosis. Now there are many reasons but I personally think this is the major one; Poor self Perception.
Self-perception is simply the way you think of yourself.
Power seduces when it finds a person with a poor self-perception. It makes you feel good about yourself like you're an achiever and can make things happen. Power in many cases motivates a person with low self esteem because with power you're somebody and people can listen to you. Power becomes bad when it finds and operates through such a person.
The possession of power does not necessarily mean you're a Leader and no one explains it better than Dr. John C. Maxwell in his book "Developing the Leader in you."
He says there are 5 stages in the Leadership Ladder. I've put his comments in parenthesis () and the rest is just my own expansion of what he was saying.
LEVEL 1: POSITION-At this stage ("people follow because they have to.")
Your influence is merely because you've been designated as the leader by virtue of your position. In my opinion this is the most dangerous place because its so easy to abuse power in order to get people to do what you want them to do.
LEVEL 2: PERMISSION- Here ("People follow because they want to.") This is where Leadership begins to feel like a good deal because everyone is a free participant. Yes you will get a good output from the people you lead because to a large extent they are self motivated for whatever reason.
But this is still not the best leadership has to offer.
LEVEL 3: PRODUCTION- At this point (" People follow because of what you've done for the organization.")
Your track record becomes a reason people would want to follow you. A successful track record would mean you're doing something right and people always what to be a part of a successful team.
LEVEL 4: PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT- ("People begin to follow because of what you've done for them.") Here you're committed to developing leaders that would carry on your success. You begin pouring yourself into people and their overall growth. When they progress your whole organization will progress.
LEVEL 5: PERSONHOOD- At this stage ("People follow you because of who you are and what you represent.") This stage is unfortunately one for seasoned leaders. You don't get to this place overnight. You must have a solid track record, a good following of successful proteges- people you've spent your life developing and growing through your experience. This is where we should all strive to be.
Now power and Authority play a major role at each stage. You will tempted at to be prideful and ignore other people because you think you've arrived. The moment you do that, you would have fallen prey to the seduction of power.
Power seduces when it senses a crack in your character and or personality. Every stage of Leadership calls for the mastery of power because the higher you go the more people will respect you and allow you to influence them. However, with such trust comes also the temptation to take advantage of the people we Lead.
Therefore, we should be careful in placing so much power in anyone individual as is the case in many third world countries. When power seduces Leaders they become tyrants and that's not what God intended power to do.
Therefore, be careful of how you handle power and authority because it will determine your longevity as a Leader.
Your Success,
However, for many third world nations the president has so much power that he can easily become oppressive within the confines of the Constitution because it affords him the power to do so. This is not a fair deal for the people because power vested in one man or woman can become lethal for the entire nation. As we speak, there is a battle for a new Constitution underway in Zambia and the issue of limiting presidential Powers and the separation of the Legislature from the judicial system is high on the agenda.
Is power bad? Of course not BUT how one handles that power is key. In fact I like the word Authority better than power because it seems to communicate the idea that one is actually placed in an authoritative position by some else- in the case of a president its the people that elect and give authority.
I do not mean to go on a political tangent but politics offers the best example for what I want to talk about; The Seduction of Power.
Have you ever been in a situation where your peer at work was given a promotion and his personality seemed to change overnight? All of a sudden he couldn't have lunch with you because he cannot be seen interacting with a subordinate. Believe me this does happen.
You might get this same reaction from a person who has moved out of your low class neighborhood into an upper class one. All of a sudden they cant interact with you because you're below them.
Well, power can do this to people and I want to deal with one major reason for this kind of metamorphosis. Now there are many reasons but I personally think this is the major one; Poor self Perception.
Self-perception is simply the way you think of yourself.
Power seduces when it finds a person with a poor self-perception. It makes you feel good about yourself like you're an achiever and can make things happen. Power in many cases motivates a person with low self esteem because with power you're somebody and people can listen to you. Power becomes bad when it finds and operates through such a person.
The possession of power does not necessarily mean you're a Leader and no one explains it better than Dr. John C. Maxwell in his book "Developing the Leader in you."
He says there are 5 stages in the Leadership Ladder. I've put his comments in parenthesis () and the rest is just my own expansion of what he was saying.
LEVEL 1: POSITION-At this stage ("people follow because they have to.")
Your influence is merely because you've been designated as the leader by virtue of your position. In my opinion this is the most dangerous place because its so easy to abuse power in order to get people to do what you want them to do.
LEVEL 2: PERMISSION- Here ("People follow because they want to.") This is where Leadership begins to feel like a good deal because everyone is a free participant. Yes you will get a good output from the people you lead because to a large extent they are self motivated for whatever reason.
But this is still not the best leadership has to offer.
LEVEL 3: PRODUCTION- At this point (" People follow because of what you've done for the organization.")
Your track record becomes a reason people would want to follow you. A successful track record would mean you're doing something right and people always what to be a part of a successful team.
LEVEL 4: PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT- ("People begin to follow because of what you've done for them.") Here you're committed to developing leaders that would carry on your success. You begin pouring yourself into people and their overall growth. When they progress your whole organization will progress.
LEVEL 5: PERSONHOOD- At this stage ("People follow you because of who you are and what you represent.") This stage is unfortunately one for seasoned leaders. You don't get to this place overnight. You must have a solid track record, a good following of successful proteges- people you've spent your life developing and growing through your experience. This is where we should all strive to be.
Now power and Authority play a major role at each stage. You will tempted at to be prideful and ignore other people because you think you've arrived. The moment you do that, you would have fallen prey to the seduction of power.
Power seduces when it senses a crack in your character and or personality. Every stage of Leadership calls for the mastery of power because the higher you go the more people will respect you and allow you to influence them. However, with such trust comes also the temptation to take advantage of the people we Lead.
Therefore, we should be careful in placing so much power in anyone individual as is the case in many third world countries. When power seduces Leaders they become tyrants and that's not what God intended power to do.
Therefore, be careful of how you handle power and authority because it will determine your longevity as a Leader.
Your Success,
Thursday, July 5, 2007
For Such a Time as This!
Dear friends,
Am sitting here in my office thinking of Africa!(WOW,I wonder why?)
I mean there is so much talk about Africa being the next bread basket of the world and all of a sudden we've become the talk of the world, yet again.
However, I must air a concern that I have and frankly its the main reason I started this blog. Am concerned that we'll become just another "rape victim" as the world mines our natural resources without mercy or concern for the well being of the indigenous African.
In recent years countries such as Zambia have become the talk of the copper mining industry world over as we stand at the brink of opening the largest copper mine in the world even ahead of Chile who have been the big guns for years.
In a recent report of copper profits, Zambia's finance minister Magande said the copper mining companies had made in excess of $300m for the year 2005/2006. But how much of those PROFITS did the Zambian government realize? A whole $9m. This my friends is a mockery of the Zambian people and we must find a solution to this daylight robbery. As you can tell am pretty angry about this situation and I think that WE can do something about it.
WE were born for such a time as this. WE, the People, can do something about it by becoming Leaders in every sphere of human existence. WE can shape the economies of the world. There has never been a hunger for authentic Leadership in Africa or the world as we're experiencing right now.
In talking to my one of my spiritual Fathers recently, he said something that stuck with me for a long minute. He said, " the people are tired, they are weary and their spirits are beat." And yes the people are tired of poverty, poor health care and poor education standards. They are tired of working hard just to barely survive.
BUT the answer to all these problems is AUTHENTIC, UNSELFISH, PEOPLE CENTRED, GOD FEARING LEADERSHIP and WE can provide that.
I recently had the opportunity to hear Dr. Nevers Mumba the former vice president of the republic of Zambia speak and I must say I was infused with hope not only for Zambia but Africa as a whole. He spoke with clarity and conviction and at the end of his sermon I could confidently say, "ZAMBIA AND AFRICA SHALL BE SAVED." For me, he spoke my language and that Language is the language of a better and vibrant Zambia; a better Africa. Honestly, I've not heard a person speak with such a love and conviction that inspired hope since our forefathers that fought for African independence. But I believe that this is the generation that IS capturing the vision of a better, strong and developed Africa and we will fight to make it a reality.
So here is my challenge; let us continue to develop ourselves in terms of Leadership potential BUT let us begin to be vocal about the problems. For those of you that feel you need to be in politics START NOW. Align yourselves with political Leaders that have Vision and aid in the development of our nations. YOU must bring a maturity to African politics by having vision and by thinking objectively. Your goal should not be to remove on political party from power for this kind of thinking is primitive. Your goal should be to develop your nation even when this means building on a good foundation laid by your predecessors. Don't just have a program for the nation; have a VISION.
For those of you that feel health care or education is your field, START NOW! Whatever your Leadership calling is, START NOW!
My role here is to help you develop and unleash that Leadership potential.
Many people can talk tough but when it comes to acting they are cowards but am sure that's not the kind of people we are. We are doers and mix our faith with action.
I just wanted to nudge you a bit and give you a wake up call.
Remember that not every battle is yours BUT you need to choose which battle you will fight; which hill you will die on because retreat is not an option.
To your Success and Progress
Am sitting here in my office thinking of Africa!(WOW,I wonder why?)
I mean there is so much talk about Africa being the next bread basket of the world and all of a sudden we've become the talk of the world, yet again.
However, I must air a concern that I have and frankly its the main reason I started this blog. Am concerned that we'll become just another "rape victim" as the world mines our natural resources without mercy or concern for the well being of the indigenous African.
In recent years countries such as Zambia have become the talk of the copper mining industry world over as we stand at the brink of opening the largest copper mine in the world even ahead of Chile who have been the big guns for years.
In a recent report of copper profits, Zambia's finance minister Magande said the copper mining companies had made in excess of $300m for the year 2005/2006. But how much of those PROFITS did the Zambian government realize? A whole $9m. This my friends is a mockery of the Zambian people and we must find a solution to this daylight robbery. As you can tell am pretty angry about this situation and I think that WE can do something about it.
WE were born for such a time as this. WE, the People, can do something about it by becoming Leaders in every sphere of human existence. WE can shape the economies of the world. There has never been a hunger for authentic Leadership in Africa or the world as we're experiencing right now.
In talking to my one of my spiritual Fathers recently, he said something that stuck with me for a long minute. He said, " the people are tired, they are weary and their spirits are beat." And yes the people are tired of poverty, poor health care and poor education standards. They are tired of working hard just to barely survive.
BUT the answer to all these problems is AUTHENTIC, UNSELFISH, PEOPLE CENTRED, GOD FEARING LEADERSHIP and WE can provide that.
I recently had the opportunity to hear Dr. Nevers Mumba the former vice president of the republic of Zambia speak and I must say I was infused with hope not only for Zambia but Africa as a whole. He spoke with clarity and conviction and at the end of his sermon I could confidently say, "ZAMBIA AND AFRICA SHALL BE SAVED." For me, he spoke my language and that Language is the language of a better and vibrant Zambia; a better Africa. Honestly, I've not heard a person speak with such a love and conviction that inspired hope since our forefathers that fought for African independence. But I believe that this is the generation that IS capturing the vision of a better, strong and developed Africa and we will fight to make it a reality.
So here is my challenge; let us continue to develop ourselves in terms of Leadership potential BUT let us begin to be vocal about the problems. For those of you that feel you need to be in politics START NOW. Align yourselves with political Leaders that have Vision and aid in the development of our nations. YOU must bring a maturity to African politics by having vision and by thinking objectively. Your goal should not be to remove on political party from power for this kind of thinking is primitive. Your goal should be to develop your nation even when this means building on a good foundation laid by your predecessors. Don't just have a program for the nation; have a VISION.
For those of you that feel health care or education is your field, START NOW! Whatever your Leadership calling is, START NOW!
My role here is to help you develop and unleash that Leadership potential.
Many people can talk tough but when it comes to acting they are cowards but am sure that's not the kind of people we are. We are doers and mix our faith with action.
I just wanted to nudge you a bit and give you a wake up call.
Remember that not every battle is yours BUT you need to choose which battle you will fight; which hill you will die on because retreat is not an option.
To your Success and Progress
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
THE POWER OF ATTITUDE
I don't know how many of you remember a song titled "Born to Suffer" by Lucky Dube, the South African musician in the early 90s but I've always thought that was an interesting title. Unfortunately some of us do subscribe to that message and just think that we were born to be failures and that the successful life is for the privileged few. However, let me encourage you with this quote from the wisest man who ever lived and it simply says this; "The race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant, or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all (Eccl 9:11).
In other words the rich and poor have two things in common; time and chance (opportunity). Furthermore, they think and act in a different way. Someone once said; "if you want to be rich, do what rich people do." Invest like they do and you too could be rich. Of course we all know that not all rich people got that way by being honest but there is something to be said about the way most invest their money and resources and the way they think.
I've said all this just to say this one thing;if you want to be a good leader, do what good leaders do. Think and act like they do and you will have success.
Attitude is key to your success as a Leader. Your Attitude (mentality) will make or break you. It will determine how high you rise (Altitude) and will determine if people follow you or not. Attitude is a key component of Leadership.
Lets break it down.
I think that if there was an equation for Attitude this is what it would be:
Attitude = Thoughts+Feelings+Actions+Expressions.
Attitude begins with thought. The atmosphere of the mind is the birth place of attitude. Our thoughts are created as we entertain various media i.e. words, images,people's opinions and perceptions of us.
Our thoughts then begin to feed and form our Belief system and this becomes the center of our perceptions, world view and most importantly, our actions. Most people down play the role of belief or personal conviction in how they act or react but this is the center of who we are. So our Actions are informed by what we believe whether consciously or subconsciously.
Our beliefs also determines how we feel and how we express those feelings and ultimately ourselves. Attitude is a combination of all this stuff.
Therefore, if we say some one has a negative Attitude, what we are saying in effect is that they entertain negative media that form negative thoughts, that form a negative belief system, that causes them to act, feel and express themselves in a
negative way. Hence they have a negative outlook on life.
The people with a positive Attitude do exactly the opposite. They entertain positive media which forms positive thoughts, which form a positive belief system, which causes them to act, feel and express themselves in a positive way. They have a positive outlook on life. They are not easily defeated or discouraged because they find a positive in every aspect of life including their failures.
As Leaders we need to understand that Attitude is contagious and that those around us can catch it. Show me a negative Leader and I will show you a discouraged, negative follower. When the head is not right the whole body is out of sync. Therefore, we need to ensure that we are constantly developing a positive attitude.
Leaders with a positive attitude will make their people believe they can do anything and people do rise to the challenge. If you want your company, church, family or business to rise to new heights-just change your attitude and you will increase the altitude of your team or following.
A Leaders positive attitude is both a motivation and inspiration to his team.
Your attitude will also help you face challenges in a positive way and actually turn them to benefit you. Your attitude determines how you speak to and treat your problems or challenges. For a Leader with a positive attitude failure is not even an option.
I hope that you've learned a thing or two about attitude and leadership because this is the stuff that will make you or break you. Develop a positive attitude and you will begin to see positives in your Leadership.
I will leave you with this famous quote.
To your Success & Progress!
If you think You're beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don't
If you would like to win but think you can't
You most certainly won't.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
In other words the rich and poor have two things in common; time and chance (opportunity). Furthermore, they think and act in a different way. Someone once said; "if you want to be rich, do what rich people do." Invest like they do and you too could be rich. Of course we all know that not all rich people got that way by being honest but there is something to be said about the way most invest their money and resources and the way they think.
I've said all this just to say this one thing;if you want to be a good leader, do what good leaders do. Think and act like they do and you will have success.
Attitude is key to your success as a Leader. Your Attitude (mentality) will make or break you. It will determine how high you rise (Altitude) and will determine if people follow you or not. Attitude is a key component of Leadership.
Lets break it down.
I think that if there was an equation for Attitude this is what it would be:
Attitude = Thoughts+Feelings+Actions+Expressions.
Attitude begins with thought. The atmosphere of the mind is the birth place of attitude. Our thoughts are created as we entertain various media i.e. words, images,people's opinions and perceptions of us.
Our thoughts then begin to feed and form our Belief system and this becomes the center of our perceptions, world view and most importantly, our actions. Most people down play the role of belief or personal conviction in how they act or react but this is the center of who we are. So our Actions are informed by what we believe whether consciously or subconsciously.
Our beliefs also determines how we feel and how we express those feelings and ultimately ourselves. Attitude is a combination of all this stuff.
Therefore, if we say some one has a negative Attitude, what we are saying in effect is that they entertain negative media that form negative thoughts, that form a negative belief system, that causes them to act, feel and express themselves in a
negative way. Hence they have a negative outlook on life.
The people with a positive Attitude do exactly the opposite. They entertain positive media which forms positive thoughts, which form a positive belief system, which causes them to act, feel and express themselves in a positive way. They have a positive outlook on life. They are not easily defeated or discouraged because they find a positive in every aspect of life including their failures.
As Leaders we need to understand that Attitude is contagious and that those around us can catch it. Show me a negative Leader and I will show you a discouraged, negative follower. When the head is not right the whole body is out of sync. Therefore, we need to ensure that we are constantly developing a positive attitude.
Leaders with a positive attitude will make their people believe they can do anything and people do rise to the challenge. If you want your company, church, family or business to rise to new heights-just change your attitude and you will increase the altitude of your team or following.
A Leaders positive attitude is both a motivation and inspiration to his team.
Your attitude will also help you face challenges in a positive way and actually turn them to benefit you. Your attitude determines how you speak to and treat your problems or challenges. For a Leader with a positive attitude failure is not even an option.
I hope that you've learned a thing or two about attitude and leadership because this is the stuff that will make you or break you. Develop a positive attitude and you will begin to see positives in your Leadership.
I will leave you with this famous quote.
To your Success & Progress!
If you think You're beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don't
If you would like to win but think you can't
You most certainly won't.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
LEADERSHIP MENTALITY
Am sure that you've heard it said, "It's one thing to take a man out of the bush and another to take the bush out of the man." It's a funny saying but teaches a very important truth that is; A change of environment does not necessarily mean a change in thoughts, perceptions and ideas concerning oneself and or the world. Today I want to begin dealing with a subject that every Leader must study and be a student of; I want to talk about the Mentality of a Leader.
Napoleon Hill once said concerning the subject of getting rich that "Both riches and poverty are the offspring of thought (Think & Grow Rich)." The way a person thinks determines how they approach life and what they become in life just as the bible says in proverbs, "As a man thinks in his heart so is he."
Our thoughts inform our actions and actions are what create our quality of life or the lack thereof.
We must understand the basic make up of thoughts because understanding how thoughts are formed will help us in developing a mentality that enhances and enables our Leadership.
The first thing we need to know is that thoughts are first formed by words.
Thoughts are basically mental images formed by words. The words that produce our thoughts come from many sources- Television, Radio, Books, Everyday Conversations, positive and negative utterances by people close to us. Whatever we hear leaves a mark on our minds and could occupy our thought life if we let it.
It's these thoughts that mold our world view and inform our actions. Through the words that we hear we form belief systems and convictions on which we usually base our actions. Now am not talking about a weak belief, no; am talking about the belief that causes your blood to boil if someone or something seem to pause a challenge to your convictions.
People that say, 'I CAN'T', do not usually have a healthy thought life.
I remember teaching a young man how to play the bass guitar. I saw the talent and potential but he kept saying he couldn't whenever he made a mistake. I got upset with him one day and told him that he could do anything he put his mind to it. It so happens that this boy was always told (words)by his teachers at school and parents at home that because he was overweight he couldn't do a lot of things.
Now how many of you know that how you look has nothing to do with your ability to play an instrument like the bass guitar? But think about this. He was told he was no good in one area but that statement repeated over time affected every area of his life, his self image and perception.
My job and ministry was, with the help of God,to replace the thoughts that had been fed to him by telling (words) him that he could. You should have seen the dramatic change in his life after a few weeks of working with him. He could learn with a positive attitude without putting himself down and guess what, he now plays bass guitar in our church as he continues to learn. Words can KILL or HEAL-use them wisely.
The words that you hear are as important as the words you speak to yourself.
Self talk is one of the ways to replace bad thought patterns. I speak to myself and encourage 'me' especially when am faced with a challenge or negative situation. Am my best cheer Leader. I say, 'Campbell you are not a failure and your failure is not final. Its a positive learning experience and you won't make the same mistake again. Campbell you are great and have potential and you are a great Leader.' This is not pride or arrogance, its just what i call MIND CONDITIONING. Hey, you've got speak to yourself life and not death. The power of life and death is in the tongue so the bible says.
The whole point of dwelling on words and thoughts is that your mentality as a Leader will either make you a success or failure. If the way you think as a Leader has a direct impact on the quality of your Leadership, do you not think it would be a good idea to regulate what you hear, read and see and let into your heart?
In my next article I will continue dealing with Mentality as I look at the mechanics of activating this principle in your every day life but in the mean time think about this and challenge yourself in the area of your words and thoughts.
What are you reading to feed your Leadership Spirit and Mentality? What do you spend doing in you 'free' time? Is it challenging you to become a better person or is your time spent on non-essentials?
Who are you listening to? Who's speaking into your life?
One of things I've done is invest in some Leadership and motivational Cd's that I listen to in the car! I don't want to waste any opportunity to sharpen my Leadership skills and mentality and neither should you!
To your success and Progress,
Napoleon Hill once said concerning the subject of getting rich that "Both riches and poverty are the offspring of thought (Think & Grow Rich)." The way a person thinks determines how they approach life and what they become in life just as the bible says in proverbs, "As a man thinks in his heart so is he."
Our thoughts inform our actions and actions are what create our quality of life or the lack thereof.
We must understand the basic make up of thoughts because understanding how thoughts are formed will help us in developing a mentality that enhances and enables our Leadership.
The first thing we need to know is that thoughts are first formed by words.
Thoughts are basically mental images formed by words. The words that produce our thoughts come from many sources- Television, Radio, Books, Everyday Conversations, positive and negative utterances by people close to us. Whatever we hear leaves a mark on our minds and could occupy our thought life if we let it.
It's these thoughts that mold our world view and inform our actions. Through the words that we hear we form belief systems and convictions on which we usually base our actions. Now am not talking about a weak belief, no; am talking about the belief that causes your blood to boil if someone or something seem to pause a challenge to your convictions.
People that say, 'I CAN'T', do not usually have a healthy thought life.
I remember teaching a young man how to play the bass guitar. I saw the talent and potential but he kept saying he couldn't whenever he made a mistake. I got upset with him one day and told him that he could do anything he put his mind to it. It so happens that this boy was always told (words)by his teachers at school and parents at home that because he was overweight he couldn't do a lot of things.
Now how many of you know that how you look has nothing to do with your ability to play an instrument like the bass guitar? But think about this. He was told he was no good in one area but that statement repeated over time affected every area of his life, his self image and perception.
My job and ministry was, with the help of God,to replace the thoughts that had been fed to him by telling (words) him that he could. You should have seen the dramatic change in his life after a few weeks of working with him. He could learn with a positive attitude without putting himself down and guess what, he now plays bass guitar in our church as he continues to learn. Words can KILL or HEAL-use them wisely.
The words that you hear are as important as the words you speak to yourself.
Self talk is one of the ways to replace bad thought patterns. I speak to myself and encourage 'me' especially when am faced with a challenge or negative situation. Am my best cheer Leader. I say, 'Campbell you are not a failure and your failure is not final. Its a positive learning experience and you won't make the same mistake again. Campbell you are great and have potential and you are a great Leader.' This is not pride or arrogance, its just what i call MIND CONDITIONING. Hey, you've got speak to yourself life and not death. The power of life and death is in the tongue so the bible says.
The whole point of dwelling on words and thoughts is that your mentality as a Leader will either make you a success or failure. If the way you think as a Leader has a direct impact on the quality of your Leadership, do you not think it would be a good idea to regulate what you hear, read and see and let into your heart?
In my next article I will continue dealing with Mentality as I look at the mechanics of activating this principle in your every day life but in the mean time think about this and challenge yourself in the area of your words and thoughts.
What are you reading to feed your Leadership Spirit and Mentality? What do you spend doing in you 'free' time? Is it challenging you to become a better person or is your time spent on non-essentials?
Who are you listening to? Who's speaking into your life?
One of things I've done is invest in some Leadership and motivational Cd's that I listen to in the car! I don't want to waste any opportunity to sharpen my Leadership skills and mentality and neither should you!
To your success and Progress,
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
THE HABBIT OF RENEWAL!
I've spent most of today preparing a solo that am supposed to sing at a huge Salvation Army event in Hershey, PA.
I've kind of known what I've wanted to sing for some time now but my heart has been renewed as I've practiced this song. The title of the song is 'In your Presence' written by Lynn DeShazo and recorded by Paul Wilbur.
Yes its Old but its come again to me. The words are so powerful because they are a prayer that my heart echoes. I want to be in the presence of God for several reasons;
1. I think better
2. I can see the future in some clear detail (Vision)
3. I get my encouragement from him
4. I get energized for the fight
5. I enjoy spending time with him
My point is this; EVERY LEADER MUST HAVE A TIME TO RECHARGE! You may be reading this and you're a leader who's not a christian and what I've just said is foreign language-that's fine. But the principle is the same- you need to develop some habits that renew your spirit and energize your passion for the vision.
Just as you develop habits to more efficiently execute the vision you have for your life or organization; you must have habits that renew your strength for the fight.
Here are some suggestions;
1. Start with your hobbies- what's fun for you? Do it and relax
2. Read and feed your mind- It doesn't have to be something heavy. It can be a story of someone who has made it in achieving his dream. Other people's testimony are a great source of encouragement.
3. Review your vision and personal goals- This keeps you on track and can be a great motivator especially when you've made progress.
4. Watch an inspiring movie- I find this to work for me; try it!
5. Think and Sleep- You heard me! I've developed a habit of thinking and visualizing my dream. I usually do it in the bathroom- works for me. I go into dreamland and see my vision complete. I inspect it and I even have meetings with very important people. I also do this visualization before I go to bed. My wife and I say goodnight to each other and off i go into dreamland. I usually fall asleep seeing my vision and such kind of sleep can be energizing. It might feel strange at first but train yourself.
Listen you will burn out if you don't get some habits in place for your renewal. This is important and though what I've shared may seem elementary; please don't ignore the principle- EVERY LEADER MUST HAVE A TIME TO RECHARGE!
Does anyone else have any habits that are working for them? Please share that we may use them in our lives as well.
To your success and progress,
I've kind of known what I've wanted to sing for some time now but my heart has been renewed as I've practiced this song. The title of the song is 'In your Presence' written by Lynn DeShazo and recorded by Paul Wilbur.
Yes its Old but its come again to me. The words are so powerful because they are a prayer that my heart echoes. I want to be in the presence of God for several reasons;
1. I think better
2. I can see the future in some clear detail (Vision)
3. I get my encouragement from him
4. I get energized for the fight
5. I enjoy spending time with him
My point is this; EVERY LEADER MUST HAVE A TIME TO RECHARGE! You may be reading this and you're a leader who's not a christian and what I've just said is foreign language-that's fine. But the principle is the same- you need to develop some habits that renew your spirit and energize your passion for the vision.
Just as you develop habits to more efficiently execute the vision you have for your life or organization; you must have habits that renew your strength for the fight.
Here are some suggestions;
1. Start with your hobbies- what's fun for you? Do it and relax
2. Read and feed your mind- It doesn't have to be something heavy. It can be a story of someone who has made it in achieving his dream. Other people's testimony are a great source of encouragement.
3. Review your vision and personal goals- This keeps you on track and can be a great motivator especially when you've made progress.
4. Watch an inspiring movie- I find this to work for me; try it!
5. Think and Sleep- You heard me! I've developed a habit of thinking and visualizing my dream. I usually do it in the bathroom- works for me. I go into dreamland and see my vision complete. I inspect it and I even have meetings with very important people. I also do this visualization before I go to bed. My wife and I say goodnight to each other and off i go into dreamland. I usually fall asleep seeing my vision and such kind of sleep can be energizing. It might feel strange at first but train yourself.
Listen you will burn out if you don't get some habits in place for your renewal. This is important and though what I've shared may seem elementary; please don't ignore the principle- EVERY LEADER MUST HAVE A TIME TO RECHARGE!
Does anyone else have any habits that are working for them? Please share that we may use them in our lives as well.
To your success and progress,
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