Tag Archives: kindness

Leading Well

2 Qualities of a Great Leader

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A Great Leader… is Both Confident and Humble

Being a leader brings an entire litany of stresses, challenges, and responsibilities that those who have never been in leadership are unaware of. As a business owner, manager, or boss, the reality of your impact upon the lives of those around you is ever present. If the business fails, these people will be out of jobs, which will affect their families. That alone is a tremendous responsibility.

If the leader leads with a “let’s be buddies” mentality, the likelihood is that someone in the organization is going to take advantage of that, which will most likely hurt others in the process. These types of leaders are vulnerable to the manipulation and dishonesty of the unscrupulous employee. At a minimum, such a buddy attitude can diminish respect for that leader. On the other hand, leaders who rule with an iron fist communicate that the only thing they care about is the bottom line—which also causes a host of problems within the organization, not the least of which is decreased motivation, employee dissatisfaction, and yes, a lack of respect for that leader. Thus leading others, whether in business or ministry, for fun or for profit, requires a delicate balance of humanity (compassion, relationship, respect, genuine concern for the individual, etc.) and business mindedness (concern for the health and profitability of the business or organization), a balance that is difficult to find and challenging to maintain.

When it comes to this type of balanced leadership, a great leader knows herself well enough to be familiar with both her strengths and her weaknesses in these areas and beyond. She is confident in her ability to lead, while humble enough to realize that good leaders continue learning great leadership skills. As a Christian, she will be confident in the assignment she has been given at this place, at this time, and for such a time as this (Esther 4:14b). And she will know that when God calls us to a certain task, He equips us for it. As the saying goes, “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”

At the same time, she also knows her shortcomings, and when she blows it, she owns up to her mistake. She does not deny her shortcomings, cover up her failures, make excuses, or blame others when she makes a mistake. She knows that every failure provides a valuable learning experience. And she follows that humility with the determination to get back up and try again, with the intention of doing it better next time.  Though she falls down seven times, she gets up eight! [Proverbs 24:16] And she is stronger, wiser, and better equipped as she does so. Having this perspective also makes her more gracious and understanding toward others when they make mistakes.

It is this combination of confident dependence on Christ and humility that makes her the kind of leader that others respect and even want to emulate. This leader will inspire those around her with her kindness, her confidence, and her willingness to take responsibility for her failures, as well as the honest mistakes of those under her leadership. This grace-full leader will be a great leader in the lives of those around her and she will be an asset to any organization.

Have you experienced any of these scenarios? Do you have questions about anything in this article? If so, comment below. We all grow when we ask and when we share.

Make today count!
Mary

 

[Copyright Mary Comm, 2015. All rights reserved.]

Living Successfully

10 Rules For Living a Successful Life or For Running a Successful Business

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  1. Sincerely care about others—your family, friends, strangers, your staff, customers, and peers. Show each one respect. Honor them. As far as it depends on you, get along with everyone.

 

  1. Do the right thing. Period. Be a person of integrity in every detail—even when no one is looking.

 

  1. Live with passion and courage. (Be brave!) Do at least one thing every day that stretches you or pushes you to be bold or to go beyond what is comfortable. Engage in things that make your pulse quicken. Find something to laugh about or cry over or work to change for the better. Make every day count.

 

  1. B R E A T H E . . . . Don’t sweat the small stuff OR the big stuff. No matter what, today is just 24 hours on the calendar. Tomorrow is 24 fresh, new hours. Find humor where you can; take the stress in stride. Do your best today and start over again tomorrow.

 

  1. Give back. Take time out every week—or every day—for those who are less fortunate than yourself. Be grateful for what you have. Be generous with your time, your resources, your smiles, and your kind words.

 

  1. Always take the high road, regardless of the choices other people make. Other people will respond with criticism, contempt, hatred, scorn, sharp words, or condescending tones, etc., but as a follower of Christ, you are called to answer with love, kindness, concern, encouragement, or at the very least, silence! The old adage is true: if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. But given that God has redeemed your life, forgiven your sins, and placed His Spirit within you, shouldn’t you go the extra mile to do or say the right thing? You’ve been blessed; pass it on.

 

  1. Really SEE people.  See beyond their words, their clothing, and their façade. See past the minutia. Look at what lies behind their words, attitudes, and actions. People’s lives are really difficult these days. Offer kindness and compassion when you can, even in the face of less than stellar attitudes. Celebrate with those for whom life is going well; be empathetic toward those for whom life is hard today.

 

  1. Be humble. Treat everyone the same regardless of what they may or may not be able to do for you. Treat them with respect, kindness, and graciousness. What you give out will come back to you.

 

  1. Don’t seek revenge. Recognize and accept that what goes around comes around, naturally. You don’t have to help it along. (Doing so only makes you seem small.)

 

  1. Remember, in the long run, good always wins. Don’t be overcome by unkind, selfish, hurtful, or evil people. There will always be evil in the world. Choose good every time and let the chips fall where they may. Tremendous good can come from even terrible circumstances. Look for the good and you will find it (Romans 8:28).

Live today well!
mary

[Adapted from Romans 12:9-19]

Copyright Mary Comm 2014. All rights reserved.