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I love leaders.
I love talking and defining leadership.
I love training leaders.
In my present capacity, I value time with leaders and investment in the development of leaders far more than any responsibility or authority I may have.
So, I’m passing along some of the leadership thoughts that have been guiding for me. I’m not pretending these are all original with me. Some are but most are gleaned from other leaders and environments where my own leadership was forged.
Never give somebody a stick to beat you up with. People are going to beat on you. Expect it but don’t equip arm with anything you have done, said or implied.
What makes you great also makes you vulnerable. David’s passion was his greatest gift and his most vulnerable tendency. Know your strengths and watch closely your weaknesses. The enemy is stalking and studying you.
You are most likely to be attacked on the back side of your greatest moments. It was after Elijah left Mt. Carmel that he was most suspect to attack. After all of David’s enemies had been defeated, then the attack came. Always be on guard after great moments because the enemy likes to attack when you are not looking.
People matter in ways you can’t even begun to understand. The value of leaders is the connection to the people they lead. Without people, there is no need for leaders. We don’t lead organizations or systems, we lead people. Focus on people for maximum impact.
The banana that leaves the bunch is the first one peeled. Connect and remain. When people begin to leave and go on their own, they usually fail. This is not to be confused with bold leadership but with those who want to peel off and do their own thing within the group. Staying connected seldom holds you back. Truth is–you are stronger when connected.
About the author
Bill is the Administrative Bishop in Ohio for the CHurch of God denomination. He's also a dad, grand dad, & author.
The movement of God is always forward. We have been made to soar and to embrace our future as God sees it. Forwardleadership is designed to engage leaders who have tomorrow in their hearts. Thank you for visiting.
by Travis Johnson on November 07, 2011
I like your final point: "The banana that leaves the bunch is the first one peeled." While cycling in a peloton, you can actually ride on average 10 mph faster than you can by yourself. Every stage of the Tour de France 21 days, on multiple occasions cyclists try to break from the pack/peloton. They may be out ahead for the whole day. But, they almost always get swallowed up by the peloton within a few miles of the finish line. Alone, there are just too many factors working against you when you're going solo: wind, discouragement, no rest, you're the only pacemaker. The result is that most stages are decided by a sprint in the last half mile. Still the sprinter are set up by their team mates who sling shot them across the last few hundred feet of the finish line. Crazy. However, the place that the lone banana can break free is up a mountain. There is no benefit and almost all hazard staying in the peloton going up a steep mountain. This is where the guys like Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, and Andy Schleck distinguish themselves. Going into the Pyrenees Mountains, these guys get out up out of their saddles and huff it up the mountain like warriors. These are the guys that finish well beyond the pack...sipping lemonade while everyone else is still out working up the mountain. When one of these guys make their break, you either jump out with them and battle. Or, you slink back into the pack and pace your way up the mountain. Breaking from the pack happens strategically. It isn't accidental. It isn't easy. It changes the pace of everyone else. You need both. But, all of the roles working together makes the Tour a beautiful and challenging thing. Even the guys who break from the pack and don't make it alter the speed of the pack. The sad thing is when guys fall off the back of the pack. When that happens, they only ever rejoin the pack the next day. And, the rest of their 150 miles of that day is a rough, lonely slog...if they even finish at all.
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