Should a leader’s faith
influence their actions? In a time when some forces believe that societies
should operate with freedom FROM faith (i.e. tyranny) versus freedom OF faith
(i.e. liberty!), this got me thinking out loud out about the edgier topic of
how a leader’s faith plays into their approach to leading others.
Just to be clear, I am not
advocating one denomination or even religion over another. It is just my belief
that the primary role of a leader, as stated by Kouzes and Posner in their
excellent work, the Leadership Challenge,
is to provide HOPE to their
followers. The only way that can possibly happen is if you have faith in
something beyond yourself!
Effective leaders or “Beyond
You” leaders have a positive outlook fueled by their faith that things can be
better. That situations can be turned around and victory can be snatched from
impending defeat. There are many great examples of this but I recently watched
two wonderful teleplays on Winston Churchill that highlighted events in his life
just before and during the years he lead Great Britain through World War II. This
was a man, although imperfect and on the edge of personal ruin, brought himself
and eventually an entire nation out of defeat. This was due in large part to
his unwavering faith in himself and is beloved county. The same can be true for
ALL us. IF we believe in ourselves FIRST,
then we can believe in the potential of others. Sometimes there is no good
reason to believe that things can turn around, but that is where the power of
faith comes in. As leadership expert John Maxwell shares, we can have FEARS but
we can also have FAITH! Maybe that is why so many great leaders in governance,
business, education, health care, etc. often point to their faith as the impact
multiplier that made the difference!
Back to my original question,
should a leader’s faith play a part and influence in how they lead? At least
for me, the answer is a resounding YES! I admit I am not the best example of a
person of faith but here is how my faith has influenced me.
It Helps me Accept More
and Judge Less
It Instructs me to Serve
by Leading and Lead by Serving
It Cautions me to STAY
in Integrity versus STRAY into Selfishness
It Reminds me to be Soft
on People but Tough on the Issues as CEO Douglas Conant informs us
It Challenges me to Expect
More from Myself than Others Do
It Convicts me to Lead
on Principle versus Politics
It Convinces me to LEAD
for Long Term impact versus Short Term Gain
Certainly a man of faith is
pastor and speaker, Andy Stanley who challenges us to be a Beyond You versus About You
leader. In other words, if your leadership is just About You, it will last just
long enough to be someone’s bad example. If your leadership is Beyond You, it
will far outlast you and have a positive impact on people you will never meet!
So keep the faith y’all!
As always if I can help you and the
people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would
invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the
training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a
bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will
send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your
organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to
your organization!
Yours in Leadership,
Bill Faulkner
Principal Consultant –
Out Loud Strategies
Independent Coach,
Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email = bill@outloudinc.com
Visit our website
at: www.outloudinc.com
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FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc
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