Tenzing Norgay was one of the best known sherpas of all-time, made famous for his climb of Everest with Edmund Hillary. In his autobiography he tells the story of climbing a different mountain with George Frey, an experienced climber. The story reminds us how important it is to have a climbing partner. At first the going was easy enough, following a long snow slope into which we could kick good steps, and not so steep that we needed a rope between us. But after a while the angle grew a bit sharper, and the snow harder, and I stopped and put on my steel-spiked crampons, so as to have a steadier footing. “Aren’t you going to put yours on?” I called up to Frey, who was in the lead. “No, I don’t need them,” he answered. And we continued climbing. Once again there is the question of whether I should…
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The following is a great post by Craig Groeschel from lifechurch.tv. It's about the who and what of leadership. ****************** Instead of always knowing “what” is happening with a project, what we really need to know is “who” is covering the project. If we have the right “who,” we shouldn’t have to worry about the “what.” If we have the wrong “who,” then we need to know the “what.” If you always need to know the “what,” you have one of two problems: You are not an empowering leader. You have the wrong “who.” Either way, the problem needs to be fixed.
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One of the tests of a great leader is not so much the quality of her work but the quality of people she surrounds herself with. Put another way, you can measure the competency of a leader by the competency of those they gather around them. To create a scalable culture -- one that is easily reproduced and expanded -- requires competent leaders. Many organizations, churches included, will hit a ceiling based upon the competency level of one leader. To continue to grow and expand requires a growing and expanding layer of competent leadership. This requires hiring the best people possible and releasing them to do their jobs. It also requires developing the in-house talent that already exists in latent form within the organization. May your greatest competency as a leader be the ability to spot and develop the competency of others!
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When it comes to living a life of purpose, filled with passion, and one that makes a difference ... it's important that we are asking ourselves the right questions. Ask the wrong questions, get the wrong answers. Ask no questions, get no answers. That all seems pretty simple but most of us realize how easy it is to drift aimlessly through life. With that in mind, here are three questions to start with: Who do you want to be remembered by? What do you hope they will remember about you? Who else and why? For great resources on continued personal growth and for a free life plan tool, visit Building Champions.
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No one really enjoys ambiguity. As I work with fellow leaders, I've learned that one of the greatest gifts a leader brings to those around him is a sense of clarity. When we are clear on our vision/mission/objectives/responsibilities ... we are free to focus and achieve. A lack of clarity not only confuses but paralyzes even the most capable people. How do you get to clarity? Ask questions. If something is unclear, ask for the other person to explain it another way. Ask for examples. Repeat back to the person what you are understanding them to say. When possible, write it down. Establish benchmarks. We may not be able to visualize the end result but perhaps we can see the quarter-mile marker just up ahead. Don't assume. If you're unsure whether or not a person is understanding you, ask them. If you're not sure if they have an appreciation of…
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