Monday, September 7, 2015

The Most Attractive Quality A Leader Can Have

on September 1, 2015 in Relationships
Obviously I have met hundreds, maybe thousands of leaders in my life.  So have you.
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes.  Some take extraordinary risks.  Others play it closer to the vest.  Some have larger than life personalities.  Others are introverted.  Some are well-educated.  Others have innate street smarts.  Some have large platforms.  Others operate in complete anonymity except to those who know them.
I have met great leaders who were both men and women, young and old, different ethnicities and from different political parties.  You cannot put great leadership in a box.
Great leaders also have a variety of attractive qualities:
  • Competence
  • Team Building
  • Strategic Planning
  • Vision
  • Inspiration
  • And on and on and on….
But the older I get, there is one characteristic which I feel is the most attractive quality a leader can have.
The most attractive quality a leader can have is…humbleness.
The following are 11 Practices Of Humble Leadership:
  1. A Humble Leader always gives credit to others.
  2. A Humble Leader is generous financially and with praise.
  3. A Humble Leader is forgiving.  He/She understands grace.
  4. A Humble Leader helps those who cannot return the favor.
  5. A Humble Leader develops lifelong friendships.
  6. A Humble Leader plays to his/her strengths.
  7. A Humble Leader delegates his/her weaknesses.
  8. A Humble Leader says, “I don’t know.”
  9. A Humble Leader is teachable.
  10. A Humble Leader says, “I’m sorry.  I was wrong.”
  11. A Humble Leader is a lasting leader.
Numbers 9 and 10 are very important.  My senior pastor Dr. Crawford Loritts says, “If a leader is unteachable, run from them as fast as you can.”
After reading the list above, are you a leader people run to or run from?
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No Matter How Good You Are, Every Leader Needs This

on September 2, 2015 in Sports Leadership
Several years ago, a friend of mine named Rick attended the Masters Tournament in Augusta, GA.  He, along with thousands of others, followed Tiger Woods throughout an entire Sunday afternoon.  At the time, Tiger was at the apex of his career.
One specific moment caught Rick’s attention.  Tiger and his caddie were discussing a particular shot.  While the conversation was not a full-fledged argument, it was certainly an intense debate.  To his credit, Tiger finally acquiesced, took his caddie’s advice and executed a brilliant shot.
Rick said, “Brian, no one can execute like Tiger.  But even Tiger is better with a coach.”  Whether you lead a ministry, athletic organization, business or non-profit, No Matter How Good You Are, No Matter How Well You Execute, Every Leader Needs A Coach.  Coaches help even the very best execute even better.
I thought about Rick’s words when I read a July 17th USA Today article detailing the relationship between golf’s current best player, Jordan Spieth, and his coach Cameron McCormick.
As I read their story I gleaned 8 Benefits Of A Coach.  These lessons will help any leader who wants to get better.
  1. Coaches Are Available To Help You – Therefore, take advantage of them.  Wanting to learn the art of coaching at age 30, McCormick wrote letters to approximately 75 coaches asking for assistance.  25 replied.
  2. Coaches Motivate You – As McCormick entered the profession, he learned the motivations of top athletes and all the factors which influence their performance.
  3. Coaches Improve Your Confidence – McCormick said, “He (Spieth) never wavered in purpose, never wavered in desire, never wavered in self-belief.”
  4. Coaches Challenge You – McCormick continues, “Never did I sit in front of him and he said, ‘Cam, I can’t do something.’  In fact, it’s the opposite.  It is him asking for more challenges.”
  5. Coaches Amplify Your Skills – McCormick focuses on accentuating Speith’s strengths.
  6. Coaches Introduce You To New Ideas And Concepts – When he was 16 years of age, Spieth introduced weight lifting into his training.
  7. Coaches Push You Farther Than You Thought You Could Ever Go – McCormick said, “Why is he such an accelerated, developed talent – because he wants to do the difficult things and overcome the obstacles in the most difficult way.”
  8. Coaches Help You Focus – Spieth said in a separate July 17th USA Today article, “The smaller of a target that you can pick, your misses are going to be smaller.  It’s easy for your mind to see a fairway and have your mind wander…That’s Cameron’s mental approach, and it works for me.
I would like to recommend two coaches to help you in these specific areas:
Connect with them.  They will make you better.
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17 Leadership Lessons From College Football’s Opening Weekend

on September 5, 2015 in Sports Leadership
College football has returned!  The next five months are my favorite time of the year because few things are as leadership intensive as college and professional football.
To prove my point, the following are 17 Leadership Lessons From College Football’s Opening Weekend I gleaned while watching ESPN’s College Gameday.
Whether you are a football fan or not, the following leadership principles will help you better lead your church, family, business or non-profit:
  1. Successful Leaders Execute Well – “The only a coach can do for you is to put you in position to succeed.  At that point, it’s up to you to executive.” – Desmond Howard
  2. Successful Leaders Build Healthy Cultures – “He inherited what he has.  Jim Harbaugh needs 2-3 years to recruit his players to run his scheme.” – Kirk Herbstreit
  3. Sustainable Organizations Are Enjoyable Places To Work – “Kids want to have fun during the daily grind.” – Ball State strength coach Dave Feely
  4. Successful Leaders Make Constant Adjustments – “The first game is all about adjustments” – Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn
  5. Stability Is Key To Personal Success – “This is his (Jeremy Johnson) third year in our system.” – Coach Malzahn
  6. Success Happens Over Time But Can Be Lost At A Moment In Time – “You’ve got to play every ballgame.  Last year we lost a game and that costed us the season.” – TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson
  7. Great Leaders Command Respect – “He commands the respect of his teammates.” –  Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly on quarterback Malik Zaire
  8. Repeated Success Is More Difficult Than Initial Success – “It’s hard to win a championship but it’s much more difficult to repeat.” – Howard
  9. Securing Top Talent Is Necessary For Sustained Organizational Excellence – “You don’t ever replace guys like Amari Cooper.” – Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban
  10. Smart Leaders Know What They Cannot Do – “Not asking them (quarterbacks) to do things they can’t do, especially early in the season, is going to be key to success.” – Coach Saban
  11. Self-Leadership Is The Toughest Leadership Of All – “Our toughest opponent is ourselves.” – Arizona State quarterback Mike Bercovici
  12. Embrace Expectations – “You always want to be somewhere where people not only want you to win, they expect you to win…You don’t want to be where nobody cares.” – Texas A&M Head Coach Kevin Sumlin
  13. Results Matter – “It’s awesome that people respect and mention us in a playoff tone.  The great thing about college football is you have to earn it on the field.” – Arizona State Head Coach Todd Graham
  14. Successful Leaders Establish Clear Goals And Objectives – “The only reason we’re here is to have fun and win.  That’s our goal.” – Texas A&M defensive lineman Myles Garrett
  15. Pressure Is A Privilege – To quote, “Pressure is a privilege.” – Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams
  16. Poor Leadership Decisions Have Consequences – “What in the h&* is he (USC head coach Steve Sarkisian) doing on the sideline coaching tonight after being intoxicated at a booster event.” – Howard
  17. Great Leaders Work Hard – “He (Georgia running back Nick Chubb) works hard.  Everyday he just brings it.  There’s not a drill he doesn’t want to win everyday.  He’s just a guy we can count on.” – Head Coach Mark Richt
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