THE 6:8 LEADER GROUP
Act Justly | Love Mercy | Walk Humbly

Values

Four Pillars of Leadership

http://www.dreamstime.com/-image7435618“Leadership is defined not by the scale of the opportunity but by the quality of the response.”  Chris Lowney

There is one promise you MUST make as a leader, and it is the promise to lead.  That may sound strange, but many leaders have abdicated their primary responsibility of leading and have become self absorbed, self serving, and, dare I say it, unloving.

In 2003, Chris Lowney, a former Jesuit turned investment banker, wrote a great book titled Heroic Leadership.  A principle that showed up early in his book and continued to be a theme throughout was that “we’re all leaders and that our whole lives are filled with leadership opportunities.”   He goes on to say “We can be leaders in everything we do–in our work and in our daily lives, when teaching others or learning from others.”

If leadership is something we can all do and it is not just for those “atop companies” or “on stage at work,” then we all need to understand what it is, and we all need to make a promise to the people in our lives that we will be that kind of leader.

Chris Lowney’s “Four Core Leadership Pillars,” those principles that become the heart of our promise to lead, are as follows:

  1. Self Awareness: I will understand my strengths, weaknesses, values, and worldview.
  2. Ingenuity: I will confidently innovate and adapt to embrace a changing world.
  3. Love: I will engage others in a positive, loving attitude.
  4. Heroism: I will energize myself and others through heroic ambition.

You can never promise certainty.  However, you can always promise to live your values, and you can make the promise to be a leader.  Make that promise to your team, or your students, or your family today.

How Do You Measure Up As A Leader?

dreamstime_s_29084717A study by the United States Office of Personnel Management identified four core qualities that they say you should look for in the selection of any senior executives.  How do you think you would measure up to their criteria?  Lets’ find out.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being “never true about you” and 5 being “always true about you,” rank your own leadership behavior.  Not what you think is true, but what you know is true as seen by your behaviors and by their results.  Then, if you dare, ask someone who knows you very well, to rank you.  The four core qualities as identified by the OPM are as follows:

Interpersonal skills:  Do I treat others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect?  Do I consider and respond appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations?

Communication skills:  Do I write and speak in a clear, concise, organized and convincing manner for the intended audience?  Do I listen effectively, clarifying information when needed?

Demonstrated integrity:  Do I behave in an honest, fair, and ethical manner?  Do I show consistency in words and actions?

Continual learning:  Do I assess and recognize my own strengths and weaknesses?  Do I pursue self-development?

A Promise You Need to Make

http://www.dreamstime.com/-image18123218Your organization, donors, and team all need to hear you say what it is you will do and what you will not do. They need to know where you stand and what you stand for.

While there are some things you cannot promise, no matter what your organization does or delivers, you can always promise to live your values. Make it clear what guides your head and your heart, and then make a promise to always follow the guidance they provide. If you don’t know where else to start, try the following values found in Micah 6:8:

Justice: I will be fair and reasonable in the way I treat people and make decisions.

Kindness: I will be sympathetic, compassionate and understanding.

Humility: I will be modest and respectful, always looking for the best in others.

If you want to go further, look between the lines of Micah 6:8 and you will find supporting virtues for each of the values.

Authenticity: If I truly value justice and kindness, I will be authentic, genuine, truthful and transparent.

Generosity: If I truly value kindness and humility, I will be generous, willing to help, or give freely.

Restraint: If I truly value humility and justice, I will be restrained and disciplined in personal and public activities.

Showing Mercy, Even in the Worst of Times

dreamstime_s_44366106 (2)Mercy.  That isn’t a word you hear very often, but it just might be the secret to building a great team.  It’s first known use was in the 13th century from the Latin for “price paid,” a merchant term for the payment of a debt by someone else.  It shows itself in acts of kindness, sympathy, compassion and understanding.

So, how can I use mercy to build my team?  First, you can use it to get past a mistake–yours our someone else’s.  We all make mistakes.  Seldom do we do them on purpose.  So stop treating yourself or others as if they were done on purpose.

Second, you can use mercy when someone does the wrong thing “on purpose.”   We do what we do because it made sense at the time.  Later we may learn that it was the wrong thing.  It may be we didn’t have the right information.  It may be we didn’t know of any other option because we lacked the knowledge or experience.  It may be because what we thought was true wasn’t true at all.

I’m not suggesting the use of mercy for things done to harm, embarrass, or demean.  What I am suggesting is that when the doer of wrong repents–to express sorrow or fault, and seek to make amends–then mercy may be the right path and perhaps the only path back onto the team and slowly back to a position of trust.

Without mercy, mistakes become mountains no one can cross.  And bad behavior becomes a capital offense.  I know the behavior may so egregious that the person needs to go.  But many times, the person and the talent needed by the team can be save.  And it can be saved with a little bit of mercy.  If it is just a mistake, show mercy.  If it was intentional, but repentance is shown, show mercy.

There is an added bonus.  When mixed with justice you become authentic, genuine, truthful and transparent.  When mixed with humility you become generous, willing to help or give freely.

The next time you are faced with a mistake or even a wrong, try mercy.  You will be glad you did.

Encourage Innovation in Your Nonprofit

What can a nonprofit do to encourage innovation?  Peter Drucker in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, identified four rules that “constitute the specific policies and practices the public-service institution requires if it is to make itself entrepreneurial and capable of innovation.”

Continue

Doing Good for No Good Reason

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-holding-hands-image6079638Have you ever thought about why you do what you do? Hopefully you are doing something “good,” something that matters. But why are you doing it?

Some are doing good things for great reasons. They are doing good to change a life. They are doing good to heal a hurt. They are doing good for future generations.

But many people are doing good for bad reasons. They are doing good to gain an advantage. They are doing good to hide a fault or mask a wrong. They are doing good in order to put others down. They are doing good, but doing it for no good reason.

I am convinced the act of doing good and the motive for doing good are both important. Don’t stop the good work, but ask yourself, “Why am I doing it.” Make your answer a good one.

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