Effective leader by:Dr, Sammy D.James.

Healthy Leaders
An effective leader possesses a blend of three special elements:
Leader in:Church,Business,Organization,Politic,House,Art,Sport.Etc
Vision. In circles,we could also call this Calling.”
Character.
Competence.
All three elements are found in the description of King David in Psalm 78:
He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them. (Ps. 78:70-72)
Verses 70-71 reveal David’s calling:
He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people
Verse 72a shows his character:
David shepherded them with integrity of heart
Verse 72b describes David’s competencies:
with skillful hands he led them.
Just as a stool has three legs, there are three foundations of effective leadership. All three must be present and in balance for the leader to succeed. The three foundations are calling, character and competencies.
What would happen if one element were missing in the life of a leader?
If a leader possessed a strong calling and strong character but had weak competencies, he would produce a big mess! There would be lots of great ideas, good intentions, passion, zeal, sincerity and godliness, but nothing much actually accomplished by the organization.
If the leader had strong character and strong competencies, but was weak in the area of calling and vision, the organization would run like a well-oiled machine, but it would not accomplish anything of significant value.
To think of a leader with a strong calling and strong competencies, but who was weak in character is the very worst scenario! This combination would spell inevitable disaster for the leader and for everyone in the organization. In the words of Howard Hendricks, “The greatest crisis today is a crisis of leadership. And the greatest peril of leadership is a crisis of character. Think about it, to give a person management techniques and leadership skills without integrity is simply to enable him to become a better rip-off artist."
We need all three. Thus, the three necessary capacities of effective leadership are character, calling and competencies.
But is this sufficient? Is this model sufficient to describe a mature, balanced and effective Christian leader? Is there anything missing?
There are two elements missing in our model: Christ and Community. These are the two great commandments Jesus gave us:
One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:35-40)
The leader must be in right relationship with God and with his brothers.
So, there are actually five elements that must be present in the life of a healthy Christian leader: Calling, Character, Competencies, Christ and Community.
Now, let’s put these five in order. Which should come first? Of these five, which produces which?
Here is the order. Our model of the holistic Christian leader starts with his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The leader must know God.
Christ must come first.
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 3:11)
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Col. 1:18)
True leadership is not possible without Christ first! Without Christ first, the other four elements will not work – like a body without a head!
Without Christ first in the life of the leader, he will never get along in community with others:
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. (Tit. 3:3)
Without Christ first, the leader’s character will be sinful:
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. (Eph. 4:17-19)
Biblically, Christian leadership is not character-based; it is Christ-based. While character is vitally important in Christian leadership, it is not first. Christ is first!
In Christian leadership, everything does not proceed from character and values; everything proceeds from union with Christ. This is not mere semantics but it goes to the very heart of how we understand the Christian life and Christian leadership.
To make this distinction is not to undermine the importance of character and values. On the contrary, this actually establishes true character and values, proceeding not from human effort but from the indwelling life of Christ!
If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit… (John 15:5)
so that you may be… filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God. (Phil. 1:10-11)
Without Christ first, the leader will have no calling other than hopelessness and futility:
remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. (Eph. 2:12)
Sadly, many Christian leaders put their callings first and then try to use Christ to fulfill their own ambitious, self-centered visions. But He will not accept second place in anyone’s life. We should not pray for power without first praying to know Christ. We should not use the Word of God for teaching, without first using His Word to know Him. Ministry must not be first; in all things, Christ must have the preeminence.
Finally, man’s competencies are useless apart from Christ. Without Christ first, the leader is capable of nothing of any value in God’s eyes:
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags… (Is. 64:6)
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
True competencies come from Him:
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant… (2 Cor. 3:5-6)
Christ must be first! The leader must know God. He must walk with God, and out of his relationship with Jesus will proceed every other aspect of his leadership.
This is not just the “best” way; it is the only way to true Christian leadership. Everything else is mere fleshly works.
Second, the leader’s personal relationship with Jesus must be expressed and worked out in the daily life of his various communities: his family, his church community, the teams he is a part of, and the broader community of the world.
In this context of Christ and community, character will be formed in the life of the leader. The indwelling life of Christ expressed and worked out in community will develop godly character.
Since God now has someone with character, He can trust him with a calling. Once the leader has a calling he will need the competencies to fulfill that calling.
This is the logical progression of the elements in our model of healthy Christian leadership: Christ, Community, Character, Calling and Competencies.
Leaders with wrong priorities will never be satisfied and all they will ever produce will be like filthy rags in God’s eyes (Is. 64:6), useless works of wood, hay and stubble:
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. (1 Cor. 3:11-13)
The foundation must be right, and then the building on that foundation must be right. The four elements all come from Christ.
If men put community first, a shallow, humanistic social club will result. If character is put first, legalism and self-righteousness will result. If leaders put calling first, competition and gift-identification will result. If competencies are put first, self-reliance and mere human achievement will be the results; the leaders may outwardly succeed, but such success will be empty and transient.
Leaders with the wrong first priority will never be satisfied. Moreover, they will always be insecure in their leadership because only Christ brings true security. Insecure leaders, sadly, often become abusive leaders, using others to build their own value and meaning. (Please see Abusive Leadership: SpiritBuilt Leadership #6by Malcolm Webber for more on this.)
That is the logical progression of these elements of healthy Christian leadership. But we should not think that we must address each of these sequentially – as if a leader must first be mature in Christ before he begins to address his need for community, etc. The leader should grow in all five areas concurrently. Consequently, the following is a better way to visualize the relationships of these five elements:
Christ and community are the contexts of the healthy leader: he needs to live in Christ and in community. Character, calling and competence are his capacities: they need to be in him.
Christ is the Source of character, calling and competencies. Christ is also the broader context of true community. Truly, He is the Center and Circumference of all things (Eph. 4:4-6)! In community, character is formed, vision is clarified and competencies are developed.
The First Step To Wealth Building And Success
Enterprise
Written by:Dr, Samy D.James
If you want to be more successful in any area of your life, and especially if you're into wealth building, then there is one single step you MUST take before anything else.
Nothing can affect any kind of positive change on your success or wealth building journey until and unless this step is taken first.
Recently I came across the best written example I've ever seen that emphasizes the importance of this crucial concept.
I don't know who originally wrote it, but I found it in a great book called 'The PowerMind System.
I. Acknowledgments. Introduction: talking leadership. I.Leadership formed. 1.Exemplary formations. 2.Values and calling. 3.Commitment. II.Leadership performed. 4.Value aligned. 5.In character. 6.Acted out. 7.Capacity connected. III.Leadership sustained. 8.Sustaining dispositions. 9.Sustaining strategies. IV.Leadership learned. 10.A coherent story. 11.An ongoing conversation.
Leader.
1. One that leads or guides.
2. One who is in charge or in command of others.
3.
a. One who heads a political party or organization.
b. One who has influence or power, especially of a political nature.
4. Music
a. A conductor, especially of orchestra, band, or choral group.
b. The principal performer in an orchestral section or a group.
5. The foremost animal, such as a horse or dog, in a harnessed
6. A pipe for conducting liquid.
7. A short length of gut, wire, or similar material by which a hook is attached to a fishing line.
8. A blank strip at the end or beginning of a film or tape used in threading or winding.
9. Botany The growing apex or main shoot of a shrub or tree.
10. An economic indicator.
I claim to be no more than an average man with less than average abilities. I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have, if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith.
In learning organizations, the leader's work starts with the principle of creative tension and includes building shared vision.
If learning organizations are so widely preferred, why don't more executives create such organizations?
I think the answer is leadership. Our traditional view of leaders-as special people who set the direction, make the key decisions, and energize the troops-is deeply rooted in an individualistic and nonsystemic world view. In the West, leaders are heroes-great men and women who rise to the fore in times of crisis. So long as such myths prevail, they reinforce a focus on short-term events and charismatic heroes rather than on systemic forces and collective learning. Leadership in learning organizations centers on subtler and ultimately more important work. In a learning organization, leaders' roles differ dramatically from that of the charismatic decision maker. Leaders are designers, teachers, and stewards. These roles require new skills: the ability to build shared vision, to bring to the surface and challenge prevailing mental models, and to foster more systemic patterns of thinking. In short, leaders in learning organizations are responsible for building organizations where people are continually expanding their capabilities to shape their future-that is, leaders are responsible for learning.
Leadership in a learning organization starts with the principle of creative tension. Creative tension comes from seeing clearly where we want to be, our "vision," and telling the truth about where we are, our "current reality." The gap between the two generates a natural tension.
Creative tension can be resolved in two ways: by raising current reality toward the vision, or by lowering the vision toward current reality. Individuals, groups, and organizations who learn how to work with creative tension learn how to use its energy to move reality more reliably toward their visions.
The principle of creative tension has long been recognized by leaders. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, "Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind, so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths, so must we create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism.
Without vision there is no creative tension. Creative tension can't be generated from current reality alone. All the analysis in the world will never generate a vision. Many who are otherwise qualified to lead fail to do so because they try to substitute analysis for vision. They believe that, if only people understood current reality, they would surely feel the motivation to change. They are then disappointed to discover that people "resist" the personal and organizational changes that must be made to alter reality. What they never grasp is that the natural energy for changing reality comes from holding a picture of what might be that is more important to people than what is.
But creative tension can't be generated from vision alone; it demands an accurate picture of current reality as well. Just as King had a dream, so too did he continually strive to "dramatize the shameful conditions" of racism and prejudice so that they could no longer be ignored. Vision without an understanding of current reality will more likely foster cynicism than creativity. The principle of creative tension teaches that an accurate picture of current reality is just as important as a compelling picture of a desired future.
Leading through creative tension is different than solving problems. In problem solving, the energy for change comes from attempting to get away from an aspect of current reality that is undesirable. With creative tension, the energy for change comes from the vision, from what we want to create, juxtaposed with current reality. While the distinction may seem small, the consequences are not. Many people and organizations find themselves motivated to change only when their problems are bad enough to cause them to change. This works for a while, but the change process runs out of steam as soon as the problems driving the change become less pressing. With problem solving, the motivation for change is extrinsic. With creative tension, the motivation is intrinsic. This distinction mirrors the distinction between adaptive and generative learning.
Building Shared Vision
New leadership roles require new leadership disciplines. Three of the most critical are building shared vision, surfacing and challenging mental models, and engaging in systems thinking. These disciplines can only be developed, in my judgment, through a lifelong commitment. And in learning organizations, these disciplines must be distributed widely because they embody the principles and practices of effective leadership.
How do individual visions become shared visions? A useful metaphor is the hologram, the three-dimensional image created by interacting light sources. If you cut a photograph in half, each half shows only part of the whole image. But if you divide a hologram, each part, no matter how small, shows the whole image intact. Likewise, when a group of people come to share a vision for an organization, each person sees an individual picture of the organization at its best. Each share responsibility for the whole, not just for one piece. But the component pieces of the holograms are not identical. Each represents the whole image from a different point of view. It's something like poking holes in a window shade; each hole offers a unique angle for viewing the whole image. So, too, is each individual's vision unique.
When you add up the pieces of a hologram, the image becomes more intense, more lifelike. When more people share a vision, the vision becomes a mental reality that people can truly imagine achieving. They now have partners, co-creators; the vision no longer rests on their shoulders alone. Early on, people may say it is "my vision." But, as the shared vision develops, it becomes "our vision."
The skills involved in building shared vision include the following:
Encouraging personal vision. Shared visions emerge from personal visions. It is not that people only care about their own self-interest-in fact, people's values usually include dimensions that concern family, organization, community, and even the world. Rather, it is that people's capacity for caring is personal.
Communicating and asking for support. Leaders must be willing to share their own vision continually, rather than being the official representative of the corporate vision. They also must ask, "Is this vision worthy of your commitment?" This is hard for people used to setting goals and presuming compliance.
Visioning as an ongoing process. Today, too many managers want to dispense with the "vision business" by writing the Official Vision Statement. Such statements almost always lack the vitality, freshness, and excitement of a genuine vision that comes from people asking, "What do we really want to achieve?"
Blending extrinsic and intrinsic visions. Many energizing visions are extrinsic, focusing on achieving something relative to a competitor. But a goal that is limited to defeating an opponent can, once the vision is achieved, easily become a defensive posture. In contrast, intrinsic goals -- such as creating a new product, taking an old product to a new level, or setting a new standard for customer satisfaction-elicit more creativity and innovation. Intrinsic and extrinsic visions need to coexist; a vision solely predicated on defeating an adversary will eventually weaken an organization.
Distinguishing positive from negative visions. Many organizations only pull together when their survival is threatened. Similarly, most social movements aim at eliminating what people don't want; thus, we see anti-drugs, anti-smoking, or anti-nuclear arms movements. Negative visions tend to be short-term and carry a message of powerlessness.
Two sources of energy motivate organizations: fear and aspiration. Fear, the energy source behind negative visions, can produce extraordinary changes in short periods, but aspiration endures as a source of learning and growth.