Success by Failure

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“Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

Succeed by failing?  Does that sound a little odd to you?  It did to me, even though I have even taught the concept – just not in those words.

Jeffrey Stibel who is Chairman and CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. and author of Wired for Thought has an article in the Harvard Business Review blog where he talks about how important it is within their company to advance through failure.  Advance through failure – again a little hard to swallow?  Doesn’t the TQM mentality demand we get it right every time?

Actually, Mr. Stibel talks about how you learn and grow through failure.  Also, because we fear failure, fear embarrassment ( a pride issue), we don’t want to upset the boss and etc. we don’t stretch, we don’t fully innovate, we hold back and play it safe.  When we hold back due to failure, we are not giving it our all, we are not fully engaging our creativity in our endeavors.  We are missing out on the wonderful things we could be doing and contributing due to fear.

Mr. Stibel actually requires failure in his company.  Interesting concept.  Why don’t you go out and fully engage in whatever God has called you to do wholeheartedly and without fear of failure.  Fall on you face, then pick yourself up and dust yourself off and then learn from what happened and get better and truly make a difference!

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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The Soldier's Creed

Some of these statements are ones to live by.

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I have had the privilege of serving as a commissioned officer in the US Army.  It is something that has marked me for life and I am deeply grateful that the Lord allowed me the opportunity to serve my country in this manner – it was an honor.

Following is the Soldier’s Creed. Some great statements and many still apply to my ife.

I am an American Soldier.

I am a warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

Strong statements. Could these be adapted somewhat to apply to your life?

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Honor – Courage – Duty- Virtue

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Virtue – Honor – Courage – Compassion – Duty

Important words to me. Lately, I have been pondering what it means to do right – even to ones own hurt.  Virtue and honor should drive us to do what is right regardless of the cost – especially to ourselves.  Courage gives us the means to act when we know that by doing right it will cost us – sometimes dearly.

It especially takes courage to do what is right when doing so comes with a cost and not doing so would not even be noticed.  That is when true character shines forth.

As leaders, we should always act with courage and honor.  Our decisions should always be based on what is right and what serves others.  We of all people should act with courage.  As Christians we are held to an even higher standard and as Christians we have access to the means to do what is right in any circumstance.

Do what is right – in all things.  Act with courage, honor and virtue.  Make a difference.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Is Facebook Making You Miserable?

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Quite a question.  Our family enjoys Facebook especially since we have relocated from the South to the Upper Midwest to be a part of Life Action.  It is a great way to connect with old friends and family.  However, there seems to be some downsides to Facebook that an author on the Harvard Business Review blog says is actually making us miserable.

Daniel Gulati says that three things are happening:

It is creating a “den of comparison”.  As Christians, we should be well aware of that danger!

Secondly, it is fragmenting our time.  It has become another distraction and almost an obsession with many robbing time from family, ministry, your job and especially the Lord.

Finally, it seems for many to have become a substitute for close relationships which is detrimental to long-term emotional health.

Facebook in of itself is not a bad thing – what is important is how we allow it to impact our lives.  So, is Facebook and other social media a tool that you use or is it something that has an unhealthy cntrol of parts of your life?

Have a great weekend!

BG  Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Three Potential Limiters to Your Leadership

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Good morning – a rainy morning here in southwest Michigan – at least it’s not snow!

This week we have been talking about some pitfalls for leaders. Today, we will look at three things that could easily hinder your effectiveness as a leader in ministry.

The first is losing perspective.  For those of us who have chosen to serve in ministry or a nonprofit, our “work” is about seeing the lives of people transformed.  For us as Christians, we understand that it is all about the Spirit of God working in those people that produces that transformation.  After a while, the issues can sem so big – bigger than God even. We start losing the perspective and understanding of just how big our God is. We get so involved in what is going on around us we lose sight of Christ.  We must keep our eyes on Him and ensure we keep a fresh vision of just Who He is.

Closely aligned to this is our tendency to seek convenience and comfort. We tend to like to take it easy, when the work of ministry is often hard work.  As is often said, it is a marathon – not a sprint. We are especially vulnerable if we have been working in our own strength.  Wayne Cordiero has an excellent book on what happens when you are trying to do it all on your own – you crash. His book entitled Leading on Empty is about what happened in his life when he was trying to do it all in his own strength.  Great book for busy leaders.

Finally, a key limiter is a lack of love. When you are not serving / leading out of love for God and others, people become objects or “resources” to be manipulated.  Difficult people become “problems”.  You lose joy and steal joy from others.  So cherish and nurture you love for Christ and for others.  This is so very critical.

Love someone today – it is a choice. BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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It Is Dangerous to Leave the Pathway!

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Yesterday, we talked about three potential pitfalls of leadership.  Today, I want to share a few more with you beginning with a dangerous one that has taken down many leaders – Leaving the Pathway of Humility.

Pride – a lack of humility – has been the cause of destruction of so many leaders over the centuries.  It is still the main cause of leaders falling.  In his book Derailed by Dr. Tim Irwin, he examines the epic failures of six high-profile business CEO’s.  The common factor?  Pride.

Another area is “Relying on the Natural” or on our on gifts and strengths instead of the Lord.  When we are gifted and talented, we tend to rely on our own strength – our own wisdom and we fall so short of what could be realized if we had depended on Him.  We start “doing ministry” without God.  We also tend to not rely on the others around us and become arrogant thinking that we have the answers.  A recipe for a fall.

“Settling for the Status Quo” – in other words we begin walking by sight instead of faith.  We accept only what we see instead of believing God in faith for great things.  We begin to become more focused on just “keeping the machine running” instead of world-changing, life transforming ministry.

Please don’t allow these things to sideline you – your work is too important!

Click here to read more about the “Potential Pitfalls”.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Potential Pitfalls of Leadership

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Good morning – it has been a hard evening as last night one of our staff families here at Life Action lost a child in a car accident. If the Lord brings them to your mind, they would appreciate your prayers.

Being a leader in a ministry brings certain challenges and pitfalls.  Following are some of them:

Losing the wonder – when you lose your passion and ministry becomes just a job.  Strive to never lose the wonder about what you have been called to – stay passionate.

Neglecting Relationships – first of all there is the danger of while serving Christ, you neglect your relationship with Hm.  There is also the danger of neglecting your relationship with your spouse and family.  You cannot afford to neglect these relationships – if you do, it eventually leads to disqualification.

Proclaiming truth you aren’t living – is there integrity between your public and private lives? Are you living what you are teaching / proclaiming?  If not – that is a lack of integrity.

So – do you see any of these in your life right now?  If so, what do you plan to do about it?

These are just a few and tomorrow we will talk about a few more potential pitfalls.

Click here to see Nancy Leigh DeMoss’ excellent article on the subject.

Blessing on your day and week. BG

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Remember!

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70 years ago, just before 8:00 AM the Japanese attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor

in Hawaii killing 2,000 people and wounding 1,000 more in an act that galvanized our nation into war.

Please remember that this nation was built on the sacrifice of others.

Please remember that the safety of this nation has been purchased by the sacrifice of people.

Please remember that we must always be vigilant and prepared as there are nations and peoples that desire our destruction as a nation.

Please remember that as trite as the phrase may seem, “Freedom isn’t free” is a truism.  It is purchased at great cost.

And most of all, please remember that our only ultimate hope is God.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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More Effective Emails

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I don’t know about you, but emails are now my primary form of communication and I have found plenty of opportunities to improve.  I still remember a simple (at least I thought it was simple) two line email caused a two and a half hour lunch meeting to clear up.  Probably has something to do with my low EQ!

The site MindTools has a good article with a few suggestions:

The subject line is a HEADLINE – it should tell the reader at a glance what the email is about and often determines how quickly they will read it.

Keep each email to one point.  Personally, I have found it best to make sure that the entire email fits into the reading frame.  I have found several people I work with tend not to scroll down on emails and often miss points deeper in the email.

Response – be specific on the action you want taken by the reader(s).

Don’t be too informal with internal emails.  You need to assume others beyond the recipient will read your email.

Some good points. One I would add is never deal with emotionally charged issues via email.  Face-to-face is the only way to deal rightly with those type issues.

Have a great day communicating!

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Who is in Your Kitchen Cabinet?

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Odd question?  The “kitchen cabinet” is a group of informal advisors for someone – especially a leader.  You may have heard the term used in regards to a president’s group of informal advisors.

The kitchen cabinet does not show up on the organizational chart and often has members outside of the organization. Most leaders have them, but it seems most kitchen cabinets are put together in a very unintentional manner. I also wonder if some leaders are actually fully aware that they have a core group of informal advisors that help them make decisions.

So, I would challenge you to think about who you have that actually helps you make decisions. Are they the right people?  Often we choose people whom we trust and with whom we often agree, but are they the right people?  Often you need people that may make you uncomfortable.  For instance – what about having a contrarian in your cabinet?  Someone that will prevent group think and will challenge your thinking.  They are often uncomfortable, but highly valuable.

As leaders in God’s Kingdom, we need to make the best decisions possible and we know that Proverbs emphasizes the importance of a multitude of counselors. So, be wise in those you have advising you.

Blessings on you during this second week of Advent as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of our Lord.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Twitter for NonProfits

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Are you trying to figure out how to use Twitter effectively? I read a good post on using Twitter for nonprofits.  You might find it interesting.

Ron Edmunson interviews Claire Diaz-Orti who leads Twitter’s Twitter for Nonprofits program on his blog.  A good read with some good links if you are interested in better using Twitter.

Blessings on your weekend! BG

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Self Care – How Are You Doing?

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It is a beautiful morning!  A few clouds in the sky with the sunrise reflecting off of them producing amazing colors.

When you are in a ministry or non-profit, usually your focus is on serving and impacting others with the hope of seeing lives transformed. Often, the idea of taking care of yourself is not at the forefront of your mind or it may even seem self-centered or selfish. The problem is that if you don’t, you will at some point render yourself unable to serve others and may even disqualify yourself from leading and cause damage to others.

Fatigue is often associated with poor decision making and as we discussed in an earlier blog post, we are all just one poor decision away from being disqualified from leading.

So how are you doing in regards to self-care?  How are you caring for your soul?  Your walk with the Lord?  Do you have healthy rhythms of being quiet before Him, spending time in the Word and in worship?

How are you doing with the key relationships in your life? If married, are you investing heavily into that relationship? Just remember, well after you are no longer a leader in your ministry and they have moved on and even forgotten you, your spouse is the one that will still be with you. So, are you caring for them now?  Investing in that relationship now?

How about your overall health?  Physical, mental, and emotional? Are you caring for your body so that you extend your ministry?  Are you growing and exercising your mind?  Are you developing healthy relationships and thinking patterns that contribute to your emotional health?

With the right motivation, taking care of yourself in order to make yourself more effective is not only not selfish, it is a very necessary investment. Don’t make the mistake of not doing investing in your health.

Tony Schwartz has some excellent ideas on his website.  Not sure of his faith background, but still he has some good advice.  Also, check out Wayne Cordiero’s book, Leading on Empty.  Great book.  Also, his DVD Dead Leader Running is powerful.

Have a blessed time preparing to celebrate the birth of our Lord. BG

BG Read more at bgallen.wordpress.com

 

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Make a Difference This Week

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Good morning – it is a cold wet morning here in southwest Michigan.

Last night, I had a great experience. We had something that needed to be fixed at our house that was beyond my very limited handyman capabilities, so we asked a young man to come over and fix the problem.  It was a great time of talking with this young man as I fetched things or held things for him as he made the repair. When he was finished, I asked him about paying him and he said he wanted to trade out his work.  What he wanted in exchange was some of my time once a month to be able to ask me questions and to just talk.  I was humbled and then felt very old!

I was also impressed by this young man’s wisdom.  He realized that he could not walk through this life on his own and was seeking several men to input into his life. For years, I have done the same and have recommended the same to others.

The question I have for you, is WHO are YOU investing into right now?  What young man or woman are you influencing?  Are you seeking and building relationships with younger people to help build this next generation of leaders?

While we continually need people investing into our lives, we also need to be very intentional about investing into others as well.

Be intentional this week and make a difference in a young person’s life.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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What Do You Believe?

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Good morning! The question for you this morning is what do you believe?  What do you stand for?

Do you know what it is that is truly important to you?  Have you decided on the areas in which you will not compromise?  Do you know what you stand for?  Can you articulate your personal core values?

An organization I greatly respect is the US Army.  Many of their core values I have adopted (especially as I was a part of the Army for many years!).  Read the following values and see what they spark within you.

Loyalty -Bearing true faith and allegiance is a matter of believing in and devoting yourself to something or someone.

Duty – Fulfill your obligations.

Respect – Treat people as they should be treated.

Selfless Service -Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates before your own.

Honor – Live up to Army values.

Integrity – Do what is right, legally and morally.

Personal Courage – Face fear, danger or adversity.

A good list to contemplate.  Click here to read the full definition or explanation of the Army’s core values as I only listed a summary sentence for each above.

So, what are the things that you hold to be core to your life?  What are the things on which you will stand and not waver?

Click here to see Life Action’s core values (we call them the Cutting Edge Commitments). You will need to scroll down the page some.

Hope you have a great week. BG

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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More Leadership Lessons from Pastor Bobby Moore

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Pastor Bobby Moore was a man who greatly impacted others by the way he lived his life.  He was a living testimony.  He was also a highly effective leader.  A while back I shared a few of his leadership lessons – click here to read those.  Here now are a few more for you:

Being a shepherd is more important than being an administrator.

The attitude, spirit, and lifestyle I long to see in others must first be in me.

My most important ministry is in my heart and my home.

Be teachable . . . be a learner. Have a teachable spirit. Don’t be a know-it-all, and don’t let pride cause you to fall.

Some wise guidance from a man who lived them out daily.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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What Would It Look Like?

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I hope you had a great time of Thanksgiving yesterday.  We had the pleasure of some guests as well yesterday.

Now begins that mad dash towards the end of the year.  There will be Christmas parties, company coming over, shopping, special Christmas programs at church and so on.  Not to mention that you still have your work to do – just less time to do it this month.  That could add up to stress.

Maybe it is time to make a decision.  What if you decided to truly make this a time of celebrating the birth of Christ?  What if you decided to simply remove just one or two activities from your calendar and to spend that time in a relaxed setting with your family?  What if instead of rushing around, you took time to meditate on what the birth of Christ means to you, your family and this world?

What would it look like if you decided to not get caught up in all the madness, but decided to take these next days to still your heart and prepare to truly celebrate Christmas?

Blessings on your weekend, BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Fear or Thankfulness - It's Your Choice

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Greetings on this day before Thanksgiving!  Looks like it is going to be a sunny and crisp day here in southwest Michigan.

Right now there seems to be a lot of fear going around.  The media feeds it as fear seems to sell news (or what passes for news).  Tough economic times especially seem to generate fear.  People seem to think this is the toughest time we have ever faced (each generation seems to think that!).  As one pastor friend of mine put it, people seem ready to get their toilet paper, water, peanut butter, put on their white robes and head for the hills!

There is another choice – there is the choice of thankfulness.  There is the choice of joy at what God has done in our lives and what He is going to do.  There is the choice of courage.  Christ has promised that even the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church.  There is the choice of trusting in God and forging ahead with great energy and faith.

It seems that the concept of American exceptionalism is not very popular – in fact the opposite view seems to be in vogue. However, even a cursory view of history shows that this country is qualitatively different from others in history.  That exceptionalism has been earned by people of great faith, who have worked hard, have not given up in the face of adversity, and who do not cower in fear.

Fear and thankfulness don’t live together.  So, cultivate a spirit of thankfulness and banish fear from your life. I hope that as you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, you stop and reflect on what the Lord has done for you and for this country.

Gratefully serving Him and thankful that I am a citizen of the                            United States of America, BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Healthy Rhythms in Life

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Good morning. Do you ever get frustrated when you know there are important relationships that you should be caring for, but just don’t seem to have the time?  You mean to, but it just doesn’t fit in? The problem with this is summed up in a saying I heard a while back, “We judge others by their actions, but we judge ourselves by our intentions.” So while you are thinking that you have the intention of caring for the relationship, the other person is only seeing your actions.

The key is to establish regular rhythms in your life of caring for key relationships.  It is hard at first and you will sacrifice some things, but the payoff is outstanding.  We have set down some things that work for us and are key to keeping our relationships strong.

First, Angela, my wife, and I have a breakfast date every Saturday morning in a neat little cafe in South Bend.  We spend time just talking about the previous week and talking about the future or whatever.  The key is it is OUR time. I give up Saturday morning for projects, recreation and etc., but it is well worth that small sacrifice.

Both of our daughters are still at home, so we almost always have a family date each week.  We all enjoy reading and coffee so we go to the local Barnes & Noble book store, read books, drink coffee, talk and laugh.  It is surprising how important that is to our girls. It also costs to do this, but we see this as a small investment into the strengthening of          our family.

These are just two examples of intentional actions that have become life rhythms that undergird our family relationships.  So, look at how you may strengthen your key relationships through establishing regular rhythms in the flow of your life. The change won’t be easy at first but, you will be blessed by the results.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Thriving – An Attitude

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Good morning this Thanksgiving Week!

How to actually thrive and flourish in our lives is important.  So many times we are just making it through the day.  There are things we can do to begin to flourish in our lives as we have discussed in earlier blog posts.  One key thing is our attitude.

Most people I have encountered that are doing well in regards to thriving in their lives all seem to have a deep sense of gratitude about them.  They lead a life of gratefulness.  They just look at things a little differently.  While I may grumble about having to have my car fixed, they are profoundly grateful they have a car and realize that things break!  While I may complain about my utility bills they are grateful for a warm home while so many are so cold. While I may complain about the challenges in my life, they greet them with anticipation as they see in the challenges an invitation from God to draw near to Him.

How we approach life is a choice.  Too thrive that choice needs to be a spirit of gratefulness.  A spirit of thanksgiving in all things.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18

Blessings on you during this special week. BG  Read more at bgallen.com

 

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An Important Relationship

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I am sitting here in one of my favorite small town cafes.  It is one of those places where the staff knows your name, they give you too much food and your coffe cup is never empty.  I come here often for planning and meeting with people.  Right now I am waiting on a good friend that has a special role in my life.

Earlier this week I talked about how important deep relationships are to thriving in life.  One of the important relationships is the person (other than your spouse) that you let into your life that cares enough about you to ask you the hard questions and then ask you what you are going to do about the areas in which you need to grow.

When you do’t have someone you let into your life, we tend to allow behaviors, thought patterns, and etc. to develop and to weigh us down in this race we call life. We all need someone we open up to and then are accountable to as we walk through life.

If you don’t have someone like that in your life – find them.  It will be uncomfortable at first, but worth it.

Have a great weekend – BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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One Key to Thriving

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Are you thriving in your leadership role?  In your life?

There are several things that are necessary for you to do so.  These past few days I have been reminded of one of the key ways to ensure that we thrive – deep relationships.

This past week I have been back in my hometown area for some meetings and have had the chance to visit again with some of our dear friends.  I am somewhat of an introvert so I don’t have a huge number of relationships, but the ones I do have are deep.  This time with those dear friends of many years has been life giving to me. It has brought alive what I have read in many, many books on spiritual growth and leadership and that is the necessity for deep relationships to thrive as we are not meant to live this Christian life in isolation.

Treasure and nurture your friendships – they are key to your growth as a Christian and as a leader. Be intentional this week and reconnect with one of your treasured friends – you will be blessed.

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Some Leadership Team Expectations

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Some Leadership Team Expectations

Some things to look for from the members of your leadership teams:

The Right Attitude

- Can do – will do - Choose the positive perspective - Humility – a learner’s heart – open to correction

Fully represent your area & fully represent the organization

A culture of execution & accountability

Collaboration - Highly assertive while being Highly cooperative

Avoid the “Silent Lie”

Be prepared

Continuously work to improve the effectiveness of the team

Pray

So what do you expect from your leadership teams? Read more at bgallen.com

 

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Go Play Golf

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When I was a young second lieutenant (2LT) in the Army I worked with a great First Sergeant (1SG) who was close to retirement and a wise man.  He believed in helping young officers grow and excel. He was always pushing you to be thinking like you were operating at the next level of command.

He once told me that if I did my job right (as a company commander) I could go play golf and nobody would notice I was gone.  His point was that you ensure you have the right people, that they are in the right place, that they are trained, resourced, empowered and have a clear understanding of the mission and their parameters. Once you do that your team will advance.

So – are you doing that for your team?  Are you growing leaders and giving them the freedom to lead?

BG Read more at bgallen.com

 

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