There are always those things in life that make some of us sit up and say, “WOW!” This concept is one of them…if you choose to accept it.
The most freeing thing…
Let’s just say, over the years I’ve met a lot of people that I paid close attention to and boy did they teach me a LOT!
The two most glaring things that stick out to me as a whole are:
- Have they met Jesus? No, like really MET Him, not just believe in Him. Believing is not exactly some big accomplishment. Satan and his cohorts believe in Him.
- Have they developed a posture of taking responsibility for all of their choices and where they are in life?
Today let’s talk about #2. The ones who have the most successful lives in all areas are the ones who own their lives, their choices, their relationships, their businesses…you get the picture.
These guys are super happy. They have a lot of compassion and understanding for others….but they also have an extremely well-tuned BS meter. They see excuses and blaming a mile away. They lead and they lead well.
The Dichotomy of Leadership
Lief Babin and Jocko Willink wrote a book by this title. I chose to read this one before the first book they wrote, titled, “Extreme Ownership” because I have a pretty extreme personality. Balance is what I need, not extremes. However, The Dichotomy of Leadership doesn’t lighten up on extreme ownership. It explains the balance and what it looks like when someone has gone to one extreme or the other…and what to do about it. I highly recommend you not only read the book but implement its timeless teachings.
Parenting is leadership
If there is one thing that grates on my nerves, it’s when parents shirk their responsibility to be determine to be effective leaders in their homes.
Having a tyrant in the home lording their position over their kids (and/or spouse) isn’t being a leader. That’s weakness.
These parents drive everyone away. There is zero glory in forcing your way down the throats of those who are inferior to you. The tide will shift and it won’t be pretty.
Ignoring things that will only prove to hurt your kids, in the long run, isn’t leading either and the reason (excuse) doesn’t matter. Would you like a perfect example of what that turns out like? Read about King David in the bible. A man after God’s own heart, yes. A great leader on the battlefield, yes. A great leader for Israel, yes. A great leader of his family, NO. And…it turned out to be catastrophic later.
One of his sons, Amnon, raped his half-sister, Tamar. David did nothing. One of his sons, Absolom, killed Amnon over it. Absolom then overthrew the kingdom forcing David out and ended up being killed by one of David’s men in the process. The story goes on and on…
The point? We all need help learning how to lead. It takes a lot of wisdom, courage, patience, humility, and discernment. We are individuals so that also means we will all have different styles. Use your style to accomplish your mission: Raising fantastic, self-sufficient, highly functioning kids who contribute well to society…among other things.
Leadership is often about teaching. You, as a parent, are your kids’ life teacher. Working on your own self-development is one of the best things you can do and it is also a great example to set. It opens up so many avenues for conversation, reconciliation, and restoration.
Learn how to lead and lead well, my friends. You’ll thank me later 🙂
Much love, -Teresa
Leave a Reply