SERVANT LEADERSHIP AND AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP

May 28, 2013 by heatheravalentine in Leadership Is there an intersection between the concept of Servant Leadership and Authentic Leadership? TheServant Leadership model was created by the former AT&T executive Robert Greenleaf and basically contemplated the fact that in order for leaders to get the most out of themselves and those they lead, they must first commit to serving others. But what is Authentic Leadership then? I welcome input on this very important ingredient contained in the 8 Traits of Great Leadership that I posed in my post yesterday. Below is an excerpt from Michael Hyatt article in defining Authentic Leadership. His descriptions are really excellent:

1. Authentic leaders have insight. Sometimes we refer to this as vision,but that usually has exclusive reference to the future. While leaders must have vision, they need more. They need wisdom and discernment. They need to be able to look at complex situations, gain clarity, and determine a course of action. 2. Authentic leaders demonstrate initiative. They go first. They dont sit on the sidelines. They dont ask others to do what they are unwilling to do themselves. 3. Authentic leaders exert influence. Its no coincidence that influence and influenza (the flu) come from the same root word. Real leaders are contagious. People catch what they have. People are drawn to their vision and their values. They are able to gather a following and move people to act. To change metaphors, they are like human wave pools, creating a ripple effect wherever they go. 4. Authentic leaders have impact. At the end of the day, leaders make a difference. The world is changed because of their leadership. They are able to create real and lasting change. Unless something has shifted, they arent leaders. They are only entertainers. There is a big difference. The measure of leadership cannot be found in the leader; it is found in the impact the leader has on his or her followers. 5. Authentic leaders exercise integrity. Not every leader is benevolent. Hitler, Stalin and Mao were all leaders, they had insight, initiative, influence, and impact. Yet their lives were not integrated with the highest values. Integrityor the lack thereofultimately determines the quality of a persons impact. In a sense, this is the foundation of authentic leadership.

Leaders must be deliberate and intentional if they are to be successful. These five qualities can guide us as we grow in our ability to lead

An additional quote below also explains the Authentic Leadership model:

Authentic leaders, according to Bill George, genuinely desire to serve others through their leadership. They are interested in empowering the people they lead to make a difference; more than they are interested in power, money or prestige for themselves. They are guided equally by the heart and the mind practicing heart-based guidance grounded in passion and compassion, as well as thoughtful leadership grounded in the qualities of the mind. They lead with purpose, meaning and values. And their people relationships are extremely strong. People follow them because they are consistent, reliable and strong. When they are pushed to go beyond their beliefs and values, they will not compromise. They are dedicated to personal growth and learning because they believe that becoming a leader takes a lifetime.

Servant Leadership: A Way To Authentic Power and Prosperity

Post written by Mikael Meir. Follow me on Twitter.

The master accumulates nothing but the more he does for others, the greater his existence ~ Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching Do you believe you can effortlessly ride the path to prosperity living in a state of wealth, balance and ease? Over the past few months, Ive been actively working on my new keynote and book, A New Path To Prosperity, which is the first book to explore the psychological and social conditioning that causes destructive leadership behaviors (including CEO greed), while offering 7 concrete practices for transcending strife, and becoming a powerful leader that drives positive change. Its modeled on my own transformative journey from accumulating financial wealth, to losing it all with profound suffering, then emerging into a new and broader prosperity that encompasses not only the financial, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual realms as well as. The core message is this: its not just all about you. My problem was I believed that prosperity was something that could be appropriated by cleverly acquiring the right resources and deploying them through an intelligent strategy. What I missed, and what I see so

many others miss, is the awareness that in every moment we are in a relationship certainly with major stakeholders employees, customers, investors, vendors, community and planet but also with all beings on the planet. Companies are nature. Made up of human beings, living in human nature. And physicists now confirm we are all interconnected. Therefore, if we interact thinking its just all about us, we are creating an imbalance in nature that will ultimately lead to failure. Because we are denying the actuality of the relationships that are already happening. The first of the 7 leadership practices that leaders must inculcate, on a path to real prosperity, is servant leadership. Standing inside the intention of being in service to another human being not just as a means to profit but because we care about their well being. This is also a potent antidote to the toxic behavior of craving and greed that causes so much stress and disturbance in organizations and society. 3 Steps to Servant Leadership 1. The first step is to let go of the illusion that strategy with the intention to appropriate and accumulate will lead to prosperity. This is my big life lesson and I struggle with it most days. While I understand theres a huge cultural force that stands in the way of seeing truth here, I also know firsthand, that this attitude is the breeding ground for greed and can never bring fulfillment just the illusion of fulfillment. 2. The second step is to monitor your intentions. Witness them without judgment. Ask yourself, am I coming from a place of not enough, a place of gotta get more to fill me up, a place of scarcity, a place of lack? This is all about me thinking, and cannot lead to prosperity. These intentions will crowd your mind, and leave little room for the creativity and awareness of greater opportunity that does lead to prosperity. When you find yourself mired in scarce, competitive, adversarial thinking a small constrictive space redirect your focus to serving your stakeholders, as per step 3. 3. The third step is to refocus on any of your six core stakeholder groups (employees, customers, shareholders, vendors, community, environment). A leaders scorecard is simple: Top line, bottom line, cash flow, strategy/vision, and people. Growth in these 5 areas drives shareholder value. And if you focus on serving the interests of all

stakeholders, its the most efficient path to optimizing each of your scorecard objectives, increasing shareholder value, and greater prosperity for all. I explain this in more detail in the this four minute video. We all have a small self driven by our egos, and a larger Self representing our greatest future possibility. The mind based ego will always modulate between feeling less than or more than two deeply false beliefs amplifying mental noise, and mitigating against us realizing our greatest future possibility. Yet in every moment we have a choice, to indulge our egos, or to serve our greatest future possibility which in business, is often about serving our various stakeholders understanding they are an interrelated, inter-dependent holistic value system. And if we can imbibe an inner attitude of caring customer care, employee care, supplier care, community care, environmental care and combine that with smart strategy, discipline, focused execution and accountability this is the yin and yang of leadership a powerful blueprint for prosperity. If you liked this article, please share it on Email It | Twit It | Stumble It | Digg It | Save to Delicious | Save to FaceBook

AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP
FEBRUARY 22, 2012 in LEADERSHI P

Everyone can be great because anybody can serve. You dont have to have a college degree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our world today has a distorted picture of leadership and servanthood. The model so frequently circulated is one of top-down leadership where the guy at the top is served by everyone at the bottom. But authentic servanthood is really upside down

leadership. Leaders serve and servants lead. You dont serve in order to get into leadership; you serve because you are a servant.

Authentic leadership is upside down

An authentic servant has a true servant heart that motivates the person to demonstrate his service with actions. Servant leaders are those who make a deliberate choice to serve others to serve first and lead second. Here are a few insights about servant leadership. 1. Servant leadership may not be what you have in mind when you respond to Gods vision. Imagine the scene between Elisha and Elijah when Elisha decided to give up everything and join the prophet. He might not have anticipated the opposition, ridicule, and also unprecedented close fellowship with God that awaited him. Leadership is not all grandeur; it is also hard work in the trenches. 2. Servant leadership is built upon serving, sacrificing, and seeking the greatest good of those being led. Authentic leaders do not place themselves at the center but rather they seek to place others at the center. They do not seek the attention of others; they give it to others. Servant leaders are always looking for ways to respond to the needs of others. 3. Servant leaders have a personal brokenness that makes them approachable and someone you can trust. They are humble, gentle, considerate, understanding, and compassionate. Be an active listener, empathize with people, and bring healing to people. Be known for your communication skills and being a good listener. Authentic servanthood is a God work in us. A servant heart does not come naturally, but is the result of a deep work of grace. Pursue the servant heart and become an authentic servant leader.

To read more about servant leadership, please check out these resources and more at our store:

Moving Beyond, sermon notes: click here Leader Who Builds the Church, sermon notes: click here Leaders of the Future, sermon notes: click here The Making of a Leader, book: click here

- See more at: http://blog.frankdamazio.com/2012/02/authentic-leadership/#sthash.asuts20T.dpuf

BUILDING COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS

JUNE 21, 2012 in CHURCH LI FE , GENERAL

What matters most in life is not what ladders we climb, churches we build, or possessions we accumulate. What matters most is relationship, more specifically, our covenant relationships. A covenant relationship is one that you can accept or reject, but you cant change it. Covenant relationships with God -given friendships are a vital part of every leaders life.

Covenant relationships take time, commitment, and godly character; they dont just happen. True covenant relationships begin with a specific decision and continue as certain principles of integrity are respected and continually activated. God is adamant about covenant relationships. One example from the Bible of a covenant relationship is the one

between David and Jonathan. Every believer and leader should understand and glean from four clear principles exemplified in David and Jonathans relationship. 1. Covenant relationship begins with a spiritual act of being knit together Being knit together is like being chained to one another. In nearly every language, friendship is considered to be the union of souls bound together by the band of love. Covenant relationships produce a sameness as though one soul were in two bodies. To be knit together, the strands of God-centered belief need to be tied in place. There must be a mutual personal commitment to the relationship that includes a mutual respect, resulting in building the other person and not tearing down. 2. Covenant relationship begins and grows by making and keeping covenant The purpose of a covenant is to guarantee that the relationship will remain healthy and will last. The covenant itself is a series of words that are spoken to define the nature of the relationship and the principles of commitment to it. When covenant is the foundation for relationships, the possibility of maintaining permanence and stability is greatly enhanced. 3. Covenant relationship begins with a generous soul attitude The generous soul gives not only what is valuable and suitable to the relationship, but also asks what is honorable. A generous soul attitude causes both people to pour out affirmation, encouragement, and words of greatness. It quickly promotes the other person over self. All relationships grow when the generous soul attitude is present. 4. Covenant relationship grows and stays healthy as we protect the relationship Every relationship will have its times of testing, stretching, problems, and disruption. Outside pressures can be expected; however, we

must handle these pressures wisely and successfully if we are to maintain true covenant relationships. We need to consistently protect the relationship by being faithful at all times with our words, attitudes, and actions. Your leadership and your life will be much more fulfilling and fruitful when you have covenant relationships. Like this post? You might also like these:
- See more at: http://blog.frankdamazio.com/2012/06/building-covenant-relationships/#sthash.CaGEXCT7.dpuf

INCREASING YOUR CAPACITY

JANUARY 23, 2012 in GENERAL, LEADERSHI P

When you get your Starbucks in the morning, you probably order a tall, grande, or venti, depending on the morning. What is the difference between the three sizes? Capacity. How much coffee-tomilk or water do you want?

What is your capacity?

Capacity is the power of containing or holding. In the context of the mind, capacity is the power of receiving ideas or knowledge. Leaders should desire to increase their capacity in several areas. Increase is a personal decision. It does not happen automatically or overnight, but gradually as you make certain strides toward increasing in certain areas. Here are five areas where good leaders become great leaders through increase. 1. Increase your faith capacity. Faith is the substance of vision, dreams, and moving into the future. Faith is needed to be a great leader because you must have faith to believe and see what you believe will happen.

In what areas do leaders need to increase in faith? Increase in faith in God and Gods Word. Have faith that God will provide all that is necessary as the need arises. 2. Increase your people capacity. Leadership and ministry is all about people. It is relational, caring, loving, and serving people. Getting along with and caring for people is at the heart of leaders with people capacity. Henry Ford once said, Why is it that I always get the whole person when what I want is a pair of hands? This is the attitude in leaders who have little capacity for people. People are not machines, but individuals. We must recognize and affirm the importance of the whole person. Respect, dignify, and honor people. 3. Increase your change capacity. Things change! We need to change, be flexible, be adjustable. Change is not the enemy. Changing the wrong thing is. Change is also one of the greatest agents of momentum. It is okay to change the way you do things as long as the change does not violate your core principles and values. 4. Increase your grace capacity. Our heart and life make up a container that must be filled to capacity with grace. We need capacity to be gracious, graceful, grace filled, and grace motivated. Graceful leadership implies that leadership within the context and life of the Christian community is, or at least ought to be, different from other kinds of leadership. Our leadership should be motivated out of genuine concern for the needs of others and deference to their condition how we can best serve them through our leadership.

5. Increase your team capacity. Coach rather than control. Mentor as well as manage. Strengthen as well as supervise. Be a leader who empowers. Create shared vision. When you create a team atmosphere, more people contribute, you get more ideas, and more people are reached. Dont hold too tightly to your ministry. It belongs to God. Great leaders are champions of the team. Learn more about leadership from our resources at our store: Taking Your Church to the Next Level, three-part seminar notes, click here Keeping the Pipeline Full, sermon notes, click here Recognizing Emerging Leaders, sermon notes, click here
- See more at: http://blog.frankdamazio.com/2012/01/increasing-your-capacity/#sthash.eyao8E9C.dpuf

THE NECESSITY OF A CLEAR VISION

JANUARY 24, 2012 in CHURCH GROW TH, CHUR C H LI FE , GENERAL, LEADERSH I P

Vision is a biblical word. A spiritually healthy person or church must have a biblically accurate vision that they are continually progressing toward fulfilling. A participating member of a local church is a person of vision and is an important factor in fulfilling the vision. The responsibility for casting that vision rests on the leadership.

Leadership has two critical components: knowing where you are going and knowing who will go with you. The people willing to follow will face certain faith challenges and take certain risks, so you must have a clear picture of where you are headed and it must be the right direction. An effective church must have a clear vision. Clear vision provides the church with clear direction. It enables the church to move together in unity of mind, spirit, and purpose. It also motivates people because

it is the lifeblood and the driving force behind the church. Clear, Holy Spirit inspired vision that is as big as our great God will motivate people to make sacrifices and work for the vision. A church with clear vision has the grace factor. I see three levels of grace needed for a church with vision. The first level is individual grace. This includes every persons unique gifts and calling. Next is family grace. There might be a medical grace given to a family that produces generation after generation of doctors, or a ministerial grace that produces generation after generation of ministers. Then there is corporate grace, a God-given gift present in a group of people that empowers them to serve God together in a special way to produce spiritual fruit. A church with vision recognizes and pursues the corporate grace that unlocks a harvest of spiritual fruit. A church with clear vision is effective if its people are committed and equipped to function in fulfilling the vision. You might have a vision for the church that is grand and inspired, but the people must be divinely energized and unified to accomplish the God-given plan. A church with vision is effective as long as it controls hindering tendencies that would stagnate and divide vision. This calls for leadership to be strong, focused, and committed to the prophetic vision which has been agreed upon. Every effort must be marshaled strategically to accomplish the vision. A church without vision is like a glacier, fascinating to observe but going nowhere fast! Do you have a clear vision for your life and ministry? Read more about vision in the new series called Great Vision for a Great Church. Click here to read more at our store. Also check out

these other resources on church building:

Leader Who Builds the Church, sermon notes, click here Strong Leaders Build Strong Churches, sermon notes, click here Unleashing the Power to Grow, sermon notes, click her
- See mor e at: http

7 GOALS IN SEEKING GOD

AUGUST 28, 2013 in PERSONAL DEVOTI ONS

There are many things that will catch my eye, but there are only a few things that catch my heart It is those I consider to pursue Tim Redmond Perhaps you are in need of something to catch your eye today and ignite passion for life and for God. One of the best actions you can take is to set aside time to expressly seek God. Here are some personal prayer goals and habits I have found to be powerful and effective in awakening hunger and passion for God. 1. Seek God in a private, quiet place for an unhurried time This is the first and most basic step, as well as the most critical. We need to intentionally set aside time to be with God and listen to Him. Jesus did it, so we should do it also! 2. Seek God for grace to fully surrender your life to Jesus as Lord Of our own will, we cannot fully surrender to Jesus. But with Gods grace, we can give Him our emotions, our minds, our thoughts, habits and actions so that everything we do and think honor Him. 3. Seek God for faith to leave the past behind and reach into a new God-ordained future The past is history. Dont let previous failures discourage you from coming to God. You dont need to feel ashamed. Come as you are before God and lay your past and future before Him. 4. Seek God to forgive all who have offended you and to ask forgiveness of all you have offended

Unforgiveness clogs the flow of the Holy Spirit in the heart. Forgive and release all offenses. 5. Seek God to awaken a new hunger for Him To awaken hunger for God is to cultivate a deeper craving for God and to passionately desire a soul enlargement. Create a new appetite for God. Say, This much, Oh God, I want You. 6. Seek God for power to resist every temptation Ask Him for wisdom in how to use the spiritual weapons He has given you (see Ephesians 6). Shore up your reservoir of Holy Spirit power to activate when temptation or attack comes. 7. Seek God for a God-appointed tipping point in your life A tipping point is a moment when a shift takes place when little changes make a radical difference. Ask God for this moment of a divine turning point. Prayer adds to the scales and makes it possible to have a tipping point, the beginning of something great and powerful! Changes may start and move gradually, but at one divine moment that is released by prayer and fasting, the scale is tipped and a radical change occurs!

From the message, Awakening Hunger. Click here!

- See more at: http://blog.frankdamazio.com/2013/08/7-goals-in-seeking-god/#sthash.jM1TkVeN.dpuf://blog.frankdamazio.com/2012/01/thenecessity-of-a-clear-vision/#sthash.tjj63neb.dpuf