Faith – Page 2 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

The Pressures of Leadership

Posted May 5, 2019May 5, 2019
by admin

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. – 2 Corinthians 4: 8 (NLT)

I read a story about King Henry III of Bavaria, who in the eleventh century, grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made an application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. “Your Majesty,” said Prior Richard, “do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.”

“I understand,” said Henry. “The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.”

“Then I will tell you what to do,” said Prior Richard. “Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you.” When King Henry died, a statement was written: “The King learned to rule by being obedient.”

Hang around in leadership long enough and there will come a time when you may feel like King Henry of Bavaria – just plain tired of all the pressures of being a leader and ready to walk away from it all.

Let’s be real, there are times when, as John Maxwell has said that “leadership sucks”. It’s when the glamour has worn off, the lights have faded, others have all gone home, that the weight and responsibility of leadership weigh heavy on you.

The pressures and stress in leaders also have a ripple effect. In research that I came across, it suggested that when leaders are adept at managing stress, only about 10% of their employees harbor such negative opinions. The study also found that when employees see their leaders as unable to manage stress, they report lesser ambitions to advance in their organization.

As a leader, you need to be aware not only of the impact that pressure and stress have on you but also on the people you lead. It’s far more reaching than you realize. Click To Tweet

There’s just no way to address the myriad of issues surrounding the pressures and stress of leadership in this post. It’s way more involved than time or space allows. But for now, allow me to share what I call my “4 K Everyday” tips to help you as a leader.

Know your limits

It doesn’t matter how good a leader you are, you have limits. You have knowledge limits, time limits, boundary limits, physical limits, emotional limits, etc. Know them. Don’t expect other people to know them much less guard them for you. Sometimes the pressures and stress you endure as leaders are self-inflicted. When you know your limits you will be less inclined to try and exceed them. Click To Tweet

Know your priorities

This simple, yet powerful tip can save you a world of stress. Rather than being the “jack of all trades and the master of none”, why not prioritize what’s on your plate. You don’t have to do it all. Nor should you. It’s when you learn to delegate and empower your people that you can relieve a lot of stress. When you manage your time you marginalize your stress and reduce it. Make this a daily practice of your leadership.

Know your people

Much of the stress and pressure in leadership is culture driven. Simply put – leaders set the tone. You can’t expect your people to have buy-in when you are disengaged. If your people are marginalized or have one foot out the door, what do you think is happening to your stress levels? By knowing your people you are discovering their passions, their talents, their hopes, and their dreams. By knowing your people you also know what is troubling them and what their concerns are. What’s out in the open serves you much better than what’s kept in the dark. Get to know your people! Click To Tweet

Know your values

At the end of the day, it’s your values – your faith, family, etc., that will sustain you. As a leader, you are not immune to stress and pressures. But you don’t have to be the victim of it either. When your values are clear it makes everything else about your leadership much more manageable and delightful.

Leadership is a privilege and a responsibility. The “4 K Everyday” tips can set you on a good path when you put them into practice.

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Four Attributes of Calm Leaders

Posted April 29, 2019
by admin

I’ve always had a duck personality. Calm above water, feet going crazy below. – K. Flay

A man in the supermarket was pushing a cart which contained, among other things, a screaming baby. As the man proceeded along the aisles, he kept repeating softly, “Keep calm, George. Don’t get excited, George. Don’t get excited, George. Don’t yell, George.”

A lady watching with admiration said to the man, “You are certainly to be commended for your patience in trying to quiet little George.”

“Lady,” he declared, “I’m George.”

As a leader, I’m sure you’ve had your moments when you felt like the man in the supermarket pushing the cart.

As a leader, you might be able to identify with Tom Welling who said, “I have so much chaos in my life, it’s become normal.” Can you relate?

Being a leader does not exempt you from chaos, stress, pressures, and the such. If anything, it might add to it.

But as a leader, your style and approach at such times are important. Others are looking to you to see how you react which in many ways determines how they will react.

Your leadership when times are tough will either cause people to lose hope and succumb to despair or it will instill hope and confidence. Click To Tweet In these times, your people need an example of the calming effect that your leadership can have. Here are four ways that happen.

Calm leaders see the big picture

Calm leaders are not rocked by every disruption that comes along. Short-sightedness tends to fuel the insecurities in people. A calm leader can exude confidence because they see the big picture and it’s with that understanding they can lead with a steady hand.

Calm leaders understand timing

One of the hardest things to learn as a leader is timing. We are people of action. Waiting is not necessarily a finer quality. But calm leaders have an intuition for timing. They know when it’s time to wait and when it’s time to act. The calming effect of timing within your organization and with your people can make a world of difference. Calm leaders can help avert a multitude of troubles just by understanding how timing impacts most every decision they make. Click To Tweet

Calm leaders challenge norms

Calm leaders tend to challenge norms and stretch others to grow in ways they are not often comfortable with. Call it what you will – human nature, gut reactions, etc., but many people react to things happening to them or around them in ways that only make matters worse. But a calm leader is processing. A calm leader brings peace to the storm, level-headed thinking, and challenges the norms that define the way things have always been done.

Calm leaders bring stability

Calm leaders bring a level of maturity and stability that is often lacking during turbulent times. Calm leaders know that their actions, attitudes, reactions, and thinking go a long way in determining successful outcomes.

Calm leaders are not passive leaders, nor are they passionless. Calm leaders are simply those who know how to harness the power of their intuition, experience, maturity, and wisdom to be a more effective leader. Click To Tweet

Strive to be a leader who, when everything around them seems to be in chaos, brings a calming presence to the situation. We could sure use more calm leaders.

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Take The High Road: 20 Quotes to Reflect On

Posted October 28, 2018October 28, 2018
by admin

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love – I Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)

Without question, we live in tumultuous times. The news headlines we see today are enough to discourage anyone as we see what is happening in our society.

In the midst of all the divides us, I wanted to devote space this week to remember what’s more important in times like this–taking the high road. There’s enough division out there to go around. We need to unite. Let’s be reminded that what we’d like to see in others first begins in us. Click To Tweet

I’ve chosen 20 quotes for reflection. Take them to heart and pass them along.

“If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou

“Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances.” – Thomas Jefferson

“Your beliefs don’t make you a better person. Your behavior does.” – Toby Mac

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only love can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Click To Tweet

“The high road is always respected. Honesty and integrity are always rewarded.” – Scott Hamilton

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” – Mother Teresa

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain

“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” – Seneca

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” – Brad Meltzer

“We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us thru that darkness to a safe and sane future.” – John F. Kennedy

“In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.” – Anne Frank

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“I’m going to take the high road because the low road is too crowded.” – Mia Farrow

“Make sure you see people through the eyes of love, not the eyes of judgment.” – Joel Osteen

“Teach me to feel another’s woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me.” – Alexander Pope

“As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me. The first person I should try to change is me.” - John Maxwell Click To Tweet

“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” – Charles Dickens

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up…” – I Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV)

Bonus: “What unites us, is much greater than what divides us.” – Pope John XXIII

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Comebacks: Inspiration From Tiger Woods

Posted September 30, 2018October 4, 2018
by dougdickerson

The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That’s real glory. That’s the essence of it. – Vince Lombardi

The golf world had one of its most magical moments in recent years when Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia on September 24. He led the tournament from start to finish and it marked his first win in five years.

Tiger’s stroll up the 18th fairway to the green is nothing short of“instant classic” status. It was in a word – stunning.

Tiger’s comeback has been a long time in the making. You know his story and you are aware of the headlines, no need to rehash it all here. His public fall from grace was just as iconic as his comeback. His was a messy humanity on display for the world to see. Add to that four back surgeries and his comeback defied the odds of many who thought it was not possible.

We live in times when creating and building up our heroes only to tear them down is done for the sport. It’s a time in which the voices of redemption and grace are drowned out by the screams of the mob.

“What you see and what you hear,” wrote C.S. Lewis, “depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.” Maybe this is the introspection we need in times like these.

Maybe Tiger’s triumphant walk up the 18th fairway in some small way gave inspiration to those facing their own setbacks and defeats and gave encouragement to never give up. Maybe in him they caught a glimpse of themselves as they wish to be – knocked down, battered, broken, but back. Could this be you?

As you read this you may be dealing with your own set of struggles and private battles and you may be wondering if the struggle is worth it. Here are a few simple takeaways from Tiger’s return. It could be a blueprint for yours.

Never give up

Tiger’s winless drought lasted five years. While four back surgeries kept him sidelined and not playing at a level he was accustomed to, he found his way back. Not by listening to the voices of those who said he’d never return, but by listening to his heart and never giving up. Your comeback begins with your mindset. Click To TweetIt begins by determining that your present location is not your final stop.

Fight through the pain

Even by his own admission, Tiger thought he would not return to golf. Back in 2015, he said, “There’s really nothing I can look forward to, nothing I can build toward.” The pain Tiger endured on his way back was at times unbearable and debilitating. But he pressed on through the pain. Your comeback may be painful as well, but nothing worth fighting will always come easy. You may be experiencing growing pains right now, but find your strength for today and fight through the pain one day at a time.

Tighten your circle

As C.S. Lewis said, you have to know what you see and what you hear. When making your comeback, you must tighten your circle and be mindful of the voices you are listening to. Woods acknowledged this saying, “You know, the people who are close to me saw the struggles and what I was going through, and some of the players I’m pretty close to, they’ve really helped me throughout this process and the last few years”. On your comeback journey, you have to know who’s in your corner and who’s not.

Making a comeback will require more than what has been addressed here. These are just starting points. But you must never give up, you will have to fight through the pain, and you will need to tighten your circle. Not everyone who speaks into your life belongs in your life. Click To TweetBe open, be receptive, but by all means be wise. Your comeback depends on it.

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A Message To Broken Leaders

Posted August 30, 2018October 4, 2018
by dougdickerson

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” – Psalm 147:3

A quick Google search netted 279 million hits. No, it wasn’t a search for the newest leadership success story or the latest self-help book that’s been released. This search was perhaps a little more ominous. The search category was simply “broken leaders”.

Broken leaders. It’s not the most pleasant of topics we like to hear and read about. We side-step it, and avoid discussing it, and squirm maybe just a little when the topic is addressed. I mean, after all, we have an image to uphold and a reputation to protect.

Let’s be clear – leadership is hard. John Maxwell, a leadership mentor to many of us summed it up once by saying, “Sometimes leadership sucks”. It’s hard and it’s messy, and not for the faint of heart. Or is it?

As a leader, and in the solitude of this moment in which you are now reading, you might be acknowledging for the first time that you are a broken leader. You’re tired, you’re hurt, you’re discouraged. Behind the public smiles are private disappointments, battle scars, and the lost ambition to try another day. If that’s the case, please keep reading.

The truth is, every leader I know–myself included, have come face to face with our own own brokenness. And it’s in these times that we must be brought back to simple truths that can put it all in perspective. So, to all the broken leaders reading this right now, please remember the following.

You are not alone

The struggles you face are the struggles we all face. On your leadership journey, you do not walk alone. The road to success is a journey of the broken- people who struggle and yet every day are trying to make a difference and add value. We strive together, we serve together, and we walk this road by sharing the load. Regardless of your circumstances today, you need to remember that you are not alone. Click To TweetThe brokenness you feel and the burden you carry is shared by many.

You are stronger than you think

I can’t begin to count the number of times when I thought I could not go on as a leader because of a setback, a failure, or discouragement, etc. But by God’s grace, I can look back and see that in my times of brokenness that hope was not lost but rather it was found in One stronger than me. If you are feeling broken as a leader and you think that you can’t go any further, take a moment and look back at how far you’ve come. Click To Tweet You are stronger than you think.

Your worth is not defined by your worst

Now might be a good time to cut yourself some slack. I don’t know about you, but sometimes the darkest moments in my leadership journey were not ones brought to bear by others – but by the man in the mirror. Over the years, I’ve come to learn that not every fear is fatal and not every mistake is final. But the attitude we chose decides the outcome. Simply put – we’ve all blown it. We’ve made mistakes. We’ve experienced setbacks of our own creation. Your worth is not defined by your worst, forgive yourself and move on. Click To Tweet

Your brokenness can be your blessing

Growing pains are not pleasant. And the feeling of brokenness you have right now as a leader may, in reality, be your growing pains. This season in your life – the brokenness and pain – is serving a greater purpose and is preparing you for your next level in leadership.

“Many of life’s failures, “ said Thomas Edison, “are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up”. In your brokenness, you will be tempted to quit and abandon your dream. I’d like to challenge and inspire you today to not see your brokenness as the end of your leadership journey, but rather to see it as the blessing it has the potential to be in your life.

It’s out of your brokenness – your fears, your frustrations, your setbacks, and scars that you will be able to reach back and pull up the struggling leader behind you. Your brokenness may be God’s way of helping you let go of the pieces in your life that don’t belong. Click To Tweet

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Leadership In A Word: Yesterday

Posted June 17, 2018October 10, 2018
by dougdickerson

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away, Now it looks as though they’re here to stay oh I believe in yesterday – John Lennon

A word about yesterday

In his book, No Limits, John Maxwell presents a most thought-provoking question that is worth some consideration. He asks: “When was the last time you said goodbye to something that was special that no longer works today?”. It is a truly intriguing question.

Perhaps in our more nostalgic moments, we look back with some degree of fondness and recall a particular time in our leadership journey that was important to us. Maybe it was a particular success or big win that propelled you to where you are today.

But if we are not careful, we can get stuck in a place, time, and mindset that no longer serves us or the people around us very well. We become stagnant and are looking backward to the “good old days” rather to the future. Sound familiar?

Maxwell continues by asking, “Are you willing to let go of some things you love? If not, you’re going to have a hard time being creative and becoming any better than you are today”. Now, that truly is thought-provoking indeed.

Obviously, reading this caused me to think about my own practices, routines, and my mindset. Have I been guilty of this? Am I guilty of this? In what ways is this mindset hurting me?

My reflections led me to these conclusions. Perhaps you will relate. Perhaps you could add to the list. But here are just a few of my observations.

Yesterday’s creativity will not sustain me

Creativity is the life-blood in leadership. The creativity I had thirty years ago when I was first starting my leadership journey may have served me well then, but it has no bearing on the creativity I need to succeed today. The landscape today is much different.

Leadership Checkup: Are you availing yourself of every opportunity to grow and learn new things?

Yesterday’s structure will not carry me

Leadership and management styles have drastically changed over the past few decades. The flow charts of top-down, bottom-up have mostly been replaced by more lateral lines with collaboration as the approach of choice by many.

Richard Branson observed: “People often remark to me that it’s great how Virgin thinks outside the box. They are genuinely surprised when I tell them, “Actually we don’t! We just never let the box get built in the first place.’”

Leadership Checkup: Are you relying on yesterday’s structures to guide you today or are you finding new approaches to new problems?

Yesterday’s attitude will not equip me

The attitude, faith, and mindset I needed all those years ago may have been sufficient at the time, but no longer. Not because I have arrived, but because my goals, dreams, and aspirations of today demand it. Going to a higher level of achievement requires an exchange. And it will be required in your leadership as well. The exchange will be to give up some things from the past that you loved in order to have the growth and success you desire today.

Leadership Checkup: What attitudes and mindsets of the past do you need to let go? Are you still surrounded with people whose mindsets are holding you back?

Quotes about yesterday

“It’s no use going back to yesterday, I was a different person then”. – Lewis Carroll

“What worked yesterday doesn’t always work today”. – Elizabeth Gilbert

“…But this one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead”. – Philippians 4:13

“You can’t have a better tomorrow if you’re thinking about yesterday”. – Charles Kettering

“Yesterday was not your defining moment. The calendar moved forward; why not you?”. – Steve Maraboli

A final word

We gain wisdom, understanding, and perspective from our past, for better or for worse, our past shapes us. While it’s certainly appropriate to reflect on the good things in our past, we must live in the moment and be forward in our thinking. It’s also time to let go of the past with all of its mistakes and failures and seize the moment that a new day brings. The challenge in leadership is to never stop growing, learning, adapting, and applying all that we can.

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Leadership In A Word: Vulnerable

Posted June 4, 2018
by dougdickerson

I found that the more truthful and vulnerable I was, the more empowering it was for me. – Alanis Morissette

A word about being vulnerable

I read where Will Rogers’ stage specialty used to be rope tricks. One day, on stage, in the middle of his act, he got tangled in his lariat. Instead of getting upset, he drawled, “A rope ain’t so bad to get tangled up in if it ain’t around your neck.” The audience roared. Encouraged by the warm reception, Rogers began adding humorous comments to all his performances. It was the comments, not the rope tricks, that eventually made him famous.

As leaders, we tend to get ourselves into predicaments that are hard to escape precisely due to our obsession with protecting our image. Our greatest leadership strength can be found not in faking perfection but in embracing our own vulnerabilities.

Think for a moment about how different your leadership would look if you dropped the pretense of perfection and having all of the answers in exchange for authentic leadership. Imagine how different your life would be.

Allow me to explore a few ways in which being vulnerable can strengthen your leadership and why it matters.

Vulnerability empowers you as a leader

Think for a moment about the qualities you look for most of the leaders in your life. Melanie Curtin identified the top four qualities that millennials are looking for in an article for Inc. The top four qualities were mentoring, a gentle spirit, authenticity, and integrity,

All four of those qualities are essential to good leadership. When a leader is vulnerable these qualities will shine through. After all, how can you be an authentic leadership without being vulnerable?

If you want to gain respect and earn the trust of the people you lead, you will have to drop the mask and forget about the glittering image and get real.

Vulnerability puts the humanity into your leadership

Some of the most impactful lessons I have learned in leadership over the years from my mentors were not the great success stories they shared. It was the stories of their defeats, failures, and setbacks that inspired me. Why? Because they failed? No. It was inspiring because it allowed me to see them as human and that if they can fail, recover, and succeed then I could as well. It built my confidence.

Being vulnerable as a leader doesn’t mean that you make excuses for your failures or that you lower the bar on your goals or aspirations. Being vulnerable means that you allow your people to see the good, the bad, and the ugly, and still be inspired by your leadership.

Vulnerability creates connections in your leadership

Vulnerability opens up a whole new realm of leadership for you that just doesn’t come any other way. So long as you are guarded, distant, and protecting your image, then your people will always be made to feel they can never measure up to your example- or at least make it feel it’s out of their reach.

Vulnerability creates connections and builds bridges with your people that will open up doors and relationships that could not happen otherwise.

If you want to grow your influence as a leader then it’s time to be real, time to be genuine, and time to be vulnerable. Most people can spot a phony a long way off.

Vulnerability quotes

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” – Brene’ Brown

“We are at our most powerful the moment the moment we no longer need to be powerful.” – Eric Micha’el Leventhal

“Developing people by investing in them doesn’t mean pretending you have all the answers.” – John Maxwell

“Getting in touch with your true self must be your first priority.” – Tom Hopkins

A final word

Vulnerability in leadership is essential to good leadership. It’s not an expression of weakness, it’s an expression of being empowered as a leader and comfortable in your own skin. Embrace being vulnerable and watch your influence grow.

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Leadership In a Word: Wisdom

Posted May 11, 2018
by dougdickerson

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. – Socrates

A Word about wisdom

In leadership, as in any other discipline, there’s an abundance of available knowledge. There are more voices speaking on the topic today as never before. Be it books, magazines, podcasts, or blogs, the supply is endless.

While that may be great for the consumer, the real challenge rests with its usefulness- how do we bridge the gap between knowledge and application? How do we resolve the disconnect between resources at our fingertips and the wisdom required to apply it?

It reminds me of the story of automaker Henry Ford. He asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory.

One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repairmen couldn’t find the problem. So Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life–but Ford got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz. Flabbergasted, the rather tightfisted car maker inquired why the bill was so high.

Steinmetz’s reply: “For tinkering with the generators, $10. For knowing where to tinker, $9,990”. Ford paid the bill.

Leadership comes with many challenges and moving parts. Knowing where to tinker is the byproduct of good leadership – knowing the why and when, is the wisdom of leadership.

So as you consider the necessity of wisdom in leadership, take these points into consideration.

The wisdom of your leadership is found in thinking long

Thinking long gives you the opportunity to thoroughly vet new ideas and solidify long range goals. It puts things in its proper context. The value of thinking long is that it gives deeper perspective. It can also save you from the fallout of uninformed flash decisions.

The wisdom of your leadership is found in sound judgment

No leader wants to be behind the curve as it relates to change, new ideas, and being relevant. While it’s tempting to run with the latest trends, the wisdom that you need in leadership helps you to discern whether it’s the right time or even worth pursuing.

The wisdom of your leadership is found in knowing where to tinker

Acquiring the knowledge of leadership is easy. Knowing where to tinker is wisdom. There is some knowledge that can only be attained from experience and in some cases the “school of hard knocks”. Whenever we try to rush the process or think we know it all, we set ourselves up for a fall.

The wisdom of your leadership flows from the heart

Wisdom comes from learning and experience. We must bridge the gap between what we know in our heads and get to the heart of leadership. This takes time and can’t be rushed. There are just some things about leadership – how to lead people, build relationships, etc., that come no other way. (Read “Start With Low Fences” where I give advice for young aspiring leaders).

Wisdom quotes

“Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you, love her, and she will watch over you”. – Proverbs 4:6

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see”. – Henry David Thoreau

“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them”.- John Maxwell

“There is a wisdom of the head, and a wisdom of the heart”. – Charles Dickens

“Patience is the companion of wisdom”. – St. Augustine

A final word

Wisdom is a necessary companion to leadership. It will help you, protect you, and serve you well. Don’t get so caught up in what you know or think you know, seek to gain wisdom because it’s the one thing that will keep you grounded and humble.

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Leadership In a Word: Redemption

Posted April 22, 2018
by dougdickerson

[No] matter what a waste one has made of one’s life, it is ever possible to find some path to redemption, however partial. – Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain

A word about redemption

The life of a leader is a life of many imperfections, failures, and flaws. Then add to that all of the false accusations, whispers, and rumors. Hang around in leadership long enough and you will come to know what I mean.

Thankfully though, perfection is not a prerequisite for leadership. But neither is this truth a license for bad behavior. On the leadership journey, we all need some grace and redemption.

I am reminded of a story involving a young boy working in the lab with Thomas Edison. It comes from a book by James Newton in which shared this story.

Edison was working on a crazy contraption called a “light bulb” and it took a whole team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together. The story goes that when Edison was finished with one light bulb, he gave it to a young boy helper, who nervously carried it up the stairs. Step by step he cautiously watched his hands, obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work. You’ve probably guessed what happened by now; the poor young fellow dropped the bulb at the top of the stairs.

It took the entire team of men twenty-four more hours to make another bulb. Finally, tired and ready for a break, Edison was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs. He gave it to the same young boy who dropped the first one. That’s true forgiveness.

How many times as a leader have you been like the boy who dropped the bulb? How many times in our learning curves have we come up short, missed the mark, didn’t come through, or failed to deliver? We’ve all been there.

On our leadership journey, we all need some grace and redemption. Let’s briefly examine a few key concepts.

The redemption I need

This framework has already been established so I won’t dwell here long. Suffice to say, as leaders we are all flawed in some way. When you see yourself as one who leads from a position of needing redemption and grace as much as the people you lead, it will cause you to walk humbly. The Scripture says, “to whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48), and this is especially true for leaders today.

The redemption I give

I can only imagine the reaction of that young boy’s face when the next day Edison handed a new light bulb back to him to walk up the stairs. But that was a testament to the redemptive heart of Edison.

What about you? As a leader, and by your actions, you have opportunities to be an agent of redemption and forgiveness. Your one redemptive act of kindness toward a colleague or team member may be all it takes to turn things around for that person.

I am not talking about abandoning expectations or lowering the bar as it relates to standards and performance, but I am speaking to a specific leadership skill not found in the manual but in your heart. The human equation. Perhaps if we listen more, talk less, forgive more, condemn less, love more and hate less, then we can reflect a standard of leadership worth emulating.

Redemption quotes

“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination”. – Nelson Mandela

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, making sure that impact lasts in your absence”. – Sheryl Sandberg

“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart”. – Eleanor Roosevelt

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you”. – Ephesians 4:32

“Civility doesn’t weaken a message, it helps others hear it”. – Kate Nasser

A final word

We live in a world of hurting people. And here’s a truth I learned many years ago – hurting people hurt others. As a leader, in your sphere of influence however large or small- you’ve been given an opportunity to be a small light in the darkness. Your one redemptive act of kindness or forgiveness may be all it takes to set the course right and change someone else’s life. Let redemption be a defining quality of your leadership.

*Note: Leadership In A Word is my writing theme for 2018. Each week the focus will be on a word that impacts you as a leader. My style is new but my message and commitment to delivering fresh leadership insight to you are the same. It’s my sincere desire to help you grow as a leader and to partner with you in reaching your full potential.

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Leadership In a Word: Scars

Posted April 2, 2018
by dougdickerson

Turn your scars into stars – Robert H. Schuller

A word about scars

In The Odyssey, there is a scene that takes place near the end of the story. Odysseus returns home after many years of wandering. He is in disguise as an old man. At first, nobody recognizes him, not even his wife and child. One night before bed, Odysseus’ aged nurse bathes him. At first, she thinks he is just a stranger, but while bathing him, she recognizes a scar on his leg. She remembers the scar from infancy. Until she saw the scar she did not recognize him.

Hang around in leadership long enough and you will come to know about scars. It’s not something you hear a lot about when starting out in your professional life although you should. We tend to start out wide-eyed and ready to take the world by storm.

But along the way, all the things that you weren’t taught in your MBA classes and elsewhere introduce you to the realities of leadership. Life happens. People disappoint. You experience a few failures. Loneliness sets in. You second guess yourself. Your blinders come off as you’ve been properly introduced to the real world. Can you relate?

But in as much as we can accumulate scars through the school of hard knocks in leadership, not all are the by-product of negative experiences. Often time scars are from tenacity – staying in the fight, not giving up, and persevering in the face of adversity. Great leaders are known for this.

Think for a moment about your own leadership journey. While scars can be painful, you’d probably not be where you are today without them.

Yet over the years, I’ve seen scars do leaders in – the pain was too much. Here I’d like to offer a word of hope and these reminders.

Scars are a sign of healing

I read something very interesting about scars. It stated, “A scar is a mark left on the skin after a wound or injury has healed. Scars are a natural part of the healing process”. And this is where many in life and leadership miss the process. A scar is not an open or active wound- it’s a healed one.

Sometimes in life and in leadership, we thwart the healing process regarding the battles we’ve gone through. When we hold onto our hurts with unforgiveness, bitterness, or anger, the wound can never heal.

You can be a leader with scars and move on or you can be a leader holding onto wounds.

Scars are a sign of your passion

When you’ve found your passion – your one thing – it will motivate you to stay in the fight when others walk away. It will cause you to refocus your energies. It will keep you up late at night and cause you to rise early. Because of it, you will learn to give up the good to chase after the great.

Years ago in high school, I worked at a garden center. The winter months were brutal. But it was during this time we built the greenhouses and spent those cold days potting roses. Thousands of roses. Our cold and bloodied hands bore the scars of the hard work that went into a prosperous and beautiful spring. Scars were part of the price we paid to enjoy that beauty.

Your scars in leadership prove your passion. They are signs of your willingness to go above and beyond to reach your goals.

As a leader, see your scars for what they are – proof that you have skin in the game and that you will fight for what you believe in.

Scars are a sign of your strength

Whether it’s in your everyday life or more specifically in your leadership role, no one likes the situations that bring scars. They hurt. We feel the sting of disappointment, failures, betrayals, and what about that difficult boss you have to deal with?

Over time, these life experiences don’t just cut us but they can scar us. The question then is about our response. Are we going to let it define us or prepare us? Are we going to get bitter or better? We have a choice to make.

I can look back at some of my most painful scars and see it now from a different perspective that only time allows. While the experience was painful at the time, I can now see where it prepared me and made me a stronger leader as a result.

You haven’t come this far in your journey because you are weak, you are here because you are strong. You have the scars to prove it.

Scar quotes

“God will not look you over for medals, degrees, or diplomas, but for scars”. – Elbert Hubbard

“Some people see scars, and it is wounding they remember. To me, they are proof of the fact that there is healing”.- Linda Hogan

“Scars are not signs of weakness, they are signs of survival and endurance”. – Rodney A. Winters

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness” “. – 2 Corinthians 12:9

A final word

Most every leader I know has scars. What about you? Leadership will present you with challenges you didn’t anticipate. You will acquire some scars along the way. But your scars are reminders that you have healed, they are reminders of your passion, and a testament to your strength.

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