Tag Archives: intentional

The Every Day Leader: Who Is Shadowing You?

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There is always at least one person that is in my life that I know God has placed there for a reason.  The timing may not always be convenient, it may not always be in my plans, but somehow it always works out.  Somehow God knows just what I need, just what they need.  And always, when I take the time to invest in that person, I get out of it way more than I put into it. 

                                       Happens every time.

Investing in the life of another takes time, effort and a huge part of me and it won’t happen unless I take the time to do it.  It means I have to be willing to sacrifice, I have to be vulnerable, and transparent to share my life with another…my whole life.  There are parts of my life that I am not so proud of, there are times of my life I had to learn lessons the hard way.  When I invest in the life of another, it means sharing those times too. It is truly sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly, because lessons can be learned from every area and all of our life experiences.

The funny thing about investing… those relationships you put your heart and soul into mentoring, they are the ones that never fail to teach me something new about me.  Of course, I sharpen my skills and learn patience and understanding as I learn to work with someone new.  But it is so much more than that.  True mentoring makes me take a hard look at me.  As I teach and share, I also have to evaluate, I have to intentionally seek to understand myself better.  I learn the why’s of the past and begin to  see things from a different perspective.

Most of all, I am taking the time to think things through instead of plowing ahead with the business of life. 

If someone is following in my shadow,  I need to look at the person they are following.  How am I really?  Am I doing all the things I say?  Do I practice what I preach?  Do I lead others in such a way that I am worthy for another to want to be my shadow? Am I patient in answering questions?

Have you ever tried to copy someone’s shadow and anticipate their moves exactly?  It is almost impossible.  It is a pretty big bill to fill to have someone look up to you and want to be mentored by you. You have to be selfless, patient, and giving, even when you are tired or busy.

I look at those who have and who are mentoring me.  I am so thankful for them, for the time they have taken to invest in me and to make me a better person.  They have modeled for me the importance to do the same for another.

Who has God put in your life?  Is it someone who has never had a mother?  A Father?  Someone who needs to learn how to run a business?  Someone you are teaching spiritual principles to? Or maybe it is just someone who seems to be always clamoring for your attention by asking questions about everything you do and have done. They seem to be so eager to learn and soak up like a sponge anything you share.

Mentoring does not have to be lengthy and involved. Do you have an hour a week, twice a month, or a month? Scheduled times of mentoring help focus but there are also many informal times that conversations are had and lessons are imparted.

There are endless ways we can mentor another and endless opportunities to do so. Don’t miss a  chance to invest in another, you just may be surprised at how valuable they are to you!

The Everyday Leader.  Living a life of intention.  Mentoring another, always investing in those around you.

The Every Day Leader: ENTANGLED!

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There are so many life lessons we can glean from nature if we just look around.  In the south Kudzu grows rapidly, 60 feet a year! Kudzu takes over everything in its path, choking out any kind of life that it encounters. Grown forests become “ghost towns” of memories past.

Our lives are very much like this vine. Little by little we allow things to creep in. Things that SEEM okay at the time.  We often don’t realize just how damaging they can be over time.  These things can be draining and begin to pull on us.  They can come in the form of habits, relationships, even our words.   As everyday leaders that are seeking to live intentionally, we want to become aware of what it is that is weighing us down, entangling us and pulling at us. What is draining the energy, resources, creativity, and life out of us?

Do we have the habit of working too many hours?  Once a good thing, may now become something that is choking the life out of us and stealing our time away from family.  Maybe even costing us our health.

Perhaps we are simply trying to fit too MANY things into our schedule.  These things may all be good, but have become so much that we are pulled in every direction. Being intentional with our schedule means saying NO to things that might be good so that we can say YES to those things that are great.  It means being able to yes to things that match our vision and purpose.

What about  the habit of joking around?  Have our words, once in fun, gotten out of hand?  Are we too concerned about material things, vacations or having success that what was once a dream has now become a burden as we stay driven for more or strive to maintain what we have?

Are we entangled in a relationship that we shouldn’t be in?  Have we compromised at work and allowed questionable practices to take place?

Being intentional means taking the time to cut down the vines that are choking things out.  Once free the plants begin to thrive again.  Before you cut out those things that entangle you, first evaluate what is good or bad, what needs to be trimmed back.

The process is painful but the rewards are great when we take the time to evaluate and trim back those things which entangle us, allowing new growth to help us thrive.

The Every Day Leader.  Living an intentional life.  Being the best you can be.

 

 

The Every Day Leader: Determination is YOUR strong Foundation

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Have you ever seen massive tree roots coming out of the ground, roots so big and thick you could almost build your own little fort in them? Tree roots come above the ground looking for moisture, often times of severe drought has brought them originally to the surface. While the tree roots would generally grow down in search of water, it will do what it needs to, It has a natural instinct to find what it needs.  It is determined to survive.

Determination is the runner that gets up each day and trains.  Determination is what the child has as she climbs back on her bicycle without the training wheels for the hundredth time, trying so hard to learn to ride without them.  It is determination that sets us apart from others. 

Our goals are accomplished through constant determination. First, we must know what those goals are. Secondly, we must have a plan and be willing to carry that plan out to meet those goals.  This often requires a discipline and our will to make it happen no matter what.

It is a choice we make.  This choice sets us apart from so many others who would rather just settle for a life of mediocrity. Every day leaders make intentional decisions to make something happen and to are willing to carry it out, this enables them to have an impact on the world they live in.  Just like the tree in the picture.  It is a huge tree that provides shade and has been around a long time.  The roots sought the moisture it needed and did whatever it took for their growth.

What are you determined to do in your life as an everyday leader?  Do you have a goal set before you?  We must know what we are working towards.  We must have the end result in mind and the discipline and determination to carry it out.  This is what produces a lasting impact. 

Know where you are going.  Be intentional.  Have discipline and determination to get there. 

The everyday leader.  Making a difference in the life you lead.

The Everyday Leader: Being in the right place

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I planted ivy on a hill in my front yard several years ago.  It wasn’t the first thing I had tried.  Every other thing planted just did not make it and the dirt  would wash away each time there was a hard rain.  While it has taken some time, the ivy has now taken off.  In fact, it seems I just go out and trim it, and it creeps up on the porch.  It is incredible!

The ivy thrives where it is.  In fact, it is so thick now; soil washing away is never a problem anymore.  It is amazing when you have the right plant in the right place what happens.  In many ways, it is a lot like people.  When we are in the right place we thrive.  When we have the right people on our team our team is more likely to be successful. 

Just like the ivy, even if you are in the right place but the conditions are not right it is hard to thrive.  We eventually will burn or die out.  It is essential that we provide the right environment for our volunteers and staff.   Being an intentional leader means taking a hard look to see if you are in the right place.  Is it a good fit?  Are you in an environment that provides all that you need?  Are you doing your part to cultivate that environment?

What about the people you are responsible for?  Do you have the right people in the right place?  If not, what do you need to do to get them there?  What about the conditions they are working or serving in?  Are you intentionally taking the time to make sure it is a positive environment?  Is it a place where they can continue to learn?  Are you as a team working together or is everyone doing their own thing?  Do they feel safe to be themselves, to grow, to learn, to make a mistake? 

No matter what we are doing, whether we work alone or in a group, it is essential to be in the right place with the proper support, care  and healthy conditions we need to flourish…no different than the ivy.

The everyday leader intentionally looks at the details, even when we are busy.  We take the time to evaluate, to make the changes when necessary. 

It means being intentional to have the right person in the right place.

It means being intentional to be the leader our people need us to be.

I want to be that everyday leader.   Willing to be intentional.

 

The Every Day Leader: The Simple Leader

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Corrie Ten-Boom, A quiet, everyday person willing to do what she thought was right.  She never saw herself as a person of influence – yet she had a huge impact on the lives of many, simply by speaking from her heart. I have been fascinated since High School by the life of this every day leader, who never knew the legacy she would leave.

Corrie Ten-Boom, along with her family, hid Jews from the Nazis during the war and was later captured and ended up in the concentration camps.  Despite all she endured, she always took the high road.  She loved others, no matter what they had done to her.  She forgave.  She kept the right attitude, even during the worst of it all.  She remained thankful in all things, even in a concentration camp!

She was as simple a leader as you could get. It wasn’t about what she looked like, what she wore or even saying the right words. She understood that life and people are a gift and often that is all we have. It is our choice how we manage that gift that has been given to us.  She also knew that she could sit back and do nothing and be safe or she could jump in and do something and make a difference in the life of another.

Corrie Ten-Boom.  Simple.  Quiet.  Obedient.  Everyday Leader.  Lasting Impact on the Lives of Many.

What about you? Each of us is given a sphere of influence, what are YOU going to do with yours? Are you willing to be all that you can be and make a difference, never knowing what legacy you may leave behind?

This every day leader wants to live like that!

The Every Day Leader: Intentional Generosity

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A child does not naturally care for others around them. I recently watched my little granddaughter as she so carefully cared for her sister who wasn’t feeling well.  Even though she was only four there was something in her make up that  knew to share what she had, to love and to care for her five-year-old sister.  It wasn’t just because she had a fever. Sharing, caring and loving is something she knew and has had modeled for her.

Intentional leaders are very much the same way, somewhere along the way they paid attention to someone modeling everyday leadership before them. Somewhere along the way they capitalized on one of the greatest opportunities of another leader’s generosity to share their knowledge. If we are willing to share with others what we know, to share what we have, and to be willing to work with others our entire outlook is different.  As we intentionally model this way of life, we teach others to do the same. The term collaboration takes on a whole new meaning!  It is not about what we can get out of it, but rather what we can offer to others.

Generosity not only makes us better leaders, it makes us better people. When we selflessly give of our time, talents, and resources expecting nothing in return we change those around us and we change ourselves. And through these efforts organizations take on a more intentional way of doing things and relating to their staff, customers, and all they encounter. We gain a new perspective and understanding of doing life together.

As an Executive Director of a medium size nonprofit I have learned that my role is not to just care about my organization or even the people working for me. Without fail the times that I have intentionally shared my knowledge and collaborated with others in the community, the more my organization is helped and the people we reach. Generosity always comes back to you in greater ways than what you gave.

Take a chance, be BOLD… look beyond your own place of influence and see what happens when you live the life of an INTENTIONAL LEADER.