Recently, I've taken a hard look at my leadership journey and found a truth that reshaped my perspective: true leadership is not a quest for control, but an opportunity to serve! In today's episode, I reflect on my recent speaking engagements and I reveal the crucial role a growth mindset plays in being an effective leader.
We will look at the importance of spiritual disciplines, the importance of humility and the deep impact our influence can have on others, and focusing on the inner care leaders must practice. It's a confession of past ambitions mixed in with a newfound dedication to serving those we lead—a sacred duty I'm eager to share with you!
If you're ready to transform the way you guide and inspire, and if you aim to leave a positive ripple in your wake, then let this conversation be your catalyst. Join me as we examine what it means to lead not just with intention, but with a purposeful and caring heart.
We need your help to get the Lead Culture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:
Recently, I've taken a hard look at my leadership journey and found a truth that reshaped my perspective: true leadership is not a quest for control, but an opportunity to serve! In today's episode, I reflect on my recent speaking engagements and I reveal the crucial role a growth mindset plays in being an effective leader.
We will look at the importance of spiritual disciplines, the importance of humility and the deep impact our influence can have on others, and focusing on the inner care leaders must practice. It's a confession of past ambitions mixed in with a newfound dedication to serving those we lead—a sacred duty I'm eager to share with you!
If you're ready to transform the way you guide and inspire, and if you aim to leave a positive ripple in your wake, then let this conversation be your catalyst. Join me as we examine what it means to lead not just with intention, but with a purposeful and caring heart.
We need your help to get the Lead Culture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:
The Art of Leadership Network. Hey leaders, welcome to the Lead Culture Podcast, part of the Art of Leadership Network. I'm your host, Jenni Catron, CEO of the 4Sight Group. We're a company dedicated to helping leaders develop thriving teams. Each week, I'll be your guide as we explore practical strategies to equip you with the tools you need to lead with clarity, confidence and build unstoppable momentum in your organization. My mission is to be your trusted coach, empowering you to master the art of self-leadership so you'll learn to lead yourself well, so you can lead others better. Each week, we take a deep dive on a leadership or a culture topic. You'll hear stories from amazing guests and leaders like you who are committed to leading well. So let's dive in and keep learning on this leadership journey together.
Speaker 1:So recently I had the privilege of speaking for Concordia University in Irvine. I spoke for their Servant Leadership Symposium and you guys, I was so inspired by how much the faculty, the staff, the students reflected their value of servant leadership and in my preparation for that day and then my takeaways after the event, I really got to thinking about the significance of servant leadership. Right, like, I'm coming and I was speaking on the topic of servant leadership, and so I'm kind of immersed in this thought. And in many ways I think the word leadership should really be synonymous with servant leadership, right? Like we don't really actually shouldn't need that adjective of servant in front of leadership. I think it should be understood that leadership is about serving, and yet so often that's not what we see in leaders. I've shared with you before the startling stat from Barna that said that 82% of young adults, that's 18 to 35-year-olds, say that we're in a leadership crisis because there are no good leaders. Like, every time I read that stat, it just kind of grieves me. It's so discouraging and disappointing and yet it compels me to figure out how do we do this well, how do we get leadership right? It matters so much. But like most of the ambitious and driven, I've not always stewarded the responsibility of leadership well. In fact, probably failed on it more than I've succeeded at it. I've chased position, title and accolades, like I am an achiever, I'm driven, I want to accomplish big things, and a lot of times I've made leadership more about me rather than serving others. And the longer I lead, the more deeply committed I've become to just the gravity of leadership, like the significance of leadership. We see the notoriety and success and then we become enamored with the idea of leadership as this position or power. And yet leadership is so much more.
Speaker 1:Hebrews 13: 17 tells us that, as leaders, we're to keep watch over those in our sphere of influence and that we'll be held accountable for that care. That's a big deal, right? Like you've heard me talk before about how leadership begins with influence. Influence means the power to change or affect someone, and therefore my takeaway from that and my core belief about leadership is that leadership is sacred work. We are changing, we're affecting the lives of others and there's a sacred responsibility to that. And that Hebrews verse is just a reminder that we, as leaders, are supposed to keep watch over those in our influence. Like, when we have influence and responsibility, we're going to be held accountable for that. And I wonder sometimes if we get that like, if we really feel the importance and the significance and the weight of that. Luke tells us that "to whom much is given, much is required, and that verse has always stuck with me for so many years, that when you're given responsibility, when you're given influence, when you're in positions of leadership, like there's a lot that's required, like there's a responsibility, we're accountable. And so I wonder if we recognize that with greater leadership we're not less accountable, we're actually more accountable. I wonder if we've glamorized leadership and idolized leaders so much that we've become blinded to our frailty as leaders. Are we fearful of losing control? And so we orchestrate control by surrounding ourselves with "yes men or yes women, kind of creating echo chambers of our own praise, like I think we're all susceptible to that, aren't we. Right? Especially, the more leadership influence we have, the more positional influence we have, the more we can kind of control our world and who speaks into it. And so leaders,
Speaker 1:I think we need to reckon with what we believe about leadership. Right, what do we really believe about leadership? I believe God is calling us to his heart about leadership, right? To this understanding of leadership as a servant.
Speaker 1:When I was speaking at Concordia, I was sharing from my book the 'Four Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership', where I talked about taking the Great Commandment and unpacking it to see how we're told to love God and love others and how that applies to leadership. And when I was studying for that book and writing that book, I was reading through the Gospels like looking at the life of Jesus and how he led. And when you read Jesus' life and story, you can't help but see a servant leader. And so I think I want to encourage us, or challenge us, to all come back to that heart for leadership, back to a realization of the extraordinary honor and privilege it is to have influence in someone else's life. Back to the realization that with every ounce of influence we have the power to affect the lives of other people. Back to the realization that with every expansion of that influence, the ripple effect gets more profound. Right, like, the greater influence you have, the more impact, the more ripple effect there is, the more people who are impacted by your decisions, your influence, what you say, what you do, et cetera. Back to this understanding that when we fail as leaders, the consequences and the impact on so many others will send shockwaves, sometimes for years to come. And I bet right now, as you're listening to this, you can think of leaders that didn't succeed and the impact that had.
Speaker 1:I've had leaders in my own life that went sideways and the pain and the frustration and the impact of that. I have done that myself. As a leader, I have not led well and it has not been a positive experience for the people around me. So what can we learn? How do we change the trajectory of the story of leaders, of there not being any good leaders right now? How can we raise a generation of thriving and healthy leaders who lead well for the long haul? Right, I think you can also probably think of people that you really admire and respect because they have done leadership well for an extended season, like they have a legacy of beautiful, God-honoring, healthy leadership. So how do we make sure we do that? How do we make sure today's heroes don't become tomorrow's headlines? How do we make sure we don't become tomorrow's headline? And so it starts with us, right, it starts with me, it starts with you.
Speaker 1:It's this slow, slogging, unseen work of self-leadership, of like the things we're doing behind the scenes to stay healthy, to stay thriving, to stay grounded, leading yourself well in every dimension of life. We talk about this all the time lead yourself well to lead others better, and I deeply, deeply believe that, even though I still get it wrong often. But self-leadership is the start of leadership. Self-leadership is the start of servant leadership. No one can do it for you and ultimately you're accountable. Right? Like this is your influence on others is something you have to steward. So I want to share with you four essential dimensions for leading yourself well, and they come from my book, the Four Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership. I'm just kind of putting a very focused lens on it right now. Four essential dimensions for leading yourself well.
Speaker 1:What are the things that we can do on a consistent and daily basis to lead ourselves well, so that that influence on others is positive rather than negative? And the first thing I would say is your spiritual discipline. My question here is how is your soul, right? How are you doing? How is your soul? Now, we don't love the word discipline, but I intentionally use it here because to nurture your soul requires a relationship with God. There's a discipline required, like any relationship requires time and consistency right. So building a relationship with God means time spent together. So are you seeking God for the purpose of truly knowing him, not needing something from him right? Are you consistent and intentional in prayer, in Bible reading, in your Sabbath? Are there disciplines in your life that suggest you're actively pursuing growth for your soul, for your health spiritually? How is your soul? What do you need to attend to there? Number two relational health. How are your relationships?
Speaker 1:We are made for community and the problem with leadership is that sometimes we get more isolated the more influence we have, and so we have to fight for community. But too many of us sacrifice family and friends for the sake of ambition. I have done this and repeatedly have to wrestle with it, that I will prioritize the accomplishments, the opportunities, over family, friends, relationships, because that is the draw for me. So I have to be really intentional of building that time for community, making sure I don't get so busy that I squeeze out the relationships that are the most life-giving, the most honest in my world. And it's often subtle, right like this is not like typically extreme. It's just over time and the busyness starts to take over. That whirlwind of activity starts to squeeze out the things that actually bring you the most life and health. Responsibilities grow and gradually we continue to squeeze out the relationships that ground us right, the people who know us, the people who are not enamored by us. We buy into the belief that leadership is lonely, and it can be, but instead of fighting the loneliness with intentional community, we give into the isolation that becomes a breeding ground for unhealth. Right, leadership is lonely, but it doesn't need to be isolating, and that's the distinction we have to be smart about, right? We need to make sure that we do not become isolated, because that becomes the breeding ground for unhealth.
Speaker 1:So who are the people who don't need you to be a leader? That's a really important question and it's a really important answer. To have people in your life who don't need you to be a leader? That's a really important question and it's a really important answer. To have people in your life who don't need you to be their leader, who don't need you to set the course and direction and cheerlead them and rah-rah and support them in some other way. They just need you to be you. Who are the people who don't need you to be a leader? And then fight for time with them, make time with them a key priority. Okay, number three a growth mindset. How are you learning? See, leaders, we've got to be intentional, to be learning and growing and not just leading. There's a well-known quote that says if you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. Right, if you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. You need to be in rooms that stretch you, that stretch your thinking.
Speaker 1:Just the other day, I was working on a project with one of my clients and it required me learning like a new system, a new database system, new software. And you guys, I was so incredibly frustrated by it because I felt dumb, like I felt like I was having to learn something that seemed rather elementary and I felt above it, like, if I'm really honest about, like, what was going on with me, I felt like I was kind of above that and I was frustrated that I was needing to learn the system and I was literally like going through well, okay, who could do this for me? How could somebody else do this for me? And there are occasions where we need to appropriately delegate. So I'm not suggesting that you never delegate things, but in this case, it was good for me to actually learn this new system. It was challenging me to learn and grow, and that's a very simple scenario. But I caught myself in that moment, thinking that I was above, needing to learn the new thing.
Speaker 1:And so we have to keep ourselves in that posture of learning. Because the trouble is that our egos enjoy being the smartest person in the room, and the more leadership influence we gain, the more likely that is the case, right that we're the most senior person in the room. So we have to fight our ego, we have to cultivate an attitude of curiosity and humbly acknowledge where we need to continue to grow. Where do you need to continue to grow? What's something that's limiting you? Or you have curiosity about, but you're afraid to acknowledge that you don't know something? And the problem is, the more leadership influence we have, the more we can again orchestrate our world to keep ourselves from having to learn or grow in some area. Our nature gravitates towards what's known and what's comfortable. That's just what we do. So maintaining a growth mindset helps us value the wisdom of others, humbly recognize our inadequacies and relentlessly remain committed to learning and growing. Such an important posture for all of us.
Speaker 1:And then, number four purpose and direction. What is your purpose? Do you have a like just a white hot sense of what are you called to do? Because, sadly, we often lose our personal sense of purpose and direction in the pursuit of achievement, right? Like the pursuit of the next opportunity, the next accolade, the next position, and we will sacrifice our sense of purpose for the achievement. So what is your purpose, that driving, why, for everything you do? If your title and platform were stripped away tomorrow, would you still know what you're gifted and created to do? Does your why transcend the title and the position? Right? Like, if you take all of that away, do you still really know your why? This is why you're doing this. Because, if not, it's time to revisit and identify that core purpose that grounds you, no matter the circumstances you find yourself in, that you know this is why I'm here, this is what I'm gifted to do, and whether it comes with big titles and opportunities or whether it's just faithfully serving behind the scenes, I know my why. And not so ironically, that pursuit of purpose takes you full circle back to the first dimension of soul care, doesn't it? Right? Like back to that attending to. Am I connected to what God has for me?
Speaker 1:Leaders, we get the remarkable privilege of leading others to extraordinary outcomes, but this pursuit has a potential to do more harm than good if we're not attentive to our health as leaders. I love this quote from Parker Palmer. He says "a leader is a person who must take special responsibility for what's going on inside of himself or herself, lest the act of leadership create more harm than good." That's the caution for us as leaders, right, that we have to take special responsibility for ourselves, what's going on inside of us, the self-leadership, lest the act of leadership create more harm than good. I know that we don't want to create harm. I know that we want to lead well. I know that we want to leave a beautiful legacy of leadership, and so it begins with leading ourselves well.
Speaker 1:And perhaps with just a little more sober perspective on leadership, we'd be more cautious with our desire to grow our influence, we'd be a little less concerned about that and more concerned about stewarding it well. Perhaps we'd hold it more carefully, perhaps we'd recognize the truly sacred responsibility that leadership is. It is absolutely an extraordinary privilege and honor to be able to lead others. So, friends, lead yourself well. It matters, it desperately matters.
Speaker 1:And so I'd love for you to think about today which dimension do you need to give attention to of these four that we talked about from spiritual disciplines, relational health, growth mindset, and purpose and direction, which one of those kind of connected with you, of like you know what I need to give a little more time and attention here? For me it's the spiritual and relational. Those are the ones I have to stay really connected to, I have to give more intentionality to, because I know without purposeful intention in those two things, I will drift away from them. And so what is that for you? I'd encourage you to just think about it. I know this is a little heavier episode, but that's the sacredness of leadership and I think sometimes it requires us to just think about this more thoughtfully, more intentionally. The busyness of what we're doing kind of takes over and sometimes we've got to take these little pauses of reflection to go how do I need to lead myself well? So I want to encourage you keep leading well. We need your leadership. We need you giving the best of who you are for the glory of God and the good of others. So keep leading well, because it matters, it desperately matters.
Speaker 1:All right, friends, I'm so glad you were with me today. Let me know what you thought of this episode. I'd love to hear from you, just your thoughts, your insights. You can reach out to us on Instagram and Facebook at Get 4Sight that's G-E-T, the number four, s-i-g-h-t or on LinkedIn at The 4Sight Group, and I would love it if you'd share the episode, tell another leader, spark a conversation, say hey, you know what I've been thinking about, this self-leadership thing. I wonder what you think? Listen to this episode, let's talk about it together, and if you haven't done it, would you leave us that five-star review again? It's so incredibly helpful when you just throw some stars on and leave a review for us so that we know how we're doing and that we're helping serve leaders well. We are grateful for the opportunity to keep learning and growing with you. So keep leading well and we will see you next week.