It is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
Effective leaders choose words to that make followers feel valued. Choosing the right word, spoken at the right time, in the right manner can make all the difference in your leading.
Sam Walton is quoted as saying, "Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish."
Wise (Godly) leaders are called to offer a distinction to the world by their words: words that encourage and do not destroy; communication that motivates and inspires followers; words that correct without demeaning the hearer; and replies appropriate to the occasion.
Leadership is a heart thing. It begins there. It lives there. It ends there.
Do your words show it?
Proverbs 15:23 (NLT) Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
Copyright ©2009 by P. Griffith Lindell
Friday, May 15, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
So very true. In times of stress I think we let our anger get the best of us. I think we over look the good and are quick point out the negative, and try to tear one down. Thanks for the reminder that to be an effective leader we should always inspire!
ReplyDeleteI agree - it does take intentionality to think before I speak - I have failed at it way too often - so I write about it to keep it top of my mind!
ReplyDeleteEveryone can benefit from choosing their words carefully and speaking effectively-even if they are not a leader. However, for a leader, this is vital.
ReplyDeleteThanks JoJO - Sometimes the urgent gets in the way of the IMPORTANT, eh? I know, I fall - hopefully less and less! Thanks for your comment. Griff
ReplyDeleteA big part of leadership lies in having a servant's heart.
ReplyDelete~Erin Patrick
The biggest part of being a successful leader lies in having a servant's heart.
ReplyDelete~Erin Patrick
Erin - you are so right on. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI agree that respect for subordinates and avoidance of demeaning them is a worthy goal. The best leaders surely will draw the best from their followers partly by so doing.
ReplyDeleteYet the modern doctrine of self-esteem, I fear, is a strange brew. I for one view status in at least two dimensions: ascribed and earned. Those in authority have a status ascribed to them by their position. All humans, by virtue of their being created in the image and likeness of God, have an ascribed status.
The other dimension varies according to performance. To build self-esteem on the basis of ascribed status is appropriate. To build self-esteem with respect to performance without distinguishing performance from performance is surely a mistake. I once read that average American students felt much better about their own math abilities than average Japanese students, though the performance of the average Japanese student was then much higher than that of the American counterpart.
But the self-esteem brew gets muddier. Pride can be good or bad. One can have reason "to boast ... in himself alone" (Galatians 6:5) for a job well done. Yet "if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself" (Gal. 6:3).
The wise leader confronting the poor performance of a subordinate will do so with humility (cf. Gal. 6:1) while valuing the ascribed status of the subordinate. And while praising the good performance of a subordinate, the wise leader will not indulge in that sort of self-esteem building which is flattery.
The Bible is concerned that we not think more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3, 16), but in humility that we regard others as more significant than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). The Bible is probably more concerned with self-esteem that is too high (pride) than too low (where the person is in need of encouragement or trust), though arguably both sides are represented (for the latter I think of, e.g., Hebrews 3:13, 10:25, Titus 1:5, 1 Timothy 1:18, 2 Timothy 1:6-7).
The wise leader will distinguish good from bad in the self-esteem brew.
Great comment - thank you - and I agree. The Apostle Paul, when knowing that he had to chaste the Corinthians, began with affirmation before moving to correction. The balance in that self-esteem brew certainly takes wisdom - the source of which is from our Creator. I appreciate also the Scriptures you have added - would like add those and your thoughts (with attribution) to the discussion guide.
ReplyDeleteGriff