juicypombits » leadership

Snapshots of Leadership Qualities gleaned from everyday life

Tammy — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:20:40 +0000

What are important leadership qualities that you value in rising leaders? What are the qualities you hope to develop in those you serve in desiring that they take on greater leadership responsibilities in the future?

The following are 3 leadership qualities taken from ‘snapshots’ of everyday life here in Albania, essential for cultivating in an aspiring leader’s life.

PATIENCE:

In order to truly thrive in Albania, one needs patience. The best snapshot of necessary patience can be seen in these days following May 8th’s local elections as the results are still being tallied as of today– 3 days later. There was no point in staying up all night on Sunday, watching the news, waiting for a victory celebration for one political party or the other, since the ballots are counted by hand. One box at a time.

As I scanned the newspaper headlines today trying to determine who won, I realized that each newspaper, depending on their political slant, declared different winners for the same position– simply because the final results have yet to be sorted.

Patience is key to leadership. Dealing with difficult people on teams, clearing up misunderstandings, facing obstacles that arise, and making the best decision all require patience.

CREATIVITY:

Another key leadership quality gleaned from living in Albania is that of creativity. With the massive amounts of cars on the roads and limited parking space throughout the city– some open spaces, not quite designed for parking, are turned into parking lots– thus showing creativity in dealing with this urban dilemma.

Leaders who can think outside the box, who are willing to explore new possibilities, who aren’t stuck in the rut of doing things the traditional way are a great asset to an organization or company.

WISDOM:

I noticed an interesting phenomena a few days before the elections. Small improvements around the city seemed to show up everywhere: TCLH mentioned that streetlights had been put up in his parent’s neighborhood, new road markings dividing lanes were freshly painted, and significant to me since I walk 35 minutes each way to and from our ministry building, were the new pedestrian crossing signs hanging from above.

It takes true wisdom, however, to know whether to step out into the crosswalk when you see oncoming cars pummeling down the pavement. In these past few days, I’ve seen it happen both ways– plenty of cars speeding by, oblivious to the implications of these new signs, and I’ve witnessed some brave souls strike out into the road with great faith that the cars will, in fact, slow down enough for them to arrive safely on the other side.

Wisdom is essential in leadership- knowing when to step out in boldness and take risks, and knowing when to cautiously hold back, waiting until the opportunity is just right.

What snapshots of leadership qualities have you observed in your everyday environment?

Not Just a Slogan

Tammy — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:36:26 +0000

If you were to be visiting Albania this week, you’d be sure to notice posters draping city buildings and dotting the sidewalks that advertise local elections to be held on May 8th.

Two campaign slogans have stood out to me:

Slogan #1: “E vetmja rrugë për Tiranën, e vetmja rrugë për Shqipërinë.” Translation:
“The only way for Tirana, the only way for Albania.”

Slogan #2: “Ju jeni të parët. Tirana është e para.” Translation:
“You are first. Tirana is first.”

Very bold declarations, don’t you think? Especially claiming to be “the only way” for Tirana.

And, it is a rare event in Albania to see Slogan #2 put into action. (“You are first, Tirana is first”).

In fact, if you ask most Albanians, they’d readily agree that politicians seem to have only one thing in mind—personal advancement resulting in material gain.

As Christians around the world reflect on the meaning of Easter this week, I too, remember the One who did not paint the city with gutsy campaign slogans or empty promises, but who demonstrated what it truly means to lead by serving and to love by sacrificing.

Jesus claimed in John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Those are radical words. Even for Jesus. Many people today balk at that statement.

Yet Jesus bodily and painfully demonstrated that He put:

You,
Me,
Tirana,
Albania,
and the whole world

FIRST

when He died on the cross in our place,

taking our sins upon Himself,

experiencing the worst kind of death,

so that we could fellowship with the Father

and experience eternal life.

The Apostle Paul describes this radical kind of ‘putting others first’ in Philippians 2:3-8:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!”

It wasn’t just a slogan for Jesus.

He embodied true humility, servanthood, unconditional love, & sacrifice. In doing so, Jesus became the only Way, the only Hope for our broken cities and our sin-marred lives.

The 360 Lite Challenge

Tammy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:10:56 +0000

Nope, not a 180. But a 360.

We’re just beginning our new ministry year, which corresponds to a school year calendar (Albanian elementary and high schools begin in September, whereas universities begin in October). At the beginning of every year our teams take time to pray, plan, strategize, and set goals for the year, both ministry and personal ones.

One of my roles in the organization where I serve is to help with Staff Development– helping staff to pursue personal growth in the areas of their spiritual walk with God, personal maturity, relationships and in ministry effectiveness.

What are the key elements to truly growing within a 9-month period?

A Personal Development Plan + Mentoring/Accountability + an atmosphere of Grace & Truth + Time = GROWTH!

The 360 Lite is a tool that falls into the category of a creating a Personal Development Plan (PDP).

It is called a 360 because it gives a person a view of himself from every angle– by getting different people’s feedback in response to 6 key questions.

It requires feedback from:

someone who is a superior, leader or mentor
two peers– perhaps one within your workplace or organization and one from outside of it
from a subordinate of yours, i.e. someone you lead, disciple or mentor
a roommate or spouse
and YOU! (fill out one for yourself)

This feedback is truly invaluable and provides a good idea of areas where you excel and things that are holding you back.

Here are the 360 Lite Questions:
1. What do you see as my core or best contribution as a leader?
2. What strengths do you suggest I develop?
3. What is one thing that I should work on that is holding me back as an effective leader?
4. What is my greatest hindrance to being focused?
5. What progress have you seen me make in the last year?
6. What people skills or leadership skills should I work on first?

As I’ve begun to receive feedback from several friends and leaders of mine, thoughts are already percolating in my mind as to why they emphasized certain things. I’m encouraged as I’m reminded of my strengths as a leader and have been challenged by the input given regarding my weaknesses or things hindering me. I’ll share more in another post about one comment that caught me off guard but is proving to be very insightful.

After gathering all the 360 Lite’s from others and putting them together in a summary form along with your own self-evaluation, you can see the areas you most need to focus on. While maybe 5 or 6 key areas are mentioned by others, you’ll only want to choose between 2-4 areas to focus on in one year. Biting off too much can overwhelm you and hinder your progress. But selecting one or two strengths to develop and one or two weaknesses to work on is a healthy goal.

I encourage you to be proactive in your growth as a leader and person who contributes to your workplace or organization! Take the ‘360 Lite Challenge’ and set some practical goals for yourself this year. You’ll be surprised at how helpful it is to receive honest, sincere feedback from those who are closest to you.

Download 360 Lite Questions in PDF