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In this Leader Fluent Podcast Series, I’m sharing some teaching from each chapter of my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. The book addresses a host of insanely practical skills, and it provides you and your team with the tools to apply the insights to your life. Enjoy this taste of what’s in the book, and learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE. In today’s episode, we’re talking about “How to Think Like a Leader.”

SHOW NOTES:

Authors Mark Batterson and Dick Foth once said, “In a very real sense, my world begins and ends between my ears. I don’t have to be brain-dead to be brain-defeated.” So, how do effective leaders think? Well, in Insanely Practical Leadership, I outline eight essential mindsets of a leader. But today, I’d like to focus on three of them. 

1. Leaders Think Possibilities vs. Excuses

Unfortunately, leaders can come up with excuses, and Moses is a perfect example. When God called Moses to return to Egypt and lead His people out of slavery, Moses tried to dodge God’s call with five different excuses. 

Excuse #1: Insignificance: I’m Not Important Enough 

Moses said, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” In other words, Moses felt insignificant for the task at hand. 

Excuse #2: Incompetence: I Don’t Know Enough 

Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” Moses didn’t have the answers to move forward. In his mind, his competence didn’t cut it.

Excuse #3: Invalid: I’m Not Credible Enough 

Moses said, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?” So, get the picture: In this moment, Moses was doubting his credibility. 

Excuse #4: Inadequacy: I’m Not Skilled Enough 

Moses reminded God of his speech impediment. He said, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words.” Simply put: “God, I’m inadequate for the job. My skills don’t measure up.” 

Excuse #5: Inferior: I’m Not Good Enough 

Moses finally said, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.” In other words, “God, if you lined up a hundred other people, I’d be the least qualified. I’m inferior. Please, pick someone else.” 

Have you ever used any of those excuses with God or with someone else? Have you ever said, “I’m insignificant, incompetent, invalid, inadequate, or inferior?” Well, here’s the problem with excuses: they’re the permanent exit ramp from the highway of obedience. But that’s not how good leaders think. 

The most effective leaders think in the realm of possibility. Why? Because that’s where God resides. That’s why God didn’t put up with a single excuse Moses threw at Him. Instead, God told Moses, “I’ve sent you,” “I’ve equipped you,” and “I’m with you.” And the same is true for you. God has sent you. God has equipped you. And God is with you. And when that’s the way you think, you’ll lead in the realm of possibility.

2. Leaders Think People vs. Programs

Industrialist Andrew Carnegie once said, “Take away my people but leave my factories and soon grass will grow on the factory floor. Take away my factories and leave my people and soon we will have a new and better factory.”

Leadership is about the people not the programs, products, or property. You design programs, but you develop people. You create products, but you cultivate people. You buy property, but you build people.  When you stop developing, cultivating, and building people, the day will come when you have no more programs, products, or property. In fact, when you think people first, you won’t have to worry about products and programs because the people will think of them for you. 

So, if you’re going to think people vs. programs, then you must begin investing in people. Why do I say that? Because that’s what separates a leader from a high-achiever. High achievers are doers. But leaders are developers. One focuses on doing tasks, but the other focuses on developing people. And as a leader, the greatest fruit you’ll ever produce is the people you develop. That’s how leaders think. 

3. Leaders Think Empowerment vs. Control

Author and pastor Craig Groeschel says, “You can have control or you can have growth, but you can’t have both.” To maximize growth, leaders deliberately give up control and empower the people they lead. Yes, this feels risky. And yes, this stresses out control freaks, like me. 

But if you’re going to think like a leader, you must empower people with power. As Navy Captain Michael Abrashoff once said, “Empowering means defining the parameters in which people are allowed to operate, and then setting them free.” And what happens when you don’t empower people? They rely on you to make all their decisions for them. But again, as Captain Abrashoff observed, “If all you give are orders, then all you’ll get are order-takers.” 

So, what does it look like to truly empower others? It requires two keys: responsibility and authority. You must first release responsibility to other members of your team. And then, you must let go of the authority that goes with it. Responsibility and authority are the two tracks that the train of empowerment runs on. 

What about you? How does your thinking need to change? What mindsets do you need to embrace to think like a leader?

LEARN MORE ABOUT INSANELY PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP:

The teaching in this podcast series comes from my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. Get your copy of the book, masterclass, and study guide to maximize your leadership and to invest in the growth of your team. You can learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE. 

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