You would have wanted to be me last night.
I’m serious.
JP and I were given tickets to hear President George Bush at the Civil Forum on Leadership held at Saddleback Church. We had no idea where our seats would be located. Frankly, we didn’t care. It’s not often that one gets to hear personal perspectives on being the President of the United States of America. Typically, Monday nights find us home watching Castle and quizzing Ashton on upcoming test trivia. Last night was a bit out of the ordinary for mere mortals like us.
We arrived, were ushed to the V.I.P entrance, and found our seats – second row, five chairs to the right of center.
Oh my. Definitely not your typical Monday night.
Since the focus of the evening was on leadership, Pastor Rick Warren shot out of the blocks by asking, “what makes a leader?”
Regardless of one’s political leanings, we can all agree that a person who was the leader of the free world has a thing or two to say about leadership. So I took notes. I’ll let you take a peek….
What makes a person a leader?
1. You have to know where you are going.
2. You have to have a set of principles that are inviolate. These principle become your moral compass and provide the grid by which all decisions are made.
3. You must recruit a team of people with a shared philosophy, but that are open to express their opinions.
4. You have to align authority and responsibility. Under no circumstances can these two be separated.
5. You must develop a culture that is not about you. In other words, the mission must be bigger than the man (or woman). You must create an environment where people serve the mission, not the man.
Pretty good stuff, huh? Basic. To the point. But profound.
These five principles can be used for any leader. Whether you’re an executive who leads a sales force, a teacher who leads a classroom, a women’s ministry leader who leads volunteers, a homemaker who leads her kids, or the president of the United States who leads a country, these principles determine the quality of your leadership.
Which is nice to know, when you’re just a gal who’s sitting in the second row, five seats to the right of center.
