7 Snares That Will Trap a Leader

Have you ever noticed that a crown and a trap look similar?  It is a short trip from crown to snare. There are 7 deadly traps waiting to bring down leaders.

1.     The first trap that lies in the path of leaders is Hypocrisy. Those you desire to lead will quickly notice the hypocrite in you. It is important that your sincerity is authentic.  Living the life, you teach about will guard you against a life of hypocrisy.

2.     The second snare is Resistance. Great leaders exhibit a high degree of flexibility. When your followers observe that you always resist their ideas or suggestions your ability to lead will be greatly diminished. Learn to be a sincere listener who demonstrates an openness to new ideas and the thought processes of others.

3.     The walk of leadership is often tripped up by Inconsistency.  One of the most devastating trends in the marketplace is the escalating inconsistency of product. Those who exhibit a high level of dependability rise to the top. Great brands have failed because they did not realize the high demand of dependability. New brands emerged because they realized others had become inconsistent and they seized the moment by demonstrating dependability.  A leader who is inconsistent will lose his influence. Make sure those you lead can depend on you!

4.     The Simpleminded forget the importance of discretion and will find themselves ensnared without notice. A leader’s life path must be protected by the highest level of discretion.  One of the great Proverbs (29:11) says “A fool utters all his mind: but a wise man quietly holds it back”. One of the most admiral qualities a leader possesses is that of discretion. It is vital to your reputation.

5.     Few things are as unattractive as a leader who appears ungrateful. This fifth snare often surfaces after a leader has achieved a degree of success.  Focusing on the success of self and taking your eyes off the success of those you lead, allows you to step on the snare of Unthankfulness.  Never forget that your assignment is the success of others.

6.     Pride is possibly the most dangerous trap of all. Believing your status is self-attained and failing to acknowledge your mentors’ investment in you allows this sixth snare to cause destruction of your leadership.  A great antidote is to consistently write “Thank You” notes to those who have invested in you.

7.     The seventh snare is surfacing in every area of society. Rudeness now permeates almost every aspect of our daily lives. This serpent of self-centeredness is destroying the world. A rude leader will be short lived. Place others before yourself. Serve them, care for them and lead them. It is what leaders do.

We have been discussing keys of leadership but great leadership requires reflection. It is not only what we do that matters but what we refrain from doing keeps us leading.

It is afternoon at our mountain retreat and the aroma of fresh coffee is filling the forest calling me aside to reflect and examine my own life.

Watch for my next blog as we look at another key of leadership.

Lee Haley

How does Cream Rise to the Top?

“Time to milk “-those are words a boy hears when he grow up with dairy cows. Twice a day every day without exception that is what happened where I grew up.

A cow gives whole milk that has two components, nonfat milk, and cream. Left to settle, the cream will naturally rise to the top. Homogenization, a process introduced in 1932, breaks apart fat molecules under high pressure, leaving the fat suspended and evenly dispersed throughout the milk. 

We did not homogenize our milk but left the milk to its natural state; this allowed the cream to rise to the top. Homogenization does not contribute any nutritional benefit, but is efficiency for the corporate farm and a convenience for consumers since homogenized milk does not have to be repeatedly shaken or stirred.

Skimming the inches of fresh cream from a jar of fresh milk is a simple art. The milk is refrigerated and allowed to sit for 24 hours giving the cream plenty of time to rise to the top. The following day the cream line appears with the precision of a fine watch. It now is easy to ladle gently the cream from the milk. The cream appears thick and luscious. The milk is thin and less appealing.   

We all have heard that the cream rises to the top and most understand the analogy. Just how does that happen in the world of leadership and life?

Many corporations utilize profile tests in an effort to properly hire and promote employees. Most profile evaluations compare your natural tendencies to the behavior that you have adapted. An employee is most effective when they are behaving in their natural state. What companies really want is predictability and consistency. They want corporate behavior to be as accurate as a mathematical calculation.

They want something more than reliability they want dependability. Dependability carries the notion of reliable consistency. It means fulfilling my commitment at all cost.

Do you want to rise to the top and separate yourself from others? Leaders understand that dependability is not optional but is vital. Inconsistency is thin and less appealing. Dependability is not something one can compromise. Compromising dependability simply homogenizes you. You become uniform and similar. You blend in.

Rise to the top. Be dependable. Those you lead depend on your dependability!

Watch for my next blog when we discuss a rarely taught leadership key that will open doors that no other key opens.

Now for that cup of coffee…

True Humility is marked with a Servant Attitude

There was only one brand of coffee in our home—Community Dark Roast. Community Coffee is a local brand founded by Cap Saurage. Cap owned a country store and wanted to share his coffee with his neighbors. He had a secret blend and word spread quickly that it was the best coffee around. He named his coffee “Community Coffee’ to honor his friends and neighbors. Cap- was a humble man who wanted to share what he had with others. Cap thought more of others and less of himself.

In my hometown, there was an elderly man who lived alone with his afflicted son Burl. Burl sold peanuts out of a homemade cart. They lived quietly, humbly and did not seek to burden anyone. Every Sunday men from all walks of life attended weekly Bible study to hear a self-educated, elderly man explain deep truths of the Bible coupled with his personal wisdom. Mr. Henry had something to share with others but most of all he shared the key of humility to a community. People will interrupt their busy lives and rearrange their schedules to learn about the truth of humility. The key of humility is not something you teach. Humility is something you live. Henry Watts thought more of others and little about himself. He lived humility. You could easily see it.

Someone said ‘humility is giving God and others the credit for your success”. Yet more often, I have heard others proclaim, “I pulled myself up by my own bootstraps”. That is just another way of saying I did it by myself and I did it my way. There is little truth in those statements. 

Someone helped each of us to put on our first pair of boots, pull them up and lace them. Boots need to fit and there is a proper boot for the occasion.   There are boots for formal occasions, boots for work, boots for combat, boots to protect you from the venomous evil of creatures, and boots to protect from the elements of the world. The truth is we learned to wear boots because someone taught us about selecting the appropriate boots and proper fit. Humility like boots is something you wear. It is a part of you. A leader is not completely dressed unless you are clothed in humility and always thinking about others first.

Mama Maggie Gobran was introduced at the 2011 Global Leadership Summit. The very first quality you notice about her is humility.  

Mama Maggie, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and former professor lived a very affluent lifestyle and was sheltered from poverty and the misfortunate. In 1989, this humble woman gave it all up to become a consecrated servant to those who live in Cairo’s slums. This world leader daily lives her humility.  Her unique life demonstrates servant leadership through humility. It is the key that opens the door to life for others. Humble leadership prefers to improve the quality of life for those you lead.

Leaders who are marked by true humility strive to improve the lives of others while seeking no recognition for their own achievements.  

In my next blog, I will tell you about the greatest compliment I ever received. I am going to get another cup of that wonderful Community Coffee!