Bad Leader

What I do not see as often is information on what a bad leader looks like. So I thought I would make my own list. In my last post, I gave you the first five warning signs that you may NOT be a good leader. Here are the second five of my 10 warning signs (and brief descriptions). I have also included some Scripture references. Take a look and see if you have anything to worry about!

5 More Warning Signs You May NOT Be A Good Leader

6. You would not want to be an employee in your own company.

A good leader has built her team on based on integrity, excellence, teamwork, a learning attitude, and a number of other healthy values. Based on this, she would not mind working in that environment herself (as an employee, for another leader).

You are not a good leader if you have used other methods to build your team. Whether it is intimidation, secrecy (no sharing of information, vision, etc.), or micromanagement, these methods would not be acceptable to you if the roles were reversed and you had to work in that same environment as the employee. (Matthew 18:23-35)

7. No one is (sincerely) asking for your advice.

A good leader has shown himself to be a learner. He is open-minded and a great listener. As a result, people naturally gravitate to him seeking advice.

You are not a good leader if people are not coming to you in the same way. You may be guilty of always criticizing or it may be that you just do not listen. Maybe you are not approachable because of the ivory tower in which you work or it could be that you make it known you are not open to learning. Regardless, people are going elsewhere for wisdom and advice. (Proverbs 13:14; 14:7)

8. Your team does not know your vision for the company.

A good leader knows that she cannot hold her vision for the company close to the vest. She knows she needs other DNA carriers spreading the vision. Therefore a good leader over-communicates her vision and reinforces it with policy and process decisions.

You are not a good leader if your team cannot describe in detail your vision for the company. You have not done your job if they cannot recount how they are personally responsible for carrying out that vision in their particular job. Quit protecting it and get it out there! (Nehemiah 2:11-18)

9. You are more interested in your success than the success of your team.

A good leader knows that he can get anything he wants in life if he will just help enough other people get what they want in life (Zig Ziglar). A good leader seeks to remove obstacles from in front of the members of his team so they can be more productive rather that only focusing on his own issues.

You are not a good leader if you think someone has to lose in order for you to win. You are missing out on tremendous fulfillment when you love yourself first and foremost.
(Proverbs 11:24-25)

10. You are not following the right leader.

A good leader knows she is not the highest authority. A good leader recognizes that though there are certainly other good leaders out there, she puts her trust in God. By using the Bible as a guide for her leadership style, she makes sure she is operating as close as she can to what her Creator intended in the original design!

You are not a good leader if you are following anything or anyone other than God. Sure, their are other godly leaders from which you can learn. But if you are relying on them for your example, you are inviting disappointment. Put your trust in the only One worthy of your full trust!
(Psalm 146:3-6)

What warning signs would you add to this list?

Which of these is your biggest challenge?

What will you do to change it?

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Successful Employee Profile

In my last post, I gave you the first three qualities in our Successful Employee Profile. These were:

• Quality #1 – Character
• Quality #2 – Servant Heart
• Quality #3 – Customer First

In todays post, I would like to give you the final three qualities that make up our Successful Employee Profile. I will tell you the same thing I tell our new hires. Different companies have their own ways of operating. These qualities may not be the most important in some companies, but for success in our company, they are critical.

Quality #4 – Learning Attitude

I think this quality is not only important for new hires, but should also top the list for a successful leader profile as well. I make sure our new hires know they need to remain humble and willing to learn from virtually anyone. We are not looking for those who already know all there is to know about our industry. We want people that recognize there is always more to learn about a job.

Hiring people with extensive experience can be beneficial in some cases, but if they think they have very little to learn, we are not interested in them. The world is changing so quickly and that means we should constantly be learning so we can keep up. Anyone not interested in that mindset can work somewhere else.

I close this segment of our training with a quote that best communicates the learning attitude:

Quality #5 – Work Ethic

If you have been in business long, you have seen the difference between those with a strong work ethic and those without. Sure, there are those rare exceptions who can excel without appearing to work too hard. Unfortunately, they are VERY rare.

For the rest of us, hard work is required if we want to excel at what we do. New hires need to be told (and shown) how much of an impact their work ethic can have on their success. They need to truly understand that talking about their wrk is not as effective as actually doing it.

I illustrate this idea with the following riddle:

Two frogs are on a lily pad and one decides to jump off.
How many are left?

After having them guess at the answer and the reasons for it, I give them the answer. There are still two frogs left on the lily pad. Deciding to jump off is not the same as actually doing it! The same is true for us…deciding to work hard is not the same as doing it!

Quality #6 – Desire To Win

The final quality in our Successful Employee profile is the desire to win. Simply put, losing in business should get under your skin. It should bother you.

I am not talking about being a sore loser. I do not want people that will try to win at any cost. I just want employees that WANT to win. They like it and they hate losing. They will work harder to win and they celebrate the win. I am not interested in hiring someone that is fine either way – win or lose.

Here is a quote I share:

“ If you’re going to play at all, you’re out to win. Baseball, board games, playing Jeopardy, I hate to lose. —DEREK JETER - NEW YORK YANKEES

I think it is important to clarify that winning is not everything. I do not want to communicate an over-emphasis on winning as the only goal. I simply want to make sure they understand that the desire to win is important. I finish with this quote:

“ You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win. —ZIG ZIGLAR

More Effective Employees

I hope this Successful Employee Profile has been helpful to you. I encourage you to create your own for your company or team. Share it with all of your employees or team members and let them know your expectations. I think you will see positive results and longer-lasting, more effective employees.

What does a successful employee look like in your business?

Do you have a road map for your new hires to find success?

What would you add to our successful employee qualities?

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One of my favorite people in the whole world is Zig Ziglar! If you have ever met him or listened to him, it is likely that you feel the same! First of all, how can you not love his southern drawl?

But even without that, he just knows how to say things in a way that cuts to the heart of it all. The title of this post is a quote of Zig’s, “There is no traffic jam on the second mile!”

What Does The Bible Say?

To get a complete understanding of how this applies to us, let’s take a look at Scripture first. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructed his listeners that just doing the minimum required was not enough to be His follower. He gave them several examples of this kind of behavior.

One of these examples referred to a Roman law that required a Jew to carry a Roman soldier’s heavy pack for the distance of a mile. Jesus told his listeners in Matthew 5:41 that they were to carry the pack for a second mile.

Why The Second Mile?

Now why would he ask this? Well the Bible does not specify, but we can infer a likely possibility. Imagine the thoughts of the Roman soldier as he walked alongside the Jew carrying his heavy pack. He and the Jew both know that the obligation is for one mile.

What do you think the soldier’s thoughts would be as he neared the one mile mark and then continued past? When the Jew continued to carry the pack beyond that, don’t you think the soldier would be curious? Do you think he might ask what was going on?

Open Door for Witness and Influence

It is at this point that I believe the Jew would have the opportunity to explain his reasons, starting with Jesus’ teaching and how it had changed his own life. I believe the Roman soldier would then be wide open to hearing more from the Jew simply because he was willing to go the second mile, beyond his obligation.

So how does this apply to leadership? I think it is very applicable! As Christian leaders, I believe it is our goal to gain influence and to use that influence to point others toward Jesus. In his book, How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK, Dave Anderson says the following…

Going the first mile fulfills an obligation. By going the second mile, you earn the right to witness and influence.

Unlike The Majority

If we truly want to influence others by operating a Christian business, then we simply cannot just fulfill our obligations. We cannot do only what is required or necessary. This is expected! Zig’s quote is so powerful because he is saying that the vast majority of people stop at the first mile and skip out on the second mile! We cannot afford to be like the majority.

If we are serious about pointing others to Jesus, then we must open the door to opportunities to speak into the lives of others. This second mile behavior will help us do just that! When we go beyond our obligation in whatever the circumstance, we will get the attention of others. People will ask “Why?” and give us the opportunity to tell them!

Dave Anderson’s Tips

Here are Dave Anderson’s tips on going the second mile:

1. Accept the concept that each day you do less than you can, you become less than you are: personally, and in the eyes of others.
2. Embrace the promise of Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
3. Realize that you may be one phone call away, one discipline away, or one effort away from your next breakthrough. Make it your goal to be totally used up when you die, leaving this world with no regrets.

So what part of this idea speaks to you?

Do you have any examples of open doors from going the second mile?

What can you do today that would open a door with someone?