Life, Leadership & Sermon on the Mount - Pt 2

The good news is, no one was harmed in the writing of this blog. No snoring occurred, sleep was had, and all are feeling rested. Read on. :)

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM MATTHEW 6

1. Don’t Blow Your Own Horn (1-4). We all like to have our ego stroked, but really, how annoying – “look at me, look at me”. Let your actions speak for themselves without making a show out of them. And leaders, take note, pay attention to what your team is doing. Notice the good, celebrate the good. It can be helpful to establish regular times of recognition for outstanding work or effort. Acknowledgement goes a long way with your team.
2. Mean What You Say: Don’t just talk to be heard (5-15)
a. Talk to people in private. Make petitions in private. Both as a leader and a follower, it shows respect for the other person, considers them first.
b. Don’t be a pest with your petitions – eventually your voice is going to be drowned out by the plethora of words used (Think “the boy who cried wolf”). Followers, keep your requests simple, relevant and to the point. Leaders, let them know you’ve heard them.
c. Ask the right way:
i. Show honor and respect
ii. Let them hear/see that you are for them, not being self-motivated
iii. Be clear about what you need
iv. Reconcile any difficulties or conflicts
v. Be teachable. Ask for help in achieving your goals.
vi. Treat others the way you want to be treated and it will get noticed!

3. Whistle While You Work (16-18). Enjoy your work and work hard. The 7 dwarfs in “Snow White” had the right idea – a positive attitude creates an uplifting atmosphere, even in dark places. The book “Fish” is a great illustration of this, depicting how the fish mongers at Pike Place Market became world famous, in part because of this attitude. They chose the attitude they were going to bring to work, and then had fun while working. Attitudes are infectious – spread some joy where you work!
4. Keep Perspective (19-21). Work needs to be kept in perspective. Your greatest treasure lies in the people you have relationship with. Don’t allow work, achieving your goals, to run roughshod over your relationships. Don’t neglect your families. Stay connected with your friends. Stay in tune with how people around you are doing. Are we pushing too hard? Are they bored and need a challenge? It can be as simple as asking not only how we are doing at achieving our goals, but how are the people who are doing the work doing? People matter, and they’ll work for you or against you.
5. Keep a Clear Vision (22-23). Clean the glass on your lamp all the time, removing those things that fog up the glass. Have you ever lit a candle, and after a while the glass holder it is in begins to blacken with soot from the flame? It dims the light of the flame. We need to keep the vision burning bright, removing all that distracts from the flame of our vision.
6. Choose Whom You’ll Serve (24). There can only be one master. One boss. One vision. One goal. When our allegiances or efforts are divided, our ability to succeed are lessened. As a leader, clarify the vision, the goal, the tasks continually to keep everyone on the same page. As a follower, don’t get sidetracked. While you are on the team, eat, breathe and sleep the same vision. Rowers in a boat will get where they are going faster if everyone is pulling in the same direction, in unison. If someone is pulling against the direction you are going, they need to turn around or get out of the boat (hopefully finding a different boat to row in – no one gets anywhere fast by themselves).
7. Don’t Worry (25-24). As leaders we need to create a stable environment for people. When shaky times come, help them stay on task. Today has enough worries of its own, so keep the “what ifs” at bay and focus on today. Hey, that rhymes! Also, leaders need to plan for eventualities and be prepared for unexpected turn of events, to handle them with calm. Nothing shakes people up more than to see their leader get frazzled or blow their stack.