Servant leaders must value people if they expect to be effective in transforming their vision into reality. Leaders demonstrate the value they place in people in many ways. First, they can grab a look at the future by perceiving the positive potential of their employees (students). Second, they can pull that future reality into the current 24/7 by praising the present participation of the people. Third, leaders can use a bridge between today and 5 years from now by projecting passionate possibilities for the people.
Projecting passionate possibilities means seeing the potential in others, holding up that bar of excellence, and passionately communicating to the people that you are confident that they can get there. High expectations with shouts of encouragement and passion yields high achievement. Leaders must develop the skill of challenging and stretching the organization without discouraging or breaking the morale of the culture.
As a boy, I loved to play baseball. I had no visions of playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but I was a pretty good little leaguer. I played on the same team for three years with two different coaches. The first coach was an encourager – the shouts from the dugout were always positives, even when we made an error. The talks in the dugout were morale boosters, pats on the back, and thumbs up (this was long before high fives). I really enjoyed that season.
Then a new coach arrived who had a different philosophy and temperament. He had a very difficult time watching our boyhood inconsistencies. Any error or wrong decision in the field resulted in strong words from the dug-out; a strike-out at the plate was greeted with silence and a grim look from the coach. By half way through the season, I dreaded the game. I played center field and I remember praying that the ball would not be hit to me. I felt the coach had no confidence in me and therefore I had no confidence that I could catch the ball. Confidence is almost everything in athletics. A little skill plus confidence produces increased skill and additional confidence. The same is true in one’s professional life. I need to project passionate possibilities for the people.
Raising the bar…striving for excellence…inspiring for success – nice cliques but down right difficult to produce. That’s because it involves a delicate balance between hugs and kicks. Some people need an “in-your-face” confrontation; others would be devastated by it. Some need ultimate deadlines with strict consequences; others need creative room with as much flexibility as possible. Some need words of affirmation and support; others want to be heard; and still others are driven by the reward at the end. I need to project passionate possibilities for the people.
In order to cross this bridge from the present to the future I would recommend two key handrails. The good news is that each of these handrails is at your disposal. The first is to allow for failure. Employees (students) are going to blow it – the more creative and innovative they are, they more potential there is for failure. But the more creative they are, the more they will learn from their mistakes. Fear of failure stifles growth and achievement. If the consequences of failure in the small things of ministry result in embarrassment, reprimand, or rebuke, confidence dries up and innovation dissolves. But if failure is meet with a new set of plans, a teachable context for improvement, and a collaborative understanding, then passionate possibilities can still growth within the individual.
The second handrail is to provide for success. Delegate with success in mind. Assign an easy task knowing that success is only a step away. Then wait for the step, recognize the step and celebrate the step. Words of congratulations on a job well done will build a confidence in the student (employee) and will prime the pump for the next assignment. As the tasks get increasingly complicated and complex, continue to recognize and reward the successes. Stretch without breaking, challenge without cracking, pushing without discouraging – that is the balance of leadership. I need to project passionate possibilities for the people.
Projecting passionate possibilities means seeing the potential in others, holding up that bar of excellence, and passionately communicating to the people that you are confident that they can get there. High expectations with shouts of encouragement and passion yields high achievement. Leaders must develop the skill of challenging and stretching the organization without discouraging or breaking the morale of the culture.
As a boy, I loved to play baseball. I had no visions of playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but I was a pretty good little leaguer. I played on the same team for three years with two different coaches. The first coach was an encourager – the shouts from the dugout were always positives, even when we made an error. The talks in the dugout were morale boosters, pats on the back, and thumbs up (this was long before high fives). I really enjoyed that season.
Then a new coach arrived who had a different philosophy and temperament. He had a very difficult time watching our boyhood inconsistencies. Any error or wrong decision in the field resulted in strong words from the dug-out; a strike-out at the plate was greeted with silence and a grim look from the coach. By half way through the season, I dreaded the game. I played center field and I remember praying that the ball would not be hit to me. I felt the coach had no confidence in me and therefore I had no confidence that I could catch the ball. Confidence is almost everything in athletics. A little skill plus confidence produces increased skill and additional confidence. The same is true in one’s professional life. I need to project passionate possibilities for the people.
Raising the bar…striving for excellence…inspiring for success – nice cliques but down right difficult to produce. That’s because it involves a delicate balance between hugs and kicks. Some people need an “in-your-face” confrontation; others would be devastated by it. Some need ultimate deadlines with strict consequences; others need creative room with as much flexibility as possible. Some need words of affirmation and support; others want to be heard; and still others are driven by the reward at the end. I need to project passionate possibilities for the people.
In order to cross this bridge from the present to the future I would recommend two key handrails. The good news is that each of these handrails is at your disposal. The first is to allow for failure. Employees (students) are going to blow it – the more creative and innovative they are, they more potential there is for failure. But the more creative they are, the more they will learn from their mistakes. Fear of failure stifles growth and achievement. If the consequences of failure in the small things of ministry result in embarrassment, reprimand, or rebuke, confidence dries up and innovation dissolves. But if failure is meet with a new set of plans, a teachable context for improvement, and a collaborative understanding, then passionate possibilities can still growth within the individual.
The second handrail is to provide for success. Delegate with success in mind. Assign an easy task knowing that success is only a step away. Then wait for the step, recognize the step and celebrate the step. Words of congratulations on a job well done will build a confidence in the student (employee) and will prime the pump for the next assignment. As the tasks get increasingly complicated and complex, continue to recognize and reward the successes. Stretch without breaking, challenge without cracking, pushing without discouraging – that is the balance of leadership. I need to project passionate possibilities for the people.
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