Christmas and Leadership

This week I have been thinking about the not so sunny side of being a leader. I have been reading John C. Maxwells thoughts in leadership to mentally prepare for what lies ahead as far as my personal goals are concerned. I want to share some of the nuggets of wisdom from the 360 degree leader.
If you think about the story of Jesus, it took him 30 years to prepare for 3 years of his mission.
Lesson 1: Many want the prize, but not the pain
Look critically at the way you spend your time today. Every task you undertake should be in preparation for your greater vision. So don't take it lightly when your boss calls you into the office to discuss a project that did not go too well. Each interaction should be related to your greater vision, otherwise you are have your ladder against the wrong wall. It takes years of mental, personal, and spiritual preparation to venture into business or even top level management. Take your time and don't lose focus.

Back to the story of Jesus, he never once asked his disciples to do anything he was not willing to do himself. He modelled for them how he expected them to live.

Lesson 2: Self Discipline.
To be fair all of us want to get ahead in life. However, only a few of us have the self discipline it requires for us to be there. If you want to achieve a high level of excellence in top management or in business it is imperative that you model your behavior today against how you will be required to behave once you attain your goals.
For instance, do you have a life plan that goes 10 years into the future? Are you aware of what you want to achieve at 40?50?60? Are you concious of the things you need to do today in order to get there tomorrow? Are you committed to a day by day action plan until you get there?
Many people have goals, but very few people develop the self discipline they need to achieve their goals.

During Jesus's lifetime, he consistently questioned the status quo and did things that were out of the ordinary. For example, he healed people on the sabbath day and mixed with the undesirable people from his generation.

Lesson 3: Live like no one else today, so you can be Like no one else tomorrow
I must attribute this quote to one of my Leadership mentors, Pastor Muriithi of Mavuno church.
When you wake up to go to work in the morning you have two choices before your feet hit the ground. You can choose to make every menial task count because you know it is boot camp and it will bring you closer to your greater goal or you can choose to complain about being stuck in the rat race and carry that bad attitude to work.
Exceptional people do not fall into the status quo. They have their sites set on a greater vision. They look beyond everyday trappings into their future to avoid pitfalls. Think about it? When you are 50 and you look back at being 25 will spending half your salary on booze be that cool?

When it came to time for Christ to fulfill his mission, his human side took over. He requested his father to take away the suffering but however he remained committed to fulfilling his purpose.

Lesson 4: Be willing to go the extra Mile
Have you ever had to give more than was comfortable for you? Leadership at a high level requires sacrifice. You just need to come to terms with what you are willing to sacrifice. Imagine how much christ had to give up to come down to us. A nice home, his family, servants, and more wealth than your mind can imagine. Yet he did it because his purpose was greater than his own personal comfort. Contemplate where you want to be and the sacrifice it will require for you to get there. I am not talking about extremist sacrifice such as time with your family, but at times you will spend lesser time with them. Think about what you would be willing to give up and what you are not willing to give up.

As we celebrate christmas this year take time to appreciate the people in your life that have contributed, both good and bad, to helping you be a better person. Thank those people without them you would not be who you are today. Merry Christmas and Happy new year.