Leading your team to success

29Jul09

Gandhi Leads the Dandi Walk

Mohandas K. Gandhi is best known as an activist for the Indian rights.  He fought for 20 years against the discrimination of South Africa.  His passion and popularity earned him an election in 1920 when he became the President of the All India Home Rule League.  Throughout his mission he managed to rally millions of people behind him.

When the British army massacred one thousand people in 1919 the people still stood with Gandhi.
When he asked everyone to burn foreign made clothes and wear only home spun material…they did.
When he decided to march 200 miles to protest the Salt Act, even the nation’s leaders marched with him.

Gandhi, in a very quiet, peaceful way demonstrated the power of leading a group of people toward a mission.  That is the job of a leader, to lead people toward a worthy mission.

Here are four things you must do if you want to lead your personal team to success…

1)  Great leaders must know the game plan
There has to be clarity on the side of the leader about the direction the team is going.  If the leader is not clear then it becomes impossible to lead the team.  You may rally them and you may have the title as “leader” but you are not truly leading if you do not know where you’re going.  You as a leader must be able to answer the following questions:  Where are we going?  How are we going to get there?  When will we arrive?

2)  Great leaders must possess great communication to the rest of the team
Dwight D. Eisenhower once said “Leadership is the ability to decide what is to be done and then to get others to want to do it.”  This is the job of the leader!  They must communicate in such a way that the rest of the team desires to be part of the plan.   In your communication with your team you must always be…Clear, Passionate and Consistent!

3)  Great leaders make winning a tradition
You have heard the statement “Success is a journey, not a destination.”  If this is true then the job of the leader must be to make winning a regular tradition among the team.  When the team is winning it creates a momentum that keeps you moving forward to the next victory.  If you want to bring a winning spirit to the team then learn to: a) Celebrate every victory.  b) Applaud every effort.  c)  Appreciate every player.

4)  Great leaders have a passion that is contagious
Your team should sense from you a passion about the mission that is contagious.  They have to see it burning deep inside of you!  If you expect your team to join the race then you have to lead the way. If you want them to give their energy, time, heart and life to the mission then they have to see you do it first!  Make your passion contagious and you will ultimately lead your team to success.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

Chris Sonksen is a celebrated Motivational Speaker and Published Author; the Lead Pastor at one of America’s fastest growing churches (South Hills Church in Corona California); and the founding member of Celera Church Strategy Group. Celera offers pastor support, teaching, training and mentoring programs that equip pastors who want to learn how to grow church attendance through evangelism using proven church growth techniques.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes

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Tags: Communication, Effective Leader, followers, game plan, integrity, Leadership, motivation, passion, passsion