Leadership Traits You Need to Thrive in Tough Times!

Trying to grow your business in this sluggish economy is a little like trying to swim through Jell-O. Ineffective or uncertain leaders definitely need not apply.

So what does it take to lead a small business through this ongoing economic mess? The blogosphere is humming with ideas lately. Here's a roundup of the important traits for entrepreneurs in 2012:

1.Listen. Tune in to what workers and customers are saying, and you'll find great ideas for how to move forward.

2.Give credit. Workers love leaders who acknowledge their ideas.

3.Be yourself. In our age of sound bites and phony smiles, tell your story honestly. It's rare and refreshing, and makes workers feel like they know you -- and want to help you succeed.

4.Communicate. So much company dysfunction can be prevented with clear communication. Otherwise, workers are in the dark. And soon, they won't care.

5.Don't be trendy. Avoid the "strategy du jour" problem. Choose a course and stick to it.

6.Beat anxiety. Stop worrying and turn your negative emotions -- regret, fear, sadness -- into teachers that help shape your character.

7.Be service-oriented. Leaders can be sort of self-involved, forgetting that they are in a position of leadership. To serve customers, shareholders and workers stay focused on others.

8.Be accountable. Define the results you want, and acknowledge when a screw-up is your fault.

9.Use empathy. Demographic changes have foisted more and more women into the workplace. Make sure your communication and leadership style is a fit for today's workforce.

10.Share the big picture. If your workers don't know the company's overall goals, it can be hard for them to solve problems. That leaves you having to micromanage every problem instead of being able to delegate and offer guidance.

11.Keep your cool. The days when being a screamer worked are long gone. If workers are worried about whether you're in a good mood today or not, little gets done.

12.Think like an immigrant. When you arrive on new shores, you often see the business world with fresh eyes. Use your unique perspective to spot opportunities others are missing.

Culled from AFRICA BUSINESS FORUM CONSORTIUM.

The Efficient & Effective Leader

Who is a Leader? (Matthew 20:25-28)
In His instructions to His disciples on how they were to lead, Jesus sent a clear message to all those who would follow Him that leadership was to be first and foremost an act of service. Therefore it is correct to say that a leader is a servant. A glorified servant!

From His command, two points are cardinal. One, a good leader must be a genuine follower of Christ. Second, there is no exception to His command. As we all know, whatever or wherever we are in life, we are always at the middle. Today, you are leaders with vast followers, but you are all followers of another leader who is the ultimate. As Christian leaders, we must follow Jesus as our ultimate leader.
The truly exciting part of following Jesus is that He never sends you into any situation with a faulty plan or plan to fail.

What are the expectations from a Leader? (Titus 1:7-14)
If I should ask people that are here present, there will be array of expectations from our leaders. Apart from the fact that humans are Oliver Twist who always want more, leaders have the responsibilities of meeting some set goals even from moral point of view. According to the scriptures that we just read, the following are expected from leaders:
a) He must not be arrogant
b) He must not be a drunkard
c) He must not be greedy for gain
d) He must be hospitable i.e. approachable
e) He must be a lover of good
f) He must have self control
g) He must be upright i.e. a man or woman of integrity
h) He must be holy
i) He must be disciplined

Hmmm…discipline! This is the biggest of all. This is because if you are not disciplined it may be difficult for you serve the master Jesus diligently in the first place. For instance, it is easy for a disciplined brethren to accept Christ faster that a person who is undisciplined.

Other expectation is Commitment, that is a leader must at all times show
• Commitment to increasing knowledge of Jesus Christ
• Commitment to the body of Christ
• Commitment to proffering solutions to needs of the Church
• Commitment to the well-being of his followers
• Commitment to the Church’s vision and values

As a leader in the body of Christ, what is your role to the society at large?
Inasmuch as we dwell in this world, we have salient role(s) to play in the society at large. The onus is on you to evangelise the goodness of God to the society by your lifestyle. Being ambassadors of Christ here on earth, you are required to propagate the gospel by your virtues as leaders. The Bible in Matthew 7:16 states that “By their fruits we shall know them. Therefore, be of good fruit to the society.

Challenges facing Leadership in the 21st Century
Challenges facing Leadership in the 21st Century are numerous and insurmountable. Among them are:
1) Dealing with and accomplishing a mission with uncommitted people
2) The need to establish a clear sense of purpose and direction
3) Selection of right and merited people to carry on the work
4) Training, development and delegation issues
5) Constant conflicting demands on time, energy and resources
6) Fierce competition (inside and outside the Church)
7) Turnover, betrayal, and lack of understanding by friends and family
8) Constant scrutiny and challenges of commitment and integrity
9) Temptations of instant gratification, recognition and misuse of power
10) Effective handling of criticisms, rejection, distractions and opposition.

Frankly speaking, the above challenges make the art of leadership burdensome. Less wonder it is often said that “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”. Nevertheless, it is an easy task when you align yourself with the biblical norms of leadership. According to Roman 12:2, you should no longer conform to your old ways; you should rather be transformed by renewing your mind. It is important for you to know that leadership is a matter of the heart, head and hands. When you put these three to work, you can handle even the tempest challenges such as gratification, recognition and applause.

It is important for you to note that as you enter into this season of leadership, the quality of your service will be a direct result of your spiritual preparation. In other words, you have to be prepared. Study the words of God often, read books on the subject of leadership. There are inspirational authors such as John C. Maxwell, Ken Blanchard, Brian Tracy, Warren Blank, Warren Bennis, Max DePree, Stephen Covey and so on.

As a leader in the 21st Century, you are required to play both visionary role and implementation role by doing the right thing and doing things right, hence you are an Efficient and Effective leader.

‘Segun-Martins Ogunyemi, is a professional accountant, brand and management consultant. He is the Founder/President of JUST Leadership Foundation (an online-based leadership network).