Leading By Example

If a team does not reach its potential, ability is seldom the issue. It's really a matter of resources. It's almost always a payment issue. The team fails to reach its potential when it fails to pay the price. If you lead a team, then one of the difficult things you must do is convince your teammates to sacrifice for the good of the group. The more talented the team members, the more difficult it may be to convince them to put the team first. Begin by modeling sacrifice. Show the team that you are willing to 1. Make financial sacrifices for the team. 2. Keep growing for the sake of the team. 3. Empower others for the sake of the team. 4. Make difficult decisions for the sake of the team. Once you have modeled a willingness to pay your own price for the potential of the team, you have the credibility to ask others to do the same. Then when you recognize sacrifices that teammates must make for the team, show them why and how to do it. Then praise their sacrifices greatly to their teammates. –John Maxwell

We think of leaders as the ones at the top. Jesus showed us that the best leaders are really the best servants, serving sacrificially rather than lording over the people they lead. It really comes down to leading by example—setting an example moves others far more effectively than calling down orders from the top. Rolling up our sleeves and working shoulder-to-shoulder with those we lead will always have its benefits and results.