[My Wednesday blogpost series is connected to my 2020 4Q program in which I share my personal responses to the questions raised in the worksheets.]

On the Serving Leadership Journey, which of the four phases do you think you need to develop in the most? Why?

The first phase of the serving leadership journey is the hardest—leading self. Once you become a leader worth following, you can begin leading others one-on-one, building off the capital of trust. The third phase is leading a team, understanding that strong individual relationships allow you to bring diverse people together into a multi-talented team. The fourth and final phase involves aligning multiple teams around a united vision to accomplish your grand vision and mission. As depicted in the diagram, leadership is a journey that continues to spin through all four phases; we need to lead at higher and higher levels in terms of self-leadership, leading others, and leading our teams and organizations.

I personally need to continue my development in all four. On self-leadership—staying intentional with my schedule and maximizing my time. On leading others—being intentional with phone calls and holding consistent meetings with key people. On leading teams—staying connected through conference calls with those connected to the Reverb Network. On leading the organization—setting aside time to develop the vision and invest in key players. The fourth phase is where I think I need to develop the most. I find my schedule often consumed with answering emails, planning my business schedule, and everyday activities that are urgent but not always important. I need to set aside more time each month to think, pray, and work through my commitments with the Reverb Network. I also need to spend more time developing the thinking and mission of our global leadership team.

Ultimately, I think my attempts at surviving in a hectic, expensive world take more time than I care to admit. I need to speak, train and coach to ensure my living expenses are covered. I need to continually evaluate all the good things in life I must say ‘no’ to in order to say ‘yes’ to what’s best. And while I’ve never been too overly concerned with retirement, I now wonder how I can prevent burdening my children in the future. Life is hard and it doesn’t seem to get easier as I get older. I want to finish well and I want to finish strong. This question regarding the four phases is a great one for me to keep pondering.

Now it’s your turn. Which of the four phases do you need to develop in the most? Why? Go ahead, write something down…you are a serving leader!

[ Click here for my 4Q Program brochure which includes pricing for both individuals or companies ]