Welcome back! If you started on June 6 when we kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 36.
Be the Leader:
Discipline: To be the leader you must put yourself on the warpath of discipline. These are the little things that you do routinely to develop physically, mentally, socially and Spiritually. Overall these things will offer you small little nudges of personal growth. I implore you not to wait until you feel like it, just get up and do it every day. Every leader that has fallen started his/her descent by forsaking the disciplines that got them into their position.
Definition: This is where you define who you are. I am a warrior monk. In every situation where I am unsure what to do next; I ask myself, “What would a warrior monk do in this situation?” Additionally, I am a man that simply loves Jesus and longs to hear him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” This body that I live in, the roles that I play and the things people think of me are all temporary. My real self is housed in this temporary jar of clay. I am the beloved of God. Leaders who do not know who they are hurt people.
King Saul in the Bible was called of God to lead the nation of Israel. He was anointed by the prophet yet he ruled in fear of losing his position, losing face and losing his relationship with God. Because he failed to see himself as the anointed he failed. Consider King David, who knew that God loved him and believed in him. Which type of leader do you want to be?
Destiny: To be the leader is to live life in the long game. Too many leaders today go for temporary victories. They might get wealthy or get the girl but they are only content for a short period of time. The warrior thinks of the eternal best interest of those that he/she is leading.
A weed grows very fast and takes no effort. Anybody can grow a weed and be successful at doing so. But a weed does not last. Imagine planting a tree from a seed. It takes skill, time and effort. There will be days where you can see the growth and days where you notice nothing. If done correctly that tree will impact multiple generations.
During my time in the United States Army we would do these field exercises and in nearly every one of those the umpires would take me out of the equation by killing me. My troops would then have to show if I had trained them well or not. The first time this happened they were not prepared and that was my fault. I should have ensured that everyone on my team had the skills and mindset to rise up and be a leader if I was not there. In many ways up until that day I was a highly paid babysitter. I learned my lesson and never again would I set up my soldiers for failure.
If you are a leader and your organization does not outlast you by at least one generation than you have failed. I have learned that this can be painful. Decisions made today do not always make sense in the moment. Invest your time and energy so that you can be the legend.
I heard the story of a man who abandoned his wife and two children when the kids were very young. Many years later, the two children having gone away from their mother for a season, returned to celebrate the mother’s 60th birthday party. Many friends and family members joined them as they told about how the mother had overcome all challenges with a smile and with much grace. For two days laughter, tears and stories were told. Many of the stories were almost supernatural and were surely the stuff of legend. The man’s name was never mentioned. It was like he did not exist. He was a ghost. My question to you today is this, “Do you want to be a legend or do you want to be a ghost?”
This week is a good time to review where we have been. Put together your full ethos statement. (See mine as an illustration.) Write out your discipline plan to include what and when you will add to them. Create a word picture to create the definition of who you are and finally decide. “I am going to be a legend.” What do you want your legend to be? Tell the story and include your whole being.
