Recently I listened to a wonderful 10 minute HBR interview with 85-year old leadership guru Warren Bennis. Opening question: What are two or three of the characteristics of really great leaders?

1. Great leaders build great teams. “You can’t win this contest without a lot of help. It ain’t just one man.”

2. Great leaders have good judgment. Great leaders have the ability to select people who have the capacity to get things done AND play well with others in the sandbox.

I am impressed with Warren’s insights into the crucible of war and the crucible of age, sacrifice, generosity, respect and what he calls “leadership grace.”

Warren’s final question was: “If you want to be a great leader, you need to….”

How would you finish that sentence?

Leaders tend to be people of action. Doers. Agents of change. That’s good and necessary because we all know that talk is cheap. Effective leadership is all about turning vision into action, right?

For me, problems arise when my bias toward action becomes a treadmill of ceaseless activity. This tires everyone out and inevitably leads to a loss of focus, loss of presence, personal fatigue and mission drift. This is when I become vulnerable to the temptation of lesser things: quick fix ‘solutions’ (sinful or otherwise) for urgent problems that mask a waning intimacy with my Source of power, life and strength.

In our overloaded media-saturated world, reflection is becoming a lost art.

This week I’m up at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, enjoying a wonderful week-long intensive focused on the Servant Leader’s Inner Life. Our readings and conversations reinforce the absolute necessity of cultivating habits of reflection. Justin, our prof, opened the week by asking us to think about two leaders who have experienced personal or professional failure due to lack of attention to the inner life. This launched a 90-minute discussion (we had no shortage of examples) around what may have contributed to these failures, and what personal habits may have helped prevent them, had they been in place.

As if on cue, my friend Sam in Nigeria sent me a link to a column entitled “Your Most Important Conversation” by Gordon MacDonald. Gordon is one of my favorite writers because he knows what it’s like to fall and he writes with authentic, grounded spirituality. This quote caught my attention:

Withdrawal for inner conversation parallels the priority flight attendants express when passengers on a plane are told that, if the oxygen masks appear, they should put theirs on first before helping others. Counter-intuitive, especially for mothers, but thoroughly logical.

Writer Anthony Bloom described his father as a man who knew inner conversation well. When he felt the need to do his own soul-work, he would sometimes tack a sign to his front door: “Don’t go to the trouble of knocking. I am at home, but I will not answer the door.”

This is not easy for those of us who are people-pleasers. We are suckers for knocks on our front door.

Are you a sucker? Servant leaders are called not to please people, but to please the Lord by meeting people’s real needs as they are revealed through interaction and reflection. In my experience,  the busier my schedule, the more I need to carve out space to think, listen, pray and reflect. Think Jesus in Mark 1, pulling away before dawn when everyone was looking for him.

What habits help you practice reflective leadership?

I just hung up the phone with a senior executive who asked me this question: How do we engage younger leaders?

It’s a great question, one that is repeatedly asked as the Millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) reshape our churches, companies and organizations. Here are some tips that I have learned from others or from my own experience in positively engaging younger leaders over the past decade:

1. Give them a piece of the action. This generation is not willing to wait 5-10 years in a job to start making a difference or having a voice. Institutional loyalty is low, but willingness to work hard is very high – if the vision is compelling. Look for ways to appropriately engage them in setting direction.

2. Entrust them with real responsibility and chances for achievement. Pay and working conditions are probably far less important than the work itself. This generation (like most younger generations throughout history) really wants to change the world. Will we let them?

3. Mentor, don’t mother. This generation aspires to lead and has the horsepower to do so. Having grown up in online social networks, many already possess the knowledge, intellectual flexibility and the social awareness of emerging leaders. Their desire to exert influence doesn’t mean they want to stage a coup of older generations. Most long for a mentor – a stable, trusted elder relationship that doesn’t focus on “the good old days” but dreams about the future together.

4. Provide sufficient structure by limiting options. Option overload has brought this generation to brink of analysis paralysis. I was in a leadership workshop last week when the topic of structure and constraint came up. Some people hear the word “structure” and envision a prison cell in which all movement is stifled. Others view constraint in a more positive way, like riverbanks that give shape to a mighty river instead of allowing it to flood everywhere. Focus brings power and fruitfulness.

How do you like to be engaged?

Leadership is hard work. Good leadership is really hard work. Today’s dynamic, rapidly changing knowledge economy provides an ever-shifting landscape that requires multiple perspectives to navigate well.

Exit the know-it-all, do-it-all leader.

Enter the self-aware, in-touch connector that can share leadership by pulling people, resources and ideas together to get the job done.

What is shared leadership? Marshall Goldsmith describes it this way in an excellent post: “Shared leadership involves maximizing all of the human resources in an organization by empowering individuals and giving them an opportunity to take leadership positions in their areas of expertise. With more complex markets increasing the demands on leadership, the job in many cases is simply too large for one individual. Sharing leadership isn’t easy, but it’s definitely possible, and in many cases, highly successful.”

Goldsmith suggests ways to share leadership and maximize talent. Here are a few:

• Give power away to the most qualified individuals to strengthen their capabilities.
• Define the limits of decision-making power.
• Cultivate a climate in which people feel free to take initiative on assignments.
• Give qualified people discretion and autonomy over their tasks and resources and encourage them to use these tools.
• Don’t second guess the decisions of those you have empowered to do so.

As leaders, our job is to constantly move those people our organizations touch from strangers to acquaintances, from acquaintances to friends, and from friends to partners in our common mission. Sharing leadership usually provides the best pathway to true partnership.

How are you learning to share leadership?

More and more conversations revolve around the type of leadership required in our rapidly changing global culture. Many cite the “new skills” needed in this environment, such as trust-building, empathy, networking, and the ability to empower others. Though few will come out and label this package as such, it seems to me we’re really talking about servant leadership.

If that is the type of leadership in great demand today, what exactly is servant leadership?

Robert Greenleaf coined the term as he sought to answer this question in his 1977 classic, Servant Leadership:

The servant leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions. For such, it will be a later choice to serve – after leadership is established. The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.

The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is this: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?

Greenleaf’s insights echo the voice of the greatest servant leader who ever lived. In addressing his followers immediately after a nasty internal power struggle, Jesus had this to say:

“You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” (Mark 10:42-44)

Jesus laid it out pretty clearly. There are normal leaders whose focus is all about who has authority and is in charge. These are a dime a dozen. Then there are those who have made the mindshift from “over/under” to “among” – great leaders who seek to serve. And for those who aspire to be the greatest? They must become slaves of all.

How do you define, or better yet, practice servant leadership?

What’s the number one quality followers look for in leaders or peers they allow to influence them?

Trust.*

Trust is confidence based on previous experience. Trust is the foundation that must bear the daily load of bumps and bruises in every personal and working relationship. Trust often takes months or even years to build, but can be destroyed by a single act of irresponsibility, immorality or perceived betrayal. More commonly, trust erodes over time due to lack of attentiveness and self-awareness.  Since trust is so critical, how do we build trust?

Here are three gauges I use to monitor the balance in my trust account with others:

1. Character. As a 7th generation Texan, I grew up in an environment where a person’s handshake was usually as good as a contract. I vividly remember a couple of times when I broke my word and had to go back to make it right. Sometimes it involved redoing shoddy work. Sometimes it involved financial restitution. There were a few embarrassing confessions and requests for forgiveness. I didn’t miss the lesson, though: Pain forges character. Can others believe what I say? Will I follow through on those things I’ve committed to? Is my “yes” a yes and my “no” a no, or will others have reason to believe that I will waver on commitments I’ve made?

2. Competence. Work done well builds trust. When I need a plumber or a mechanic, I ask my neighbors who they would recommend (or not recommend). Perhaps you’ve got some technical expertise that’s in high demand. Maybe your EQ is off the charts and you provide the critical relational glue for a group. Maybe you’re responsible, organized, diligent, networked, or service-oriented. Whatever it is, the more you bring it to bear with consistency and humility, the more rapidly your trust account will grow. Also, unless you’re a rock star or pro athlete with a multi-million dollar contract, technical excellence coupled with arrogance usually increases resentment and undermines the trust-building process. What skills and abilities do I offer to my boss, my team, my family or the larger community? How am I developing my level of proficiency in these areas?

3. Concern. We’ve all heard the maxim: People don’t care what you know until they know that you care. When it comes to building trust, demonstrating authentic concern is key. I quickly trust people who I perceive care about me and my stuff. Call it empathy or call it love, trust grows rapidly when each party knows the other person is looking out for their best interests. Misunderstandings and vain imaginations vaporize when I know you’ve got my back. What level of genuine concern am I expressing in this relationship?

Action points for leading well:

1. Do what you say you will do.

2. Do it well.

3. Do it with others’ best interests in mind.

*Source: This intuitive fact can be verified by any number of sources. Two of the broadest representative surveys of managers, employees and business leaders that reveal trust (or its counterpart, honesty) as the #1 factor are Strengths-Based Leadership by Rath & Conchie and The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes & Posner.

Why did you get out of bed today?

Seriously.

For a paycheck? To keep your job? To avoid boredom?

Or perhaps because you were eager to pursue your calling.
Because you believe that what you do today might make a difference tomorrow.
Because deep down inside you believe you can change the world.

Here is a fantastic TED presentation by Simon Sinek on how leaders inspire others to action with the power of why. Genuine movements always begin with a WHY – a cause. What’s your Why?

Tomorrow I am attempting to ride my bicycle 170 miles (~274 km) across the state of Florida. Lord, legs and lungs willing, several hundred cyclists will begin at sunrise on the eastern Atlantic coast and finish on the western Gulf coast before sunset (see map). A huge party with lots of BBQ will lure us to complete our journey.

The farthest I’ve ever cycled in one day was 92 miles. Tomorrow is nearly twice that distance. During my last few training rides I’ve been asking myself: Will my body even be able to endure this distance and time in the saddle? What will be necessary to finish well? Here are four crucial secrets to extreme endurance that I’ve gleaned from veterans. It seems these same principles apply to many other challenging endeavors in life:

1. Have the right equipment. Most of us won’t be riding $5,000 all-carbon frame bikes with elite racing components. But those who finish will have good quality road bikes that are clean and well-tuned. They’ll also have the right clothing for pressure points that matter most, such as well-padded shorts, stiff shoes with cleats, comfortable gloves and good shades.
2. Train appropriately. Tomorrow’s ride is not a sprint, it’s a double-marathon of 10-11 hours. Finishers will need long, steady-paced effort. The training base required is one of regular 1, 2 and 3-hour rides over the past several months. Unless you’ve already developed the wind and strength in another sport, it’s unlikely you can just wake up and decide to do this. Intentional, specific preparation will be key.
3. Replenish along the way. Carbo-loading the night before is a myth. That energy might last an hour or two. We’ll be burning about 800 calories per hour and sweating out several pounds of fluids in 90 degree (32 C) weather. Muscles will be screaming for glycogen to fuel their efforts. Though I won’t need to replace my energy calorie-for-calorie, I will need to be eating and drinking constantly if I don’t want to bonk. I’ll be consuming lots of complex carbs, protein, and electrolytes to ensure my engine keeps running smoothly.
4. Rely on others. It’s common knowledge that geese can fly about 70% farther in V-formation than by going it alone. The same is true for cycling with a group of people who share leadership in a paceline. There’s no way I’d be able to ride that distance without drafting behind others. Etiquette will also require that I pull my fair share of time up front, helping break the wind for the group. I’m riding with a couple of friends, and we’ll attach ourselves to various groups along the route. When my motivation flags, others’ vision will spur me to keep pedaling. My sweet wife Ann will be driving our sag wagon, toting extra food, water and gear that we may need throughout the day. It takes a village….

What challenge are you currently facing that may require different equipment, new training, continuous help along the way, or increased reliance on your network?

How should student groups on campuses be allowed to select and determine their leadership?

This is the question before the United States Supreme Court this week. The case in question involves a chapter of the Christian Legal Society at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law. Student groups on campus must have open membership if they desire to receive sponsored benefits on campus (e.g. meetings rooms and funding).

But the question here is one of selected or elected leadership. Must a Christian group open its leadership selection process to atheists? Should a Gay and Lesbian group be forced to allow a homophobe to be its president? Must the Muslim Students Association be required to admit a polytheistic Hindu to regularly teach its members?

If this sounds ridiculous to you, welcome to America the Confused. This excellent blog post by Scott Crocker  summarizes the standing of this crucial case.

Action point: Pray for sanity and wisdom in America’s top court.

This is one of 15 core posts in RE-think: Campus Crusade’s 3rd Annual Blogference, running April 13-15, 2010. Please join the conversation.

“Own your own development” we’ve been told. In an age of overload we need to RE-think how to cultivate our own personal leadership development. Though I must take responsibility to make wise choices, ultimately it’s God who causes the growth in my life. Below are four proven pathways to personal growth that fellow leaders have passed along to me and have now become lifetime habits.

Expose yourself to other leaders and study how they lead. Good leaders are all around us. How do they make decisions? How do they create an environment for productive group interaction? How do they inspire hope while authentically revealing their own struggles and doubts? Buy someone lunch and ask him or her how they balance the eternal leadership tensions between people and production; setting direction and releasing others; short-term results and long-term impact.

Read deep and wide. Scan broadly. Constantly skim, noticing trends in topics and conversations. Get to know a handful of ancient and contemporary authors’ voices. As you identify authors and bloggers that speak to you, follow their thinking through the years. Yes, years. You’re in this for the long haul, right? Read and reread selectively. Reflect, chew, pray, and digest. Seek wisdom and personal transformation. If you need some ideas, here’s my 2010 Leadership Reading List.

Embrace divine displacement. Consider these personal LD plans: Moses spent 40 years in the desert (twice), Joseph languished 13 years in prison, Ruth endured famine for 10 years then became widowed, and David hid in caves for 7 years. Interviews with hundreds of business and ministry leaders consistently reveal that the majority of developmental experiences occur in-the-trenches (32%), during times of significant transition (27%), or in personal relationships (23%). Note that formal training content is a distant fourth. Leaders develop as they are doing their work and leading on the edge of their comfort zones.* One essential developmental task of Christian leadership involves forging a personal theology of suffering that embraces blocked goals, unmet expectations and broken people (see Romans 5:3-5). God’s LD plan typically leads us toward whole-hearted dependence upon him rather than finding easier ways to make life work without him.

Act on what you know. “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:17). No matter what scope of responsibility you’ve been entrusted with, leading and serving other people gets complicated. There will always be more great ideas to consider, more trends to analyze, more people to consult, and more needs than you can possibly meet. Today’s information explosion can freeze us into analysis paralysis. Effective leaders focus their actions and own the gap between knowing and doing. In our noisy world Jesus’ voice beckons: Act on what you know.

Join the conversation: What is working (or lacking) in your personal approach to leadership development?

*Source: McKenna, Robert B., and Paul R. Yost. “Leadership Development and Clergy: Understanding the Events and Lessons That Shape Pastoral Leaders.” Journal of Psychology & Theology 35, no. 3 (2007): 179-189.