The foundation of impactful leadership is rooted in being able to make a lasting positive and meaningful contributions to your organization as the leader and the people within the sphere of your leadership. You see, most of the time, what many people have construed to be impact in leadership is actually not what it is. For example, the number of clothes you wear, or the number of houses you build or cars you buy as a leader; don’t amount to impact in leadership. Real leadership impact goes beyond these mundane things that we have mentioned. Real leadership impact is measured by the impressions you leave in the hearts and minds of people which is going to remain with them for as long as they live.
Listen to Podcast: Impactful Leadership
One of the things that have made Christ Jesus for example, a highly impactful leader are the impressions that he left with the people that came in contact with Him in His earthly life. And you would notice that it is the same impression that is also being transferred to people who never were privileged to see Him physically on earth. In Luke 24:32, the Bible says: They [the disciples] asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Here, the Bible was showing us how Jesus spoke with some of His disciples on the way and what He said to them had tremendous impact in their hearts. This is exactly what IMPACTFUL LEADERSHIP is; leaving behind a legacy of excellent leadership for many generations that are yet to be born.
HOW TO BECOME AN IMPACTFUL LEADER?
#1. You Must Think Trans-generationally
Highly impactful leaders don’t just think for the now, they think trans-generationally. Even though they are leading in the present, their thoughts, their moves and actions also incorporates those that are coming after them. For example, Abraham became an impactful and trans-generational leader simply because of this way of thinking. The Bible says in Genesis 18:19 concerning him: “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” Here, we saw that God chose Abraham because He knew Abraham to be a transgenerational man. Abraham was transgenerational in his thinking. As a leader in your organization, you have to think trans-generationally. Where do you see your organization in the next 2 years, 5 years, 10 years and even beyond? The same also is applicable to your team: where do you see them in some 5 or 10 years from now? This is how to be an impactful leader.
#2. You Must Lead with a Servant Heart
The most impactful leaders in history are those who served with a servant heart. One of the things that we must never forget as leaders is that servant leadership is the key to effective leadership, anywhere, any time. To be able to take upon yourself the heart of a servant, even though you are the leader, is the door way to impactful leadership. In John 13:12-17, the Bible says:
“So, when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
Jesus was their Lord, their master and their teacher, yet, He demonstrated what it means to be a servant leader by washing their feet, and He said to them: “this I have done to you as an example that you should do as I have done to you.” In case you have ever wondered why Jesus became this impactful, even till now, the secret is in what we have just read. In another place, Luke 22:24-27, Jesus showed us another example of servanthood. It says:
“Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.”
So, Jesus used these examples to show us that impact in leadership is not by noise making. Impact in leadership is by showing examples that others can follow and this is the impression that remains with them even for a long time.
#3. Always put your Organization and your People First
Always put your organization and your people first because without them, you would not even be called a leader in the first place. If you are a political leader for instance, you must understand that you represent a people and not yourself and so, their interest must be priority for you at all times. Without them, you have no purpose in political leadership. So, take time to get to know your people. They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. If you are a leader of an organization, you must always put that organization’s interest first, and not your own interest. For example, Jesus’ priority was about the kingdom of God and the people of the kingdom. In Luke 4:43, the Bible says: “But He (Jesus) said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” And this was exactly what He did throughout His earthly assignment.
At a time when they wanted to make Him an earthly king, He simply declined it, because that was not His focus. The kingdom of God was His focus and how people would enter into that kingdom as well. So, in summary, to be an impactful leader, you must think trans-generationally, you must lead with a servant heart and you must always put your organization and the people you are leading first. There are other points that I could give, but for the sake of time, let us just stop here for today. I believe you have learnt something on this week’s edition of Leaderview.
Thank you for the gift of your time and my name remains Abiola Obayomi. Please don’t forget to share this podcast with your friends and people withing your sphere of leadership so that they can get to learn these time truths about their leadership. Till next time on Leaderview, remain Impactful in your leadership.
[Centre for New Dimension Leadership]
