When I look around at my generation and the next one to come, I see a culture surrounded with “isms”.

We live in a culture of destructive materialism, relativism, hedonism, individualism and consumerism. Surrounded by these seductive powerful influences, post school, we stop learning and growing to reach our full potential. We are lured into losing focus of things that matter.

Like taking responsibility for our leadership!

Take a moment and think about this reality.  I was leading a business with many employees, subcontractors and customers – never having read any books or had training on leadership. We often don’t think of ourselves as leaders. Think again! If you’re a brother, sister, parent, friend, teacher, coach, employee or employer – YOU LEAD YOURSELF and the NEXT GENERATION!

Listen to truth, from the Bible about leadership.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.  Luke 12:48

Reality is; we all have more than the bare essentials. Far more than our great grandparents owned.  We certainly have more than when this passage was written.

Students, singles, married people, parents, empty nesters all share something popularly called first world problems.  We have much and much will be required of us. End the focus in your life on the insignificant. Change the future.

Yet how do we apply this to leadership?

Andy Stanley in his book, Next Generation Leader: Five Essentials For Those Who Will Shape The Future; helps us apply this Biblical truth for all of us. You can be a leader for this generation and influence the next!

Here are the five essentials:

1. Competence. The book shows you how and why you need to channel your energies into those arenas in which you are most likely to excel. You need to find your top 5 strengths and try to spend 80% of your time there. You need to find and do the right things that only you can do – then delegate the rest.
2. Courage. Have the courage to say no, to face current reality, and the courage to dream. Take initiative with care.
3. Clarity. Every great idea begins in contrast to current reality. Learn to be clear even when conditions are uncertain.
4. Coaching. Without a coach you will never be as good as you could be. Your coach will observe, instruct and inspire – enabling you to go further faster. Find a coach that will enhance you performance.
5. Character. Provides us with moral authority to bring together resources and people to further any initiative. Character makes you worth following. It determines your legacy. This book will help you learn to do what is right even when it’s hard.

How many of those “isms” would we conquer if everyone was intentionally taking responsibility and improving their leadership?   Start investing in yourself in a new way. Your life can improve and change the future, one leadership decision at a time.

Attitude:          Do you recognize all the leadership roles in your life?

Action:             Purchase and read this short book. It will help you lead with improved clarity, margin, balance and focus.

Question:         What are your favorite leadership books?

Recommended Resource:  Next Generation Leader: Five Essentials For Those Who Will Shape The Future by Andy Stanley

Kindle Edition:  Next Generation Leader: Five Essentials For Those Who Will Shape The Future