Destined to Win

This week I have a poem for you. I was given this poem by a friend a couple of years ago and it has been a source of inspiration to me. I hope that it will inspire you as well.

He didn’t bring us this far to forsake us,
He will take us through the valley of the shadow of death.

He didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown,
He will hold up our heads in the turbulent waters.

He didn’t build His home in us to desert it,
He will make us His tabernacle.

He didn’t lift us up to let us down,
His righteousness will uphold us.

He didn’t win the Calvary battle to make us losers,
He will lead us to victory.

He did not die to make us lifeless,
But to give us life in its abundance.

He didn’t give up His throne to make us destitutes,
But to make us co-heirs with Himself.

He did not allow this to happen to destroy us,
But to shape us, mould us and build us up.

What the devil has meant for evil,
He has meant for good.

From time immemorial we were destined to WIN!

Yes, even when we seem to be loosing,
Destined to WIN!

How Leaders Inspire Followers

        "He who thinks he's a leader but has no-one
               following, is merely taking a walk."

                  JOHN MAXWELL

The main difference between leaders and non-leaders is this: leaders have followers, non-leaders have no followers!  There are people that occupy positions of authority but have no followers.  Tragically, some of them think that they are leaders when in actual fact they are not.  Leaders have followers, non-leaders have no followers.

If occupying a position of authority is no guarantee of leadership, then what is?  The answer is simple: the ability to inspire people.  Leaders inspire people to become their followers.  Becoming a leader involves inspiring people to follow you, and only those that know how to do so do it effectively.

Today, I am going to share with you three ways that leaders inspire people to become their followers.  I hope that they will help you become an effective leader, even if you do not occupy a position of authority.

1.  Leaders talk a lot about where they are going.  People like to follow people that are going somewhere and not those that are going nowhere.  Anyone that shows himself to be going somewhere will see people following him.  Anyone that shows himself to be going nowhere will not see people following him.

2.  Leaders show their followers the way.  Followers expect leaders to direct and guide them to where he is going.  Such direction and guidance gives followers clearer sight of where leaders are taking them. Without such direction and guidance, most followers lose sight of where leaders are taking them to and lose trust in their leaders.

3.  Leaders promise rewards to their followers.  The prospect of a reward motivates followers at all times.  Followers that have nothing to look forward to may at anytime become unmotivated.

That's how leaders inspire followers.

You do not have to occupy a position of authority to become a leader. Becoming a leader involves inspiring people to follow you.  Tell me where you are going, show me the way and promise me a reward for my efforts and I just might follow you.  

How to Fully Utilize the Power of Goal Setting

What connection is there between your mission and the goals that you are pursuing today?  If there is none, you are probably under utilizing the power of goal setting.  Goal setting is a tool that is designed not just to get you whatever you want in life but, rather, to get you what you need to achieve your mission.

1.        Tie your goals to your mission
Your mission represents is your ultimate goal in life.  Whatever goal you set in life should be in line with your mission.  Unless you do this, you may spend a lifetime chasing after goals that take you nowhere.

2.        Set goals that are progressive
Your goals should successively contribute to the attainment of your ultimate goal – your mission.  The journey towards your ultimate goal should be like walking up a staircase. Just as each step should be joined to the one before it and the one after it, your goals for this year should be joined to last year's goals and next year's goals.  That way you are assured of going somewhere with your life.

3.        Move from setting goals to setting strategic objectives
Goals keep your focus on what you want to do within a given timeframe.  Strategic objectives, however, shift your focus to the end to what you intend to achieve through your goal.  Focusing on the end is more energizing than focusing on the means.

Get more than just an exciting experience out of your goals – achieve your life mission in the process.  To do so, align your goals to your mission, have your goals progressively lead you towards your mission and shift your focus from what you have to do to what you want to achieve through what you have to do. That is how you fully utilize the power of goal setting.

Maintain Your Optimism In The Face Of Unexpected Challenges

Numbers 13 records the commission of twelve Israelite leaders to secretly go into and spy out the Promised Land.  On their return, they reported their assessment of the possibilities of them (the whole nation of Israel) entering into and taking possession of the land.  Ten of them discouraged the people.  They told the people that entering into and taking possession of the land was impossible: they said that the land was inhabited by giants, who were more powerful than them, and the land was protected by tall walls.  The other two, however, told the people that entering into and taking possession of the land was possible.  "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it," one of them said.

The twelve leaders' reports reveal to us how leaders act when they come across unexpected challenges.  Some leaders loose their optimism and become pessimistic.  Others maintain their optimism.  

Pessimism In The Face Of Unexpected Challenges

Leaders that become pessimistic discourage followers from pressing forward towards the goals that they had initially set out to achieve.  They see unexpected challenges as ultimate blockades to their goals and want their followers to believe the same.  They magnify unexpected challenges and belittle their potential.  Consequently, such leaders and their followers are unmotivated and stalled by unexpected challenges. Such were the type of leaders were ten of the leaders that went in to spy out the Promised Land.

The ten leaders that resemble leaders that loose their optimism and become pessimistic in the face of unexpected challenges discouraged the people from trying to enter into and take possession of the Promised Land.  They saw the inhabitants of the land – giants – and the high walls that surrounded their cities as ultimate barricades to the land and wanted the people to believe the same.  They magnified the giants and the walls and belittled their potential to go in and drive out the giants from the land.  Consequently, these leaders made the people unmotivated to enter into and take possession of the Promised Land.

Optimism In The Face Of Unexpected Challenges

Leaders that maintain their optimism always encourage followers to press forward towards the achievement of goals.  They see challenges as opportunities for extraordinary advancement and want their followers to believe the same.  They acknowledge the existence of the challenge as well as the existence of potential within themselves and their followers.  Consequently, such leaders and their followers are motivated and unstopped by unexpected challenges. Such was the type of leaders were ten of the leaders that went in to spy out the Promised Land.

The two leaders that resemble leaders that maintain their optimism in the face of unexpected challenges encouraged the people to enter into and take possession of the Promised Land.  They saw the inhabitants of the land – giants – and the high walls that surrounded their cities as opportunities for conquest and wanted the people to believe the same. They had a clear perception of the giants and the walls, however, did not undermine their potential to go in and drive out the giants from the land. Consequently, these leaders made the people unmotivated to enter into and take possession of the Promised Land.

Great leaders maintain their optimism in the face of unexpected challenges.  The two leaders that tried to encourage the Israelites to enter and take possession of the Promised Land are perfect examples of such leaders.  What is your response to unexpected challenges?  Do you maintain your optimism in the face of unexpected challenges? Or, like the other ten, you become pessimistic in the face of unexpected challenges? Make a decision to try and maintain your optimism.