I was thinking this week about leaders who have impacted my life and those that continue to impact my life. As I thought about it, each one of the leaders that came to mind were, in some way, unconventional. An unconventional style or unconventional idea. An unconventional thought or unconventional process. They are unique, different, uncommon...exceptional!
Each name that ran across my mind has made or continues to make a difference in my life. Some of these leaders I only see a few times a year but the way they write or speak or even listen encourages me to write, speak or listen in a different way and I am better because of it. So, here are my 7 Unconventional Ways Leaders are ABLE to make a difference in my life and yours.
1. Great Leaders are DownloadABLE
You can take what they offer and apply it to your life! They share their leadership in a way that is accessible and available. They provide both information and application to us in ways that we can download and apply immediately. Their leadership is like an app store for our lives.
2. Great Leaders are QuestionABLE
Each great leader that has made a significant impact in my life was questionable. I could ask them everything from “How” they did something to “Why” they did something and they wouldn’t be threatened by it. In fact, I would say they welcomed the questions, the challenges! You can always challenge great leaders with your questions.
3. Great Leaders are UnABLE
Find a leader sitting in the midst of a great need without doing something and I will show you a failure. Great leaders are unable to sit on the sidelines when the needs of others go unmet. Something inside moves them to action, to make a difference.
4. Great Leaders are BreakABLE
Great leaders aren’t made of fine china, they aren’t that fragile, but they are breakable. In fact, in order to move from being a good leader to a great one you must experience brokenness. God’s power shows up best in weakness so the thought is this, if you haven’t yet experienced the good fortune of being broken then you have not truly felt God’s greatest power.
5. Great Leaders are ErasABLE
Great leaders can disappear because they have built great teams around them and they have learned how to surrender control. They can erase themselves from a process or project because they don’t lead with a permanent marker but a dry erase one. They know that to truly empower others they need to occasionally erase themselves.
6. Great Leaders are FlamABLE
They are both the gas and the match. They are passionate with a purpose! If something grabs their heart they ignite, they combust! Once they are burning they can easily set others ablaze as well.
7. Great Leaders are InsufferABLE
After seeking wise guidance and seeing the future ahead great leaders can be insufferable, difficult, stubborn and don’t forget resilient. They will not surrender their vision until it is fulfilled. They are difficult to endure when making a difference. A quote from Winston Churchill paints a great picture of an insufferable "Bulldogish" leader. “The nose of the bulldog has been slanted backwards so that he can breathe without letting go.”
I am grateful for each leader that has made a difference in my life. They have used their unique and unconventional approach to enABLE me to do things I never thought I could do or would do. Whether it was crashing through a quitting point or risking something great that required tremendous faith they have been there. Thank you Lord for the unconventional ways great leaders are ABLE!
What leader has made an unconventional difference in your life? Who was it? What did they say or do? I would love to hear your answers and I bet those leaders would like to hear them too.
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