The document discusses the importance of character and competence for effective leadership. It emphasizes that integrity, commitment, and consideration of others are key characteristics for leaders to cultivate in order to build trust. Additionally, leaders must demonstrate skills like communication, creativity, and flexibility to handle complex challenges and an unpredictable future.

1. CHARACTER AND COMPETENCE Integrity, Survival and Effectiveness

2. Character Traits Rick Warren: “Your character is essentially the sum of your habits.” Integrity arises from Integration Inter-connected and coherent Consistency builds trust and dependability We say what we mean We do what we say We neither abuse people nor manipulate them

3. David Demonstrated Character and Competence And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them (Psalm 78:72)

4. Jesus as a Leadership Model Working with or living and caring for imperfect people Taking time to train, develop, and delegate Under constant scrutiny of testing of commitment and integrity Required to handle rejection, criticism and opposition Facing fierce competition and conflicting demands from friends and foes

5. Trust is Built on Character Max De Pree “ Trust grows when people see leaders translate their personal integrity into organizational fidelity.”

6. Characteristics to Cultivate 1: COMMITMENT Arises out of conviction Through tough times For the long-haul Maintain a clear focus Arises from passion Pace yourself to sustain momentum In some people commitment is ego-driven Leadership is not about Me! Other people are there to enable Me to fulfill My purposes and ambitions!

7. Getting to the top? Getting from here to there…. WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

8. Characteristics to Cultivate 2: COURAGE Stand up for one’s beliefs Admit mistakes Face the opposition Survive set-backs Neither reckless nor ruthless Courage to confront

9. Characteristics to Cultivate 3: CONSIDERATION Concern for the personal and professional well-being of others Empathy–the ability to see things from the other person’s point of view Arises from genuine humility Don’t pretend to know everything No interest in creating a dynasty Jim Collins: “More plow horse than show horse.” Humility is not underestimating yourself, but forgetting yourself

10. Russian Nesting Dolls David Olgilvie of Olgilvie and Mather “ If you continue to hire people smaller than yourself we will end up with a company of midgets. If you hire people bigger than yourself we will end up with a company of giants.”

11. Characteristics to Cultivate 4: CALM Ride a storm without creating waves Able to keep both our nerve and our temper Composure is the consistent display of appropriate emotional reactions, particularly in tough crisis situations

12. Characteristics to Cultivate 5: CAUTION Not impatient and impetuous Stops to think through the possible consequences In any leadership team you need the creative tension between the courageous and the cautious

13. Characteristics to Cultivate 6: COMPASSION Compassion is empathy and caring in action Begins with curiosity about other people and their experiences Benevolent attitude and predisposition to help others Not uncaring and judgmental Coaching –helping others in their intentional change process

14. Characteristics to Cultivate 7: CREDIBILITY Embody the change you wish to see in the world Earned through consistency and dependability People are fooling themselves if they think they can be truly great leaders without personal transformation Being honest about ourselves

15. Core Competencies 1: CURIOSITY An interest in everything See links between isolated pieces of information Everything is related to everything else A genuine interest in what other people think and why they think it

16. Core Competencies 2: CREATIVITY Flexibility regarding rules, policies and processes Innovate as they go Build the bridge as they walk on it Have strong imaginations Have a child-like curiosity Have a willingness to repeatedly retool Prepared for the unexpected

17. Core Competencies 3: COMMUNICATION SKILLS Communication has to be two-way It takes a community to communicate Leaders need to anticipate the responses of various groups and individuals Kurt Lewin’s “force field theory” Sensitive to those who emotionally cannot handle more change in life Most Conservative: empty-nesters Most adventurous: those ready for their final fling in life!

18. Leadership Images Conducting the Orchestra Leading the Jazz Band Max De Pree, Leadership Jazz

19. Core Competencies 4: CELEBRATE COMPLEXITY Complexity must not cause panic, but stimulate creativity Challenges us to think “outside of the box” Difference between linear and lateral thinkers Demonstrate flexibility Know your areas of strengths and limitations Need the resources of a community to handle complexity

20. Core Competencies 5: DEMONSTRATE FLEXIBILITY Cannot form long range plans for an unpredictable future Just-in-time planning Alternative scenarios - “What if…?” Understand “management” more in terms of coping mechanisms than control systems Knowledge does not necessarily come from experience

21. Mike Breen’s Leadership Principles Low Control High Accountability Mutual throughout the team Low Maintenance