The Secret of Great Leaders

Everything rises and falls on leadership. Churches, families, companies, and governments all depend on leaders who lead well. People want to follow a leader who cares about them and has a dream for a better tomorrow.  But what is the secret of great leaders? What does it mean to be a leader? At the core of exceptional leadership is a person’s character and competence.  Peter Drucker, the late management and business guru, once said, “The quality of character does not make the leader, but its absence flaws the entire process.”

We believe this to be very true. We all know people of outstanding character who couldn’t lead to save their lives—they just don’t have the skills. And we also probably know someone who has all the right leadership skills, but whom we would not choose to follow. Why? Because we don’t trust their character, their integrity.

This idea of skills and character isn’t new. In fact, in the Bible, Psalm 78:72, we read: “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; and with skillful hands he led them.”

The SERVE leadership workshop examines the principles and practices of exceptional leadership based on Psalm 78:72.  Created by Chick-fil-A, this workshop seeks to explore the five practices of leading at a high level.

The acrostic SERVE means:

See and Shape the Future -  Creates and communicates a compelling vision of the future that engages others.

Engage and Develop Others - Leaders engage individuals in their vision for the future and place them in areas of strength. Then they create detailed plans to help those individuals grow and develop to reach their potential.

Reinvent Continuously - Possesses a never-ending focus on improvement. The ability to generate new ideas as well as to embrace and encourage change for better business and personal results.

Value Results and Relationships - Demonstrates the ability to generate positive, measurable results and cultivate great relationships with the people they lead.

Embody the Values - Someone who embodies the values exemplifies the non-negotiable values that comprise the corporate culture.