July 8
Model The Way
A Leadership Principle To Lead Our Homes
Who’s leading your home?
Who has set the vision for life in your family?
Who has set, clarified and affirmed your family’s shared values?
Who is responsible and accountable for where your family is right now?
There is an old saying, “An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep”
Who are you?
Are you a lion leading an army of sheep or a sheep leading an army of lions?
Leadership matters at home. What are the actions and attributes of great leaders at home and what separates them from the rest?
Model the Way- Words and deeds must be consistent.
Our families will always pay attention that our words match our actions. This is where we risk the most of losing our family. Though our children and spouses are empathetic and understanding, and at times forgiving, it is not an excuse for what we think at the moment to be correct. This way of living is fickle and disheartening and destructive. Consider Modeling: courage, prayer, stewardship, communication, listening, good speaking habits.
Titus 2: 7,8
Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
Model-Inspire a Shared Vision
Leadership at home is a relationship. Get everyone involved.
Where are you going as a family? How do you identify seasons in life? How are you prepared to face them?
Create a vision together include your children in this process
Proverb 24: 3 By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Relationships take time to build. We as leaders must foster an environment of collaboration and trust in our families. Children can provide profound wisdom and insight when asked for their input on a specific matter; allowing them to take ownership and commitment to the query given for a particular problem or task is key to their success.. They are now part of the shared vision.
Habakkuk 2: 2 And the Lord answered me “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
Model- by Challenging The Process
Know your family and their individual needs. Communicate clearly, and make sure trust is established and values are known.
The process of having a successful business or in this case a loving family, is challenging the process. The process to thriving and living a joyful prosperous life is going through the process with an understanding that you must know your family well, their strengths and weaknesses and needs. As leaders, we must communicate clearly and intelligently our vision and goals for our family. Trust and values serve as the constant and basic tenets to guide our work.
1 Corinthians 9: 24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Model- Empowering Family Members to Act
Personal responsibilities and setting positive examples.
As leaders we must give our children and every family member under our roof, the ability to empower them to act and make decisions. Most times, children will repeat what we model, say and do. When a value is violated, you have to address it, ignoring it sends a message that it’s not important. Remember, leadership is all about how you behave that makes a difference. When we fail and suffer setbacks, what are we modeling for our children? Is failure final, or a learning opportunity? Do we tank emotionally or do we muster enough courage to keep on fighting? Know who you are and what your core values are before you lead anything. Be clear about your own guiding principles and give your values a voice to be heard loud and clear. Empower every family member to act and make decisions, no age is too young. Let them see and learn the results of their decisions. Let them fail, let them suffer, let them get hurt, let them figure out how they are going to get up. Just make sure you are by their side; and as difficult these experiences may be they must live them out.
Model-Encouraging The Heart
Refuel those who give so they can keep on giving.
A few words of encouragement go a long way. It means so much to our family members to hear words of affirmation. It definitely fuels the heart to give more. Having praise moments, and seeing success and hearing positive feedback creates momentum for all family members. Help your family win and you will win. Give words of affirmation and encouragement and you will see your family transformed. Words from the father mean so much to children. Loving gestures from a mother inspire kindness and benevolence. Plant seeds of encouraging the heart daily and reap a harvest of constant giving.
Make sure you model the following:
Honesty-Encouraging the heart requires the most honesty and sincerity
Inspiring-How you behave as a leader matters, and It matters a lot.
Competence-Titles are granted, but it’s your behavior that earns you respect
Forward-Looking- Innovations come from listening not telling
Caring-Leadership after all, is a relationship.
Ambition-Let values and virtues be the conduit to serve others, then your ambition will bring much success
Supportive-Focusing on serving others’ needs rather than your own builds trust in a leader
Your next steps as a leader to model at home!
Leaders at home are always growing so they can help their family grow
Leaders at home talk about their own mistakes before they talk about their children’s or spouse’s
Leaders at home have good reputation and credibility
Leaders at home are genuinely interested in their family and their needs
Leaders at home never allow gossip and slander from themselves
Leaders at home do what is right not what is popular
Leaders at home are servants
-E. Rustrian