Sara Hand

By Thanksgiving night hosts of homes already had their Christmas lights out. Front windows were already filled with the sparkling lights from the trees inside. Yet, with all the numbers from all the surveys of what’s happening economically, with all the reports of foreclosure…how could this be?

The stock market has taken a dive and Mame Dennis has lost everything. The week before Thanksgiving she sings:

Haul out the holly;
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.
Fill up the stocking,
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now.
For I’ve grown a little leaner,
Grown a little colder,
Grown a little sadder,
Grown a little older,
And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder,
Need a little Christmas now

It is easy to see what a wonderful time they were having with all those decorations and presents and celebration activities. Yet when everything was gone, despite the Grinch’s best efforts; the Whos could still sing.

And then there is George. In “It’s a Wonderful Life” we have the opportunity to see a broad picture of his life. We see his determination to help the people of his community work together. As countless other businesses failed, his leadership and their choices allowed their town to come through a period of economic devastation. Then we glimpse what the world would look like if he had never been born and the angel remarks, “One man’s life touches so many others, when he’s not there it leaves an awfully big hole.”

Maybe you woke up to find that the Grinch has been there sometime in the night and there isn’t much left. Maybe this last season of your life has been devastating and you have wondered, “What’s the use?” Although this holiday season isn’t really about the lights and the trees, the reminder to celebrate what we do have is important. We have a community that will work together to make it through this economically challenging time. The sun will come up tomorrow, and by the grace of God we will draw another breath.

I think we saw more lights up sooner, because we have all needed a little Christmas.

Leadership is not a job or a role that you play, but a lifestyle…an expression of who you are. When you plant words of life, you reap rapport and relationship. Rapport and relationship positions you for influence and influence can position you for almost anything.

However influence and leadership is not cheap. There is a price to pay. A price of accountability and of responsibility to those you lead, to those over whom you have influence. Good leadership doesn’t make decisions based on today or even just tomorrow.

Seeds of greatness lie within each individual. For many, those seeds will remain just that, seeds of unrealized potential and possibility. From others greatness will emerge. Lives will be changed and the world impacted as their choices ripple outward.

What makes the difference between those that become and those that don’t?

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  • They have a vision for something that is bigger than just them and extends beyond just today. It is a dream fueled by passion and connected to action.
  •  They deal with the uncomfortable, awkward and negative issues, situations and relationship challenges that arise. They know that simply waiting for it to go away could leave them waiting for the rest of their life and time is precious.
  • They understand the power of consequence and so not make decisions solely on the comfort and convenience of today.
  • They take action…EVERY DAY! They have accepted responsibility for the realization of their vision and move toward it step by step day by day. They don’t despise the small steps, but are thankful for even small increments of progress.
  • They have not only defined what they like, BUT ALSO what they don’t like. They don’t focus on the “NO’s”. However by clearly defining what “NO” looks like, they are able to recognize what carries negative influences much sooner.
  • They operate with grace. Because they choose to forgive, they are free to move forward and are not tied to the past.
  • They know what it is to be a part of a team. They know their own strengths and weaknesses and are not threatened by others whose strengths and weaknesses are different from their own. They are able to ask for help when they need it.
  • They are not afraid of change and they are not trying to make everyone happy. As they move forward there will be others who are not supportive and who do not agree with the choices and decisions that they make. They understand that old adage, “You can’t please everyone all the time.”

Being a leader and carrying influence is about being a steward over the potential of your team, of your organization…your company. It is about empowering them to step up and be leaders over their sphere of influence. It is about speaking to the possibilities that exist and moving towards that day by day. How will your organization move forward,  first as individuals and then as a team…TODAY?

I love the conversation that goes something like this, “If I could go back”…and then someone always throws in…”with what I know now.” Why wouldn’t you want to be 21 or 25 or 31 compared to whatever age you are now?

Because for most of us, we were still trying to figure out who we were or are. We were still in a self-discovery phase that often was painful and one we were or are not always proud to own publicly.

Being comfortable in my own skin…Not having to impress anyone…Loving what I do and where I am at…Able to give myself grace and not having to be perfect any longer…it wasn’t possible anyway, so why did I try so hard?…realistic expectations…content yet not complacent.