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Leadership is about action. Authentic leaders are unafraid to take risks, make decisions, and create ideas. In fact, an effective leader acts every day to ensure the future success of a ministry or a business.
Leaders should consider the actions that they are involved in daily. John C. Maxwell wrote, “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” This statement is true not only of the leader’s life but also of the leader’s ministry or business.
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Too many leaders focus on a big decision that they think will change their ministry or business, but I believe that change comes from taking concrete actions daily.
Here are five tangible actions every leader should take each day:
- Create Somehow
Leaders should be creators. Leaders have ideas and dreams that they want to be implemented or created. To influence and inspire others to act, the leader must clearly communicate what they are trying to develop and accomplish to their team. Leaders should always have a new idea or project to lead their teams to success—leaders who think big and have big plans must create each component of the broader vision daily.
- Encourage Someone
People need encouragement, and they often look to the leader for inspiration. Leaders who walk next to their people to whisper empowering words into the ears of their followers will always be the leaders with a larger impact and longer legacy. Each day, a leader would be wise to consider who on their team needs a word of encouragement. Pastors and leaders who the world might identify as CEOs should become the chief encouragement officers of their church, ministry, or business.
- Go Somewhere
Leaders are not functioning at their highest level unless they lead someone or do something. Too many leaders try to lead from their corner office rather than from the front line. Leaders must intentionally spend time with staff, church people, employees, customers, vendors, or peers. When leaders are with people, they become better leaders.
- Grow Somewhat
One concrete action every leader should do weekly, if not daily, is to learn something to help them become better leaders. Leaders should focus on reading books, attending roundtables, and seminars, or attending retreats and conferences. Conditions in the world are changing today quickly, and the leader who stops learning falls behind. Growing leaders schedule blocks of time on their calendars every day for learning and personal development.One technique that many great leaders use is a morning learning routine (MLR). MLRs allow the leader to be intentional about personal learning and self-improvement. This morning routine can be quick or more extensive based on what a leader tries to learn. My MLR often consists of three 15-minute blocks. One block is for inspirational reading and prayer (always with Scripture, but also other material), the second is for affirmational journaling, and the final is proactive scheduling.
- Decide Something
Leaders are decision-makers and risk-takers. The ministry or business will have better results when leaders make excellent decisions. Leaders should consider and commit to making decisions daily. Great leaders are decisive leaders. Leaders design a dynamic direction through their daily decisions. Leaders should take tangible action by making decisions daily.The actions of a leader must be concrete and consistent. Every leader should focus on the activities that they are committed to daily. When leaders commit to these five tangible actions daily, they are on their way to leading a growing and thriving ministry or business that produces results for the glory of the Lord.
Some material was adapted from Ken Gosnell and John Maxwell.
