Go for great!
“Great leaders bless people. They inspire and encourage. They help people become more than what they have been, maybe even more than they thought they could be,” Reggie McNeal explains in his latest book, “Practicing Greatness.”
Every sector of society – from politics and the health care profession to education and sports – is desperate for leaders who are great in their spiritual capacities, McNeal maintains. “We need leaders who distinguish themselves as great, mostly by the positive impact they have on the people they lead,” he urges.
But extraordinary character and exceptional competence do not develop overnight; it takes time, commitment and intentionality to fashion greatness. And it requires discipline – seven key disciplines, according to McNeal, a consultant for congregations and churches with Leadership Network.
“Greatness is earned. It is not a gift; it is a reward. It is not accidental; it is cultivated,” explains McNeal, who formerly was director of leadership development for the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
In addition to plotting a course to develop these seven disciplines, McNeal’s book offers helpful insights in discovering personal markers that shape the lives of leaders, identifying five types of “dark side” behaviors, managing feelings and expectations, avoiding “brain drains,” and developing emotional intelligence.
McNeal also suggests eight steps for developing failure-tolerance. While every leader is bound to experience some failure, great leaders refuse to accept it as a destination. Instead, they recast failure into an opportunity for self-development, he explains.
But equally as beneficial to leaders, “Practicing Greatness” offers six key elements to consider when making decisions. “Merely believing you are on a great mission does not guarantee success. Making good decisions does,” McNeal asserts. Great leaders know good decision-making is crucial, he says. “While others are dreaming and jawing, they are making decisions that change the world.”
McNeal has authored four other books: “A Work of Heart,” “The Present Future,” “Get a Life!” and “Revolution in Leadership,” and “The Missional Renaissance” is due out next year. “Practicing Greatness” is available on Leadership Network’s Web site, www.leadnet.org, or at www.josseybass.com.