Leadership: "E" is for Experience

Nothing takes the place of experience. As I type this sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop, I am reminded of the “experience” that this company really sells to its customers. Make no mistake, the coffee is good, but it is not the coffee that the folks here are selling. They are selling an “experience” that a cup of perfectly good java at your house doesn’t have. Experience is hard to explain and even harder to reproduce for the masses as Starbucks has been able to consistently accomplish, thus making them arguably the leader in the coffee industry.

In leadership the experience is just as much a part of your product or service as is any more tangible element contained within. As a leader you are constantly branding yourself and your organization. As the potential follower perceives you, so they perceive your company, church or organization. And we all know that perception is reality when it comes to leadership/followership.

As you grow in your leadership, you must consider the “experience” that you want your potential client, church member, or customer to have when dealing with your organization. Even if the product or service you have to offer is the best in the world, you still need to remember that nothing takes the place of experience.

Recommended reading is “The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary” By Joseph Michelli

Leadership:"L" is for Love

Love is the most difficult word to define in the English language. Mostly because it has almost as many different meanings as there are people who use the word. From saying, “I love those shoes” to “I love you mom”; there are many different meanings and levels of meaning for this word. When focusing on love in Leadership, the word would be used to define one’s passion for those they lead and the mission of the group.

Without love there can be no leadership. Many mistakes can be forgiven in leadership, but to not love those you lead and the values and purposes that they hold dear can be the unforgivable sin. If you, as a leader, do not truly love those you are leading, you cannot expect anyone to follow. Would you follow someone that you did not think cares about you?

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” --1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV) The words we use in Leadership are important, but not nearly as important as the motive of the heart with which they are spoken. So, as we pay attention to the words we use, may we pay even more special attention to the motives of our heart when dealing with and leading others. Love is the most important trait that a leader can ever have because without it, no one will follow for very long.