Learn a little more about what it means
to Lead Tough.Lead
Leading Tough vs. Leading Loud
You may be wondering what exactly I mean when I use the terms “Lead Tough” and “Lead Loud”. What you read below will help to give you more clarity on those two terms and hopefully make it easier for you to recognize the characteristics of each in yourself and those around you.
What are Tough Leaders most concerned with?
It takes time, energy and focus to recognize what factors will truly have the greatest impact in your organization. These most important factors are not typical and are not considered to be most important by the majority of organizations. Some of the most important factors that tough leaders focus on are building a healthy culture, team engagement, clear understanding of value, and creating sustainability.
1
Culture
Leaders who build a constant culture of trust will find themselves with a growing and healthy team.
2
Engagement
The ability to keep your team engaged not only in what you’re doing but why your organization exists is an underrated leadership quality.
3
Value
The value you offer goes beyond just the products or service you provide. Discovering that value will help drive your organization forward.
4
Longevity
Making decisions that create sustainability for your organization is one of the most important things leaders do.
Where do Tough Leaders lead from most?
The reality is that at the core of good leadership is good character. The unfortunate thing is that leaders often end up sacrificing their character while trying to achieve a certain status or image. Being a great leader is about the forging of character not the pursuit of an image. Character lasts and images fade. There are specific areas that leaders should focus on leading from in order to become the type of genuine person people want to follow. These areas are not a priority for most leaders, but they can make all the difference in the world.
1
Integrity
Don’t make empty promises. Build trust from your team by letting your yes be yes and your no be no.
2
Perseverance
Develop the grit necessary not only to keep moving forward but to do what’s right even when it’s hard.
3
Humility
Lead the way in vulnerability, and an understanding that ultimate responsibility falls on you.
4
Wisdom
Create a strategy for making sound decisions independent of trends, emotions, and majorities.
Tough
Where do you lead?
Leading Tough at Work
Allowing character to create the image your organization needs.
As a leader in the workplace, your organization is looking to you to make the best decisions you can for the sake of the company. In a high pressure, results now, produce or you’re out type of culture it can often feel like you HAVE to lead loud to stay ahead of everyone else, or even to just keep your job. It seems like those who yell the loudest are the ones who always win.
I will admit that I’m not a business guru, and I’m not going to convince you that I have the answer to a great business strategy. That’s actually not what Lead Tough Not Loud is about. However, I do believe there’s value in leading tough in the workplace. I also believe that leading tough can help you win at work. And not just in the here and now, but consistently over time.
Please hear this. Your character can never be produced by an image you’re trying to pursue. However, the image you portray is always developed from your character. You have a great opportunity to create an image for your organization that is born from how you lead in your organization. The world is in need of more workplaces that make character, integrity and what’s best for the team a priority. There needs to be more places of work where people feel important, taken care of, and a part of something valuable. Choosing to lead tough can do just that.
Leading Tough at Church
Allowing character to create the image the world needs.
I believe that the local church is a major part of God’s plan for bringing hope to a lost and broken world. However, I also believe that the good that is done through local churches gets washed out when those same churches aren’t operating with high character and integrity among their leadership and staff. Churches should be the best run organizations on the planet with the best leaders who make character and integrity a priority. Sadly this isn’t the case in a vast amount of churches. The development of character has been replaced with the pursuit of an image. The role of a pastor in the local church needs to have a shift of focus to personal character development, integrity, and family health. These are at the core of strong church leadership.
I’ve seen the dark side of ministry where abuse of leadership happens and transparency is talked about but never lived out by those in charge. Personally, I’ve experienced the pain that comes with this reality. I believe at it’s root is a glorified focus on the mainstream image of the American pastor. I’m committed to helping churches and other ministry based organizations stop that trend. However, in order for that to happen leaders of these organizations need to make the tough decisions and do the tough things personally and organizationally that make character and integrity a priority. These tough decisions and tough things are hardly glamorous and often go unnoticed by the majority of people, but they are the things that will drive church and organizational leadership toward health, sustained growth, and long term influence.
Do you lead tough or lead loud?
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