Entitlement Vs. Elevating Others
People do not leave bad companies, they leave bad managers.
We are in a leadership crisis not only in American government but also in the American marketplace. People never leave bad companies or organizations, they leave bad leaders and bad managers. The top down style of leadership as we have known it has proven to create incredible corruption in our government and businesses. The structure itself is not wrong, it just makes entitlement much easier. The outlook and respect for leadership in this nation has taken a big hit. Rightly so, do to the fact that we have seen so much corruption and entitlement in corporate C sweet leaders that cut the salaries of the average worker only to line their pockets with bonuses and raises to the our government leaders sending our tax dollars to other nations only to get kickbacks that line their own pockets. Politicians working together with big business giving each other stock tips as new laws are being passed in order to facilitate insider trading. If you stare at it too all the hope begins to seep out of your soul like air out of a balloon. So what do we do about this global pandemic of leadership entitlement and corruption. First we have to define what true leadership is. My definition for leadership is, Anyone who inspires you to have more, be more, and do more is a leader. Leadership is not about the leader but it is about the people that he or she is leading. Entitlement means that you are in leadership for yourself not for the people that you lead. Leadership is about what you make happen for others not for yourself. Entitled leaders do everything that they can to help themselves. They take advantage instead of give advantage. True leaders are not trying to get something from you they are trying to get something to you. So let’s look at that again. A true leader is anyone who inspires you to have more be more and do more. I call them bridge builders! What is a bridge builder? A bridge builder is a leader who is not in it for themselves but for others. Bridge builder leaders desire to bridge the gap between you and your future. They are a link between your dream and the manifestation of that dream. Are you a bridge builder? Here are 7 characteristics of a bridge building leader…
Bridge builders lead from the heart
Bridge builders give advantage
Bridge builders engage with their people
Bridge builders empower their people
Bridge builder celebrate their people
Bridge builders don’t compete
Bridge builder connect their people
Here are 7 characteristics of entitled leaders…
They lead by title and position
They possess a have-to mentality
They feel like everyone owes them
They promote themselves not others
They compete with those they lead
They constantly micromanage
They see gifted people as a threat
We have all suffered immensely at the hands of entitled leaders. Entitled leaders are leaders that are under qualified for their positions. They do everything that they can to keep their potion instead of use it for the good of others. Bridge builders are not entitled at all, but they spend their time elevating others. Let’s look at these characteristics of a bridge builder. The first characteristic of a bridge builder is that they lead from the heart. Bridge builder leaders are heart people. They actually care about the people that they lead. They care about their families and their futures. Bridge builders want to see the best for their people. Entitled leaders only think of getting ahead and accumulating as much as they can. They are greedy and selfish finding ways to stay in power and access only the benefits instead of the responsibilities of being a leader. There is not greater feeling then being connected to leadership that you know truly care about your success. They inspire you daily to have more be more and do more. Most entitled leaders are directive instead of inspirational. Bridge builder leaders are inspirational leaders. Anyone can bark out order but true leaders INSPIRE. To inspire means to breathe in. True leadership causes people catch their breath or get their second wind so to speak. When a true leader speaks, their followers hear whispers of inspiration in their soul that cause them to work harder and smarter. Bridge builders elevate others in so many ways but here are 7 ways that a bridge builder elevates others…
They elevate your thinking
They elevate your learning
They elevate your communication
They elevate your aspirations
They elevate your confidence
They elevate your relationships
They elevate your exposure
Bridge Builders elevate your life while entitled leaders use you as a stepping-stone to elevate themselves. The second characteristic of a bridge building leader is that they give advantage. Bridge builders will give advantage instead of take advantage. What do I mean? A bridge builder will put you ‘Out There”. They will find ways for you to be seen. They will give your ideas a chance to be heard. We have all been lead by people who wanted the best platforms for themselves. Being a speaker and minister for many years I had mentors that hid their networks from me and never recommended me to speak at any of their friend’s conventions or conferences. Their insecurity caused them to hoard opportunity. Many insecure leaders are afraid that if they share your gift with their friends that they will be replaced, meaning that there will be less opportunity for them. This could not be further from the truth. Whatever you give away come back to your multiplied. I believe the principle that stated, whatever you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. It is the law of sowing and reaping. You do not reap what you sow, you reap MORE than you sow. You’ve often heard it said, “you reap what you sow”, and you’ve most often heard it in the negative setting. Well, this could not be further from the truth. No one reaps what they sow. That Karma a teaching from Hinduism. The Bible does not teach that. The Bible teaches that we reap MORE than we sow. One little word shifts this scripture from a Sunday school lesson to a revelation of the abundant nature of God. Somebody shout MORE! That right more is spiritual. More is spiritual. More is the first command of God. God said in Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful and multiply, replenish the earth and subdue it.” Translation for these words means to increase. God created increase. His first command was not worship me or obey me, but INCREASE as we discussed earlier. Keeping it the same is not the assignment. Giving God back what He gave you is not the will of God. God wants you to give him back more than he gave you. So when I say more I’m not saying be a hoarder. I’m saying take what God has given you and turn it into more. Invest it, increase it, and multiply it. The only person Jesus got angry with in the Bible regarding money was the man who buried his talent. He kept it the same. Jesus called him a wicked servant. Matthew 25:24 tells us, “He also who had received the one talent came forward saying, “Master I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 So I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” 26 But his master answered him, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 26 For to everyone who has to him will be given more and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus wasn’t too happy with the guy who gave him back what he gave him. Keeping it the same is no the goal. Making it more is the goal. Successful people want to win. They want to make the most of every opportunity and increase what they have so they can help more people. The last few verses of this passage are very interesting. They say to him who has more will be given and he will have an abundance. In fact Jesus gave the mans one talent to the man who just turned his 5 into ten. He gave it to someone that he knew would make it more. But the next verse is important! He says to him who has NOT even what he has will be taken away. To the one who is not willing to make what he has more, I’ll take it and give it to the one who has the most. How can you have not but still have it taken away? Simple what you did have you saw as nothing. When you see what God gave you as nothing you refuse to increase it because to you it was nothing. Yes he may have only received one talent while the other servants received more (2 and 5), but he could have made his one bigger. It is not what you start with but what you do with what you start with and how you end up. Winning is increasing what God gave you while helping others increase along the way. More is spiritual. Don’t you ever let anyone make you feel bad for wanting more. People who have more help more!
Next, bridge builders engage with their people. Entitled leaders sit in their back offices and act like they are working when the real work is done when they walk among their people and encourage and engage with them. One famous leadership teacher always said, “walk slowly through the crowd.” There is a word that explains the need for human initiative. So many erroneously think that if it is supposed to be that it will just happen. Noting could be further from the truth. Nothing just happens! This word that I am talking about blows that myth out of the water. The fact that someone could believe that things will just come together on their own is preposterous. You don’t expect that from your schedule. You don’t just expect that your schedule will make itself up. You don’t expect that from your car, that the oil will change itself. So why do we expect that from life? We expect a life full of results without the word that I am talking about and that word is ENGAGEMENT! Nothing happens without your engagement. There is a law called the law of engagement that states that just because you are a member of the gym doesn’t means that you will automatically lose 20lbs. You have to ENGAGE! You must engage in that membership. Being there is not enough! Being present is not enough. Your child can have perfect attendance in school but if she doesn’t engage in the business of learning she will still fail. Stop expecting a trophy for just showing up. The rewards go to those who engage. I see too many people complaining to God about how their life and family are not working out all the while they refuse to engage with anyone. They simply hope that it will all work out and noting just works out. You gotta work it! Proximity does not guarantee success. Just because I live near the gym doesn’t mean that I will automatically lose 20lbs. I have to engage. Just because I am close to greatness does not mean that I will be great. I must engage with greatness, learn from greatness, and participate with greatness. Just because I go to the gym does not guarantee that I will lose 50lbs. I must engage with the equipment in order to see results. Proximity does not guarantee success only engagement guarantees success. Bridge builders are engagers. They engage with their people to find out how to best serve them. Next, bridge builder empower their people. The old guard of leadership wants to keep people where they are in order to graduate them and retire them one day with a gold watch and a pension. The bridge builder wants to create an environment that empowers their people to become leaders. Environment determines empowerment. Bridge builder leaders simply understand the power of environment. The environment that you create determines the product that you produce. Everything exists in us in seed form awaiting our entry into the proper environment. The right environment causes the right seeds to grow. The seeds of alcoholism already reside in the alcoholic, however, those seeds will remain dormant until that person enters the environment that activates that seed. Take them to the bar or the party and the seeds of alcoholism being to germinate. It is the same with greatness. The seeds of leadership and greatness reside inside of you awaiting your entry into the environment of success. Once you step into the environment of success the seeds of greatness begin to grow. Bridge builders are all about creating that environment where their peoples potential can thrive and the seeds of leadership in them can grow and flourish. The next characteristic of a bridge builder is they celebrate their people. That’s right! A bridge builder celebrates those that they lead. The people who work the hardest in the organization usually are celebrated the least, but without them the organization could not do what it does. The bridge builder recognizes this. The bridge builder is not out to hoard recognition but they spend their time giving it away. Bridge builders show honor to their people and to honor someone is to celebrate them for their difference. I know this one leader who is a great friends and he does something every year with his organization that really changed how I think about leadership.
Every year this particular leader invites all the firemen, policemen, teachers, and pastors of his community and holds a banquet in their honor. His organization provides the food and it is top notch. Steak and salmon with fine linens and table settings, and everyone dressed in tuxedos and gowns. He makes it a really big deal. Once there, he gives out medals, awards and trophies to the policemen, teachers and firemen as well as the pastors and lets them share for a few minutes what they are doing in the community. There was not a dry eye in that place. It was one of the most powerful gestures of celebration that I have ever seen and it impacted me greatly. He wanted to celebrate the ones that everyone seemed to overlook. Those who served the community with no desire for recognition are the ones who deserve recognition the most. That is what a bridge builder does. The next characteristic of a bridge builder is that they don’t compete with their people, they connect their people. Bridge builders connect their people with opportunity and key players in their industry. Entitled leaders compete with their people and keep them marginalized by not exposing them to other great leaders. Bridge builder are willing to give their people exposure by sending them to conferences and conventions as well as linking them with other leaders and opportunities. They create a platform for others to be seen while entitled leaders keep their platform for themselves. The bridge builder leader introduces his or her people to key people in the organization and community who can recognize their gift and leverage it for the greater good. They don’t just communicate effectively but they connect emotionally. The bridge builder is able to bond with their people in a powerful way that makes collaboration easy and fun. They don’t just lend a hand but they know how to touch a heart. Anybody can communicate but it takes a special leader to connect with their people and also connect their people to others.
Chapter Review and Key Points
• First we have to define what true leadership is. My definition for leadership is, Anyone who inspires you to have more, be more, and do more is a leader. Leadership is not about the leader but it is about the people that he or she is leading.
• Entitled leaders do everything that they can to help themselves. They take advantage instead of give advantage. True leaders are not trying to get something from you they are trying to get something to you. So lets look at that again. A true leader is anyone who inspires you to have more be more and do more.
• Many insecure leaders are afraid that if they share your gift with their friends that they will be replaced, meaning that there will be less opportunity for them. This could not be further from the truth. Whatever you give away come back to your multiplied. I believe the principle that stated, whatever you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.
• The environment that you create determines the product that you produce. Everything exists in us in seed form awaiting our entry into the proper environment. The right environment causes the right seeds to grow.
• The bridge builder is not out to hoard recognition but they spend their time giving it away. Bridge builders show honor to their people and to honor someone is to celebrate them for their difference. I know this one leader who is a great friends and he does something every year with his organization that really changed how I think about leadership.