At 50 (or more) years old, a leader has something uniquely valuable to offer. A few successes, plenty of failures, experience following others, know-how from opportunities to lead, and a view of the race from several laps in all add up to perspective. What does this age group understand that is worth sharing?
1. A discussion with other leaders is more valuable than leadership theories. This isn’t a suggestion to set down that new book or cancel that conference registration; there is still immense value in learning. But no author or speaker will address the nuances of your situation. So find a person or two to engage in full conversations about real situations—and let the learning-that-results-in-doing begin.
2. A leader develops other people in the organization. Sometimes this involves teaching the ways of leadership and organizational application to quite a few folks who show rising promise; other times it might just be one or two. Wisdom, though, mimics love—the true value comes from sharing.
Teach what? Start with balanced character. Leadership provides fertile soil to grow character, and that’s a good thing only when pairs of balancing character attributes sprout in sync. For instance, consider all the books and conferences that appeal to a leader’s sense of value (i.e., “It all hinges on you as the leader”). But if you allow someone to swallow too much of that message, he or she will soon need to increase hat sizes. Instead, balance every aspiring leader’s sense of self-importance with an equally strong belief that others throughout the organization matter more. This both-sides-of-the-character-coin approach rarely happens. So here’s a starting point. Listen to this podcast hosted by family values guru Mark Merrill: Lessons. As you do, whenever you hear the word “kids” substitute the word “young leaders.” Your investment of 20 minutes or so will provide a tremendous return in the form of specifics you can teach young leaders about character balance.
3. Nothing is as bad as it seems, and nothing is as good as it seems. If this weren’t true, every leader would consistently under-sleep and over-celebrate…and along the way, lose all credibility. Calm, steady reactions in good times and not-so-good times will keep an organization moving forward despite circumstances. “Okay, so let’s talk about what we do next” is a statement that assures everyone about the need to keep going. Taking time to learn from setback proves to be time well invested. And yes, the marking of key moments, milestones, and accomplishments needs to happen. In fact, you can tell what’s truly important to an organization by what it celebrates. Just remember that tomorrow always arrives—too soon after the big wins and not soon enough after the setbacks. The ability to steer toward tomorrow, in either case, serves the team well.
4. Focus on what’s important; it’s contagious. Imagine an entire team of people who can cut through trivial issues and details to see that which is a big deal and that which isn’t. This is a life skill—a habit—worth deliberate development. Most importantly, it’s best modeled rather than mandated. So let your people hear you give bottom-line, this-is-what-matters opinions, and ask them to do the same. A clear sign that a team member focuses on what’s important: He or she comes to you with fewer questions and more ideas.
5. Good communication will eliminate 90 percent of a team’s issues. That’s not a clever saying, it’s simply true. Interaction serves as the epoxy that enables a team to work together. People who communicate early and often serve as great examples. Of course the leader serves as a role model too, so expect the team to communicate as well as their leader, no more and no less. For a more detailed explanation of why this expectation makes sense, please see the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31).
6. Brevity shows mastery. The strongest leaders simplify complex issues, and they do it through careful word selection. All that said, keep messages clear, crisp, and concise. How? Drafts and redrafts. Practice. Prepare spontaneous comments in advance. Remember that powerful and authentic beats clever every time. Throw the catchy sayings away and share from the heart. And use fewer words for more impact.
David Staal, senior editor for Building Church Leaders and a mentor to a second grader, serves as the president of Kids Hope USA, a national non-profit organization that partners local churches with elementary schools to provide mentors for at-risk students. He also chairs the advisory board for a nearby college and served ten years in leadership for a local church. David is the author of Lessons Kids Need to Learn (Zondervan, 2012) and Words Kids Need to Hear (Zondervan, 2008). He lives in Grand Haven, MI, with his wife Becky. His son Scott and daughter Erin attend Valparaiso University.
