Legacy

Obviously, with all that has happened in the NBA finals we hear a lot of talk about legacy. Lebron can leave his mark on history if his heat win game 7 against the 4 time NBA champion Spurs. Well he did just that he was able to close out the spurs in an incredible series between two very good teams. Lebron cemented his legacy as one of the great ones as he has already done more at 28 than most will do in a career or has done in a career. All in one night he could have made his legacy either as a hero or a goat. In everyone's life there is that moment where you can cement your own legacy. You can create you own moment as to where you will either maximize you moment or fail in that moment. 

Today's leadership thought is how high is your leadership LID? John C. Maxwell has a teaching on the law of the LID. Its a law that states that your organization, or whatever it is that you lead can only go as far as the LID in which the leader of that organization has for him or herself. This is the thought of where you are as a leader! If your leadership LID is a 5 then the best that your particular organization can ever be is a 4. That is essentially the law of the LID. What your the leader of will never surpass the LID or (parameters) in which you set for what your leading. However, the flip side of the Law of the LID is that as you grow as a leader so to will what your leading. "Everything rises and falls according to its leadership." John C. Maxwell. 

If that statement rings true and I without a doubt believe that it does then why is it that we as Christians are afraid to take roles as leaders in our communities. We are willing to just sit back and let others lead us instead of us leading them. You might be thinking well we aren't all bosses! Well that is probably true, but why is it that you think that being a leader is reserved only for those in ranking positions? That is where we miss it; so many think that well I am not the boss so I will just do what I am told and then go about my business. Well, that mentality is good if you want to just be doing the particular job you are doing the rest of your life. If that is what you desire then more power to you, but I am one that believes God has given me more of a purpose than to just sit back and live my life pay check to pay check and wish that I could have been more. I believe that contentment leads to resentment in so many cases. We get satisfied as to what we are and get rooted in our comfort zone, then in most cases set back and complain that this guy gets paid this much, and this woman gets paid this much. While all the while we should have been in that position ourselves but we are driven not as leaders, but as followers. 

Followers are content, and often times resent those that are in leadership positions. The reasons we would rather complain about Pastor's sermon Sunday rather than go out and apply it to our life, and live it Monday through Saturday is because of being a follower. 

Your life whether you want to believe it or not; is leading someone somewhere. You might have never been a boss, but if at your job your one of the most respected employees because you willing to step up and say I will take that task on. That's a way of leading, if you are a parent your a leader whether you want to be or not. Looking at the state our world is in, due to the lack of leadership in the homes. Its an epidemic, God called us to be leaders. He gave us biblical examples of how to be a leader in our everyday lives. 

Today I am going to quickly share with you the rule of 5 as taught by John Maxwell. I am not going to really elaborate, but this is more for you the reader to examine and find out for your self. Number one thing you must remember a true leader is a learner. You can never lead anyone if you aren't willing to grow in knowledge. The great Francis Bacon was quoted to say,  "Knowledge is power." 

Here is rule of 5 in a nutshell. If you have a big tree in your back yard and you go out back and take your tool the ax, then you get five swings of the ax daily, but that is all. You must do it daily each day you go out and swing this ax, then when you get your five swings in your turn around and walk back in to the house and keep repeating this day in and day out until the tree eventually falls. You are staying consistent with the things it will take to get you to the place of accomplishing your goal. This tree represents your goal, your dreams, your ambitions as long as that tree is still standing you haven't accomplished it yet. That tree going down is the thing that you have chosen to attack.  While you get only five swings at it per day, most of us would listen to the metaphor and immediately say well that's stupid because I would just go out and swing, swing, swing until that guy come down. Most of us in our life approach our goals that way anyways, that is why most will fizzle out. Most will tire down to until they are fine with the tree staying right where its at. Others hit the gas and chop the tree down, but once its down they have no idea what they are doing once they have got there. The actual rule of this metaphor is that we are only to get five swings, because we must embrace the process. The process is what gets you there, the knowledge that if I keep swinging my ax I will eventually reach my goal, I will eventually reach my dreams. Its the concept of consistency, if you don't have it you will never reach your potential.  The entire time you are swinging that ax just those 5 swings a day you are learning and processing more and more skill to ultimately get you to the end of the process.

your five daily swings to help you achieve this and essentially raising your LID are as follows: 

#1 Lead yourself
   - "Understand that if you won't follow you, then why would anyone else"-John Maxwell
#2 Add Value to others.
   - "If a leader cannot value others, then they need to stop leading. Leading is about people." -John Maxwell
#3 Study Leadership
   -daily I research a great leader in history and determine what it is that made them who they are. Remember this thought. Dr. Mike Murdoch tells the story of him paying $1000 dollars for a book and everyone thought he was crazy. He said, "how you can place a value on something this significant." "The man that wrote this book was a Millionaire." he went on to say,"I can buy this book for a $1000 and learn in 3 hours what it took this man seventy years to learn."
#4 Practice Leadership. 
   - "If your not willing to lead then why bother working towards something." -John Maxwell
#5 Intentionally Grow
   - "If your the head of the class your in the wrong class" John Maxwell
   - "Get out of the ankle deep water and submerge yourself in water that is over your head. No matter how deep the water is your in, its still over your head." John Maxwell

Remember your legacy is based upon if your willing to lead or not. Were you and influencer of  men or were you content to be influenced? When I die I want people to say about me I was a great: Husband. Father, Man of God, Coach, Teacher, and Man. I want my life to mean something, I want to get better daily. I strive daily to take my 5 swings at my tree understanding that the process is strengthening my resolve and I am striving for endurance that might not get there over night, but in the long run when I get there I will be ready. I encourage you today to stop being a pointer and learn to be a leader and realized that people follow what they can see. We are visual learners if you are willing to do it yourself someone will follow you, and that is exactly what Jesus showed us with biblical leadership principles in his leading of the disciples. Consistency, endurance, courage, commitment, patience, and confidence will help you leave a lasting legacy. So today work towards raising your LID,  you will be glad you did and so will those who follow you.

That's my Friday Leadership moment of the week. God Bless hope you enjoy this as much as I have if you will let it, it truly will change your life.