4 Things Leaders Must Do To Move From Average To Great

“The key to life is you try to see things other people can’t see.  This league is set up for everyone to go 8-8.  How do you differentiate?  You have to be bold in any business and do things you take a lot of criticism for but you believe are right.” – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft in the February 6th edition of Sports Illustrated

Normal is overrated.  8-8 football teams are not memorable.  Average is not what it is cracked up to be.  The majority of people are average.  There is nothing wrong with that.  You simply do not need to settle for it.

I think there is greatness in everyone.  The key is figuring out how to pull that out of people.  The key is figuring out how to pull it out of yourself. 

Bob Kraft gives us some keys to breaking out of average and into greatness in our leadership.  Let’s look at the factors that Mr. Kraft says is necessary to achieve greatness.

• See Things Other People Can’t See – Do not be insubordinate to authority or disrespect those older than you but look at things through a different  lens.  Someone was the first to say, “I think man can fly.”  Someone was the first to say, “Hey, I think the world is round.”  Someone said, “I wonder what chocolate and peanut butter would taste like put together.”  You get the point.  Here are some things I’m trying to think about differently:

1. What if we brought small groups back on church campuses on Sunday mornings?
2. Why can’t a staff member be chairman of the elders?
3. Why doesn’t every church in America have on-line giving and a giving kiosk in their lobby?
4. I think mission and vision statements are becoming outdated in churches.  They build parameters that help you say “No” to things.  But our mission is loving Jesus, worshipping Jesus, experiencing Jesus, loving others, and social justice.  To institutionalize these principles is no longer effective and an unnecessary mental exercise that accomplishes nothing.

• Be Bold – Achieving greatness requires courageous leadership and a willingness to step out of the herd.
• Take Criticism – The natural default mode of the human experience is a non-confrontational, homogeneous, non-descrip existence.  As Mr. Kraft stated, the NFL is setup to create a league of 8-8 teams.  We appreciate and admire excellence.  We simply just do not like it sometimes.  As a result, we criticize it.  Great leaders know how to properly evaluate criticism.
• Believe You Are Right – Great leaders are people of conviction.  Great leaders are consumed by their calling.  They can think of doing nothing else.  As a result, they are willing to weather difficult times and the storms of criticism. 

Great leaders see things others can’t see.  They are bold.  They take criticism and believe deeply they are right.

After reading that list and hearing the words of Bob Kraft, arguably the best owner in professional sports, would your team consider you a great leader?  If not, what do you need to change as a leader?

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