Leaders Learn to Affirm "4 Tips"
LEADERSHIP "NO-BRAINERS"
"Leaders Learn to Affirm"
by Kathy Pedeaux
What an great honor to be a person of influence, a leader, but
with that privilege also comes responsibility. Part of that
responsibility is to "LEARN TO AFFIRM." It seems that I remember
a man called Peter, and you know him as well. John 1:41-43 says,
"The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and
tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And
he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are
Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when
translated, is Peter which means Rock) Jesus saw within him
something that he was not, but was to become. It is a joy to be
in a position to call out the best and to affirm that which is
good in others. Yes! It propels those who God has given us
influence with to go beyond what they could ever expect. It is a
continious prayer of my own that the people who God has
entrusted me with to lead, would do more than I have ever done
and influence more lives than I have ever influenced.
When I was a pre-teen, my mother noticed that I could swim well
and she continued to compliment and affirm the gifting in me
concerning swimming. When I reached the old age of 14, she
decided that she would not only brag on me, but equip me to do
something with what I seemed to have a gift for. Immediately she
researched on what I could do with such a gift. She found that
there was a YMCA about 45 miles away from our very small
so-called town, and enrolled me in the next lifeguard training
school. She lied about my age because I was too young to enter
the class but she was sure that I would be such a success that
age would not matter. I am not encouraging being deceptive, but
you get the point. Anyway, I passed the physical training and
the academic testing with flying colors! I believe that my
success was because someone believed in me, affirmed me with
words and with actions. This is an example of many positive
things that my parents have called out in me over several years,
but even greater than what I was able to achieve, was the lesson
I learned in believing in others. It begins in our homes and
with our families, then to others throughout our workplace and
our ministries.
Affirmation can be learned and practiced even if you feel it is
not your personality to be so verbal about the things you see.
You can write notes, send cards and even use e-mail to call out
the best in others. How do you see the best? Start with the
little things like, "I love the way you helped that old
gentlemen through the door." Another example may be, "You are so
good with making people feel comfortable around you." Begin to
ask God for insight and revelation for the people around you.
You will have so much fun watching people respond to positive
feedback from you. When you begin to love people in this way, it
becomes addictive and it is not flattery. Afterall, God is the
same way with us if we just listen. He is our biggest
cheerleader, and we don't have to depend on people, parents,
friends or coworkers to affirm us. If we just listen, we can
hear him cheering us on. Note: It is important to be truthful
about the positive things you say about others, otherwise it is
flattery and that is unproductive. Love someone today by
expressing to them something positive you see, and you will find
yourself becoming a more influential person and a better leader.
Read next month's article called,
"Confrontation - The Life-Giving Way"
5 Practical Tips is "LEARNING TO AFFIRM"
1. Identify - Take time to think about someone and decide what
you appreciate about them.
2. Specify - No generalizations, be to the point.
3. Qualify - Communicate how they have made an impact in your
life.
4. Amplify - Shine the light on others in public, not just when
you are alone.
5. Be Generous - Never take credit for things that you can give
away. (Take every opportunity to relenquish or the reward to
someone else.)
*Don't forget to exercise this with family first! We have not
been successful in anything if we have not been successful at
home!
If you enjoyed this article and are interested in more articles
by this author and other free resources please visit our website
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