Week 13:-: The Power of Example.

“...So whatever they tell you, take care to do it. But don't do what they do, because they talk but don't act”!~Matthew 23:3“...for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” ~Matthew 12:37

Objectives:

• Understand the power of your actions
• Review how your actions impact your team
• Target changes to help increase your impact

Introduction

You deserve a certificate in hypocrisy if you tell anyone, “do what I say not what I do!” This just does not work. I used to tell my last son when he was much younger, not t put his feet on the table. A long time ago, I came back home from work tired and therefore in great need to a rest. I assumed my lazy position , flipped my legs up to a side table while resting my body. As I peered from the side of eyes, the little man mirrored my actions almost at the “speed of light”. His little legs were on the table of course. Even though I had communicated to him that it was irresponsible to put ones legs on the table, I actually taught him that it was actually okay to do so. This new teaching through my action, seems to have deleted what I spent my time trying to teach through my words. Do your actions match your words? 

Per Maxwell, “people do, what people see”. A leader who consistently shows up late for meetings for example, is communicating to his/her team that it is okay to show up late for meetings. As someone said, actions speak louder than words. While servants have the responsibility of communicating their vision in a powerful manner, they also need to model the vision. Their people need to see them walking in the vision. You can be sure that your people are always watching you. Can you state with absolute certainty and no fear like the Apostle Paul that your people should imitate you (1 Corinthians 11:1)? Change should start from within and radiate out to impact those in your sphere of influence. Work to win over yourself first then you will find out that it is easier to change others. Talk is indeed cheap but when it comes to action, many fail. An authentic servant leader will strive to grow as a a man/woman of integrity, by matching their actions with their words since they understand the power of being either a good or bad example. We truly lead by what we do and not just by what we say only.

What are the consequences of communicating a poor example?

The law of sowing and reaping informs us that what you sow, is what you reap. It is worth noting that you always almost reap more than what you sow. A child who copies the poor examples of the parents will likely manifest that poor character at a higher degree. In the Bible, we see David committing adultery (privately) with Bathsheba and later murdering her husband. David's son, Absalom, later committed adultery (publicly), with his fathers concubines as well as killed his brother. Later on, his son Solomon, also killed another brother. Here, we can see the multiplying effect of communicating a poor example. Another example in contemporary history is the story of Jonathan Edwards (a preacher) and Max Jukes. Both men lived around the 1700s. It is reported that:

“Jonathan Edwards’ legacy includes: 1 U.S. Vice-President, 1 Dean of a law school, 1 dean of a medical school, 3 U.S. Senators, 3 governors, 3 mayors, 13 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 doctors, 65 professors, 75 Military officers, 80 public office holders, 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, and 285 college graduates. Max Jukes’ legacy on the other hand included: 7 murderers, 60 thieves, 190 prostitutes, 150 other convicts, 310 paupers, and 440 who were physically wrecked by addiction to alcohol. Of the 1,200 descendants that were studied, 300 died prematurely. How may this be explained? Edwards and his wife were a godly pair, but he was also hard working, intelligent and moral. Jukes came to to the attention of the public when the family trees of 42 different men in the New York prison system were traced back to him”. You can read more about this here - https://www.familythatmatters.com/edwards-legacie/

As a servant leader, your example is the fine line between your ability to impact and build other servant leaders and total failure. You must examine intentionally if your actions match your words. If your actions are inconsistent and do not reflect the values you preach, you fail.

How to increase your impact through your example

1. Compare your list of values with your recent actions. Carrying out a personal audit, will help you identify the weak points. Knowing your values is good. Communicating them is beautiful. Living them is excellent! If you find any inconsistencies, ask God (and in some cases your team) for forgiveness and determine to be consistent.
2. Be accountable to someone. Have someone in your inner circle observe and give you feedback on any inconsistencies in your character and actions. They should be able to freely share their thoughts without fear of retaliation.
3. Write a list of areas that you would like to see people who are in your team do better in and evaluate yourself based on this list. Do we judge others when we ourselves need improvement? Unless you see yourself as you truly are, you risk stagnating and sending the wrong signals to your team.
4. Take time to talk to God about your weak points. You may have tried to deal with some issues but no matter how hard you try, you seem to be loosing the battle. Do not give up, we have a Savior in Jesus. Talk to Him about your challenges.

Assignment 13

1. Carry out a personal audit of your values versus your actions over the last 1 month. It should be in a table thus:

Value (Words)	Action	Consistent/Not	What I should have done	What next?
1
2
etc

1. Complete the table above.
2. Are you accountable to someone ? Ask them to give you an honest feedback regarding your actions versus values.
3. Do exercise 2 with at least 3 people from your inner circle.
4. Write a list of areas that you would like to see people who are in your team/inner circle do better in and evaluate yourself based on this list?
5. Talk to God about any character weaknesses. Write a brief summary of what you learned this week and explain why it is important for all leaders. Post on your blog and share the link in your group.

Email your assignment to Team21online@gmail.com and your mentor.