Pre-Conf #3 – Authentic Leadership

With Dan Webster

Above the waterline (what is visible to others) = the work with your name on it.

Below the waterline (what is unseen by others) = the heart, soul, character of a person.

You’ve got to have more weight below the water than above in order to stay upright.  The ballast bulb does this for this boat, without that weight below the waterline, it’s get real ugly, real quick.

Three ways to live:

High Competence – Low Character

• Win at all costs

Low Competence – High Character

• As long as you are a good person and follow Jesus it doesn’t matter how good you are at what you do.

High Competence – High Character

• See Parable of the Talents

Proverbs 4:23

Psalm 78:72

Ephesians 2:10

Make sure you check out the Ephesians verse, it reminds us of our identity and that we are to do “good works” but that’s not what gives us our value.  This is huge in living as an authentic leader because it allows us to be transparent with people, not always holding up a facade.

How Trouble Comes

The Persona becomes more “weighty” than the character. 

• The persona is the image that the outside world sees of us, what we have created to deal with the “stuff” of life.

Authentic Leadership

Our character is “weighty” enough to direct our persona.  OR Our persona is porous enough to let a constant stream of our inner character bleed through.

Defining Authentic Leadership

Authentic leaders experience an ongoing intimacy  with  God, honestly face the inner spiritual and emotional journey, and identify, develop, and use their God given gifts and  passions to impact the world.

1. An ongoing intimacy with God. – Lead yourself, keep faith present tense, the temptation is to fade.
2. Honest spiritual & emotional journey. – assess the real condition of your life, understand your personal history, the temptation is to fake.
3. Using gifts & passions to impact the world. – do the work of discovery & development, discover you “sacred trust,” the temptation is to cave in to the shallowness of conformity.

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Humilty

• Creates space in us to hear God & others.
• Creates space around us for others to flourish

Emotional & Spiritual Maturity is about pursuing wholeness.

• allows my growth to be a catalyst to stimulate growth in others

Successful people have:

• A set of competencies
• Are alliance builders
• Live with integrity

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The courageous leader blazes the trail into their own heart. -Henri Nouwen