Great Leaders Part 1: Perseverance

Our pastor has started a new series on leadership. It inspired me to blog. Sort of an homage. No copyright infringement meant Pastor Chad. *giggle*

Let's talk a little about leadership. It has been said that each person will influence over 10,000 people in their lifetime. This is like 7 degrees of separation on steroids. So are you influencing people in a positive way? Are you a great leader? What makes a great leader?

 Pastor Chad says he believes there are certain traits that great leaders possess. These are what he will focus on over 4 sermons. This week's trait was perseverance. Never quit, never say die. We tend to think of this in grand ways. In fact the bible story he used to illustrate this trait was one of those. A lone man fighting alone in a pea patch against an entire army: It was harvest day in this village. The peas were the farmers sole source of survival. The army was marching in to take them. A warrior who had no personal interest in the harvest fought against impossible odds to save them. I had never heard this story before but I will never forget it because apparently Pastor Chad thinks you hold a sword in a batters stance and that made me giggle.

Perseverance comes in quiet ways as well. People who soldier on despite great hardships. I find those people to be even more inspiring. Those farmers who toiled every day to grow those peas. Their only source of recognition is the battle that happened in their fields. But, if it wasn't for people like them those high profile warriors wouldn't eat.

Perseverance means never giving up. Thomas Edison said "I start where the last man left off." It took him many tries to perfect his inventions. And he never stopped inventing. He held 1,093 patents in his name.  

But in order to succeed you must begin. Success does not come to the weak of heart. Things are going to get difficult. "Trying times are not the time to quit trying." According to Pastor Chad there are 3 keys to being a person who perseveres:

1. Give all that you have, not more than you have
2. Be determined
3. Quit when the job is done, not when you are tired

There are no guarantees of success. You may give your all and fail. But you can't succeed at something you never try. And if you put your all into it you are setting yourself up for success. 

 My mind keeps going to great leaders in our countries history. No one person could make changes alone. They inspired others to follow them and stand firm beside them. This led to smaller levels of perseverance and leadership. It is the difference between Martin Luther King Jrs "I Have A Dream" persona and the people who fought for his dream. We remember the image of the children who crossed the barriers in Arkansas to integrate the first public school. Have you ever considered the perseverance it would take to get up every morning and continue to go to that school after the National Guard and TV cameras left?

Be the person that inspires others to follow. Encourage others to live their dreams. Surround yourself with good people. And never ever give up.