Church Protocol & Etiquette (Part 1 & 2)

(Part 1)

Ministerial Etiquette & Protocol
Check Here For Powerpoint Presentation: http://www.apostolicassembliesofchrist.com/pdf/MinisterialE.pdf


(Part 2)

An Exhortation to Church Service Etiquette
Cary Monaco
Editor


Several years ago I attended a sports/activities awards banquet at a high school which featured the women’s volleyball coach at a nearby university as guest speaker. Soon after he began his speaking presentation I became both disgusted and incensed. No, not about what he was saying, but because of the terrible lack of respect and common decency afforded him by many of those in the crowd of about 200 people.



As the poor guy tried to give his speech you could barely hear him over the conversations being conducted at the same time by both students and many adults. This in addition to people constantly coming and going, rattling snack wrappers, cutting up, and other rude and disrespectful behaviors. After about 10 minutes or so of it, much to the horror and embarrassment of my then teenage daughter sitting next to me, I told the people within our vicinity to be quiet and listen.



Such terrible and disrespectful manners amongst those at speaking events, concerts, plays and other public occasions are commonplace today. Of course, this lack of respect demonstrated towards others through bad etiquette has reached into local churches to varying degrees. One of the most sad aspects of the past many decades is that the world has changed the church more than the church has changed the world.



People used to dress in their “Sunday Best” for church out of respect for God, but in a society where it’s acceptable to wear shorts, sweats, t-shirts and tank tops most anywhere that’s quickly falling by the wayside. Also, folks used to exhibit behavior in church services which demonstrated respect for the speakers, singers, congregation, facilities and, most of all, for the Lord. However, in many churches even if the truth is preached those who desire to hear it are too distracted by the rude and irreverent conduct of others to get much out of it.



In many churches today it’s hard to get much out of it through the people coming and going, conversations going on, rattling wrappers, slurping drinks and smacking food. That’s not to mention the rowdy kids who aren’t made to sit up and shut up, the watch alarms, cell phone ring tones, and the invitation-killing sound of dozens of Bible covers being zipped up at the conclusion of sermons.



What’s being allowed to go on in many churches is a travesty. Bad manners in church are a reproach to God, His Word, preachers, and the churches themselves.



I. PROPER CHURCH ETIQUETTE GIVES GOD WHAT HE DESERVES

We’re to respect and glorify God at all times, but most especially in His house. Leviticus 19:30 reads, “Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.” Here the Bible directs to “reverence” God’s sanctuary. Certainly the application can be made to church services which feature ministry and worship to the Lord as did the Hebrew Tabernacle and Temple.



Psalm 29:2 exhorts us to “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name” and to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” When people are walking in and out of a church auditorium when it’s time to worship God in song, prayer, teaching and preaching is that giving the Lord the glory due Him? When conversation is going on at such times is God given the glory due Him? When people choose to wear exercise clothes and such to church rather than their “Sunday Best” is the Lord given the glory due Him? When folks are still somewhere in the building drinking coffee and fellowshipping after services have already started is our Savior given the glory due Him?



Yes, the overwhelmingly popular trend in churches is to gratify people’s carnality by making dress ultra-casual, ensuring that plenty of coffee and pastries are available, providing never-ending entertainment for all ages, allowing people to converse and move around as they please, and so on, but any honest reader of the Bible must surely conclude that this new tradition is contrary to the worship of God recorded and instructed in His Holy Word. More and more so the worship of the Lord in churches is being replaced by the traditions of man which revolve around worshipping self.



The “perfect” church of 21st Century America would include “mini” Starbucks and McDonalds in the foyer; the latest Nintendo machines in every Sunday School class; couches and recliners for everyone in the auditorium; vendor-ushers to bring hotdogs, peanuts and ice cold soft drinks throughout services; and a Christian rock group which sounds just like “Black Sabbath” or the “Grateful Dead” except with “spiritual” lyrics.



Such a church would sure to be wildly popular. Indeed, there are already thousands of them which have almost reached the standards of this “perfect church.” However, contrary to popular opinion, the Bible doesn’t teach that churches are to mesh and conform with society. (Romans 12:1,2; I Cor. 6:15-18)



Obviously the Bible directs that we’re not to be conformed to the world, we’re to be transformed from it. People should see a difference from the world when they come to church. They should see a people who are giving the Lord the glory due unto His name. They should see Spirit-filled saints who are honoring and reverencing God rather than a carnal-led congregation devoted to gratifying the flesh and glorifying self.



II. PROPER CHURCH ETIQUETTE GIVES EVERYONE ELSE WHAT THEY DESERVE

Truly, the worst thing about bad church etiquette is that it disrespects God; yet next to this is that it hinders those with spiritual needs. Those who contribute disruptions to church services should well repent and heed the words of Paul who wrote, “…but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” (Romans 14:13b)



How terribly hurtful and sad when people with whom the Holy Spirit is dealing are distracted due to the bad church etiquette of others. There’s the person who needs to be saved whose focus on the preaching is impaired by people continually conversing and going in and out. There’s the visitor looking for a church who can’t wait to leave because of the continual horseplay of the kids allowed to go on in front of her. There’s the church member who needs the message badly but misses so much through the crackling mint and cough drop wrappers, cell phone noises, beeping watches and other assorted disruptions. And, there’s the person under conviction who believes it must be time to leave when the invitation is preempted by Bible covers being vigorously zipped shut. (Why in the world don’t people have the common sense to wait until services are over before conducting their ceremonial Bible zipping?!)



Can there be any doubt that bad church etiquette is frequently used by the devil’s demons in their attempts to stifle the work of the Holy Spirit during services? How dare God’s people allow themselves to be such willing accomplices of the devil!



Not only does improper church etiquette show disrespect to God, it demonstrates it towards everyone in the congregation.



How disrespectful it is when someone is praying and there are those who are talking, cutting up, crackling wrappers, putting on coats, and the like. How disrespectful it is when someone is singing a special and there’s conversation and moving around. How disrespectful it is to the preacher when there are frequent distractions which rob him of having free course in preaching the Word.



Jesus said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” With that in mind, we need to conduct ourselves in church as we would desire if doing the praying, singing, teaching or preaching. Can you imagine how upset and frustrated that you’d be if you were in front of an audience trying to tell them something of great importance and there was all kinds of coming and going, conversation, horseplay, drinking, eating, beepers, wrappers and so on while you were trying to speak?!



Well, it’s even worse in church services because the speaker is trying to tell people the most important message of all, how to be saved from an eternal hell.



III. PROPER CHURCH ETIQUETTE ACCOMPLISHES WONDERFUL THINGS

Wonderful things come forth through practicing proper church etiquette. The Lord will be reverenced and honored, receiving the glory due unto His name. The Word of God will have free course. The congregation will have the opportunity to experience the unhindered ministry of the Spirit. Visitors will be drawn to the church. The entire ministry of the church will become more effective for the cause of Christ.



What more motivation does one need in order to repent of bad manners in services and to begin practicing proper church etiquette?!



CONCLUSION: “Twelve Steps Towards Proper Church Etiquette”

Similar to the common sense move on longer car trips, use the restroom just before services.

In order to avoid walking into services late, leave home earlier.

Don’t be somewhere else in the building drinking coffee, fellowshipping, etc. when you should be in church services.

Write notes to yourself so that you can tell all of the enlightening things you have to say after church services rather than during them.

Don’t bring food or drinks into church services.

Turn off watch alarms and cell phones during services.

Don’t expect someone else to make kids whose parents aren’t at church to behave. At least give it a try yourself.

Consider how the way you dress relates to respect or disrespect for God.

Wait until services are dismissed before zipping up your Bible cover.

Don’t walk out of services during the invitation.

If you must have a certain cough drop or candy enclosed in a crackling wrapper, unwrap as many as needed for church and put them in a noise-free container.

Never, ever, be so utterly disrespectful that you clip your fingernails during services!!!

Link: http://www.baptistedifier.com/an_exhortation_to_church_service_etiquette.html

Extra Link: http://www.a-to-z-of-manners-and-etiquette.com/

Leadership Qualities-Developing Business

Shaping the World through Leadership


Leaders play a critical role during change implementation, the period from the announcement of change through the installation of the change. During this middle period the organization is the most unstable, characterized by confusion, fear, loss of direction, reduced productivity, and lack of clarity about direction and mandate. It can be a period of emotionalism, with employees grieving for what is lost, and initially unable to look to the future.


In addition to forecast and amiability, the characteristics that leader must have are ability to recognize employees' talents, the know-how to make teams work and an open mind.


Leadership does vary to some extent as per the positions i.e. it may be slight different for manager and different for a union leader but the basic qualities of leadership does not change.



1. Good communication skill

Communication is the key to be a great leader. The reason for this is simple: if he possesses the other nine leadership qualities but if he fails to communicate well, he will never be great leader.



What he can do is communicate with others in the organization about what IT can do to move the company forward. In other words, good communication is the key for developing good business relationships. If he can’t establish a good business working relationship, he is not going to be that leader, that team player. He will not be able to communicate how IT can add long-term value to the company. The modern leaders must therefore be equipped with good communication skill and use new ways to do effective communication.



2. Honesty

The most valuable asset of a leader is honesty. He must be honest with both his employees and the management committee. Another part of his features is integrity. Once a leader compromises his or her integrity, it is lost. That is perhaps the reason integrity is considered the most admirable trait. The leaders therefore must keep it "above all else."



3. Visionary outlook

Leadership qualities are different for different position. For a CIO he must be thinking for stabilizing the current business and always looking for future scope of expansion. He has to be able to look beyond where we are today, know where the business is going, and be able to use that vision to move the company forward. Being able to do this is a rare skill indeed.



4. Selecting a good team

A good CIO although he possesses sound technical skills he assures that the team he selects is efficient enough to back up any skill he lacks. Choosing the best people for such team is a skill. A CIO after all is a human being and does not have answer for everything. But by working together he creates an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect; the team then always find the best solution.




5.Action speaks louder than words

Managers must be able to put aside their concerns to listen to (and appear to listen to) those around them. As a result, they come know what is going on, and know what is both said, and said between the lines. They have the knack of appearing to know what people need even if those needs are not expressed directly. However, knowing what is going on, and identifying the needs of those around them is not sufficient. The responsive manager also acts upon that knowledge, attempting to help fulfill the needs of employees, superiors, etc. Responsive managers wield influence to solve problems for those around them, often before even being asked.



6. Ability to motivate people around

A good leader must always keep motivating his team mates for good work and should maintain healthy environment. He must give first priority to safety of workers and see that they are not exploited by superiors.



7. Consistency

Leadership effectiveness is impossible without consistency. Every leader has an approach that is unique to them. Don't change your personal style radically after all; it got you in a leadership position. Modify the rough spots but take care not to confound your staff by displaying inconsistency. Your expectations, though subject to modification based on ever-changing business needs, should remain as constant as possible. The business world is confusing enough without you adding unwelcome surprises into the mix. Keep things simple and consistent.



8. Ability to stand against critics

As the success rate increases your critics multiply and become louder. Come to peace with the fact that you will always have a camp of people who critique every decision you make. They are generally the ones who are excellent problem-identifiers rather than problem-solvers. Develop your skills of repelling such critics so that they do not diminish your confidence or enthusiasm.


Link By: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/9-3-2004-58861.asp

The Recovering Leader / 7 Leadership Strengths Are Weakness When Taken Too Far

Consider a few of the typical assets a leader may have: you'd say they're a good delegator, a good relationship-builder, results-oriented, decisive, etc. Yet any of these strengths become weaknesses when relied upon too heavily or taken too far.

It's tempting to overuse what works--it's simply human nature. So it's important to catch yourself when you do that--notice when a strength has become a weakness, and turn it back around to a positive. To do that, you'll need some help from those you trust, and equal dashes of humility, self-awareness, and practice.

I see this dynamic -- overused strengths, and developing the ability to manage them -- in action every day as I work with my clients, and continue my own development. Almost every executive coaching engagement I do starts with some form of feedback from colleagues about my client. When I ask the strengths questions and later the developmental questions, often the answers are the same.



Here are the seven biggest hitters:



1. Strength: A good grasp of details. When taken too far: “Spends too much time in the weeds” or is “Overly controlling” or has "trouble delegating" or "gets involved in things way below their pay grade."

2. Strength: High standards. Taken too far: Perfectionism—overly demanding of self or others; drives everyone too hard for diminishing returns. Has to have that last detail just right, even if it takes everyone down.

3. Strength: Great relationship-builder. Too far: “A schmoozer / lacks focus on getting the job done.”

4. Strength: Results-oriented. Taken too far: “Leaves a trail of bodies behind them. Uses people up, then moves on.” All about tasks and not humanity or people or relationships.

5. Strength: Strategic thinker. Too far: “Gets us into analysis paralysis,” and “More interested in discussion than action” and "Sees the big picture but has no idea how to execute."

6. Strength: Decisive. Too far: “Overly-controlling /dictatorial” and, “Needs to be the alpha in the room.”

7. Strength: Authentic. Too far: Narcissistic or arrogant, compulsively self-disclosing.



It’s like having a nice speaking voice but not realizing you’re way too loud—plain for others to hear, but not obvious to you, unless someone's willing to let you in on it. There’s no better mirror than feedback from people around you, like colleagues, clients, or family. You can ask:

“What habits or behavior do I tend to take too far, or that get in my own way?” and “Do you notice a pattern to when or how that happens?”

Be prepared, though, because you may take a hit to the ego. Along those lines, you may or may not be ready to hear it. And if you can hear it, change will take effort on your part.

Often leaders say to me “Yah, but this is how I got to where I am today,” to which I respond that they got there based ont he core strength, and not by overusing it. The voice is there, and that’s indeed great, but it’s important to be able to set the volume at the right level to let it be a positive.

Practice takes a commitment to change thinking and actions alike, and holding yourself accountable to notice and moderate the behaviors you tend to over-emphasize.

Being gentle yet firm with yourself about your development areas is a good start. Also, those same colleagues, friends, and family can be a great help in ratcheting your weaknesses back into the strengths contained within them.

I guarantee you if you don’t check your blind spot for your own blend of strengths-cum-weaknesses, you’ll be falling short of taking your A-game to the field every day, so why not give it a try?




Taken From: http://leadershipunleashed.typepad.com/leadership/2010/03/7-leadership-strengths-are-weaknesses-when-taken-too-far.html

Leadership Quotes

 

On - The - Job Leadership Tips

Expanding Your Leadership Care in the 21 Century



Sometimes for busy business leaders the best way to strengthen leadership ability is to intentionally exercise simple, on-the-job self-improvement strategies. Provided below are dozens of self-directed exercises that you can do as you move through your regular work day. For best results, keep the following in mind:

Do each suggestion with a clear purpose in mind.

Approach these exercises with a spirit of experimentation. Not all will work equally well and some may have to be adapted to meet your unique needs and situation;

Take time to reflect on how well each exercise went. Consider questions like the following… What changes did you see? How did you feel about each exercise? How did your reports react? Etc.

The developmental exercises are grouped into nine different categories:


A leader builds meaningful relationships

A leader motivates


A leader is strategic


A leader is a coach


A leader is values driven


A leader builds trust


A leader conducts productive meetings


A leader clarifies issues


A leader promotes a clear vision




Building Meaningful Work Relationships

Write a thank you note or “job well done” memo everyday for a week. Be certain your notes are sincere and specific. Make note of how recipients react.

Offer at least one sincere compliment a day.

Practice common courtesies: apologies, hallway greetings, thank you cards, get well messages, sympathy notes, etc.

Increase visibility by maintaining a visibility log. Use this log to keep track of the percentage of your workday that you are out of your office and talking to team members.

Make a point to ask team members more about themselves, not only about work related interests but also about their outside interests.

Make a list of ten questions about work performance that interest you. Then make a point to ask all ten over the course of a two-week period. The point is to engage your team members in personal and meaningful conversation.

Identify the team members who you have the most trouble with or who you know the least. Make a point to engage in a friendly one-on-one conversation with each of them.

Make a list of the traits that you believe interfere with your management relationships. Work to “correct” each one as you interact with others.

Identify team members with whom you have your strongest relationships. Make a list of traits that the relationships have in common. Work to nurture these traits with others.

Go a full day listening without interrupting once.


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Paper Clip Accountability

Place five paper clips in one pocket. Each time you compliment or meaningfully connect with a team member, transfer one paper clip to another pocket. At the end of the day all the paper clips should have moved.


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Motivate Others

Write an “open letter” in which you extol the achievements of your team. Be certain to use specifics.

Establish peer coaching partnerships to help inexperienced or stressed team members.

Arrange open forums in which volunteers exchange ideas and encouragement in order to support and motivate one another.

Design and administer a team “morale” survey.

Initiate a simple rewards program that offers prizes or recognition—even if you just draw names out of a hat. Explain that the process symbolizes how you appreciate their hard work. Note that the prizes can be humorous or donated by team members. It is the symbolism that counts.

Go a full work week without using attacking or discouraging language when dealing with your team members.

Strategize for Improvement

Work with a small group to create a “stop doing list.” These are procedures, actions, or policies that are outdated, cumbersome, redundant, or annoying.

Set a few minutes aside each day to reflect on how things are going professionally. You may want to ask a few team members to reflect with you.

Make a point to recognize team members who successfully implemented positive change.

Make a list of procedures, functions, and/or policies. With a committee of key players, grade each from A to F. Then talk about improvements.

Make a point to talk to numerous team members one-on-one and ask them the following two questions: What is quality?” and “How do we achieve quality?” Take notes.

Review your current process of delegating. Then develop a list of guidelines for the delegation of tasks. Ask yourself how you can do it more effectively.

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Coach Others

Give selected individuals short but pertinent readings on professional strategies. Ask them later what they thought of the reading.

Meet with individuals and identify personal goals. Ask them how you can help them achieve their goals.

Form “new hire” focus groups to discuss “workplace excellence.”

Form Learning Circles.

Conduct open meetings—no agenda, just open talk.

Don’t forget the easiest strategy of all—ask team members … “How are things going?”

Help Drive Positive Work Values

Engage team members in casual conversations around the question…”What is a values driven team?”

Discuss ethical standards with your team members.

Develop a matrix that shows the relationship between your values and your management behavior.

Research managerial ethics. Report your findings to the team.

Identify and clarify team norms or rules of professional interaction.

Link professional behavior to workplace values.

Write down the workplace values that define your approach to leadership. Share them with your team members.

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Building Trust

Work with a small group and identify “trust busters.” Discuss ways to avoid or eliminate trust busters.

Identify three team members who you trust the least and list those things that you distrust about them. Are there some common threads in all three? What is it that drives you to react to them cautiously? Over the next few weeks try at least one strategy to build a positive connection with each of the identified team members.

Find a short article on trust and give a copy to each of your team members. Ask them to discuss it with you over lunch or before or after work.

Establish a feedback group in which you discuss the level of trust on your team. Identify positive things that you can do to build trust.

If you made a leadership mistake, admit it and discuss it with your team. Note how the team reacts.

Define authentic behavior for yourself. Set some standards for authentic behavior and hold yourself accountable to them.

Make a short audio tape in which you affirm your commitment to building stronger levels of trust. Listen to this tape periodically for motivation and affirmation.

Survey your leadership peers to discover what they do to build trust with their teams.

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Conducting Better Meetings

Develop a list of things that you can say to let meeting latecomers know that tardiness is unacceptable.

Complete the following metaphor: “My style as a meeting facilitator is like _______________________________________.”

At your next meeting tell the participants that you are working on one or two meeting facilitation skills. After the meeting ask the group how you did with each. Ask for suggestions.

Identify three to five adjectives that define your style as a meeting facilitator. Then ask selected team members to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a meeting facilitator. Any Patterns? Similarities? Surprises?

At your next meeting stop mid way and ask the participants how the meeting is going. Ask for suggestions to improve your meeting facilitation.

Establish an assessment group and identify ways to keep meetings focused and on track.

Make a list of ways to replace meetings with other forms of communication.

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Clarify Issues
Create a committee clearing house to identify, define, and prioritize team issues.

Carry a small notebook to jot down information, opinions, and ideas that you hear from team.

Identify a personal mentor or coach who you can meet with regularly to talk openly about leadership issues.

Establish a feedback group to get insights into your leadership style and behavior.

As you gather opinions and viewpoints on an issue, make sure you get a diversity of ideas from diverse people.

Stop on occasion and identify those things that you feel are working well and those things that are causing stress.

List the major issues that you have confronted over the last two years. Is there a pattern? Is there a type of issue that keeps emerging?

Keep a log of the time it takes you to handle an issue. Determine if you are handling issues in a timely and efficient manner.

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Vision

Hold informal “round tables” to discuss the future of your team.

Keep a professional journal in which you focus on four aspects of visionary thinking: needs, wants, desires, and dreams.

Write out the “best case” scenario for what you want your team to become. Give it to your team and ask for responses and additions.



Published By: http://www.workshopexercises.com/

Leadership Persuasion Principle Types for Business - Be Aware!

Much of persuasion and other forms of changing minds is based on a relatively small number of principles. If you can understand the principles, then you can invent your own techniques. It thus makes sense to spend time to understand these principles (persuaded yet?).


* Alignment: When everything lines up, there are no contradictions to cause disagreement.


* Amplification: Make the important bits bigger and other bits smaller.


* Appeal: If asked nicely, we will follow the rules we have made for ourselves.


* Arousal: When I am aroused I am full engaged and hence more likely to pay attention.


* Association: Our thoughts are connected. Think one thing and the next is automatic.


* Assumption: Acting as if something is true often makes it true in ones mind.


* Attention: Make sure they are listening before you try to sell them something.


* Authority: Use your authority wisely and others will obey.


* Bonding: I will usually do what my friends ask of me, without negotiation. Because friends should always have my best interest at heart, and if they don't. Their not friends.


* Closure: Close the door of thinking and the deal is done.


* Completion: We need to complete that which is started.


* Confidence: If I am confident, then you can be confident.


* Confusion: A drowning person will clutch at a straw. So will a confused one.


* Consistency: We like to maintain consistency between what we think, say and do.


* Contrast: We notice and decide by difference between two things, not absolute measures.


* Daring: If you dare me to do something, I daren't not do it. But speak to my mind, and then I will do it if it's within reason, morality, and integrity.


* Deception: Convincing by trickery. Damaging, dangerous, and deadly.


* Dependence: If you are dependent on me, I can use this as a lever to persuade you in some or most cases.


* Distraction: If I distract your attention, I can then slip around your guard. Be careful at all times of these types.


* Evidence: I cannot deny what I see with my own eyes.


* Exchange: if I do something for you, then you are obliged to do something for me within the realm of a contract or verbal agreement.


* Experience: I cannot deny what I experience for myself.


* Fragmentation: Break up the problem into agreeable parts.


* Framing: Meaning depends on context. So control the context.


* Harmony: Go with the flow to build trust and create subtle shifts.


* Hurt and Rescue: Make them uncomfortable then throw them a rope. This is not a good method at all.


* Interest: If I am interested then I will pay attention.


* Investment: If I have invested in something, I do not want to waste that investment.


* Involvement: Action leads to commitment.


* Logic: What makes reasonable sense in most cases must be true.


* Objectivity: Standing back decreases emotion and increases logic.


* Obligation: Creating a duty that must be discharged.


* Ownership: I am committed to that which I own.


* Passion: Enthusiasm is catching.


* Perception: Perception is a persons current reality until changed. So manage it.


* Persistence: In all things, persistence pays.


* Pull: Create attraction that pulls people in.


* Push: I give you no option but to obey.


* Repetition: If something happens often enough, I will eventually be persuaded.


* Scarcity: I want now what I may not be able to get in the future.


* Similarity: We trust people who are like us or who are similar to people we like.


* Social Proof: When uncertain we take cues from other people.


* Specificity: People fill in the gaps in vague statements.


* Substitution: Put them into the story.


* Surprise: When what happens is not what I expect, I must rethink my understanding.


* Tension: I will act to reduce the tension gaps I feel.


* Threat: If my deep needs are threatened, I will act to protect them.


* Trust: If I trust you, I will accept your truth and expose my vulnerabilities.


* Uncertainty: When I am not sure, I will seek to become more certain.


* Understanding: If I understand you, then I can interact more accurately with you.


* Unthinking: Go by the subconscious route.



Published By: http://www.changingminds.org/  
Edited By: Pastor, Bryant McNeal

Discovering Leadership Traits

In psychology, a trait is a stable characteristic--potentially lasting throughout one's entire life. Coming up with an exact list set of leadership traits is difficult due to:

1. Culture - What works in the West does not work in the East, a trait that works in France will be less successful in America.

2. Context - What trait is appropriate depends on the context one finds oneself.

3. Paradox - Leadership is paradoxical. It defies logic due to unconscious factors and emotions.

4. Means and Ends - Leadership is both a means when it focuses on process and behaviors and an end when leaders focuses on goals and outcomes.

Having said that an exact list in impossible to come up with, does not mean that leadership traits are not important in leadership development. It simply means that different experts will come up with different lists, so a certain amount of confusion will need to be tolerated.

It's reasonable to assume that certain personality traits are associated with leadership, while others are not. Take out time to research articles which talk about traits associated with leadership success and failure.

> Leadership Traits Associated With Failure:
Many times we focus on leadership traits associated with success, but it is interesting to understand failures of leadership as well. This article mentions 6 "warning signs." or traits associated with leadership failures. This includes:

* A Shift in Focus. It discusses when leaders forget the big picture and shift focus on the little things. Like making money or fixating on fame as the reason why they are doing what they are doing.

* Poor Communication. Great leaders understand that followers don't read minds. Great leadership is about communicate ideas.

* Risk Aversion. This trait talks about the fear of failure and how past successes can be a treasure.
* Ethics Slip. There has to be a close relationship between what a leader does and what he/she is.
* Poor Self-Management. It's very important that the leader takes care of him/herself to be able to achieve goals. (Physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs)
*Lost Love. Leaders have to remember the vision that brought them there. Stay on track—stay the course.


> Five Enemies of Effective Leadership:
This area talks about how employees don't want to be managed, but need to be lead. It covers five "enemies" to successful leadership that include:

* Selfishness. here we focus on what we want and don't consider what other people want and need.
* Power Struggles. as leaders, we have to learn to serve, not demand.
* Poor Communication. If we don't communicate well, our message will be misunderstood, misinterpreted and misplaced. We often use wrong words, tone of voice, or our body sends a different message than our mouth.
* Behavior: we need to know ourselves and what are the things that get us out of control, we need to learn when we have to delegate.
* Jealousy. we need to learn that more does not always lead to happiness.


> Six Air Force Leadership Traits:
The Civil Air Patrol is a organization brach of the U.S. Air Force. The organization lists 6 traits important to success in a military context. They are:

* Selflessness
* Decisiveness
* Energy
* Commitment
* Loyalty
* Integrity


> Leadership Traits According to the SBA:
Leadership traits are a subset of personality traits. According to Raymond Cattell, a pioneer in the field of personality assessments, good leaders have these personality characteristics.

* Emotional stability
* Enthusiasm
* Conscientiousness
* Tough-mindedness
* Self-assurance
* Compulsiveness
* Dominance

Please Discover More By Reading The Publisher!
Published By: http://www.legacee.com/