The 5 Intangibles of Leadership by Bill Hybels

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Bill Hybels provides his notes on the 5 intangibles of leadership.  He pens:

#1 - Grit

• GRIT-  Passion and perseverance over the long haul, they play hurt, they expect the hurdles and challenges to come but are relentless in getting over/around/through them… The Little Engine that Could…
• Despite many losses, Abraham Lincoln had grit, Nelson Mandela…  Do you have grit?
• Grit demands difficulty and is developed by “wins” in getting over hurdles or climbing the mountains.
• What are we doing to develop our “grit”?
• The enemy of grit is ease- we need to assign ourselves very difficult tasks and “will” yourself to achieve it.
• Many elite leaders push themselves physically for the same discipline (exercise challenges)- one way to grow grit.
• Volunteer for extra work assignments, don’t just deliver… over deliver and over deliver every time…. grit developer.
• Hang out with gritty people.
• When we are pushing ourselves hard, teammates and followers notice and some will push themselves to new levels.

#2 - Self Awareness

• Unresolved issues in our past can lead us to poor choices- what is in our past that is unresolved that is rearing its head in our leadership? Do we avoid conflict? Are we trying to please the wrong person with the wrong motives?
• Often a mess in an organization is represented by poor self-awareness by the leader…
• Blind spots- Leader thinks they’re great at something when they’re not, weekly talks are firing up the team when reality it’s making no difference- what does our team see or experience that we completely are missing in ourselves?
• Recognize blind spots-  Leader thought he held stress well and hid it- however, entire team knew when he was stressed and it extended it to everyone else.
• When blind spots are identified, they can move into your “weakness” category but you can do something about it.
• Everyone has blind spots- your spouse, direct reports, supervisor, closest friends, they may be able to help identify your blind spots.
• How do you grow in self awareness? It demands input from others- not in isolation. Professional coaches and counselors. What do I do well? What don’t I do well? What’s true? Give some people permission to speak into this…

#3 Resourcefulness

• RESOURCEFULNESS- quick learners, curious about how things work, experimenters, agile, they’ll figure it out
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• Our ability to grow in our resourcefulness will impact our leadership in the future.
• How to develop resourcefulness- put yourself in confused, dysfunctional situations and figure it out.
• Try to solve real problems with young leaders in your organization to see what may happen and how resourceful they are.
• “Figure it out."

#4 Self Sacrificing Love

• Vision (though important) is not the core of the core of leadership- self sacrificing love has always been at the core of leadership. Love changes the order of things…
• We live in a day of celebrity, narcissistic leaders- there is more cynicism today than ever…. genuine lack of love.
• Do workers feel personal concern from their organization and leaders?
• Have you taken time out to spend time with someone else that changed the course of their future. What might if you did not take the time?
• If we are without love- what do we really have and what have we really given? What is strategic planning and vision without love?
• It starts with the leader in every organization.

#5 Create a Sense of Meaning

• The what, how, and why in every organization…. Almost everyone understands the “what” and most understand the “how”….  The huge disconnect is the “why”… Why do we sell computers, why do we exist?
• Be a Chief “Meaning” Officer.
• What is at the absolute, white-hot core of why you do what you do? (What one thing would you put in your box of your purpose and why?)
• We need clarity on our “why” in our lives…. we can invite people into a “why” in our organizations.
• Help others find their core and “why."
• WHAT IS IN YOUR BOX? WHAT IS YOUR WHY?  Money? What is it?
• Pursue it will all your heart- find your why and live it out with all your heart

Leaders, find your white-hot “why” and turn over heaven and earth to go after it!