Every leader’s journey begins differently but your impact with people matters. Titles and strategies matter, but your greatest legacy will always be the lives you influence and empower.
As you begin your leadership journey, I coined a simple yet powerful framework to guide you – The ABCD of Leadership. It’s something you can think about when you are concerned with how do you lead or work with people to achieve your vision?
The ABCD:
A – Attract Them
One of the secrets of great leaders is their ability to attract people. Great leaders draw people, not by force, but by the vision they carry and the values they live. Vision is attractive. People can clap for your when you get a title or position but ultimately are attracted to you when you share a vision worth following.
In your early stage of leadership, focus on:
- Clarity of Purpose: Let others see where you are headed.
- Consistency: Be the same person in private and in public.
- Character: Integrity remains your greatest magnet.
When you embody these, the right people will naturally gravitate toward you.
B – Believe in Them
In Psychology, there is a principle that says that people rise to the level of belief you place in them. If you want your leadership to influence positively, sow trust before it is fully earned. How do you do this?
- Listening to people’s ideas.
- Assign responsibilities.
- Speak words of encouragement, even when they stumble.
The truth is your confidence in others often becomes the spark that ignites their potential. Be a believer in God, but also a believer of people.
C – Choose Them
A leaders vision may attract a crowd but leaders only work with a few. Jesus did it. Many great leaders have also showed this. It is the law of the inner circle. There is only a given number of people that you can influence directly. Leadership requires that intentional selection of your core team. You cannot mentor everyone equally.
So, you should Identify individuals who:
- Share your values.
- Demonstrate teachability.
- Are willing to grow and serve.
Choosing your inner circle wisely safeguards your vision and multiplies your impact. You may have to do this on a rolling basis, but choose your methods wisely.
D – Develop Them
True leadership is measured by the leaders you raise and not the followers you have. Developing leaders takes a lot of investment in time and energy but the goal of leaders is not to produce followers but more leaders.
As you rise in leadership, commit to:
- Providing opportunities for learning and stretch assignments.
- Offering constructive feedback.
- Modeling the standards you expect.
Your role is not only to lead today but to prepare others to lead tomorrow.
The question for you is “Who will take over from you?” “How are your deliberately equipping that person?”
This week, I want you to think deeply about this framework and decide on where you are and what you are going to do next.
Remember this: Leadership is not about being superior; it is about lifting others. This ABCD of Leadership keeps you focused on people, growth, and legacy. Attract them by your character, believe in them to unlock potential, choose wisely, and develop faithfully.
Keep growing, keep giving, keep leading.
I’m rooting for you,
The Great Owete