#376 - 3 REASONS I LOVE BEING A POINT LEADER

Last week I reflected upon some reasons why I hate being a point-leader. Though I believe it was very therapeutic for me to think through some of my frustrations with point-leadership, I think it will serve me and others well to share the things I love most about leading in the capacity that I do. After all, though the lows of leadership may be low, as you will see in this list, the highs are high!

1. THE SUCCESS IS PERSONAL

As a point-leader no one experiences the joy, excitement, and satisfaction of progress being made towards the organization's mission and vision than I do. Very few emotions can compare to the feeling of dreaming up a preferred future and seeing it come to pass as a result of time, effort, and energy that you and your team put forth. The realization that the positive results that the organization is experiencing may not have come to pass without your bold and courageous point-leadership is very personally satisfying!

Though the joy of the success of an organization can be shared by all, the degree of joy is directly related to one's emotional attachment to and responsibility for the organization's success. And no one is more emotionally attached and feels more responsible than the point-leader!

2. THE TEAM IS ENJOYABLE

Without a team, there is nothing for a point-leader to lead. The point-leader's team is what makes a point-leader a point-leader! With that in mind, it is one of my life's greatest joys to identify, recruit, develop, and deploy a team of people to pursue the accomplishment of a mission.

As a point-leader, I have the privilege of casting a compelling vision to potential team members in an effort to have them fill key roles on the team. As a point-leader, I have the privilege of placing new team members in the roles that suit them most and serve the organization best. As a point-leader I have the privilege of not only developing the skills and competencies of the individual team members, but also the culture and values of the team as a whole. Finally, as a point-leader I have the privilege of sending the team out with encouragement, hope and excitement!

Each of these aspects of team-building are super enjoyable! The meetings, the conversations, the brain-storming sessions, the meals eaten, the experiences shared, the victories celebrated - there is such joy in a journey taken together. I really couldn't tell you what part of point-leadership I love more: the success the team creates or the creation of a successful team!       

3. THE CHANGE IS POSSIBLE

As a point-leader, no one has more ability to catalyze change than I do. If the organization is drifting from its' mission, wavering in its' commitments, or faltering in the achievement of its' goals, point-leaders can, like no one else in the organization, initiate change. If the organization or business is structured properly the point-leader should have the least amount of "red tape" in their way stopping them from doing what needs to be done to get the results the organization is intending to get.

Point-leadership is exhilarating because if there is something that needs to be changed, we can change it. If there is an opportunity to be pursued, we can pursue it. If there is an obstacle to overcome, we can overcome it. Point-leaders can't place blame, make excuses, or avoid responsibility, and when there is no one else to blame but yourself, you are actually empowered to do something about it! And though that may be a heavy burden to bear for some, to the point-leader, the opportunity to pursue change with as few hindrances as possible is one of the things we love most about the opportunity we've been given!

What does this mean for you?

  1. Appreciate your position. If you are a point-leader, these are the privileges that you have been given. Appreciate them. Enjoy them. Cherish them. There are no guarantees of how long we will have the privilege of leading in our organizations, homes, businesses, and groups in the ways that we do. Approach each day with an awe and wonder of the fact that you get to lead! 

  2. If you are not a point-leader but would like to become one, serve faithfully where you are currently at. If you want to experience the joys listed above, be faithful in the positions and opportunities you have already been given. Nothing can accelerate you quicker into a position of point-leadership than excelling where you are at. Nothing can slow you down faster from becoming a point-leader than taking for granted where you at. 

What do you love most about point-leadership? Leave your comment below, I'd really like to know!