Lion Training Three

Lions have the mind that reproduces other lions.

Your life will end someday, but your influence could go on for significantly longer if you can find a way to reproduce. I’m not talking about having kids and grandkids, although that IS one way to reproduce, but I’m talking about reproducing leadership in other people.

Think back on the people who have influenced you. Do you do, or say some of the same things that they did? Do you find yourself running through some of the very same procedures when it comes to making hard decisions? I do—because I was influenced by people who had ‘been there, done that’ and their experience made all of the difference to me when I took on some of their qualities and habits.

How can we reproduce lion leaders?

(1) Lead yourself well.

If you don’t have it, then you can’t give it away! It’s important that before we try to teach something, or influence someone, that we have a good grip on just what it is that we’re trying to give to them!

Sometimes this is a difficult one, because quite honestly, we’re hard on ourselves. Psychologist Sheldon Kopp said this: “All the significant battles are waged within the self.” How true! But we have to overcome our perceived insecurities if we’re going to reproduce other leaders.

How do we lead ourselves well? Follow a great leader. I would suggest that you take a hard look at how closely you’re following Christ. I’m not talking about perfection here—I’m talking about how you’re doing when it comes to putting God first in all that you are involved with. Your business, your home, your kids, your habits and hobbies. Where does God fit into those parts of your everyday life?

(2) Look continually for potential leaders.

Lou Holtz, the former head football coach at Notre Dame said: “You’ve got to have good athletes to win, I don’t care who the coach is.” Take that one and apply it to your lion reproduction program. If you’re going to reproduce leaders, you have to constantly be on the lookout for potential leaders who will step into the batter’s box, and take swings!

When it comes to reproducing Christians, the supply of potentials is nearly unlimited. Everyone has a circle of people that they are in constant contact with: family, friends, and coworkers who don’t know Jesus yet. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to live your Christianity out in front of others…it will cause people to ask questions.

(3) Put the team first.

Bill Russell played professional basketball for the Boston Celtics from 1956-1969. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. When asked about his style of play, he said this: “The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I’d made my teammates play.” Wow. Who wouldn’t want to follow that guy onto the basketball court?!

When you’re in the process of reproducing leaders, make sure that you always put the team first.

Here are some questions that you should ask yourself:

• Do I add value to others?
• Do I add value to the organization?
• Am I quick to give away the credit when things go right?
• Is our team consistently adding new members?
• Do I use my ‘bench’ players as much as I could?
• Do many people on the team consistently make important decisions?
• Is our team’s emphasis on creating victories more than producing stars?

(4) Commit yourself to developing leaders not followers

It was management expert Peter Drucker who said: “People who excel at something can rarely tell you how to do it.” Sad, but true. Too often we have the mentality that those who can—do, those who can’t—teach. While this might be correct for golf pros at the club, or for some business professors at universities, this isn’t the case for leadership reproduction.

We have to commit to raising up leaders, and not just followers if we’re going to continue on influencing people. Jesus did. He entered the scene with one thing in mind: leaving. And He knew that if He didn’t reproduce Himself, then it would be a tough road ahead for Christianity. So reproduce Himself He did. He poured Himself into 12 guys who ended up changing the course of history.

Who are you developing?

I’ve used some material from John Maxwell’s book ‘Becoming a person of influence’ for this section.