非典型領袖的共通特徵

成功的人總是找機會要助人，不成功的人總是在問: 「有什麼東西是給我的？ 」 我相信作家兼演說家布萊恩·崔西(Brian Tracy) 說的：「成功跟人有關，要成功最好的方法就是透過幫助別人達成他們的目標，在那個過程裡，他們也會達成你的目標。」

領導是言行合一。我們可以口頭上說，自己如何地重視別人，但是只有當我們行出來真正去幫助別人，發揮他們的潛能和達成他們的夢想時，我們才是真正值得被追隨的領導者。

我永遠不會忘記一個老闆告訴我：「如果你需要一個地方成長和成為神要你成為的人，我們這裡隨時歡迎你。」他說到做到，他真的在他組織裡給了我一個位置，讓我有機會去探索，這是我以前從沒想過的。

當耶穌選門徒的時候，他給雅各和約翰的一個跟隨他的理由: 跟從祂，他們能成為比自己想像更偉大的人，能夠做比自己想像更大的事。那時彼得、安德烈、雅各和約翰他們捕魚為生，對自己的期待大概就是終身撒網，把魚撈到自己的船上而已。

耶穌沒有輕視他們的職業，而是要求他們要提高境界。耶穌對他們說：「來跟從我，我要叫你們得人如得魚一樣。」（馬太福音4章19節）而在這些門徒看到耶穌行了許多神蹟之後，耶穌告訴他們：「我實實在在地告訴你們，我所做的事，信我的人也要做，並且要做比這更大的事，因為我往父那裏去。」（約翰福音4章12節）

耶穌復活之後，祂明白地說說出對門徒的呼召，也是一個挑戰： 「所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗（或譯：給他們施洗，歸於父、子、聖靈的名）。 凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。」（馬太福音28章19-20節）」幾年之後，使徒保羅也說：「所以，我們作基督的使者，就好像　神藉我們勸你們一般。我們替基督求你們與　神和好。」（哥林多後書5章20節）

當我們檢視自己的職業生涯時，回想是誰幫助你？是誰激勵你有更多的夢想、有更多的學習、做更多事情、也成就更多？今天你是否也能找出需要幫助的人，去鼓勵、挑戰他們，所以他們能超越自己、成就更多？

註1：約翰‧昆西‧亞當斯，美國第六任總統。 他是第二任總統約翰·亞當斯及第一夫人愛比蓋爾‧亞當斯的長子。 在進入政治領域之前，他曾擔任過老師、跟律師 在詹姆斯‧門羅時期擔任美國國務卿，並發展「門羅主義」。

勞勃．泰默西是領袖資產協會的傳播部副部長，這是一個總部在美國喬治亞州亞特蘭大的非營利組織。

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, “What is in it for me?”” states author and speaker Brian Tracy. I believe he is correct. It has been said many times, “you win with people,” and an excellent way to do that is by helping others to achieve their own goals and, in the process, enable them to participate in achieving yours.

Of course, helping others sounds like a noble aim, but how do you go about doing it? One of the first U.S. presidents, John Quincy Adams, offered this perspective: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

So it seems to be a combination of leading by action as well as by words. We can communicate verbally how much we value others and seek to motivate them, but when we actively demonstrate our desire to help them reach their potential and achieve their dreams, we are proving to be leaders worth following.

I will never forget one boss who told me, “If you need a place where you can flourish and become all God has designed you to be, we have a place for you.” Then he backed up those words by giving me a position with his organization that in fact enabled me to explore opportunities I could not have imagined before.

When Jesus Christ was selecting His followers, one of the factors that drew others to Him was the promise to help them become much more than they could envision for themselves. His initial choices – Peter and Andrew, James and John – were engaged in their families” fishing trade. They probably expected to spend the rest of their days casting nets into the sea and hauling fish into their boats.

Jesus did not demean their vocation, but urged them to set their sights higher. ““Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men”” (Matthew 4:19). After they had observed wondrous miracles He had performed, Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).

After His resurrection, Jesus clarified the call He had for each of His followers, an ambitious assignment: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Is it any wonder that years later, the apostle Paul declared, “We are therefore Christ”s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ”s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Reviewing your career to this point, who has helped you? Who has inspired you to dream more, learn more, do more and become more? And can you identify anyone you are now striving to help, urging and challenging them so they can aspire to become more than they are today?

Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a non-profit based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.