[#12] Leadership 104: A Lesson from Lion King- Be Prepared.

To truly be a good leader, there is one thing that you’re going to have to get over: being liked.

So leader, prepare yourself, because leadership is a position of scrutiny. People will be watching you, people will be disagreeing with you, people may even criticize your decisions. But, no worries, there are three pieces of advice I have for dealing with these lovely folk:

 1) Remember Your Purpose – There will alway be people out there who criticize your actions and try to bring you down. Think about all the people throughout the Gospel’s who followed Jesus, trying to get Him to step of His path. He didn’t let these people get to Him, because he was aware of the bigger mission. Don’t let your naysayers throw you off track. Remember why we should be leaders? It fulfills our purpose of bringing God glory in this life. So when the going gets tough remember why you are leader in the first place.

 2) Don’t Take It Personally – This is no easy task. It’s in our selfish nature to assume that people are mean and criticize us because we are the problem, when typically is it a personal issue that they have which causes them to lash out. Do your best to love the people who criticize you, but also do your best to not let their actions get to you.

 3) Leadership Can Require Tough Love – Just like your parents may have made decisions for you that you did’t like at the time, you may need to make decisions as a leader that leave people unhappy with you. Your parent’s made those decisions because they loved you though, right? Let’s take a hint from them. Lead in love, and understand that sometimes love requires unpopular decisions. Just remember, prayerfully consider your decision, make sure it’s what’s best for the group, and be willing to give up your popularity if it means doing the right thing.

I have to admit that this is what I find the most difficult about being a leader, but learning to stick to your guns and not compromise your purpose is part of being a person of integrity.

Have you ever had to overcome adversity as a leader? What did you do? 

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About the Author

Nina Prozzo is a recent college graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronic Media. She likes people, art, media, food, and when all four things are together, it makes her bubbly and makes her want to go frolicking in the green fields of Vermont. Check out her blog; she’s got some good stuff to say.