Utilize this Best-Seller Book to Enhance Your Leadership Development Influence

Utilize this Best-Seller Book to Enhance Your Leadership Development Influence

We all agree – leadership development is critical in today’s rapidly changing world. It’s clear to see that bad leadership creates bad outcomes for everyone. We can all recount countless examples, can’t we?

Yes, you can complain, get discouraged, and throw in the towel. That seems natural to do, at times.

However, I believe that you have been strategically born for such a time as this.  It’s a golden opportunity for you to leverage current events, challenging yourself to be an even more influential leader.

The Origin Story for Millennials Matters 

“Seemingly unrelated, disconnected events happen over the course of life. Then one day you wake up and realize, all those events were leading up to now. It’s the moment when God merges your years of talents, skills, experiences, and wisdom for a greater purpose.”

These were the opening lines in Millennials Matter, Proven Strategies for Building your Next-Gen Leaders. I’m still amazed at how everything that has happened in my life culminated in the writing of this book.

After publishing this how-to leadership development guidebook and resource, my passion to build solid, character-based leaders for the future continues. The need for us to build leaders who can navigate the turbulent culture we find ourselves in has never been greater. This is not only true of Millennials.  It includes up-and-coming Gen Z’s, and experienced, current leaders from all walks of life, whether they are in business, politics, churches, education, communities, or the family home.

Since publishing Millennials Matter, I have collaborated with people across the country and the globe to spread the message…

The world needs great leaders to build other great leaders.

It is with humble gratitude that I reflect on everything that has transpired since starting out on this journey.

That’s why I believe it is appropriate to share two extracts from Millennials Matter that deal with gratitude.

Cultivate Gratitude (Chapter 6 – Optimism: An Activating Force – How to Nurture Optimism in your Next-Gen Leader – Page 53)

“When your next-gen leader is stuck, either literally or figuratively, it’s easy to focus on what’s disheartening and discouraging. Everything seems to have a gray hue.

However, the attitude of being grateful is completely separate from our circumstances. One can change their entire life by cultivating a grateful outlook. That may sound a bit dramatic, but recent brain chemistry research, which David D. Burns discusses in Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, confirms that the more exercise you give your brain in being grateful, the more you can defeat hopelessness and be more spontaneously grateful in the future.

Gratefulness turns on the light switch, shedding light on possible solutions.

So how do you cultivate gratefulness? Here are a few ideas to share with your mentee:

• Have them carry a gratitude journal, and commit to recording at least three things in the journal throughout the day.
• If there’s someone your young leader isn’t getting along with, urge them to write three to five positive attributes they notice in that person during the day.
• Depending on how cantankerous the relationship is, this may take a long time to do, but the payoff of rewiring their brain is worth it.
• Have them record ten items or situations they’re grateful for at the end of each day. They’ll get uplifting food for thought in their brain before falling asleep.”

In Section 3, I discuss the importance of collaborating with others to reach our goals.

“Success is based on all of us working together toward common goals. It requires valuing the unique contribu­tion we each bring to the table, as well as respecting what others bring. This fuels communication and collaboration.” ~ Danita Bye, Millennials Matter.

This collaboration requires a humble spirit, devoid of chasing our own, often egotistical goals. It means working together for the greater good of everyone. That’s why I included a section about finding the strengths in others.

I trust that this extract will inspire you to give the gift of gratefulness to those you are leading.

Give the Gift of Gratefulness – (Chapter 29, Find the Strengths in Others, Page 219 – 220)

“When conflicts arise, finding strengths to acknowledge in others can be difficult. However, foster your next-gen leader’s ability to find and acknowledge them anyway.

Have them think of at least three things that they are grateful for in a given person or situation. It may take a few extra minutes or even a couple of hours to come up with three positives. Do it anyway. Then, be grateful for those positives.

There’s a growing body of research on the benefits of being grateful. Gratefulness is a gift you give yourself that empowers others, leverages all your talents, and provides deep meaning and purpose to life.

As an experienced business leader, set the example for your next-gen leader as they begin a lifelong habit of finding strengths in themselves and others, as well as resisting both overconfidence and feelings of intimidation. It’s combined strengths that make a team great.

I was reminded of the power of gratefulness when I read this devotional, written by Rick Warren:

Thank God in all things.

When you pray, pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love, but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities. It makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They’re never satisfied. It’s never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.”

What seemingly unrelated disconnected events have happened over the course of your life to date? Perhaps, like me, you’ve become aware that God is now merging all your past experiences, talents, skills, and wisdom for a greater purpose.

And, you may also feel that you find yourself in stormy waters. You realize that complaining about everything that is wrong in this world, is unproductive. So, what do you do?

In Millennials Matter, you’ll find tips, action steps, and fresh insight on how to expand your leadership influence. I believe our young leaders have a deep desire to make a positive differ­ence, to be world changers. By coaching, sharing your experience, and praying for them, you’re supporting the leaders of tomorrow through some of the most difficult challenges they have ever faced.

Your leadership matters NOW, more than ever.

In the final article in this series, I’ll share the chapter that I’ve contributed in CityServe’s book on compassion ministries.

Leadership Development Lesson: Use your past experiences, talents, skills, and wisdom to build strong leaders for the future.

Leadership Development Question: What has God called you to do to make a positive impact on a future leader in your sphere of influence?