Heart Power

a Biblical thought...
For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly. (Proverbs 5:21-23)

a Book thought...
Management is largely derived from a cerebral connection, a sharing of a cerebral purpose, one without an emotional connection. On the other hand, leadership involves both what I
call the ‘neck up’ components of the intellect and the rational thinker and the ‘neck down’ aspects of the emotional realm. (p125)
a Dave thought... by Peter Ellyard
Leadership needs heart power: the amount and kind of heart power we possess defines the kind of leader we are. Over the last fifteen years I have worked with clients on leadership development and I have examined what the key emotions are connecting the leader with others, and what the key emotional qualities are which the leader should embody to make people want to give loyalty to them. If one considers great leaders such as Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King, we notice that they possess six qualities in abundance, all of which are heart-derived rather than head-derived. The key six ‘heart’ qualities are:

• Confidence: having self-belief without hubris.
• Courage: going where others dare not, overcoming self-interested opposition.
• Commitment: doing what must be done; being assertive not aggressive.
• Consideration: listening and responding to the opinions and views of others.
• Courtesy: showing respect in conversation.
• Compassion responding with empathy to victims and the disadvantaged.

You might like to assess these qualities in some leaders whom you think are particularly effective or ineffective. Give them a score out of ten for each heart quality and add them up. You might like to do the same with yourself.

Just a thought.