EXCELLENCE IS THE STANDARD AND NOT THE GOAL
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because of an excellent spirit [was] in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Daniel 6:3 KJV
Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40 KJV
According to the website Know Jesus Know Peace, in one of their devotion sections, they quoted Joyce Meyers said: “You can run into mediocrity accidentally but you have to purpose to be excellent.” [1]
A new pastor of a Mega Church stated to his staff the “excellence is the standard and not the goal.” Is administrative staff was nothing close to the excellent performance and to this date, some still are not. He quoted 1 Corinthians as the scripture. In Daniel, it stated he had an excellent spirit and because of that he rose to power. I now wonder is that what the pastor meant.
Collins books, Good to Great, address the leadership of companies and organizations ability to become great. He presented arguments as to whether it was achievable and he presented five Levels:
“Level 1 Highly Capable Individual – makes a productive contribution
Level 2 Contributing Team Member – Contribute Individuals capabilities to the goal
Level 3 Competent Manager – Organize people and goals effectively and efficiently
Level 4 Effective Leader _ Catalyzes commitment to a clear and concise vision
Level 5 Executive – HUMILITY + WILL” (Kindle, 20)
Collin’s focus was on Level 5. He believes the Level 5 leaders recognize not only themselves but apportion responsibilities to others equally for successes and failures. (Kindle, 25-6) During my experience as an employee and a manager, there are managers that take credit for all successes (including those not accomplished by them) and points fingers at others when things fail. These are definitely not level 5 leaders. Level 5 leaders have a humbling spirit and a will to succeed but with dignity. Similar to what Daniel possessed an excellent spirit.
Collins stated “David Maxwell, like Darwin Smith and Colman Mockler, exemplified a key trait of Level 5 leaders: ambition first and foremost for the company and concern for its success rather than for one’s own riches and personal renown. Level 5 leaders want to see the company even more successful in the next generation…” (Kindle, 35) I quickly went to the leadership skills of Jesus. He maintained his mission saying to his parents, “And he said unto them, how is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2:49 KJV He said to an inquiring man asking to be a part of his ministry, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Luke 9:58KJV Jesus had no personal wealth on earth but a promise of great rewards in heaven.
Author Porter and Nohria of, Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice, stated “The CEO having a good strategy brings clarity about what the organization will do. Goals go hand in hand.” [2] To be successful, one must have a strategy which provides direction and clarity to the purpose of the organization. They identified several core leadership functions: direction, organization, selection, motivation, and implementation.”[3] These functions entwine with the levels presented in Collins books.
In his book, Good to Great and the Social Sectors, he addressed the issues of input and output of greatness in five stages:
” Stage 1 Discipline People – level 5 leaders
Stage 2 Disciplined Thoughts – The Hedgehog Concept
Stage 3 Discipline Actions – The Flywheel
Stage 4 Building Greatness to Last – Preserve the Core and Strategic Plan”
These stages implemented will result in an output of greatness: Deliver Superior Performance, Makes a Distinctive Impact and Achieves Lasting Endurance” [4]
As I am preparing for one of our largest challenges, providing school supplies and uniforms to students who lost their personal items and residing in smaller and poorer school districts that were lost in the Media, it is a challenge for an organization with a small audience. Its success seems to be attached to my leadership skills and that shakes my faith many times. But as Jesus and Collins demonstrated: One should stay on course, preserve the purpose, and remember your mission. I must be a leader of inclusion, which we exhibit having partnered with other small organizations to make a powerful impact. The acknowledgment of greatness must include the works of others achievements that assisted us to get to the goal.
1] Know Jesus Know Peace, http://www.knowjesus.com/Dev_excellence.shtml,accessed 09/06/2017.
[2] Porter and Nahria, Handbook Leadership Theory and Practice, Kindle, location 5494.
[3] IBID, Kindle 287.
[4] Jim Collins, Good to Great and the Social Sectors A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great, Boulder, Co., 2005, p34-35.
Collins, Jim. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t. HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
About the Author
Lynda Gittens
5 responses to “EXCELLENCE IS THE STANDARD AND NOT THE GOAL”
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Enjoyed your post Lynda! You make some very good points about leadership and the importance of a good leadership.
Please let me encourage you and say that you will do a great job leading the program. In fact, you already are. You already can see clearly what needs to be done and how you’re going to get it done—a leader of inclusion.
I am praying that the Holy Spirit will give you get insight into every challenge you face and will give you clear guidance in solving those problems. You are helping and serving people—that is the heart of God. Keep the faith, you’re already a great leader!
Lynda, that’s a great summary of the most important points in the book while targeting the really important parts. I loved the way you showed how Jesus exemplified leadership.
You brought it up that “Level 5 leaders want to see the company even more successful in the next generation…” Jesus did that too!
God bless you as you minister to the children in Houston. Some of the focus is taken off with the new hurricane approaching Florida, but I pray that people will still give generously the resources you need.
Lynda, you DO have an ambitious task ahead of you and your team as you work on recovery efforts in your area.
I’m curious about the connection you made with Daniel being a “Level 5 leader” and would love to have you clarify more about how he’d fit Collins’ traits.
That is a huge task, Lynda and I will be praying for you and your team!
I will ask you the questions I have been asking myself: which characteristics in the level 5 leader do you recognize in yourself, and which ones do you feel need focus?
Thank you, Lynda, for your clear and concise post. I really enjoyed your list of leadership levels as I often found myself questioning the traits of the different levels throughout the book. Each leadership level is a good leader but the level 5 leader has humility plus will. Seems like humility is the key differential trait for defining a great leader. Yes, this does sound like our Jesus. I couldn’t help thinking of Him too with the description of the Level 5 leader.