By Teri Bailey and Katherine Groves

Each of us is a leader in some shape or form, but the most important person you will ever lead, is yourself.

The John C. Maxwell Team hosted a simulcast of the Live2Lead event featuring John C. Maxwell, a renowned leadership author, speaker, and coach; Dave Ramsey, a financial expert and best‐selling author; Cheryl Bachelder, former CEO for Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen; and NFL retired running back Warrick Dunn. All gave great presentations concerning personal and professional leadership that can be applied in everyday life.

Maxwell started off with a clear challenge for each of us to find ways to see the “more‐more” and the “more-before.” But what does that mean?

It is an abundance way of thinking, a concept easily applied to visionaries and leaders. Abundance‐thinking, which is a biblical view of God’s provision, is centered on a focus to see more than others (the more), to see things before others (the before), and to know there is always more out there to get (the more‐more and the more-before). Maxwell’s process is to reframe our outlook to be creative and flexible. Creative thinking applies the philosophy that there is always an answer. Flexibility thinking knows that there is more than one way to the answer. The approach to find the more‐more and the more‐before is to test, fail, learn, improve, and re‐enter. It’s a loop.

The final thoughts are something we all need to hear and be aware of. It’s the idea of servant leadership – an important concept Cheryl Bachelder and Dave Ramsey talked about. Consider these questions as you grow to be a leader:

• The attributes of a leader are a choice. What traits am I choosing?
• Organizations are not limited by their opportunities, they are limited by the vision of their leaders. Is there anyone I am limiting?
• The servant mentality can be viewed as an upside-down pyramid. You are either standing on the shoulders of those you lead, or, you are hoisting them up on your shoulders, supporting them. Which side of the pyramid am I on?
• Leaders measure success through their team’s success. Is your team better because of your servant leadership? Do I demonstrate my love to the people I lead and those I follow?

The above points are just a tiny morsel of the choices of a servant leader, which we can all make. The key is to put yourself in an environment that stretches you that makes you think, that makes you want to imagine, create, explore, and discover.