Best Graduation speech Ever by Stephen Abraham

Graduation speech by Stephen Abraham

Six Factors That Make a Leader

What is leadership? 

Every one of us is a leader in our own right. We all lead at some point in our life. We serve as leaders in our jobs, in our communities, and in our families. For many, being a leader means having the power to control others. Those who take this view eventually find that the more they try to control people, the less influence they have over them. For others, leadership means being in a position of authority. True leadership is not about superiority, position, or prestige. It’s about revealing and releasing the potential of those around you. Leadership is not about the power of one, but facilitating the greatness of many. Hence true leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that cannot be mandated. It must be earned. I have been in positions of leadership since 20plus years, some lessons I learned the hard way, through trial and error followed by the humility that comes from overcoming those mistakes. Other lessons I learned through observing those I esteemed to be great leaders whose example I sought to follow. Through it all I found several traits that I believe are necessary for someone to be what I consider a true leader: Here are some of their most important characteristics:

1. Purpose and Vision

Great leaders have Vision and Purpose … They can see into the future. The greatest leaders of our time could articulate a vision so clear it seemed as though it had already come to pass. Good leaders discover a purpose and create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion. They have a clear, exciting plan of where they are going and what they are trying to accomplish and are excellent at strategic planning.

The purpose and vision of a true leader shall be to elevate mankind’s trust, and to fill the world with righteousness. Great leaders focus on the big picture and can describe that picture to their colleagues, subordinates, business partners, and customers. They understand the long-term effects of the tasks that need to be completed today, the desired outcomes of those tasks, and how to communicate the immediate needs of the business in terms of their future vision. Generally, very few people know what they want, much less how to get there, so they will gravitate towards those who appear to have a clear picture in mind--good clarity leads to great achievement.

 Leaders have purpose for their actions and what they influence. Leaders seek what is best for the group and not what is best for the individual. Leaders are inherently selfless and hardworking. They are driven by their conviction and purpose and resonates the passion in their vision statements. I believe that a great leader knows the “why” behind the “what” that they are doing. They also have the ability to help other people catch the vision of the “why” so they can accomplish the “what”. That’s a lot of “why’s” and “what’s”! I’ve always been inspired when I’m around people who have conviction and clarity in purpose. When the cause is just and you have a leader who can share the vision of the cause, special things happen.

In our secular society, we tend to think of a leader as a person who is well-connected, who is powerful or charismatic or wealthy. We judge our leaders by what they have. But a true leader should be judged by what he has not — ego, arrogance, and self-interest.  A true leader sees his work as selfless service toward a higher purpose. Leadership is action. The vision is the articulation of the action to get to where the group needs to go. The vision should be well defined and effectively communicated. Leadership success always starts with vision. Henry Ford dreamed of a car families could afford. Steve Jobs dreamed of an easy-to-use computer that would unleash creativity. Nelson Mandela dreamed of an integrated, prosperous South Africa.

2 Principles and Values

Leaders are defined by their inner strengths and convictions, not the outer portrayal of who they are. Your character will determine your level of leadership and your legacy. Living on principle is one essential that will help you lead well and finish well. There are three elements of being a principled leader: decisiveness, dedication, determination, discipline, sincerity, humility, and integrity.

Want to know if you possess these three valuable principles? Start searching your speech for phrases like, “I’m sorry,” “thank you” and “I trust you.” Listen for patterns of “we” and “us” versus “I” and “my.”

Practice the art of these principles and establish an accountability system to help keep you grounded. No one likes a leader with a big head. It’s been said that following is easy, but leading is difficult. That is no doubt true.

The value of integrity as a foundational leadership virtue is inestimable. When you say what you mean and mean what you say, people will trust you implicitly and generally respond in kind. As a leader, it’s important to raise the bar high by personally modelling a standard of truthfulness that demonstrates your deepest morals and values mirror your organizations mission.

3.Persistence and Passion

First, leaders are extremely persistent people. They have absolute confidence and belief in themselves and they never let rejections or any obstacles for that matter slow them down. If you research any of their stories you will see that this is a trait they unilaterally all share. Leaders believe that what they do is important and purposeful. The belief is the conviction that drives the leader’s Persistence and Passion. The conviction is communicated in the vision and nearly every statement of the leader. There's nothing more inspirational than seeing someone who cares about what they do--the best leaders exhibit boundless energy and passion for what they do.

People want to work with leaders who truly care about the work they’re doing and wholeheartedly believe they are making a positive difference in the world. You must lead by example and obtain management skills that inspire others to join you in building a great company. Entrepreneurs who exemplify this vision in their day-to-day work lives convey that excitement to those with whom they work, who in turn draw energy from their commitment. Your job is to maintain a happy work environment and continue leading your team with passion and enthusiasm

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Good leaders have a passion for the work they do and feel it is important. Once they have made up their mind, they don't hesitate to commit--it's all hands on deck. They show great consistency with their decisions, rarely backing out or changing their minds unless it is absolutely necessary. Being Persistence shows commitment, a quality very high in demand for a great leader. Sharing that passion and enthusiasm with followers can help you motivate your people to become more productive. Praising your people when they do a good job can be a natural extension of passion. If you dream of becoming a true leader, then you’ve got to find what you love to do. If you don’t, you’ll never have the tenacity and fortitude to stick with it through all the tough times ahead.

4. Professional Standards and Communication Skills

Good leaders are also great communicators. Good leaders model and uphold high ethical business standards and practices at all levels of an organization. They clearly communicate expectations through policies and procedures that promote ethical behavior. Good leaders are creative and support continuous growth in themselves and others and encourage continuous process improvement. Perhaps most important are the courage to take risks, make difficult decisions and accept accountability for their actions and those who report to them. Standing at the front of the parade doesn't make someone a leader. That only happens if others follow behind, and most people don't want to follow someone unless they're sure the leader knows the way.

Strong leaders know how to communicate effectively with staff at both higher and lower levels in the company. Understanding how to clearly explain tasks and projects to staff while communicating the importance of your department’s work to administrators is a crucial skill that takes practice. Good communicators keep staff informed when changes or updates to projects occur, are readily available to staff and hold regular meetings to ensure that all team members are aware of the status of projects.

Strong leaders use listening, speaking and writing skills and keep communication open, honest and genuine at all levels of the organization. They communicate a mission, vision and values and share information often, openly, clearly and with confidence and passion. Their messages convey integrity and honesty, and they consistently convey an attitude of dignity and respect for all individuals, instilling trust among their followers in their ability to lead with the best interests of the individual in mind. They inspire a spirit of teamwork and collaboration and communicate the importance of diversity, innovation and shared outcomes.

"Communication is the real work of leadership,ocumented the importance of persuasion in his 1992 bookBeyond the Hype: Rediscovering the Essence of Management. Nohria believes effective leaders are masters of the classical elements of rhetoric, as outlined by Aristotle centuries ago. "You can reach people through logos or logic, by appealing to their sense of what is rational," he explains. "You can use pathos, appealing to their emotions, or you can make an argument based on their sense of values or ethos." Great leaders, he notes, "spend the bulk of their time communicating, and they know how to employ all three of Aristotle's rhetorical elements."

Never passing the buck: If you are -- or want to be -- a leader, you must always remember that there is no passing the buck. When final decisions have to be made, they must be made with confidence, clarity, and decisiveness. Never passing the buck: If you are -- or want to be -- a leader, you must always remember that there is no passing the buck. When final decisions have to be made, they must be made with confidence, clarity, and decisiveness.

Leadership is the capacity to influence and inspire others motivated by a vision, generated by a passion, produced by a belief and created by a purpose.

5. Positive Attitude and Creativity

You want to keep your team motivated towards the continued success of the group and keep the energy levels up. Whether that means providing motivation, advice, or even just an occasional celebration in the office, remember that everyone on your team is a person. Keep the office mood a fine balance between productivity and liveliness.

Some decisions will not always be so clear-cut. You may be forced at times to deviate from your set course and make an on the fly decision. This is where your creativity will prove to be vital. It is during these critical situations that your team will look to you for guidance and you may be forced to make a quick decision. As a leader, its important to learn to think outside the box and to choose which of two bad choices is the best option. Don’t immediately choose the first or easiest possibility; sometimes its best to give these issues some thought, and even turn to your team for guidance. By utilizing all possible options before making a rash decision, you can typically reach the end conclusion you were aiming for.

6. People skills and Strategic Thinking

To be an effective leader, you need a combination of people skills and Strategic Thinking. Good leaders understand and stay focused on where an organization is headed and are committed to its long-term success and the success of everyone involved. Good leaders align their activities to a clearly defined mission and vision and make strategic decisions based on sound data and proven practices. They understand the culture and demographics of an organization and external influences -- such as politics, economics, legislation, the marketplace and the community -- and their potential impact on 

Good leaders are happy to see others thrive, they feel they are part of that success, and that’s why they work to help them grow and develop. They worry about the people around them and want the best for them because that has an effect on the team. No leader is born a leader, and passion for the people does not need to be genuine either. But a good leader can work with soft skills to acquire this trait, essential to a successful leadership.

Good leaders always tend to look ahead and look for the next step. They are never satisfied with the “status quo” of things and are constantly trying to improve the world around them. They leave work each day while thinking what can be done even better tomorrow. Take Elon Musk as an example -- today we have PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors all because he tried to make online payments easier, space exploration cheaper, space ships reusable and driving more environmentally friendly and safer. Smarts may not be everything, but I’ve never known a successful leader who lacked intelligence, critical-thinking skills, and a genuine thirst for knowledge.

Great leaders are outstanding at Strategic planning. It’s another one of the more important leadership strengths. They have the ability to look ahead, to anticipate with some accuracy where the industry and the markets are going.

Leaders have the ability to anticipate trends, well in advance of their competitors. They continually ask, “Based on what is happening today, where is the market going? Where is it likely to be in three months, six months, one year, and two years?” They do this through thoughtful strategic planning.

Because of increasing competitiveness, only the leaders and organizations that can accurately anticipate future markets can possibly survive. Only leaders with foresight can gain the “first mover advantage.”

Commitment to people

Good leaders understand that success isn’t possible without the help of their employees. Providing ample training opportunities for your staff and expressing your confidence in their work lets them know that you are invested in them. Strong managers avoid the urge to perform every part of a project themselves, but allow employees to make decisions, prioritize tasks and plan projects. Leaders who are committed to their teams try to ensure that all employees are treated equally and that preferential treatment is not given to a particular employee or employees.

Team Building

Encouraging employees to work together, rather than competitively, can result in higher productivity and improved morale. Encouraging a cooperative atmosphere and group problem solving will help you ensure that your department completes tasks on time without personal conflicts. Asking for input from employees regarding departmental functions and procedures can help them feel that they are an important part of your team.

FIVE STEPS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

FIVE STEPS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

Mental illness is one of the major health problems of today’s society. Medical science recognizes that emotions such as fear, sorrow, envy, resentment, and hatred are responsible for the majority of our sicknesses. Mental health problems like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia can affect anyone at any time, and it’s likely that many people in our community have been affected. Depression is one of the greatest problems in the world today. It has been called the common cold of mental illnesses. There are very few things as destructive to our mental health as worry.

 The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that depression (by bringing down life expectancy) would be the second leading cause of death in the world by 2020. WHO predicts that by 2020 mental illness will go from the 20th to the 2nd largest illness worldwide. Health is the state of complete physical, mental and social (not forgetting spiritual) well being and not merely the absence of disease. Many mental illnesses can be prevented, and the Bible provides helpful information to that end. After all, it is a handbook from God on what we should think and how our minds should work. If we want good mental health, we should discipline our minds to avoid a degrading mental diet. We live in a culture that is constantly feeding us stress- mostly negative information. None of us are immune to stress. 

Everyone is afraid of something. Some fears are healthy, but some are not. Although most people are not phobic, almost everyone has to struggle against worry, which is a form of fear. Our age is the era of anxiety. We all know what it means at times to feel emotionally fatigued, physically drained and spiritually defeated. The Bible says: “For as a man thinks within himself, so he is.” (Proverbs 23:7a) God destroyed an entire civilization because of their thought life. (Genesis 6:5)  If you think in a negative way – you’re going to feel depressed. Your emotions are caused by how you interpret life. That’s one of the reasons the Bible says: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” The fact is that our emotions are controlled by our thoughts. “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”(Romans 8: 6)

Many New Testament passages offer comfort and reassurance to those who are feeling anxious or disturbed. For example, Jesus Does Not wants us to Be Anxious. He said “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life,”.... (Matthew 6:25-34) when Jesus said, “never be anxious,” he was advising his disciples to avoid undue worry—an excessive fear of tomorrow that can take the joy out of living today. Jesus gave a compelling reason for avoiding undue anxiety: It is useless. “Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span?” asked Jesus” (Matthew 6:27) Focusing on our worries will not extend our life by even a fraction of a second, let alone improve it. Besides, things often do not turn out as we feared. One scholar put it this way: “Worry about the future is wasted effort, and the future of reality is seldom as bad as the future of our fears.” How can we avoid anxiety? First, trust in God. A relationship with God is fundamental to overcoming our anxieties and fears.

Jesus said ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid’ (John 14:27) ‘Trust in God; also trust in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you’ (John 14:1-2) Paul said “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”(Philippians 4:6)

 St. Paul’s gives us five-point plan for better mental health:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me--everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Phil 4:4-9).

Now let’s look at each of the five points.

I. Rejoice in the Presence of the Lord – the above text says, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

If you love somebody, what you long for more than anything else is that person’s presence with you. Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. When we honour God, we celebrate Him as the Source from which all goodness flows. The psalmist says. “In your presence there is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11).Joy can be nurtured in the heart and cultivated continually in the Lord’s presence. This should happen, not apart from daily life, but in the midst of the everyday. The heart which rejoices in His presence can flourish in the life of His Spirit at all times. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) It is the Fruit of the Spirit. It is a gift from God. Joy is the evidence of the presence of God in our lives.

2. Rely on the Power of the Lord – the text says; don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need.

We often hear about the power of God, of His greatness and how we can rely on it to get us through difficult times. First, God is powerful enough to do anything. There is nothing that God can't do. Since God is the one who works all things for our good and He has the power to do anything, we can rely on His power in everything. If we meet the requirements He lays down (we love Him and are in a right relationship with Him and ask according to His will), we can rely on His power in all circumstances. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”(Philippians 4:13) “May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11)

 We Need To Rely on God’s Power.  However great our problem is today, understand that the Lord is greater than our problem!
                                      There’s no problem He can’t solve.
                                      There’s no need He can’t supply.
                                      There’s no misery He can’t relieve.

Step 3. Remember the Provision of the Lord – The text says, “… Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

God realizes that we often forget what he has done for us. God wants to see prayers that are filled with genuine praise and thanksgiving for what He has done in the past. He wants our hearts to be filled with awe and gratitude for His blessings. He wants us to set up memorials in our hearts testifying to the provisions He has given us. God answers our prayers to strengthen our faith in Him, to help us trust in His Word, to glorify Himself, and to express His love for us. Imagine how He feels when we respond to His grace and love and mercy with indifference and forgetfulness and presumption. When we face difficult times, we often become blinded by our problems and forget how God has always provided the solutions to our past troubles. God wants to see that His past aid did not go unnoticed or unappreciated. He wants us to come to Him confidently in prayer, gratefully acknowledging His past mercies. After we have spent time in praise and thanksgiving, we can then ask Him to again help us so that our blessings can glorify Him.  We Need To Remember God’s Provision. 1 Samuel 12:24–“Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.”

Step 4. Rest in the Peace of the Lord – The text says,” then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds”

Rest is one of the greatest gifts God gave to mankind. Rest is synonymous to peace. The dictionary word for rest:  quiet, calmness, tranquillity, peacefulness, serenity and stability. Jesus came to give us peace.  In Matthew 11:28-30 He said:  "Come to Me all who labour and are heavy laden AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I’m gently and lowly in heart, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS, For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" He also said “my peace I give to you” (John 14:27) Our strength is in RESTING in the Lord. In quietness and confidence! (Isaiah 30:15) The greatest possession we shall seek in our entire lives is “God's Rest which is synonymous to Peace. 

Step 5. Reflect on the Plan of the Lord – The text says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me--everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you”.

God’s plan for creation is a good plan. The goal for which it was instituted is of the highest good. It is good in a functional sense, because the plan is certain to work, producing the ends for which it was ordained. Ultimately, it is good because it is God’s plan. When we speak of “God’s plan for creation” or of “God’s plan for the ages” we will sometimes refer to this as God’s will, and rightly so. Jeremiah 29:11 God says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

The Bible tells us that our purpose, as believer is to be conformed into God’s image so that we can reflect His characteristics in all we do. God doesn’t just want us to have a revelation of Christ, He wants us to be a reflection of Him. God is eternal, and so is His plan. God’s plan is a mystery because it is the product of the divine mind of God and not the finite mind of man: God’s children must therefore live by faith, trusting in God’s promises even when present circumstances seem to contradict them. This is why Paul says “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.”

Those who consistently apply these positive words will practice positive thinking, a habit crucial to mental health. The characteristics of an optimistic mind-set include the ability to focus on the positive when the negative seems overwhelming. The key lies in turning a problem into a challenge and then working to meet it. As we begin to undertake these steps, our mental outlook and health improves. Gradually, serenity becomes a deeper and more stable reality for us.