Leadership Impact

The leaders who shared their stories at our Round Tables this month agree on one thing: effective leadership is not about authority, but about service, reflection, and understanding. In September, we delved into the topic of Leadership Impact.  Leadership is an ongoing journey that requires continuous evaluation and, most importantly, love for the people you serve.

Leadership Through Reflection

For one business leader at our Birmingham/Southfield Round Table, leadership isn’t about seeking attention or validation but about guiding and helping others.

Evaluating one’s leadership is tricky, often leaving leaders vulnerable to self-doubt or imposter syndrome. He emphasizes that regular self-reflection is essential. He steps back periodically to ask whether he’s positively impacting his team and helping them achieve their goals. By analyzing the results and performance of his employees, he evaluates his effectiveness. It’s not about perfection but progress and making sure his team isn’t simply on autopilot.

Defining Your Role

A leader in Grand Rapids believes in the power of stepping back to ask fundamental questions:

1. What is my role as a leader?
2. What influence do I have on this organization?

Effective leadership is about identifying the specific contribution one makes to the organization. Leaders should continually reassess their role to ensure that their influence remains positive and constructive.

Leadership Through Service

A business owner in Oxford says her leadership philosophy revolves around serving others, inspired by the example of Jesus. While she hasn’t established specific measures to evaluate her leadership, she believes that fostering a collaborative environment is key. Her small team operates in a way that feels more like working alongside one another than in a traditional hierarchy. She also emphasizes listening and ensuring that her actions contribute to a positive team dynamic.

Leadership by Vision

For our Rochester business owner, leadership is about alignment with vision and goals. He reflects on whether his team is moving toward a shared vision or diverging onto different paths. A leader’s effectiveness, he argues, can be measured by the results—whether there’s harmony or division, and whether people are following willingly or walking away.

This business owner is implementing a Vision of Purpose (VOP) analysis in his business, ensuring that everyone is aligned with the organization’s long-term goals. He also believes in the importance of accountability and the need for wise Christian counselors who can provide honest feedback.

Leadership is About Relationships

One leader from our Marine City Round Table believes leadership is relational. True leadership, he argues, is not about what a leader accomplishes personally, but about what their people achieve. He stresses the importance of patience, kindness, and putting others’ needs before your own. He draws inspiration from Corinthians 13, viewing leadership as an expression of agape love, which means truly caring for those you lead. According to him, leadership is synonymous with love.

Leading Through Listening

One leader from Kalamazoo approaches leadership by prioritizing listening. He makes a point to listen carefully to everyone in his sphere—family, employees, customers, and role models. By “reading between the lines,” he gains deeper insight into how others are feeling and what they need. His approach requires time, patience, and a genuine curiosity to understand what people are going through.

Upcoming Events

Please join us for our Grand Rapids Leadership Event on Friday, October 18 from 7:30 – 9:30 am at Grand Valley State University.  Dave Nemmers, Author & Former President/CEO Midstate Security Company is our keynote speaker.

Please mark your calendar for our Kalamazoo Leadership Breakfast with Lynn Townsend, Principal and General Business Practitioner, Townsend Communications.   Our event is on Friday, November 15 from 7:30– 9:30 am at the Kalamazoo Country Club.