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 TEMP PORT FOR LEAD 510 Assignment

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Being and doing habits must be balance 

The Integration of Being and Doing Habits in Leadership: A Turabian-Style Essay

Introduction

Leadership, in its most effective form, is not solely defined by outward actions or strategies but is deeply rooted in the internal character of the leader. Ken Blanchard, a prominent figure in leadership development, offers a compelling framework distinguishing between "being" and "doing" habits. This framework highlights the necessity of aligning a leader’s inner character with their external behaviors. In this essay, Blanchard’s concepts of being and doing habits are explored, emphasizing the importance of integrating the two to cultivate authentic, sustainable, and servant-centered leadership.

Being Habits: The Foundation of Leadership

Being habits refer to the internal dimensions of a leader—those qualities that shape one’s identity, intentions, and integrity. These include traits such as humility, self-awareness, honesty, and a commitment to serving others. Blanchard emphasizes that these traits are not optional; they are the foundation upon which all effective leadership must be built. Leaders with strong being habits understand their purpose, are guided by consistent values, and lead with authenticity. Integrity, for instance, is not merely about avoiding dishonesty; it is about living and leading in a way that is consistent with one’s stated values. Similarly, humility allows leaders to acknowledge their limitations and remain open to growth and learning, fostering trust and collaboration among their teams.

Doing Habits: The Practices of Effective Leadership

In contrast to being habits, doing habits encompass the behaviors and actions that leaders engage in to accomplish goals and influence others. These habits include setting clear goals, providing feedback, listening actively, and empowering others. Blanchard identifies these as essential for day-to-day leadership effectiveness. A leader may exhibit excellent planning and communication skills, but without a strong moral and ethical foundation, these actions can appear manipulative or insincere. Doing habits are the tools through which leaders implement their vision and values, but without alignment with being habits, they risk undermining their effectiveness.

The Importance of Integration

Blanchard’s central argument is that true leadership requires an integration of being and doing habits. This integration ensures that a leader’s actions are not only effective but also principled and consistent with their values. A leader who listens empathetically (a doing habit) because they genuinely value others (a being habit) will foster deeper trust and engagement. Conversely, when there is a disconnect—such as when a leader preaches transparency but acts deceitfully—the result is a loss of credibility and influence. Blanchard’s model aligns closely with the principles of servant leadership, which prioritize the growth and well-being of followers and emphasize leading by example.

Conclusion

Ken Blanchard’s distinction between being and doing habits offers a powerful lens through which to view effective leadership. By grounding leadership behaviors in a strong internal character, leaders can act with integrity, inspire trust, and lead in ways that are both impactful and ethical. The integration of being and doing is not merely

  

Option 1 - Every leader struggles to balance “being” and “doing”. Describe a conflict/crisis that has occurred in your life and provide 1–2 “lessons” that God has used to develop you as a leader/person. You may previously have only seen these conflicts and crises as problems in your life, but with time you now realize how essential they are in shaping and molding you as a leader. Note the biblical pattern in

 

II Corinthians 1:3–4
³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

II Timothy 3:10–11

¹⁰ You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹ my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 

 

David Nemitz, “Successful Leadership,” 00:00-00:00.

As we wrap up this eight week study about leadership, I believe it's very appropriate to try to summarize and dovetail all of the elements and characteristics we explored over the last eight weeks. As I read an article by Robert Foster, he posed a question to readers and as I read it, I said, You know what? This is something I need to share with this class.

He started by posing a question,

what do these people have in common? Now the people he's referring to are a mix of Biblical characters and modern day personnel.
Abraham obeyed God. To go somewhere by faith.
Gideon obeyed God and lead a nation to victory against all odds.
Ester obeyed God and saved her people from death.
Martin Luther obeyed God and open the eyes of many to Grace.
Billy Graham obeyed God and provided a message of salvation to the masses.
Mother Teresa, obey God and sacrificed her own needs to provide for the needs of others.

There's one characteristic and a characteristic word that Robert Foster uses to describe all of these people who obeyed God. That word is linchpin. Now I'm not sure if you've grown up on a farm or even know what a lynch pin is. But if you don't, it's that little piece of metal that holds the wheel to the axle or secures the implement to the tractor. Lynch pins are what's necessary holding things together to make a difference. They are pins. They're not just clogs. In other words, these people are the backbone there, the cornerstones there, they anchors the pillars, the point guards, the sergeant of whatever was going on.

I believe as we've talked over the last eight weeks, that these people, these lynch pins have certain qualities that can be easily identified. You've read about them in the books. You've heard of, about them in the audio presentations. You've seen them in the video vignettes. And we've talked about them in the discussions. Let me, repeat them one more time to cement them in your mind. These are the same qualities that you and I need to pee putting into our lives. Because we've been called to leadership. If your call to leadership, than you have an onus to practice these things.

These are the best practices that will help us lead people well.

All right, here are the ten principles. Again, a repeat for some, but for others, it's just a good reminder. Number
1. integrity. Psalm 15. Integrity breeds trust.
2. responsibility. Luke 12:48. Responsibility prompts action.
3. service. Mark 10. Serving leads to the commitment of others.
4. vision, Proverbs 29:18. Casting a vision provides a framework for competence.
5. communication. Ephesians, 4:29. Words have power.
6. optimism. Philippians 4:8, a positive atmosphere is caught more than taught.
7. equipping Luke 6, true power is given away. Seeing others to be successful.
8. courage. 2 Timothy 1, faith is the foundation for all courage.
9. modelling Titus 2, you can expect more from your followers than you're willing to give yourself.
10. preparation. 2 Peter, 1:5-10. Readiness is the platform for success.

You know that, that, that passage in Second Peter is very dear to my heart. It talks about making an effort, it's participatory. You know what, if your call to be a leader, you eat, just don't hang out and think, Oh God's going to allow me to do some great today. No, it's in your preparation. It's in you making an effort. Now that efforts not your own power, but it's prompted by the Holy Spirit. It's directed by the Word of God. And you can enable others to participate in the building of the King of God, which glorifies God. So are you willing to pay the price to become a linchpin leader? Are you willing to leave your comfort zone? No. Accept, prepare to fulfill your calling. Be responsible for your actions. You don't want to thank you for spending the last eight weeks learning about leadership, talking about leadership. And I hope that these eight weeks have been a memorable experience that you'll never forget. Because it's not that you have only been enriched, but those that you lead will also be enriched. Thank you.

What is Distinctive about Christian Leadership

I think there were two things that are particularly distinctive about Christian leadership.

Leadership is all about enabling people to accomplish a common goal. But the key difference for Christian leadership is why it is we accomplish the goal and how we accomplish that goal of Christian leadership is about first and foremost, seeking the glory of God and pleasing God. So Christian leadership is not about seeking the glory of the leader, or indeed the glory of the ministry that the lead is involved in. Nor is it simply about pleasing people, whether that be the people who have a stake in the ministry or those who have benefited by the ministry. The goal of Christian leadership is ultimately to seek the glory of God and to, to please him. So Christian leaders have a very different motivation for what it is they're trying to accomplish is their ultimate aim. And then secondly, Christian leadership is different. That Christian leaders are called to be servant leaders. This is ultimately the way that Jesus modeled leadership. So Jesus was the one he laid down his life for his people. He was the one he was willing to become a servant and wash the feet of his disciples. He was the one who set aside his glory to go to the cross, to, to serve his people and save them from the judgment that they deserve. And Jesus said that was the pattern for all Christian leaders. So when there were some disputes amongst his disciples as to who was the greatest, he contrasted a self-serving leadership. That's leaders who lord it over others and use their leadership position to exploit people to benefit themselves. Instead, instead, Christian leaders must be those who are servants or slaves. Christian leadership is about serving other people and meeting their needs. And about being willing to sacrifice ourselves so that other people's needs can be met. Now. So people who are not Christians lead in that way because they'd been influenced by Christian thinking. But fundamentally, there's a great difference in that Christians have their desire to please God. And they're willing to serve and sacrifice one another for one another.