Word for the day “The ROI leadership contribution”

Philippians 2:4 (KJV) “Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others”.

The reward of investing in people is amazing.

It’s rewarding to get a good return on investment. In business, we invest money, time, and people resources into promoting a product and service in hopes of a return. We make financial investments in hopes we can gain a return on our money invested. The apostle Paul understood another kind of investment. It was an investment in the spiritual lives of people.

This special leader Paul invested his life in many men and women, but for today I’d like to share his investment in a man named Epaphras. When we look at Epaphras life we get a glimpse at how he was a man deeply impacted by Paul’s investment in him. Paul makes reference to Epaphras when writing to the Colossians: “You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit” (Col 1:7-8).

It can be rewarding to invest in other people’s lives. We also get a glimpse at what legacy looks like when considering the relationship between Paul and Epaphras. Legacy is primarily about leaving an influential life contribution inside of the personhood of another individual or people that carry and share this wherever they go and whomever they encounter.

 A basic understanding of what ROI means to us today.

The first letter R in the ROI definition of leadership is Replication. But it’s often the last item to get our attention. It’s clear in servant leadership that you can’t call yourself a leader until you have helped to develop another leader.

The second letter O in the ROI definition of leadership is Ownership. You are not a leader until you take ownership of the outcomes of your influence.

In the theater example, the person yelling fire takes no ownership of (and does not accept accountability for) the actions that other people took based on their influence. A true leader takes ownership of everything that happens from their influence good or bad.

The third letter I in the ROI definition of leadership means Influence is the capacity for a leader to affect the beliefs, values, and actions of other people around her or him. Influence is different from positional power. People follow a person of influence not because they have to, but because they choose to.

Leaders cultivate influence, measure the health of their influence, and actively work to expand their sphere of influence.

One day I received this note from a spiritual daughter into whom I had made an ROI contribution: saying “I wanted to take the time to thank you for your help, time, support, prayers, and encouragement while completing my work rotation. Blessings to you and your family”. Sometimes we don’t realize the difference we can make in another person's life.

For us, it can seem a natural way of operating. We may not even think we are doing anything unusual. Until one day, you receive a note like this one. In the marketplace, we can often get very focused on the projects we are called to promote and gain a return on. However, we each need to be making an investment in other people as well.

 Point to ponder

Are you investing in lives that may be in your sphere of influence through your work place assignment? The returns on this investment are beyond measure for your life and those lives you touch. If you’d like to know about serving and making contributions to others, feel free to write me @GraceandTruthLeadership@gmail.com, Have an amazing day!

 Special thanks!

 James Baker, Jr. and our leadership team are especially thankful for those of you who provided financial donations and support in the month of December 2021, by partnering with us in efforts to advance the kingdom of God in this 21st century season: Special thanks to Ms. Annette Straker, Mr. Kenneth Washington,  Ms. Mable Bazemore, Ms. Itholear Abbott,  Mrs. Barbara Mason, Ms. Jeanette Grant, Ms. Judith Battle, Ms. Angela Battle, Ms. Rita Mcguffin, Pastor and Mrs. Raymond Phillips, Ms. Cynthia Artis-Waiters, Ms. Michelle Winder Branch, Ms. Angie Scraders-Murphy, Mr. Calvin Jackson,  Mrs. Shakeema Lowe, Mr. Calvin Griffith, Mrs. Angela Harrison, Ms. Kersha Brown, Ms. Judy Burke, Mr. William Wilson, Ms. Darlene Simmons, Mr. Daleel Muhammad, Mr. Raymond Jenkins, Ms. Evelyn Rosado, Mr. William Buchanan, Mr. Richard Figaro, Mr. John Miller, Ms. Carneal Nembhard, and Ms. Gertrude Scott.

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Kingdom Blessings,