Even better than a great idea …

What’s a primary difference between visionary leaders who consistently achieve great results, and good leaders with great ideas?

Conceptual thinking.

You can have a room full of leaders who brainstorm a list of great ideas, but generating the greatest of ideas that never become reality is to achieve nothing. Further, a single idea may accomplish a simple feat, but great concepts lead to great change that achieve profound results.

Notice that Jesus wasn’t a “great idea” guy. His teaching wasn’t about this great idea and that great idea. He taught in whole concepts that led to significant change and transforming results.

For example, in His Commission to the church, Jesus didn’t simply suggest it would be a good idea to have Bible studies. Instead, He taught us to go make disciples … that they should be baptized and taught to observe everything He has commanded us. His teaching was a whole concept, rather than a simplistic idea that would have dramatically less results. Bible studies are great and necessary, but they aren’t the entirety of what it takes to make a disciple. Yet, what renders the greater result: a person in a Bible study, or a person in a discipleship process?

The same goes for relationships. We may expect too much from a simple idea, a simple step taken in a relationship, because it’s not a whole approach to desired results. For example, you may go on “date night” with your spouse once a week, expecting that act to keep the romance alive in your relationship. Yet, if that’s all you do to keep the romance alive, you’ll probably be disappointed. Romance takes more than a date night, and should be approached as a whole concept rather than one good idea.

A good leader might be the guy who comes up with some good ideas, and achieves turning them into reality, but the outcomes are limited. Great leaders stretch beyond ideas to entire concepts, with more profound results being achieved.

Are you leading your organization to limited success by pursuing good ideas? Or are you going from one level to the next, and beyond, by working whole concepts to more dramatic conclusions?

Scotty