DJ Focus and Dice Gamble are continuing their discussion on leadership.  What are the characteristics that make a great leader?  And how can we develop the traits needed to become effective in our work?   

There are 5 qualities that leaders should develop and possess in order to be a successful leader.  The first is self-awareness.  Effective leaders prioritize their personal development. They focus on developing their emotional intelligence, practice active listening, accept feedback from others and are open to change.

How do you develop self-awareness?  Set and prioritize goals.  Take responsibility for both accomplishing them and falling short.  You may make mistakes and that’s okay, none of us are perfect.  Learn from them and keep moving.  Focus on the big picture.  Eliminate distractions.  Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.  And be mindful of your biases; personal issues that can impact the way you think and your decision making. 

The second attribute of an effective leader is focusing on developing others.  Delegating, coaching and mentoring are all important tasks of leadership.  You have to be able to show empathy and strength as needed.  Being assertive and kind at the same time is low-key a superpower.  You have to be aware, intentional and thoughtful to develop this trait. 

The third trait is encouraging critical thinking, innovation and action.  What does that mean?  As an effective leader you have to be flexible and willing to try new things.  You have to be able to focus on the future and be able to understand that things change. 

You must be able to create a practical vision and set goals that are realistic, measurable and attainable.    You’ll be required to make risky decisions but they will always be informed decisions. 

Fourth, you have to be ethical and civic minded.  Open and transparent.  Praise success.  Encourage those who struggle.  And be authentic.  Your team will appreciate it and reciprocate it. 

Lastly, effective communication.  You have to be able to communicate goals clearly and to an array of personalities and cultures.  And to bring the conversation full circle…develop the art of active listening.  Not only to what folks are saying, but also what they are not.  Don’t be afraid to ask follow up questions.  What’s important is that nothing gets lost in translation. 

Gospel rapper Bigg2Timez drops in on Da Fixx and shares his testimony; growing up in the church with his mother who was a 7^th day Adventist and the devastation he experienced when his prayer warrior mother passed away. 

Consumed with grief, he lost himself in street life like so many of our youth, becoming a blood, kicking in doors and being in shoot outs.  “The devil had a hold on me that I couldn’t explain.”

Which is why he and his Trench Walk brothers are unapologetically for the streets.  “The streets show more love than the church!  It’s very sad. Even if you just look at the stories, the biggest leaders in the bible.  Who were their biggest critics?  The church.  And they knew the bible.  They knew the word.”

When asked about his musical influences and inspirations; Bigg doesn’t name YFN Lucci, Yung Thug J. Cole and Jay Z. He explains how secular music was instrumental in how he creates. 

“I’ve had a lot of modern-day influences.  Believe it or not, some of them were secular.  I know a lot of people have their thoughts on their type of music, but that’s where a lot of my flavor came from.  A lot of pain…That wasn’t just the word they were saying, that was the pain coming through the word.”   

As a disciple of Hip Hop, Biggs recalls a time when he was still doing secular music and people would share with him how his music impacted them.  “Man, I don’t know what it is about your music but I hear pain in it.  Now that I look back at that, I feel like that was my soul crying out for God.”

Bigg continues, “When we’re lost and we’re trying to find our way back.  And we’re hurt.  We’re trying to find our way back to the shepherd.  If we can’t find our way, we’re crying, we’re hurt and we’re mad.  And we’re on this journey of life, going through it each and every day. And you hear that in a lot of the secular music.”

Tune in weekday mornings at 6 am est. to Da Fixx on Holy Culture Radio, Sirius XM Channel 154 for your daily dose of spiritual detox. And don’t forget to tap in and follow on Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation.

Related Radio Show: DA FIXX MORNING RADIO SHOW