Best Practice 4: ADVOCATOR of DIFFERENCES and COMMUNITY™ (BEING: Advocator)

BE-Attitudes of an Advocator of Differences and Community

Great leaders who successfully apply this Legacy Practice will have a number of attitudes, traits and characteristics which allow them to fully advocate for differences and community.  We could include such things as partnership-oriented, non-territorial, sharing, an enabler, and a promoter.  These attitudes are all necessary.  For leaders to truly live their legacy in this practice, however, there are some foundational BE-attitudes necessary to elevate their leadership from significance to legacy. We have listed the features we consider the Top Five BE­attitudes for your consideration in this Legacy Practice. These are not listed in any order of importance. Brief descriptions follow.

A Legacy Leader, an Advocator of Differences and Community, is:

1. A Champion

This person is a ready advocate for individuals or causes. They are

natural encouragers, supporters, defenders and upholders. These leaders are others-centered, always seeking opportunities to champion people and issues worthy of support. These people are, however, careful and thoughtful in this support, taking a stand only after discerning whether or not people or issues align with their values.

2. Inclusive/A Uniter

This person has a natural or practiced ability to unite people in teams, for causes, to achieve results and to develop community.  This inclusiveness always seeks uniquenesses and strengths to add to the overall vigor of the community, and has the ability to recognize value in diversity where others may not.

3. Community-Minded

This person is able to identify common denominators and uniting factors in groups, and uses these commonalities to build teams of people with shared goals. These leaders understand that the greatest accomplishments are the result of working together as a whole, where every individual is valued and recognized.

4. Discerning

This person has either an inherent or cultivated ability to make solid decisions and judgments based on sound consideration of all information available. He or she is able to distinguish between close and seemingly similar things for the betterment of self and others. These leaders are able to determine and recognize individual gifts, strengths and uniquenesses. This ability allows them to build strong diverse teams.

5. Expectant (Sense of Expectancy)

This person is always expecting results, anticipating goals to be met and people to work together to achieve common objectives. This expectancy is modeled to others who then sense, understand and therefore work toward stated goals, often with a renewed focus or urgency.

These leaders have a clear sense of vision, strategies and ultimate purpose for being in community, on which their expectancy is based.