Leader Profile - Joel Osteen

In the words of Joel Osteen he stated that "as a business owner, you can help set the direction of your employees. With our words, we have the ability to help, mold and shape the future of anyone over whom we have influence". Words are indeed powerful it can make or break a person base on the words that are spoken to them. Pastor Joel Osteen, a very influential figure and the current senior Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas is known for speaking the language and messages of hope. His success as having the largest church in America and now his popularity worldwide proved him to be an effective leader today. I will be assessing in this paper, how Joel Osteen portrays to be one of the most effective leader I know and how his messages and example made an impact in my life.

Joel Osteen was born in Houston, Texas. His father, John Osteen founded Lakewood Church in 1959 but when his father passed, Joel took over the ministry as senior pastor of the church back in 1999. Lakewood Church was the former Compaq Center and is the former home of the Houston Rockets. Today it is occupied weekly with an attendance averaging forty-five thousand people and it's still growing rapidly with more and more people attending. Joel Osteen's ministry is growing so fast that his messages reach over seven million broadcast media viewers and in over 100 nations around the world. I chose Joel Osteen as the leader who I consider to be effective because through his messages that I hear and read it helped me tremendously in dealing with challenges and disappointments in life. I gained a different approach on how to face and react towards a problem and an adversity. His teachings helped to shape my thinking to staying positive through difficulties and he has inspired my spirit to believe in my dreams again. During my darkest moments and depressing times of my life, his message of hope and uplifting words was what got me through. I own CD's of his messages which I listen to in the car and watch his segment on TV. I also receive his daily devotion in my email and I am currently reading his book Your Best Life Now. It helps me to stay focus and to maintain a positive outlook and thinking. He became a coach, a motivator and a messenger of hope from God in my life. I can remember times in my life when I had lost hope in everything; I became very bitter and angry with life. I wanted to end my life but each time I hear the words delivered from Pastor Joel Osteen, it seems to be the perfect message for me from God and I find hope and the light at the end of the tunnel again.

Joel Osteen is a great example of an effective leader because he possesses many qualities and characteristics that include being a good motivator, a mentor, a visionary, a strategist, team leader, a good role model, he is compassionate and he is an effective communicator. He genuinely cares about people and he inspires hope and help people to realize their full potential. He encourages the broken and the hopeless to dream again. He assists in helping to understand your value without fear and doubt. It is through his kind, humble, compassionate, strong and resilient characteristics that affected me most as well as led an example in my life to live by.

Below is a scorecard that list competencies of being an effective leader and how well Joel Osteen meets those standards.

1 - Extremely poor 2-poor 3-fair 4- good 5-excellent

Core Value Description Score

Visionary Possess true vision and inspires a shared vision to the people. Leader establishes a direction for others and an envisioned plan for the future guided by values and ethics.

5

Empowering Ability to enable someone or others to act. To promote the self-actualization or ability to influence, to coach, and guide an individual, to act on the shared vision. Energize and mobilize the organization around the vision

5

Strategy Development Develops a strategic long term goals and objective for the organization. Establishes a clear vision and mission and implement values for people to follow. Map out a strategic plan in writing and performs and SWOT analysis: Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

5

Communication Ability to communicate effectively, clear and concise, ensuring both the strategy development and execution phases are embedded in the natural processes of the organization. Must be understanding, empathetic and encouraging the heart. Leader also must be an effective listener, with a positive attitude.

5

Courage Having the strength and perseverance in the face of pain, grief and difficulty decision making