The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective A.Y. Leaders
David Jeffrey, MBA
in association with the
Crawford Adventist Academy Department of Business Studies.
and
FocusFactor Consulting Services
The Value of a Habit
 A habit is:
a. A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of
behavior that is acquired through frequent
repetition.
b. An established disposition of the mind or
character.
(source: http://www.dictionary.com)
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
Effective Leaders:
 1. Keep their vertical connection
 2. Have a concrete vision
 3. Draw a map for the team
 4. Connect and interconnect
 5. Wash the feet and serve the bread
 6. Share and learn
 7. Bear fruit
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
1. The Vertical Connection
 Leaders pray – a sign of a living
relationship
 Nehemiah’s prayers
 Daniel’s prayer life
 Esther’s fasting
 David’s psalms
 Abiding in the vine, bearing fruit
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
2. The Concrete Vision
 Where there is no vision, the people perish
 What is the vision?
– “the Advent message to all the world”
– Training the youth?
– Educating the church?
– Entertaining the adults?
– Filling time on Sabbath afternoon?
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
3. Drawing the Map
 “Journey of a thousand miles…”
 Charting the course
 Fail to plan, plan to fail
 Goal setting – SMART goals
 Nehemiah once again…
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
4. Connecting & interconnecting
 The power of relationship
 Touching a heart, seeking a hand
 Teamwork, the key to AY success
 Pilots and copilots rather than solo fliers
 Involving the church
 Keeping on the right side of the board
 The value of networking
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
5. Washing the Feet
 Leaders serve
 Jesus washed his disciples’ feet
 If you want to be the greatest…
 Can’t just lead by instruction – must do, and
show
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
6. Sharing and Learning
 The one law – all receive to give
 The body of Christ – variety of talents
 No one of us has all talents
 A.Y. is a wonderful community of
leadership – FAY has value
 Recognize the value of humility
 Exchange programs and ideas
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
7. Bearing Fruit
 Seedless oranges, seedless grapes, seedless
watermelon, seedless leaders?
 Leaving a legacy
 Mentorship
 Elijah and Elisha
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
The 7 Habits Revisited:
 1. Keep your vertical connection
 2. Have a concrete vision
 3. Draw a map for the team
 4. Connect and interconnect
 5. Wash the feet and serve the bread
 6. Share and learn
 7. Bear fruit
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
The 7 Habits – Getting Practical
 1. Begin a personal prayer journal
 2. Sit down with your staff and craft a
vision and mission for your A.Y. department
 3. Put together a year plan of activities
 4. Choose one member a month to invest
time in knowing
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
The 7 Habits – Getting Practical
 5. Get involved in a hands-on project with
your youth this year
 6. Arrange a program exchange today
 7. Make a serious effort to select potential
successors and mentor them
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
Discussion
 What experiences have you had that bear
out the importance of the habits you see
here?
 What habits would you add to this list?
 How might these habits be applied in your
life?
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
The Value of a Choice
 Choices determine
habits
 Habits determine
character
 Character determines
destiny
 Choose today to
practice the habits that
will lead to lasting
success for you and
for the Adventist
Youth department
which you lead
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders
References
 John Maxwell, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
 John Maxwell, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a
Leader
 Tim Strickland, Leadership 101
 Tim Strickland, Mentoring 101
 David Jeffrey, “Seedless Oranges, Seedless
Grapes, Seedless Leaders”
 The Holy Bible
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
A.Y. Leaders