Month: October 2019

Life, the Great Teacher…

Life is an amazing teacher. Sadly, these lessons tend to be the hardest and most life changing. An old Cherokee saying claims, “Everything in life comes to you as a teacher. Pay attention. Learn quickly.”

Do we pay attention and learn from what life teaches?

If we only had a method to help us remember from the mistakes so we do not repeat them and use the success we experience to duplicate it. 

Every event, every person, and every second of every day is a classroom that teaches and prepares us for greater leadership. Our job is to pay attention and learn quickly.

The better student we are the more success we experience as leaders.

Childlike Leadership…

The world is a different place when looking through the eyes of a child. Imagine how doing so would help our leadership.

Worry not about tomorrow, it might not come anyway.

It is okay to get angry, but make up quickly and play as if it never happened.

Stop thinking about the clock. The value of time cannot really be measured by it.

Live life with anticipation of what we get to do each day.

Value the security of knowing someone else is in charge. Thank you Father.

We can learn much from children and their approach to life. Jesus said that unless we become like them we cannot enter the kingdom.

A Centered Leader…

What is our center? Who are we at the core?

A spiritually motivated center demonstrates qualities of godliness toward others, rather than simply developing self.

Determining our center is not as easy as it may sound. Learning to be honest about what we seek in life will help us on this journey. Consider these questions.

1) Do we feel inconvenienced by others?
2) Are we motivated by self-preservation? 
3) Are times in prayer and study difficult to work into our schedule? 
4) Where do we find the most pleasure?
5) Are our words and actions self-centered or others-directed?

Honest answers will help us understand our center.

The Walk of a Leader…

Scripture figuratively uses the word “walk” to describe the behavior or conduct of one’s life. 

One of the most powerful descriptions that characterizes the Christian way of life is given by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith and not by sight.” 

Leaders must set the example. There is no greater example than a life characterized by continually walking in step with the qualities described in God’s word.

Consider the influence of a leader who lives each day by faith. They walk with God. They put others above themselves. They seek things above, not of this earth.

Leaders, we need to keep on walking.

Successful Leadership…

Success has been defined in numerous ways, but how we define and measure success is critical to leadership.

Here are a few suggestions to consider.

1) Setting smart goals and developing solid plans to achieve them

2) Growing spiritually stronger in relationship to God and others

3) Utilizing God’s word as the standard for decisions

4) Providing the right tools to assist others reach their potential

Ultimately, changed lives are the true measure of success. We could say so much more, but the point is the same. As spiritual leaders, we must define and measure success by the lives changed within our sphere of influence.

Motivational Leadership…

What motivates us? Success? Money? Security? Relationships? Power? Survival? Growth?

Whatever it is, leaders are called upon to motivate others. The art of motivation involves knowing how to stimulate or excite action toward desired interests.

The New Testament provides a number of unusual examples.

The greatest in the kingdom are servants.

Those who receive have presented themselves as a living sacrifice.

The blessed first give to others.

Think about the spiritual leadership we offer. Have we set the example based on what motivates us in the same direction?

Here is where our leadership begins. We must be motivated to motivate others to an eternal home.

Scared or Sacred Leadership…

Swapping two letters can make a big difference and it raises two questions.

Why is leadership so scary? The answers are abundant. The responsibility of leading people to eternity, knowing that leaders must set goals and plans, maintain morale, resolve conflict, provide solutions, etc., all contribute to why leadership can be a scary place.

How do we overcome the scared ground for sacred ground? Spiritual leadership is a God-given role and He will help us overcome. Time in prayer provides a more sacred footing and studying heroes of faith, as in Hebrews 11, help our approach to sacred ground.

This is a start and sometimes getting started is half the battle.

Earning Our Leadership…

“Earn your leadership every day.” Michael Jordan

While the list is not exhaustive, here are a few suggestions to earn our leadership.

1) Live life consistently.

2) Take responsibility for every word and action.

3) Lead in the fullness of core values.

4) Align goals with priorities.

5) Know what is worth dying for and live for it.

6) Help others reach their potential…always!

7) Be an active listener.

8) Show others life is more than just “being right.”

9) Demonstrate respect for yourself and others.

10) Understand the difference between image and reputation. 

These suggestions will help our leadership produce immeasurable benefits.

Voices…

A recent article by Patrick Leddin identified how smart leaders listen to three voices: the voice of truth, the voice of encouragement, and the voice of challenge.

A couple of highlights deserve our attention.

The voice of truth represents an environment created by a leader that allows others to voice truth openly and honestly.

The voice of encouragement provides a proper perspective when life seems out of control. Without negating the seriousness of the situation, they encourage.

The voice of challenge appears when an environment welcomes differences. If everyone agrees, the right people may not be on the team.

Take time to read the article and consider what voices we listen to as leaders.

From Ordinary to Extraordinary…

When Moses approached the burning bush, God instructed him to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. An ordinary bush became extraordinary because of God’s presence and divine activity.

God has always taken the ordinary and made it extraordinary with divine activity.

Twelve men: fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, and other ordinary people, yet when God worked through them, they became extraordinary. 

Today, we need to recognize the nature of God working through the events and people in our lives to take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. When these “burning bushes” exist, we need to stop and realize the sacred ground upon which we stand and watch how God’s divine activity shapes our leadership.