Category: saltJournal

Bob’s daily blog of leadership points.

Changing Influence

Think about your leadership. How will your influence be remembered in the church and community where you live and serve?

Harry Truman said, “Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”

Will you be remembered because you made a change for the better?

Will your leadership impact the eternal good of others?

If it seems the world stands still around you, maybe it is time you stood up to lead. Seize the opportunity to change things for the better. Lead as God would have you do!

Showing Up Everyday

Learning to work through the times when we feel less than our best can be difficult. Jerry West says, “You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.”

Remember your purpose. Do not lose sight of why you lead.

Put one foot in front of the other. Sometimes, just getting started helps.

Focus on the goal. The result is worth the effort.

Remain dedicated to finish. It is not how you start, but how you finish that makes a difference.

Leadership motivates us to show up everyday!

Spiritual Direction

Leading with the head and heart can introduce numerous challenges. Although both are needed, caution must be exercised.

Many pilots fly by what is known as IFR (Instrument Flying Rules). IFR involves relying on a plane’s instruments instead of one’s own senses. Certain conditions can create a false sense of direction when relying on what one can see, which potentially leads to pilot error.

A leader’s task involves providing direction for others. In order to provide the right direction, preventing error, they must use the God-given instrument available.

God’s word is the only instrument needed in order to provide true spiritual direction.

Knowing Others

Is it possible to lead others without knowing them? Leaders must know the dreams, aspirations, hopes, desires, and personal goals of others in order to lead them well.

Then, leaders can look out for their well-being. It has been said, “If you take care of those under you, they will take care of you.”

Nothing is more important than knowing the needs of others and leading in ways to provide for those needs.

Good leaders know this necessity, and spiritual leaders know the greatest need is spiritual.

Honest Influence

Although stated in various ways, Mark Twain provides a powerful thought in this statement, “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.”

Leaders will influence small and large groups of people. Their influence is going to be measured by the level of honesty perceived.

When leaders are seen as being dishonest, people will not follow.

When leaders are seen as honest, the opposite is true.

Even when it might seem easier to bend the truth, honesty is always the best policy.

The result of this practice has lasting repercussions on our leadership influence.

Breaking Point

People often take on more work than they are capable of handling. It is commonly said, “It is just easier to do the work myself.” We add more until we cannot carry it all and something breaks.

Is this the right way to lead?

Do leaders really help others reach their potential if they add more to their own plate?

Can overall growth occur if only a few do the work?

Leaders must delegate and distribute the load into appropriate hands.

If everyone does their part, the entire load can be carried. When leadership takes on the responsibility of others, eventually a breaking point comes. Guard against it!

Zeal

We cannot read Paul’s letters without connecting the word zeal or zealous to him.

To be zealous is to have great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.

God’s grace in our lives should create a zeal driven to lead those who are outside of Christ to Him.

Our leadership can fulfill many purposes from caring for the underprivileged to encouraging the faithful.

Both are essential!

Little compares to fulfilling the purpose of leading those who need the Lord into a relationship secured by God’s grace.

Setting the Example

Nestled in the idea of an example is understanding our influence as leaders. We influence people everyday. We influence people in what is right or wrong. The difference is bound up in the example we set. 

Setting an example is associated with consistency. Mahatma Ghandi and others are noted for saying we must become the change we want to see.

Setting the example is also associated with servanthood. The only time Jesus said, “I gave you an example” was connected to being a servant.

If we want to be who God desires, we need to understand the significance identified with our example of leadership.

Life Worth Living

Although the author is unknown, the following thought is powerful: “No one ever finds life worth living—he has to make it worth living.”

Leadership is about making life worth living for those who follow.

Our task is to make rough paths smooth and the crooked straight. 

We live in a dysfunctional society. Families, schools, business, government, religions, and more, do not function as God originally designed.

Our role is to give hope. We must use opportunities to help others see the “so what?” and the “now what?” in life. The answers are what make life worth living.

Dedication

How would you describe your level of dedication?

In several areas of life, even leadership, when difficulties arise, change, distractions, interruptions, or a failure to measure up to our own expectations, culture says, “Look to bail.”

Consider the difference that could be made if we all honored our commitments.

Imagine the lives we could change when our hearts are filled with dedication.

There is much to be said for men and women who build on a foundation defined by two words…until death! It takes dedication.

Leadership is the same.