When we think of giant slayers, the account of David and Goliath comes to mind. As a leader, David surrounded himself with others of like character.

Of David’s thirty-seven mighty men, at least four were giant slayers.

As leaders, there will be giants that cross our paths. They oppose our efforts to accomplish God’s will, and they take many forms.

We must be able to overcome them and surround ourselves with others of like character.

Great leaders see the qualities in others to achieve success, even if taking out giants is necessary.

What is the best book you have read in the last six months, apart from the Bible? Admittedly, sitting down to read a book is not always a favorite task.

There are several benefits to our leadership when reading.

We expose ourselves to the experience and wisdom of others.
We learn a number of new possibilities.
We expand our understanding in a variety of subjects.
We maintain a fresh perspective.
We develop an ability to think more widely.
We communicate in more well informed ways.

We need to challenge ourselves to improve who we are as leaders. Read more!

Contentment is challenging in a world controlled by an insatiable desire for more. Benjamin Franklin said, “Content makes poor men rich. Discontent makes rich men poor.”

How can we achieve contentment? Paul claimed Christ provides such strength, and when godliness accompanies contentment we find great gain.

Contentment takes on a different meaning when thinking about leadership. We must be content with what we have, but never who we are.

Leaders constantly work to develop their ability to lead.

We learn how to grow in fulfilling this God given task from others who are lifelong students of this subject.

Leadership is not making things happen on our own. The minute we try to go alone, we are destined for failure.

When David faced Goliath he knew his Ally. Goliath came to the battle equipped and able to fight, but David came with the living God of Israel. Care to guess who wins?

When we come to the battle with the living God by our side, we cannot fail. Paul reminds us of this in Romans 8:31-39.

The lesson is powerful, and we can live with this confidence when God is our greatest Ally.

Courage has application for everyone. At some point or another, we face various situations and decisions when we need courage. 

Peter Block says, “Courage isn’t done for the sake of being practical. It’s chosen for its own sake. As soon as you make courage practical, you’ve stolen its humanity.”

Courage is rarely developed; rather it is a choice of the moment. As leaders, we face challenging obstacles or decisions and we must choose to act with courage.

The ability to consistently act with courage is a defining mark of great leadership. 

Elevators are convenient, less taxing on the body, and quicker.

How great would it be to take an elevator to the top of leadership? The mind and body would have less stress. We would not experience the process of strategically putting one foot in front of the other. It would surely be more convenient.

However, it does not work this way. Never has. Never will.

We are shaped by our experiences throughout the journey.

There are no quick and easy ways to the top of leadership. The greater our diligence, the greater our leadership.

The Energizer battery company put together ads of an indestructible rabbit powered by Energizer batteries. Nothing could stop it. This rabbit kept on going and going!

Doesn’t this describe a leader’s influence? Our physical bodies will not last, but our influence will be remembered long after we are gone.

How do we want to be remembered?

Once we answer that question, we must begin living it…NOW! It does not happen by accident. It is the result of intentional and diligent effort.

Our influence lives long beyond now, but it is determined by the choices we make now.

We talk about values. We understand the need for values. We even categorize our values: personal, family, moral, and work.

What are the “core” values of our life?

We face the necessity of recognizing that leadership must be based on these core values.

The determining factor for our core values must be God’s word. When it is, the people who surround us all benefit from our core values.

Our leadership will not grow beyond the level of the values we live by as a leader. Let us make sure our values measure up to the right standard.

Fear of the unknown ranks near the top of most people’s fears. It encompasses so many different areas, the unknown with the economy, job security, health, and safety.

Certainly, the unknowns of leadership would qualify.

The task before us in spiritual leadership is to remove these unknowns. When we consider death, we may fear the unknown of what happens at death.

However, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, this fear has been removed. We can provide no greater confidence to others than sharing this hope. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Think Souls!

As spiritual leaders, we need to love what we do, because the benefits are eternal.

We need to believe and know this is a great work!

Steve Jobs once said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

The work is far too valuable and important to do just enough to get by, the minimum.

This is God’s work. Let us love it, live it, and invest our lives into it.