Effective leadership should be immersed in learning. John F. Kennedy once said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” Our life is about learning.

There is no question about our leadership. We are going to lead. Now we need to know how vital learning is as part of our leadership. As we grow in our learning, we gain a greater understanding of others and our leadership of them. 

How and what are we learning to improve our leadership? Read any good books lately? The Bible would be a great place to start. I recommend it!

Nearly 2,000 years ago this question was asked by a governor with the power to deliver or destroy. Sadly, the influence of the Jews and fear of allowing a threat to Rome go free moved Pilate to crucify Jesus.

How we answer this question becomes foundational to our influence in several areas of life.

Family:Let us lead our family to heaven.

Job:Work to please Christ, not men.

Worship: Meet with God and bring a gift.

World: Be the influence our world needs.

What will we do? Our answer makes the difference in others seeing the influence of Jesus.

Nearly everywhere we look we see signs with the disclosure “authorized personnel only.” Who are these people?

We may not know who they are, but we do know if we are one those authorized or not.

If Jesus has been given “all” authority, then only those given authority by Him may enter. Is this not what Jesus claimed? “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Jesus has the authority to grant entrance because He was given the authority.

Our job is to lead others to Him, because He alone grants entrance into the eternal home. How are we doing at our job? THINK SOULS!

The anticipation of an event often keeps us focused as we approach the event itself.

This idea was expressed by Paul for Christians. Several times in his letters to the church, Paul used the terminology of “eagerly anticipating.” Christians eagerly anticipate dwelling in God’s presence eternally.

Our spiritual leadership is built on the foundation of helping others anticipate this same event.

Imagine how overwhelming it will be the moment we first see our God and Savior. Consider the sound of His voice. Think about how incredible it will be when we first realize we are there.

I cannot wait! Can you?

Our anticipation is part of what will make the event so special. It is worth sharing with others.

Leaders are often masterful at telling others what to do. However, we often fall short of guiding others in how to do it.

If we are going to lead others, they must learn how to do the task. That means…

We must learn the best ways to accomplish the task.

We need a better working knowledge of people and how they work best.

We must express the application in ways that encourage and excite others to act.

Is it easy? No! Will it make a difference in our leadership? Absolutely!

Leading others hinges on proper application. Good leadership is not simply telling others what to do, but helping them learn how to do it.

Plato once said, “The beginning is the most important part of the work.”

The way leaders begin the work has a far greater impact on reaching the overall goal(s) than we might care to admit.

It applies to how we begin a family.
It applies to how we begin each day.
It applies to how we begin a conversation with someone about studying the Bible.
It applies to how we begin a class, sermon or an article / post.

How important was the beginning when God created?
How important was the beginning when Christ came to this earth?
How important was the beginning of the church?

Is it possible to reach our ultimate potential? Absolutely!!! How?

Do not limit God. Never think God “cannot” do something because we “will not.”

Start thinking BIG! God has the power to do far beyond all we ask or think.

Remind others of the possibilities. A reminder of what can be done is often enough to move others into action.

Develop a plan into smaller sections. The overall plan can be overwhelming, but breaking it down into smaller pieces makes it workable.

Begin NOW! Procrastination and hesitation are killers to our potential.

Potential is too important to wait.

How do leaders motivate those who are unmotivated?

We begin by asking a few simple questions.

1) Do the unmotivated know they are supposed to act?

2) Do they know how to perform these actions as expected?

3) When was the last time they were reminded?

4) Are the reasons clear why these actions are important, necessary, and valuable?

5) Are the guidelines clear of the consequences for not acting?

People are motivated in different ways.

We need a strategy that involves teaching others how to get from point A to point B. This is the first step in motivating the unmotivated.

Respect is often a two-way street, but the challenge involves earning respect.

A few simple ideas can help leaders earn respect.

Be dedicated to the Lord: Focus on Christ and make the souls of others a priority.

Be consistent: Posner and Kouzes say, “The video needs to match the audio.”

Love people: A deeper understanding of love might help us understand why it covers a multitude of sins.

We could argue whether respect is earned or demanded. However, applying a few simple principles to our leadership will answer the questions.

Why do more not lead? One of the top reasons involves the difficultly.

We have all heard, “If it were easy everyone would do it.” Well, it is not easy. At the same time, everyone is doing it. We all influence others. The question how do we influence them?

For good or evil?
To build on the rock or sand?
To walk in the light or darkness?
To be a sheep or a goat?
To live for Christ or against Him?

It is one tough job, but it is worth the effort.