Category: saltJournal

Bob’s daily blog of leadership points.

Leadership Thought Of The Day…

“Surround yourself with people who make you a better person.” Author Unknown

Easier said than done, right? Similar to the idea of Thursday’s post on the positive need in leadership, today’s thought rounds out the week with an important area for all of us.

How much better would our perspective in life be with people around us who make us a better person? Please do not misunderstand, this is not about only having people who agree with us or say what we want to hear.

The idea behind this thought is surrounding ourselves with people who know when to encourage and how to approach us when correction is needed. When this happens, life expands and our perspective in leading changes. The natural result is the desire to do the same for others.

Leaders should always direct their attention toward making others around them better. In order to achieve this goal, we need to know each person well enough to know what will make them better. We need to know when to encourage and how to approach with a loving spirit when correction is needed.

Symbol Of Leadership…

The world is full of symbols: political symbols, social symbols, educational symbols, and even religious symbols.

We often utilize symbols for ideas like unity, respect, tolerance, peace, hope, and love.

A symbol is generally a concrete object representing something abstract.

Few ideas are more abstract than the concept of spiritual leadership, which raises a question. What symbol would represent spiritual leadership?

The gavel represents a legalistic leader, decisive and dogmatic.

The eagle represents a presidential leader, representative and political.

The swastika represents a dictatorial leader, aggressive and autocratic in power.

The crown represents a kingly leader, superior and majestic.

The lamb represents a gentle leader, patient under suffering.

The cross represents a sacrificial leader, purposeful and loving.

While there are others, I wonder what symbol best represents our spiritual leadership? Would the symbol of the cross, representing the purposeful and loving sacrifice of Jesus, accurately describe our leadership? Why or why not? Maybe we should reevaluate our spiritual leadership.

Our leadership is worth the effort to make certain it is represented accurately and biblically.

Keeping Leadership Positive…

Few people enjoy company with a “Negative Nancy.”

Yet, our world is immersed in negativity. Watching the news, weather, sports, politics, and more, reveals levels of negativity that are frightening.

Sadly, this carries over into school, work, home, and church. Just writing these words comes across as negative, so how can we turn it around and maintain a positive focus?

1) Spend time with positive people. We can easily get drawn into negative conversations that drain joy from our lives. Use the time God gives us to be with positive influences.

2) Stop and think. Before speaking or writing, consider how others will perceive our words. Decide to say something that builds up others in a positive way.

3) Eliminate excuses and justification. What we say and do is the result of a choice. When we avoid excuses and justification, we can focus on what is positive.

4) Be the most positive and enthusiastic person we know. Seeing these words is a daily reminder of changing the world by our own attitude, to be an influence instead of being influenced.

Finding a positive way to lead is worth our time. (See Philippians 4:8)

Leadership Word Of The Week…Explicate

The key thought behind this week’s word is “analysis.” By definition, to explicate is to analyze and develop in detail, often with the intent of finding and giving meaning.

Additionally, there are a number of other words associated with this definition, specifically clarification. The intent of explicating an idea or principle is to bring simplicity in order to make it comprehensible.

One of the greatest challenges to any area of leadership involves communication. When communication lacks clarity, the result brings confusion and frustration. How can leaders explicate vision, mission, and values?

Use easy to understand language. Too often, leaders use terminology that others do not comprehend when trying to communicate important messages.

Be careful about assumptions. Leaders who assume others know what they are talking about generally make a grave mistake.

Keep the message concise. Too many words can be as detrimental as too many “run to the dictionary words.” Avoid sharing everything we know. Less is more.

Remember the old K.I.S.S. acronym: Keep it short and sweet!

These are just a few ideas to consider when trying to explicate matters of vision, mission, and values as leaders.

Climbing The Leadership Mountain…Part 2

Once we take a step down (humility), the next step in the climb up the leadership mountain is one that looks outward toward others, “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

The idea behind the words of Christ here is mourning over the sin of others. This passage reminds us of Paul’s words to the church at Corinth: “who is led into sin without my intense concern?” (2 Co. 11:29)

Spiritual leaders are focused on others, it is an outward position of seeking the best for others above self. No one knew or demonstrated this better than Jesus. From giving up the glory He had with the Father to giving up His life on the cross, Jesus was concerned about the sins of the world.

Consider the impact on people around us when we demonstrate concern for the sinful activity that permeates our world and their lives.

The task is not easy, but one that makes a lasting and eternal difference. Once we take the first step, recognizing our need for God, the next step is our concern for the relationship of others with God.

Leadership Thought Of The Day…

“F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’ The choice is yours.” Zig Ziglar

The idea presented demonstrates what we often think about concerning fear. Fear causes us to do what we would not normally do and hinders us from doing what we should do.

Fear is a powerful motivator, but how do we channel this emotion in ways that will harness its power to move us to rise instead of run?

1. Recognize what we fear. Are we afraid of failure or success? Do we fear rejection or acceptance? Is it the known or the unknown that causes us to be afraid?

2. Have the right expectations. Expecting perfection creates a fear of falling short. Expecting the least leaves us with the fear of being overwhelmed. Proper expectations strengthen us.

3. Seek healthy communication. At its height is when fear needs to discussed. Talk with those who can help deal appropriately with our fear and guide us in overcoming it.

4. Remember God is our ally. Knowing who God is, and that He fights for us to win each battle, minimizes fear.

Indifference And Lethargy…

Sadly, words which often characterize much of a society or culture begin to characterize the church. Examining the world and culture we live in reveals the problems of indifference and lethargy.

Our leadership must find ways to prevent and overcome these characteristics in the church.

What does this really mean? It means…

We must find ways to motivate one other to dig into God’s word.

We must increase the desire in the hearts of God’s people to assemble in worship.

We must fan the flame of enthusiasm in reaching out to others with the gospel.

We must energize the creativity of brothers and sisters in Christ to serve.

We must strengthen the hands of God’s faithful.

We must lift up the hearts of those who are weak and struggling.

Leaders can make an incredible difference by recognizing a few simple ways to change the direction of the church and ultimately the world.

When leaders see the opportunity and do something about it, preparing ourselves to make the needed improvements, persevering through the challenges, we overcome indifference and lethargy.

How Creative Is Our Leadership?

Creativity can be frightening. Creativity brings change, and change makes us uncomfortable.

While change is Biblical (e.g. repentance), we do not always understand change and, thus, stifle creativity.

We associate change with a departure from Scripture, adding to or taking away. We often describe it as binding or loosing where God has not.

Interestingly, people who have taken such action do not recognize their departure from the truth.

Is it possible for leadership to encourage creativity without the fear of this kind of change? Yes.

Create a “safe” environment. People need to know it is okay to discuss, and even disagree, where there is no violation of Scripture. At the first sign of disapproval, creativity will stop.

Equip people with the right tools. It is difficult for people to creatively develop ideas if they are ill equipped. However, if they know the tools are provided, creativity will soar.

Give heed to personal advice. If we want to encourage creativity, then we need to be careful about promoting our own ideas.

Remember, we are trying to help others to achieve success. Creativity can make the difference. Encourage it!

Leadership Word Of The Week…Project

As a noun, a project is an individual or collaborative enterprise carefully planned and designed to achieve a particular aim.

As a verb, the idea is described as estimating or forecasting something on the basis of present trends, as well as, the force of moving something forward or outward.

Leadership perspective relates to both the noun and verb. Leaders are working in the area of an enterprise that must be carefully planned and designed. The type of planning and design we are talking about involves a strategy for seeking and saving the lost, and keeping the saved, saved. Often a cliché, we need to give serious thought to the project if we ever hope to achieve the aim.

The activity of leadership is also the needed force to influence others in a way that moves them forward and outward. The danger of moving backwards or standing still results in ultimate death of the project (noun). Leaders who know how to provide this kind of influence will always exude an example worth following.

Let us always project what we want to achieve in each project.

Climbing The Leadership Mountain…Part 1

Of all the qualities and characteristics ascribed to leadership, there is one person who provided us with information to guide our climb up the leadership mountain. For the next few weeks we want to examine these steps.

The first step is really a step down: “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Leaders begin the climb with a step of humility, an emptying process of self. The idea is one of destitution, poverty, or an emptiness that forces one to look up to the one who can fill them with purpose, direction, and fulfillment.

When the quality of humility is seen by others, there is a genuineness that exists in the character of the individual that draws others to follow and emulate.

Developing this poverty in spirit is easier said than done. Recognizing who we are (and perhaps who we are not) and the need for complete dependency on God is a beginning point.

Once we stop working to make things happen on our own and trust God’s sovereign control, then we are taking the first step up the leadership mountain.