The idea associated with “optimism” includes hope and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something.

The contrast between leaders who are optimistic and those who are not seems to be connected to age and experience. The older leaders become, or the negative nature of life’s experiences, can hinder optimistic leadership.

The challenge is how to overcome the pessimistic tendencies and keep hope and confidence alive. Among the many possibilities, here are a few suggestions:

1) Remember, “everyone” is not against us.

2) Stop trying to live in or change the past, because we cannot.

3) Be surrounded by optimistic people who cast a vision of hope.

4) Be realistic about personal expectations.

5) Learn to accept who we are as a person.

6) Express gratitude for what we have physically and spiritually.

7) Reflect more often on the positive areas of life.

The internet is loaded with ways to develop a more optimistic focus in life. As leaders, it is worth the time we take to share our optimism with those who follow.

Try it and see how contagious it becomes.

Several reasons explain why we avoid getting involved in leading people who would be considered “unwanted.”

However, we also need to consider the nature of excuses often made to keep from getting involved.

Again, the list is not exhaustive.

1) They are not interested.

2) We are not prepared to handle their baggage.

3) They might steal something?

4) They are just cons.

5) The government helps them.

Initially, I was going to write beside each excuse, but I believe the thoughts stand alone. One of the major problems with each statement is the pronouns: “they, them, their.”

The tendency is to see people more as an object than a person. We build contrasts between us and them, a barrier that is separated by excuses used to justify inactivity.

I am aware there have been abuses, cons, stealing, etc. Sadly, we allow these situations to paint the picture for the whole, and write the whole off.

We are offended when the same is done to us, so why do we allow ourselves to fall into the same trap?

This is not an easy task, nor is it comfortable, but it is needed.

What trails are you blazing? What paths are you cutting through the brush? And where will you end up from your efforts? But more important than that…have you left a clear path for others to follow, and if they do follow, where will they end up? Michael Hite

When I first read this post I immediately thought of how powerful these questions are for leadership.

When we question our leadership, consideration should be given to the followers. Have we really considered where others will end up when they follow our leadership?

The choices come down to the following and similar ideas:

1) Closer to, or further away from God…

2) More spiritually, or more worldly focused…

3) Stronger, or weaker in faith…

4) Growing, or declining in knowledge of God’s word…

There are many more possibilities, but the point is the same. Our leadership should be important enough to consider the destination followers will reach by following our leadership.

Leaders should be willing to blaze the type of trail that when others follow they will end up in heaven. Think Souls!

If you are familiar with the Psalms, you know the idea of “blessed” is a key word throughout the entire collection.

As well, this specific phrase is how Psalm 1 begins. The thoughts expressed throughout the first Psalm have great significance when applied to leadership.

First, leaders need to be careful where they go and who they listen to regarding their leadership. They must not walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.

Second, the true heart and success of spiritual leadership is the result of following the path provided by God in His word. Notice how the Psalmist emphasizes the delight, meditation and resulting prosperity that follows the one who is deeply rooted in God’s law.

Third, considering the contrasts of this Psalm also indicates the consequences of impending judgment for those who fail to follow the way of righteousness.

Leaders have a unique opportunity when leading others on the right path. The responsibility is great, but the rewards of a fruitful life and eternal prosperity make the responsibility worth it all.

Is this urgent or essential? What should you stop doing? These two questions laid the foundation for the questions that great leaders ask.

The third question Mike Maddock contributes in this Forbes article is another step in leadership development; “What makes you feel strongest?”

There is no doubt when it comes to great leaders they understand their strengths and weaknesses. They know the areas where they are weak and how to find the individuals who have strengths in those areas.

By doing so, great leaders continue to focus on their strengths. Numerous sources claim that leaders should focus 80% of their time in areas of their strengths and only 20% in areas of weakness.

While this may sound opposite to what we might consider the right approach, great leaders tend to prove the theory.

Focusing on the areas of passion and strength makes a good leader great, and a great leader outstanding.

The challenge for us is taking the time to ask the right questions and make sure we are providing the answers to deliver what is needed to reach our greatest potential.

The idea of a contingency indicates a provision for future possibilities. When circumstances change the course of action, a contingency should be in place.

The one consistency facing leadership today is change. Apart from the changes in fields such as technology, science, medicine, etc., people and circumstances change!

When leaders cast the vision, pointing others to the goal, and establishing the plans to reach the goal, there will be change. Several questions need to be considered when thinking about the word for the week.

What contingency is in place for the time when changes occur?

Are the consequences of a contingency minimal?

Will the contingency create a loss of morale for followers?

Who will implement the contingency during the transition?

How will the contingency affect the overall vision and goals?

When is the appropriate time to initiate the contingency?

The questions may not always be the easiest to answer, but having a contingency can help negotiate the challenges that occur when change is inevitable.

The old adage “to be forewarned is to be forearmed” does have merit when leading others.

“The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don’t know what to do.” John W. Holt, Jr.

Several thoughts came to mind when first reading this quote. The idea of the test of one’s character is powerful and needed. The thought of character itself is also a great subject when considering leadership.

However, the main thought here has to do with behavior; specifically, how leaders behave when they don’t know what to do.

There will always be times when leaders struggle with knowing what should be done. During these times their character is truly tested to its limits.

The qualities of patience, understanding, thoughtful reflection, and being cautious are important. Decisions can be made too rashly and without the proper foundation. The result can bring serious consequences which could be avoided.

Learning to seek the counsel of others who have walked the same paths can open leaders up to greater wisdom, possible alternatives, and new angles of consideration.

When leaders find themselves not knowing what to do, the first option is to begin with prayer!

Solomon relates the value of a word spoken in the right circumstances “like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

The analogy emphasizes the value of speaking the right words at the right time.

Very few principles carry more weight in leadership than this one. When leaders speak the right words at the right time it strengthens their leadership immeasurably.

The challenge is how to develop this ability. What will assist leaders in developing this quality?

1) Learn to actively listen. One of the best attributes to learning what to say at the right time is to listen intensely at what is and is not being said by others. There are times the silence speaks more to the need than the actual words.

2) Think long and hard before speaking. The most common tendency is to speak as soon as the thought crosses our mind. More than one relationship has been damaged because someone spoke something off color, harshly, or in anger without thinking of how the words might affect someone else.

These two principles lay a powerful foundation to a word spoken in the right circumstance.

Last week began a series of four questions great leaders ask. The article written by Mike Maddock for Forbes has powerful insight into questions leaders should ask. The first question involved answering the difference between what is essential and urgent.

The second question is one that also demands thought: “What should you stop doing?”

This question follows on the heels of the first. Once a leader has an understanding of what is essential, there are certain other elements to be eliminated.

These elements are distracting and become time stealers, robbing leaders of the time to focus on matters of an essential nature.

Through the process of eliminating areas of lesser importance (what we should stop doing), leaders can focus their time and energy on the essential side of a “to-do” list.

The implication for spiritual leadership is significant. Spiritual leaders realize the need to prioritize life and work by recognizing the proper balance between what is urgent versus essential.

As we make our way through each question, please take time to consider the answers in application to the leadership needed in the church today.

Substance is a particular kind of matter with uniform properties. However, having a technical definition does not adequately describe the definition and application of this word in leadership.

Substance also involves a quality of being important, valid, or significant. Simply stated, substance is the stuff that makes up leadership.

What is the substance that makes up the character of our leadership? Integrity? Work ethic? Core values?

Is there something significant that stands out giving credibility to leadership substance?

Can others see the substance of our leadership?

Only you and I can answer these questions for ourselves. The substance of spiritual leadership must not be self-centered, but others-centered. The quality that validates the importance of leadership is not built upon “I,” but “you.” The substance of good leadership is about “we.”

When our leadership is evaluated, we need to take advantage of the opportunity to ask ourselves hard questions to determine the substance of our leadership. This is where the true character of leadership is found.

As important and needed as leadership is today, it is worth our time to focus on the substance.