Elite must mean something special, because it is defined as the best in a particular area or field. Generally, eliteness is associated with power, wealth, or ability.

Spiritual leadership carries an elite characteristic. The idea is not about self-centered power, wealth, or ability. It is about Who makes us elite.

Through the sacrifice of Christ, God’s grace was abundantly provided to us. The result grants God’s elite access to His throne.

Christians are elite. Knowing the outcome of Christ’s work on the cross, we have a responsibility to lead others to share in the access we have with God. Think Souls!

How we live, not how long, determines the nature of our legacy. Whatever we want to leave behind we must live now.

Abraham Lincoln said, “And in the end it is not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.”

How do we want to be remembered when we are gone?

Will we leave behind a physical footprint of life, or spiritual?

Legacy is about living today what we want to be remembered for tomorrow.

Our leadership involves how we live as leaders during our years on earth. It is a thought worth considering.

The history of Independence Day is on the minds of most Americans today. July 4, 1776 brought freedom from the law and rule of England.

The events formulating the history of this nation, like any other, have played a key role in developing the present character of this country.

As Christians, we recognize our freedom from the slavery to sin through Jesus Christ. The price paid bought freedom not for one nation, but for all nations on the earth.

Our role as spiritual leaders is to help others understand and experience this freedom.

Time is too precious to delay. Think Souls.

Mountain tops represent the best of life. Our faith is strong and confident. We are positive and easily make decisions.

Valleys bring shadows of darkness. We question our faith, doubt creeps in, attitudes are altered, and we struggle with decisions.

Leaders experience both. Reaching the top and staying there is the path leaders desire to walk.

We are not alone.

The wisdom gained by others is an invaluable gift.

Tomorrow presents new opportunities.

Strength comes from knowing, not emotions.

God still sits on His throne.

We need to focus on the positive, give the negative to God, work on what can be changed, find balance in family, and seek good counsel.

We all make mistakes. We say and do things we wish we had not, and there are no “easy” or “do-over” buttons. The opportunity to receive another chance depends on how we handle the mistake.

Acknowledge it.

Take responsibility.

Evaluate every possible solution.

Take appropriate action.

Act quickly!

When we approach our mistakes with humility and a decisiveness toward appropriate actions, there is opportunity for one more chance.

Is this not what God has done for us?

Challenges are often overwhelming. The various challenges leaders face often distract and/or discourage. During these times, it is important to ask, “Will we finish well?”

Finishing well requires a few simple steps.

Determine the priorities. Discouragement leads to quitting. We cannot allow this to happen. Know what is worth dying for and give ourselves to it.

Work hard. The reason given as the secret to success for anyone in leadership is a simple, but powerful truth. They work hard.

Keep your eye on the goal. Challenges bring distractions. Peter encouraged Christians facing persecution to keep their focus.

How well we finish is just as important as how we begin.

How often do we need an answer, yet do not know how to get it?

John Maxwell says, “You can’t find the right answer if you are asking the wrong question.”

What will help?

1) Think before speaking.

2) Questions must be clear and direct.

3) Be genuine.

4) Do not assume anything.

5) Learn what “not” to ask.

There are answers, but we must learn to ask the right questions to get the answers.

Is the beginning better than the end?

The reputation of a leader is often measured by success––goals achieved. However, a leader has an important task before achieving success.

What must be done to create buy-in? How can excitement for the goal be created? Will people work the plan?

The answers unfold in the beginning. To earn great victories, there needs to be a great beginning.

Believe in the plan.
Paint the picture and set it before others.
Examine every possible detail.
Pursue the course with enthusiasm.

Is the beginning better than the end? If we start correctly, yes!

Jesus spoke of a wise man and a foolish man. The difference between the two was the foundation upon which they built.

When the bedrock of our leadership is based on spiritual qualities and characteristics, people have a solid foundation to follow.

We must know who we are following. When we follow the leadership of Christ, we move in the right direction.

We must develop consistency between our words and actions. More than one leader has lost credibility because their actions contradicted their words.

The eternal success of our leadership is determined by the foundation upon which we build and help others stand upon.

This phrase originated with the WWII patriotic song Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer by Harold Adamson and Jimmie McHugh (1942). The song tells of a damaged warplane barely able to limp back to base.

Prayer is a vital part of our spiritual leadership, but our approach to leadership cannot succeed by barely limping along.

Our leadership is about the hope Jesus provided at the cross. We have prepared ourselves through trust and obedience to a gracious God who saved us from sin.

When we understand our leadership is focused on this kind of hope, we are not leading by a wing and a prayer. We are leading by faith!