Dealing with failure has never been easy. How we deal with it makes a powerful statement to the development of our leadership.

Building on the suggestions from yesterday, consider the following.

Do not hesitate to act. Hesitation comes with a high price. Waiting to act creates a perception of apathy.

Learn from failure. Study the strengths and weaknesses of the present circumstances. Determine and implement needed changes to overcome and prevent the same mistakes.

Make necessary adjustments to move beyond failure to build confidence in others toward leadership. Work to build a series of successful events or programs to reassure the strength of the leadership.

Who or what determines failure? Why is failure seen as negative? How can leaders deal with failure in ways to improve and benefit their leadership?

Consider a couple steps:

First, recognize failure is inevitable. No matter who you are or where you are, failure takes place.

Second, acknowledge and take responsibility. Do not ignore, deny, or cast blame when failure occurs.

Third, failure is not fatal. Winston Churchill is credited with saying, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”

More tomorrow…

Our attitude and approach to leadership influences the type of work accomplished.

Charles Schwab once said, “I have yet to find a man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism.”

If leadership is dictatorial, negative, and critical there are consistent challenges to reaching goals.

Our leadership excels with a spirit of positive approval and affirmation. The world has plenty of critics. It seems natural to offer criticism, even when praise is necessary.

God intended the church to be a refuge. If we want success in our leadership, the thought here is worth considering.

Powerful relationships exist between life and leadership.

The mindset of trying to do things on our own ultimately fails. We need one another. Division is killing the church and her influence.

There are at least 24 different “one another” passages throughout scripture. These passages teach us about the spiritual relationship and responsibility we have to one another.

When leadership uses these areas to strengthen relationships, the result will bring a powerful boost to leadership.

When we fulfill the responsibilities outlined by the New Testament writers, the church will be strengthened.

Isn’t it time we build the kind of relationships to accomplish both?

Although the author is unknown, the thought is significant. “The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s about what you’re made of, not the circumstances.”

Leaders often face physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual circumstances that drain them of energy.

Interestingly, the circumstances (boiling water) provide benefit; the potato softens and the egg hardens making them palatable, thus beneficial to eat.

Our circumstances may soften or harden us, but we should always benefit for the betterment of our leadership.

Fear is common. The apostles demonstrated fear. The parents of a blind man were afraid. Paul addressed fear when writing Timothy.

How do we overcome fear?

A few suggestions:

Know God. He gives a spirit of love and power and discipline.

Believe in Christ. If Jesus endured for us, we can overcome for Him.

Study the book. The more we know of God’s word, the greater our confidence in fearful situations.

Fight the good fight. Paul knew the challenges of the work. He also knew he had to fight.

Let us commit ourselves to overcome and lead with passion.

Leaders cast a vision and map the direction to a specific destination. Unless they know where they are going, no one can finish the journey.

Consider:

1) We must never take our eyes off the destination.

2) Remember the map is found in the greatest atlas.

3) When necessary, stop and ask for help if we lose our sense of direction.

4) Make the proper preparation before starting the journey.

Remember, there is purpose in leading others. We need to know where we are going and what we need to take to get there. The results are worth it!

What does it take to get our attention and move us into action for the Lord?

Will the majority of seven billion people in the world who are lost?

Perhaps there is the decline in morality that surrounds us.

Maybe it is the spread of error on unknowing hearts.

Could it be the grace of God given in the Savior who came to die for the world?

Whatever it is, our attention is needed and we must move into action to lead others to the only hope given to the human race.

Think Souls!

We cannot emphasize enough the necessity of servant-leadership. In an effort to emphasize the point, Victor Cousin said, “Men are governed only by serving them; the rule is without exception.”

While there are many leadership styles, spiritual leadership succeeds by service.

Jesus said; “by this all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” In the context, Jesus taught the necessity of being a servant.

If we understand the true definition of Biblical love, we cannot fulfill the new command given by Christ without being a servant.

There are powerful relationships between life and leadership.

The mindset of trying to do things on our own will ultimately fail. We need one another. There is a minimum of twenty-four “one another” passages throughout scripture. These passages teach us about the spiritual relationship and responsibility we have to each other.

When leadership engages these thoughts to strengthen relationships, the result brings a powerful boost to our leadership.

When we fulfill the responsibilities outlined by the New Testament writers, the church grows stronger.

Isn’t it time we built the kind of relationships to accomplish both?