Where do we focus our attention? What purpose drives us as leaders? We can easily get distracted and lose focus and forget our purpose.

There are times we spend too much energy putting out “brush fires” and lose sight of the goal. We must remember, and followers need to be reminded of, our purpose.

Be driven by it.

Determine to succeed.

Establish unity in the work.

Promote it at every opportunity.

Never quit.

Impossibilities disappear when we are driven by purpose, especially when that purpose has a godly foundation.

Before we speak, before we write, before we act, think first. Two words. Simple enough to say and so difficult to follow.

We live in a reactionary world. We tend to react to our circumstances. Life deals an unfair hand and we react. Someone speaks inappropriately and we react. Others take advantage of us and we react.

Leaders must learn how to act. If we can stop the reaction through our words and actions, then maybe, just maybe, the fallout can be prevented.

The only way to learn this lesson is to “think first.”

Satan carries many tools in his arsenal, all designed to distract leaders from the great task before them.

Nothing seems more distracting than discouragement. Nehemiah would not allow any amount of discouragement, abuse, or intimidation to distract him from completing the work.

The devil seeks to discourage us, ultimately causing us to give up.

We are “doing a great work and [we] cannot come down. Why should the work stop while [we] leave it and come down to you?” (Neh. 6:3)

Fight the urge! Stay the course! Do not be distracted! Do not give the devil opportunity!

Think about restaurants, from fast-food to upscale specialty service. Consider educational institutions, from community colleges to Ivy-league universities. There is a difference.

The same is true in leadership. We have seen it politically, corporately, educationally, and spiritually. There is a difference.

When it comes to spiritual leadership, are we really making the difference? Have we allowed the mindset of complacency to hinder our leadership? Are we victims of an apathetic world and indifference regarding our leadership?

Just as there is a difference in all areas of life, we can make a difference if we choose to do so. Let us provide the leadership needed today for a better tomorrow and eternity.

We all enjoy timeless nuggets of advice, snippets of information unaltered by time, generation, or culture. They are not always easy to find and can be often overlooked.

We find timeless advice when God instructed Joshua to “be strong and very courageous.” God emphasized strength and courage three times in this context, but only once did He use the phrase “be strong and very courageous.”

The context has powerful implications in the realm of spiritual leadership, because God’s advice surrounded the strength and courage needed to follow His law.

We have to wonder how different our world would be if spiritual leaders today had the strength and courage to do the same.

Consider the power of leadership to alter eternity. The influence of godly leaders makes a difference in the eternal destination of everyone around them.

Therefore, the driving motivation behind leadership directly relates to the lives changed. When we think about it more closely, the moment someone’s life is changed by our influence, we cannot help but experience change in our own life.

If we truly believe that eternity matters that much, then let us exercise the type of diligence necessary to influence every soul we meet. We might just alter eternity, theirs and ours.

God needs spiritual leaders, and the need is critical. Several years ago, I heard an interesting thought, “God is not about time. He is about purpose.”

Think about it. God is not bound by time as you and I. He created time within the span or space of eternity. However, God is bound by purpose, His purpose, and the purpose He set forth from eternity involves leadership.

Why do we need leaders? Because God demands and commands it. To fall short of the leadership development continuum within His church is to fall short of God’s purpose.

How will we prepare the next generation for leadership in His kingdom and fulfill His purpose?

Definitions of a leader vary from one person to another. However, among the many that exist, one describes a leader as “a short length of wire by which a hook is attached to a fishing line.”

The design of this wire is tough to prevent fish from cutting the line. In numerous places, this material is often made of steel, which adds to the thought.

Regardless of how one might define a leader today, we know they must be strong, able to withstand any challenge. It is not a matter of if, but when these challenges come. Spiritual leaders need to remember that the strength of God will help us in battle.

The ability to be self-aware and self-evaluate is much easier said than done. The difficulty exists in recognizing the inward truths that often escape reality.

Marianne Williamson said, “Take stock of your thoughts and behavior. Each night ask yourself, when were you negative when you could have been positive? When did you withhold love when you might have given it? When did you play a neurotic game instead of behaving in a powerful way? Use this process to self-correct.”

When we ask the kind of questions that challenge painful answers, we find ways to improve the influence of our leadership and help others follow with confidence.

Let us evaluate with deep sincerity and truth.

The challenge of changing one’s behavior involves areas that motivate each individual. As learned in a recent conversation with a close friend, in order to change what people do, we have to change what people want.

Perhaps we need to consider what it is that people want: to feel loved, needed, wanted, and that they belong. When leaders touch on these areas, people will follow with their actions.

If it looks like no one is motivated to follow our lead, then maybe we should evaluate what and how we appeal to their wants.