Tag: Encouragement

A Fire-Lighter

Who are the fire-lighters in your life? We all have them and we need those who can excite passion within us.

Albert Schweitzer once said, “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

As a leader, we need to light the fires of others.

Who knows, but in that moment when we stop to extend a helping hand, speak an encouraging word, or give the most valuable gift––our time, we make an eternal difference.

Friendship

Friendship is a beautiful relationship of mutual trust and support.

I have witnessed the powerful effects of true friendship. Such mutual trust and support is unmatched.

Leadership is not always seen from the perspective of friendship. Leadership is often accompanied by loneliness. We often hear the idea expressed, “It’s lonely at the top.”

While this may be true in many corporate or political settings, it does not have to be true in every situation.

When leaders develop relationships of mutual trust and support, friendships blossom and provide a source of strength and encouragement for addressing all challenges.

A Leadership Challenge

While a challenge often involves a form of competition, the most relevant definition describes a task or situation that tests someone’s abilities.

Two primary thoughts should be considered in relationship to leaders.

1) Leaders must challenge themselves. We must find ways to test our abilities to strengthen the character of our leadership.

2) Leaders must challenge others. The idea is to present tasks or situations where the abilities of followers are tested to produce personal growth.

People arise to what is expected. If little or nothing is expected, then little or nothing is given. However, experience has proven that when leaders provide encouragement and expectation, followers come through.

Finding Answers

When I observe my children and grandchildren, I understand the idea of looking for and awaiting answers related to trials experienced in life.

Fear, anxiety, and frustration can take control quickly. How can we eliminate these concerns and find the needed answers during such times?

Where do leaders go to find answers when adversity occurs, questions arise?

Leadership involves providing guidance, direction, encouragement, support, and knowing how to give answers to help others overcome their fears, anxiety and frustration. Where can a leader go to find the answers?

Pray.
Listen to God’s word.
Seek counsel.
Learn the value of trust.
Admit mistakes.
Never miss the opportunity to grow.

Team

A leader is one who leads a team in one form or another.

The benefits to leading and working together as a team cannot be listed in one post, but here are a few to consider.

1) More work can be achieved more quickly.
2) Each person on the team can focus on using their abilities.
3) Everyone can use their abilities more efficiently.
4) Ideas are abundant when several work together.
5) Opportunities for encouragement are greater.

Within the church it takes those who specialize in cooking, cleaning, teaching, preaching, singing, praying, serving, shepherding, and the list goes on.

When everyone works together the result is growth!

Barnabas

Barnabas was a great example in generosity. He sold property and gave it all to the apostles to help in the needs of the early church.

His name means “Son of Encouragement.”

After Paul’s conversion to Christianity, people were hesitant to believe the change until Barnabas spoke up for Paul.

When Paul did not want to take John Mark on the next missionary journey Barnabas gave John Mark another chance.

We need to be willing to stand and speak up for those who have changed their lives and, whenever possible, we need to give people another chance.

What an encouragement! What a need in leadership.

Encouraging Words

We cannot measure the impact of an encouraging word spoken at the right time. Yet, we can see the fruit born in the lives of those who receive it.

People need hope. They want to know they can overcome the obstacles encountered on this journey through life.

People want to know they are loved. Communicating in a language they understand takes many forms, but one that always carries weight is a word of encouragement.

Take a moment each day to write a note, make a call, or stop and speak to someone who can use a little encouragement and watch the difference it makes.

Leading with Joy

Stress usually saps the joy right out of most decision making. The challenges leaders face become foundational reasons why many choose not to lead.

As long as leaders spend their time dealing with conflict resolution, personality differences, and resource management, then the emotional depletion levels will exceed the ability and desire to continue.

There is a joy in leading and there are positive areas to support the future development and growth of any organization. When leadership receives encouragement to create, innovate, initiate, and motivate, the possibilities are endless for success.

The combination of a vision, goals, and plans, coupled with the authority to lead excites joy in leading.

Guidance

Guidance involves advice, counsel, direction, instruction, suggestions, and leadership.

Before guiding, consider the following.

1) Pray. Sounds easy enough, right? How many times do we stop and pray before we think through, type out, or talk about something?

2) Check the motive. Why do we want to advise someone? If the motive is not out of love and a desire to improve the other person, rethink.

3) Timing is everything. Do we understand the events that surround another person’s actions? Timing makes a difference in how we are received.

4) Encourage by affirmation. Critiquing someone’s decisions is received far better when we begin by affirming previous actions.

Flourishing Leadership

We have all experienced times in life where everything and everyone seemed to be against us. Our thoughts raced with anticipated conversations. We thought of the worst possible scenario and in those moments spelled out our own demise. When this happens, the choices seem limited and we tend to make life-altering decisions.

Perhaps we have benefited from a friend who took a moment to call, send a note, or write an e-mail to encourage us in those dark hours.

Leadership flourishes when we provide the same kindness to others who experience the same dark times.

Life expands before us as we seek opportunity to build up those in need.