Tag: Focus

The Motivation to Lead

Former NBA star Jerry West once said, “You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.”

We need to learn how to work through times when we do not feel as good as other days. We need to…

…remember the purpose. Do not lose sight of why we lead.

…put one foot in front of the other. At times, just getting started helps.

…focus on the goal. The result promises to be worth the effort.

…remain dedicated to finish. It is not how you start, but how you finish that makes a difference.

Leadership motivates us to show up everyday!

Letting the Dust Settle

The general tendency is to think of “dust” figuratively in reference to turmoil or difficulty.

The implication of this phrase is key to how leaders impact the lives of those within their sphere of influence. How?

After the dust settles…

…next-step decisions are made for moving forward with greater confidence,
…the learning curve on accomplishments and challenges comes into focus,
…resolutions are more quickly reached because turmoil has passed, and
…opportunities to adjust course direction are made more easily.

The main thought here directs our attention toward allowing the dust to settle before making rash decisions that impact the lives of everyone around.

Leading with Constancy

Have you ever heard the phrase “constancy of purpose?” Constancy involves dependability or faithfulness. There are strong implications in leadership. Once leaders understand their purpose, constancy is demonstrated in four areas.

1) Faith: We need to know and trust that our God is able and He will be there each step of the way.

2) Focus: Without focus, Satan is masterful at distractions, which take our eyes off God’s purpose.

3) Fortitude: We need fortitude to stand firm when distractions and challenges arise.

4) Follow-through: Once we commit ourselves, constancy will follow-through with the plans.

Constancy helps leaders accomplish more for the Lord’s kingdom.

One Shot

At times, we only have one shot at an opportunity God provides in leading others to Christ.

If we only had one shot, would we understand the necessity of making it count? What factors need to be considered to make it count?

The priority must be Christ. Focus everything on Him.

Develop relationships. People need to know Jesus and when we develop those relationships, we can change their lives eternally.

In reality, we do not know how many opportunities will be provided. One shot may be all we have and need, so be ready for it and make it count!

Turning Failure Into Success

When failure happens, it is often debilitating. We struggle to move forward and benefit from the experience.

Failure, however, can lead to success when we realize that it reveals ways not to do something, allowing us to channel our focus, investing our efforts into areas that lead to success.

Approaching failure with this mindset changes how we establish a vision for the future and how we respond to the challenges we face in life.

Spiritual leaders help others through times of failure with a vision of real success. Here we find motivation to conquer the greatest of failures.

Complexity of Leadership

Life is complicated. Just when we feel like we have a good handle on it, something changes. Even when we have a vision, spend hours setting goals and establishing plans, there seems to always be that one item that throws us a “curve ball.”

Leadership can be tricky. As complicated as life can be, when leading others, the complexities increase.

Providing structure is essential to understanding the nature in which all the components required to achieve our vision are implemented.

This structure keeps everyone focused and active.

The work can be difficult, but when it is accomplished, everyone grows.

Growing Our Leadership

Growing pains can be…well, painful. There are times we get discouraged with growth as it brings challenges.

Thelma Davis said, “To get to the next level your spirit has to be stretched. Don’t be discouraged by the growing pains. Promotion is a process.”

The process is critical to achieving the desired result, and the more we keep our focus on that result, the more likely we are to succeed.

Consider this…
Be open to the stretching your heart and mind.
Stay focused and encouraged during the growing pains (remember the goal).
Remember patience is needed while experiencing the process.
Results speak for themselves and are worth it all.

Simple Leadership

Simplicity can be explained by the following: 1) understanding, 2) clarity, 3) definable, 4) plain, and 5) natural.

The opposite of simplicity is complex and tends to leave people in a fog. When leadership is complex, people deal with confusion or convolution.

The challenge is learning how to bring simplicity to leadership?

Identify the main thing (priority) and keep it the main thing.
Narrow the focus to one primary task.
Simplify and clarify terminology.

A few simple ideas will benefit and strengthen our leadership in ways that will simplify what we strive to achieve to the glory of God.

The Right Leader…

Solomon was certainly right when he said, “The writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body” (Ec. 12:12).

God’s word reveals information sufficient for what is right and the right leader to follow.

No greater leadership qualities are identified than those in God’s word.

No greater example can be found than the example left by Jesus.

The best way to honor and glorify God is by leading with our eyes focused on Jesus and our hearts devoted to following His word.

When followers have this example in spiritual leaders, they will follow the right leader.

Perfecting our Leadership…

“Practice makes perfect” is a common expression. The idea expresses the need to do something over and over until the art is just right.

A modification of this thought says, “Perfect practice makes perfect.”

Olympic athletes practice drills, routines, or exercises for hours each day until their skill is perfected. They are dedicated to one purpose, performing for those few minutes without giving way to pressure.

Certain leadership qualities may be inherent, but one thing we know, the ability to lead must be worked on continually.

There must be focus, dedication, diligence, and a steadfast spirit to the one purpose God has called us for, to lead.