Tag: Growth

A Vigilant Leader…

Vigilance means to be watchful, specifically a careful watch regarding areas presenting danger or difficulty.

Few areas rival the need for leaders to be vigilant concerning their responsibilities.

Leaders carefully watch over…
…the spiritual growth and development of each Christian.
…the physical concerns inside and outside of the church.
…the influence of the church within the community.
…the missional outreach of the gospel to the world.

The list could address more but the direction is obvious.

The responsibility is great and when leaders are vigilant to the task before them they can take advantage of beautifully choreographed God given opportunities.

A Season for Leading

We all sense a change in the season.

Changes in the season indicate the value and beauty of variety and the lesson for leadership is important.

Everyone has a preference connected to the style of leadership they like to follow. There is, however, value to recognizing the benefits of a variety. A variety in leadership style can…

  1. Provide different perspectives.
  2. Eliminate limitations for growth.
  3. Encourage creativity among followers.
  4. Increase the opportunity for leadership development.

The message in our leadership does not change, but the style / method by which we approach that message may need a change of season.

A Leadership Method

What method is used to improve our understanding of spiritual leadership?

What method will best grow or develop our spiritual focus?

What method will we implement to achieve the goals established for those we lead?

Several years ago, I heard someone say, “Any method will work, if we will work the method.”

Improvement, growth, and implementation are words that indicate work. Something has to be done in order to achieve our goals and the method designed is the means by which it will be accomplished.

Determining the right method is a key component to our leadership.

Growth and Development…

Max DePree once said, “In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be, by remaining what we are.”

The consequences of remaining in our present situation should motivate us to overcome the stagnate condition that ultimately ends in death.

Becoming what we need to be points us to God and His guidance.

Seek God’s help for the vision to see what He wants us to be, to make us what we need to be, and to never be content with remaining what we are.

Ontogeny and Leadership…

Ontogeny is the process of an individual organism growing organically.

Thinking of the church as an organization goes against the living and growing organism God intended.

We understand the need to care for, protect, provide, and strengthen plants, animals, and human life because they are organisms that are alive, and proper growth only occurs when we practice the right care.

How much more so would God want us to demonstrate the same toward His church?

Even if we never see the word “ontogeny” again, let us practice the necessary areas to produce growth of the one organism that required the life of Jesus.

Possibilities of Can…

Eliminating the word “can’t” from our vocabulary is vital to the development of strong leadership. Have you ever heard, or perhaps said, “It can’t be done”?

The limitations built around this idea paralyze the growth and development of God’s people, individually and collectively.

Instead of shackling ourselves with these limitations, consider the difference made by realizing what “can” be done. With God, all things are possible.

The way we see our families, the church, the world, and even ourselves takes on a new perspective when we realize we can do it.

Contented Leaders…

Contentment has both a positive and negative perspective when placed alongside concepts that frame our leadership. For example, “Always be content with where you are, but never who you are.”

The idea is to accept and be content with what we have and where we are in life, but we should always hunger to grow and improve in our personal development.

There is a place for contentment, but we must not allow contentment to follow a path of complacency and a “comfortable with the status quo” way of thinking.

The contrast between content and discontent makes the difference in how we approach the future of leadership.

Mentoring Leaders…

The purpose and design of mentoring is to create a relationship that nurtures learning. One of the key components required is responsibility.

A learner takes responsibility for the priorities, learning, and resources for achieving self-direction. The idea expresses moving “from dependence to independence to interdependence” (3).

Several elements are also essential to a learning-centered mentoring program: reciprocity, relationship, partnership, collaboration, mutually defined goals, and development.

These elements are designed to promote relationships that motivate, inspire, and contribute to development and growth.

For more information, read Lois Zachary’s book, The Mentor’s Guide, Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships.

Lessons from the Wilderness…

Wilderness is an interesting study in the Bible. Time spent in a physical or mental wilderness is a common thread among the leaders of God’s people.

Remember Joseph? From slavery to the dungeon, God developed a leader who saved His people.

How about Moses? Throughout his 40 years in Midian, God developed Moses to lead Israel.

After 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, Jesus was tempted, yet resolved.

What is it about the wilderness that helps prepare God’s people to lead?

A walk through the wilderness is neither desired or pleasant. However, the time provides opportunities for growth and prepares us to lead God’s people.

Following the Right Leader…

When we question our leadership, consideration should be given to the followers. Have we really considered where others end up when they follow our leadership?

The choices are limited.

1) Closer to or further away from God…
2) More spiritually or more worldly focused…
3) Stronger or weaker in faith…
4) Growing or declining in knowledge of God’s word…

There may be more possibilities, but the point is the same. Our leadership should be important enough to consider the destination reached by following our leadership.

Blaze a trail that when others follow they end up following the right leader.