Tag: Leadership

Leadership Safety

Click it or ticket? We’ve all seen it. Seat belts. My intent is not to debate. I know of those who would have died had they been wearing a seat belt. I also know of those who would have died without it.

Regardless of our like or dislike for specific laws, seat belts were designed with a purpose. Spiritual leaders also have a purpose.

Think about the similarities with the seat belt.

1) We must be there when the need exists.
2) We must connect with people to be useful.
3) We must protect without being uncomfortable.
4) We must create a signal when someone is unprotected.

Conscious or Conscience?

Some words always seem to be difficult when determining their use. Effect or affect? Insure or ensure?

Another pair that falls into this category is conscious or conscience.

However, these words are significant when thinking about leadership.

Consciousness involves an awareness or ability to respond to one’s surroundings. Leaders understand the need to demonstrate an awareness of surroundings when making decisions or actions in response to specific situations.

Conscience, oddly enough, relates to that inner voice that acts as a guide regarding right and wrong behavior. Specifically, the conscience of a leader must be exemplified by the moral decisions made each day.

Leading With Boundaries

Boundaries are welcomed by some and frightening to others. Boundaries mark the limits of an area or activity.

On one hand, these limits can inhibit the creativity of those who need to develop their abilities and opportunities to explore beyond the norm.

On the other hand, these limits provide safety and security in ways that prevent drifting into areas that represent risk, danger, and defeat.

Leaders need to know how to use boundaries properly. Followers need opportunity to spread the wings of creativity and explore beyond the status quo.

At the same time, there must be strategic lines that minimize the risk of loss.

Servant Leadership

I recently heard Patrick Lencioni say, “There is no such thing as servant leadership. Leaders are servants. They either serve themselves or they serve others.”

Gillian Anderson said, “Be of service. Whether you make yourself available to a friend or co-worker, or you make time every month to do volunteer work, there is nothing that harvests more of a feeling of empowerment than being of service to someone in need.”

Among the numerous qualities of a servant, a few qualities are difference makers.

1) Empathy
2) Building community
3) Commitment to people
4) Stewardship

Leaders who serve follow the example of Christ and can change the world.

What Do You Believe?

People believe a lot of things. Bigfoot? Elvis is still alive? UFOs? Aliens? Theory of evolution?

This post is not be designed to discuss these matters at any level. However, it causes me to wonder about what we believe and why we believe it.

Getting straight to the point, when we believe something, we talk about it to others. We express why our belief is so strong. When we do not believe, there seems to be no purpose.

Paul told the church at Corinth, “I believe therefore I speak.”

Communication allows us an avenue to share a belief system based on the evidence of truth. Make it count!

Knowing The Way

Several years back, I was introduced to the weather rock. It worked quite simply.

If the rock is wet, it is raining.
If the rock is white, it is snowing.
If the rock casts a shadow, it is sunny.
You get the point.

It could not forecast the future, but was great for the obvious.

Jesus told the Pharisees and Sadducees they were able to state the obvious regarding the signs of the weather, but were blind to the signs from heaven.

Leaders need an eye for the obvious, but they also need a vision for the future. They must know the way and point people to it!

Leadership Compass

A compass is an instrument containing a magnetized pointer that shows the direction of magnetic north and bearings from it.

A number of other ideas are also associated with a compass: a moral compass, intellectual compass, spiritual compass, and the list goes on.

Leaders need a compass. There are elements of a moral, emotional, intellectual, economic, and spiritual nature that factor into our leadership.

Remember that, attacking someone’s character only damages our own, even if we are unaware of it. Speaking against others does not build our own esteem, but demeans it.

Pointing people to Christ is never accomplished by destroying them, but rather approaching them in biblical love.

The Right Character

Leaders know stressful situations will come. The obvious concern involves how we deal with those situations and the consequences.

We also know how our character influences those decisions. Therefore, we must strive to maintain the kind of character that moves us toward right decisions.

Our oldest son once said, “As leaders, the ability to make the right decision during a stressful situation is made easier by having the right character because all the unethical choices are automatically removed.”

Think about it. When leaders possess and maintain the right character, choices are clearer because any choice that borders on an unethical intent is not an option.

A Leadership Crisis

Will a leadership crisis characterize our generation? Leaders are in high demand. From the political to the spiritual arena, we need leaders.

What should be done? We can…

1) Do nothing.
2) Deny the crisis.
3) Ignore it.
4) Procrastinate and allow wrong leaders to have control.
5) Address it with a plan of action.

How?

1) Acknowledge the problem(s).
2) Examine the situation.
3) Remove the element(s) poisoning the organization.
4) Develop a support system for leaders.
5) Begin a course that prepares leaders for the future.

We need to act and we need to act now!

Discouragement and Leadership

We learn a great deal from Nehemiah as a leader. He was a man of prayer, passionate for God and his people, courageous in the face of opposition, and he encountered discouragement but was not distracted.

Threats from external enemies, ridicule, and plots of ambush, make it easy to see how one could get discouraged. Nehemiah, however, was not distracted. The task was great, his faith was strong, and nothing kept him from finishing the objective.

Leaders can get discouraged.

Satan wants to discourage leaders so they will quit.

We must be determined, strong in faith, prayerful, passionate, courageous, and un-distracted when finishing the objective.