Tag: Sunset

Reaching Potential

How do we recognize the potential of an individual or a congregation? Actions, Ability, and Attitude.

Is it possible to take these three areas, grow in them, and reach our ultimate potential? Absolutely!!! How?

Stop limiting God. Never think God “will not” do something because we think we “can’t”.

Start thinking BIG! Imagine what God could do through us if we started to think BIG!

Tell others about the possibilities. Telling others moves them into action, so start talking.

Develop a plan into smaller sections.
These smaller sections make the plan workable.

Begin NOW! Procrastination and hesitation are killers to our potential. Don’t wait. Get started.

Potential is too important to wait.

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!

Leading by Design

At times, “flying by the seat of the pants” rules our approach to leading. Successful leadership, however, requires a dedicated effort to establish a systematic method for developing and executing a plan.

Designing the direction to lead means a consideration of three essential qualities.

Vision – the ability to see what cannot be seen, or as spiritual leaders, seeing Him who unseen.

Collaboration – the ability to work with others and the willingness to incorporate their ideas.

Ingenuity
– creativity goes a long way when investigating the design process for decision-making.

These three qualities go far in understanding how to take leadership to the next level.

Strong Character

Advancing the development of leadership is a task that cannot wait until a future time, and the foundation begins with character.

To strengthen character consider these suggestions.

1) 10-10-10 Principle: As Suzy Welch wrote, we must learn to ask, “Can I live with this decision 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years from now?”

2) Character Audit: Take a values inventory and ask, “What has greater value: Character or money? Character or achievement? Character or popularity?” When inconsistencies exist, change.

3) Challenge Hypocrisy: Regardless of where we are or who we are around, our character must reflect consistency.

These three suggestions strengthen our character for better leadership.

Agreeable Leadership

Our culture thrives on the right or opportunity to disagree and argue. The result leads to dissension, division, discouragement, and disorder.

Joseph Addison said, “If men would consider not so much wherein they differ, as wherein they agree, there would be far less of uncharitableness and angry feeling in the world.”

This does not mean we agree with everyone, or that it is wrong to disagree. There may even be times we are required to discuss our differences with another person.

The far-reaching influence of leadership is determined by the manner in which differences are handled.

To make the greatest impact, let us begin by focusing on where we agree.

Progress or Progressive?

Progress involves an attribute associated with the development of an organization.

Progressive tends to fall into an area that describes a gradual step by step movement away from a conservative foundation to a more liberal one.

Numerous emotions are attached to the direction associated with both words. Considering the original definition of these words, however, points to a significant development in relationship to our leadership.

When leaders advance with a gradual step by step approach in an effort to move toward a destination, the opportunities for long lasting success are more secured.

Quick movements tend to only satisfy short-term needs.

A Leader’s Response

How will leaders in our world respond to the tragedy in Ukraine?

How will leaders in the Lord’s church respond? Tragedy tends to bring opportunity, opportunity most often met with physical provisions. Will we be satisfied to send money, food, water, and clothing?

These are needed, but this tragedy should remind us of the opportunity to help people prepare for something the future holds.

Many lives have been lost and more injured.

Spiritually, the opportunity is ours. Jesus warned us of a great day coming. All will stand before Him. Are we prepared? Are we preparing others?

Relevant Leadership…

In education, one motivating factor that contributes to learning is relevance of the material. When the objectives are clearly relevant, students are more driven to learn.

On a spiritual level, if any generation is to be reached, we must show how God’s word is relevant. The message never changes, but how we present the relevance of the message does.

Engaging others to follow our leadership hinges on relevance.

The beauty of God’s word is based on the fact it was written with every generation in mind. The challenge is relevance.

Leading as God designed requires an understanding of how to make the message relevant.

Inner Strength

Jim Kwik once said, ”If an egg is broken by outside force, Life ends. If broken by inside force, Life begins. Great things always begin from inside.”

Who are we at the core? When an inside force breaks through we find a strength able to withstand the dangers that threaten from outside forces.

Without a doubt, outside forces will come. Sadly, they are not always from expected forces. There are times when those closest to us present the greatest threats. This is where leaders must display the depth of their inner strength.

This kind of force is found in three words: Trust, Conviction, Desire.

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.