Tag: Talent

Teamwork #2

Yesterday, we talked about the need for God’s people to work together…as a team. When spiritual leaders understand the value of people using their abilities in a united effort to the glory of God, there is an opportunity to influence the most powerful movement on earth.

God designed the church to be one and for His people to work together as one. If the team mindset exists and we move forward in unison, great things happen.

Let us strive in leadership to encourage others to use their efforts, talents, insights, enthusiasm, and inspiration to achieve success as one…team.

Teamwork #1

In order for the church to function as God intended it to, an incredible emphasis is given throughout His word to the concept of working together. Although the word team is not used, we find similarities between the biblical emphasis, our understanding of teamwork, and the success related to its practice.

Queen Elizabeth II said, “I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration to work together.”

Success

Success relies on the help we receive from or the help we provide others.

Marianne Williamson claims that “success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way that served others.”

From a leadership perspective, we find this in biblical application. Biblical success is directly related to our passion, i.e. understanding that passion involves sacrifice, and sacrifice is affiliated with what we give up. When we sacrifice for others, our leadership influence soars.

When our talents and abilities are used to serve others, leadership is at its best. How will you rest tonight?

Character

Character is the very substance of leadership. Where there is character, there will always be leadership. John Maxwell claims, “Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.”

Why is it so significant to examine areas regarding leadership character?

As leaders, character is indicated by the actions created from the choices we make. I find it interesting that our choices determine our character and, at the same time, our character determines our choices.

How should character be defined? How does character define our leadership? What happens when our character is flawed or seen as no longer credible?

Think on it.

Ready?

Think about the implication of talent as it relates to the success desired by each individual.

Consider the significance of being in the right place at the right time. Will the opportunity of time and place determine success?

Perhaps there is a more important question. Johnny Carson put it this way, “Talent alone won’t make you a success. Neither will being in the right place at the right time, unless you are ready. The most important question is: ‘Are you ready?’”

Life is filled with a complexity of issues, practices, and opportunities for either success or failure. Regardless of what happens, “Are we ready?”

Love to Lead

I used to tell my children that if you don’t love what you are doing, then do something else. Life is too short to do something you don’t love.

Then, I found a quote from Al Lopez, ”Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it’s business or baseball, or the theater, or any field. If you don’t love what you’re doing and you can’t give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short.”

How true! We face a crossroads between our talent and what we love to do. When we combine them, we find a beautiful combination of success.

The 110% Leader

In a world obsessed with “talent,” “marketing,” and “turning a buck,” we often see character and attitude overlooked in order to exploit someone’s talent for the sake of making money.

Will Smith once said, “If you’re not willing to work hard, let someone else do it. I’d rather be with someone who does a horrible job, but gives 110% than with someone who does a good job and gives 60%.”

Leadership experience has proven that a person who is willing to work hard, even though not as gifted, will outperform a person who is exceptionally gifted, but unwilling to work hard.

The Responsibility of Service…

Jose Marti said, “Talent is a gift that brings with it an obligation to serve the world, and not ourselves, for it is not of our making.”

We all have opportunities to develop our abilities. Through education or experience, we can develop natural gifts and use our talent to serve others.

To use our talent only for ourselves is narcissistic. Do we realize that our talent is not of our making?

Our responsibility is fulfilled by serving others.

Godly leaders illustrate the most significant form of biblical love when they demonstrate this service.

A Waste of Time…

When we give our energy, time, and talent to achieve success, we may hear a voice that says, “What you are doing makes no difference. You are wasting your time.”

Life can be filled with “time wasters.”

However, leading is never a waste of time when we lead someone to Christ, or when we lead them to a greater life of faithfulness.

The number of events working to attack the use of our time will never end. The choice is ours in how we deal with those events when they occur.

Always remember that leadership is never a waste of time for the one we lead.