Archive for the ‘Leadership’ Category

Do you have it? It’s that characteristic that sets some apart from others. Once I heard my boss make a comment about someone he’d never met.

“That woman is successful.”

“How do you know,” I asked, since he had never met her.

“She had eye contact the whole time she interacted with us.”

Since that moment I have made it an intentional act to have eye contact with every person I interact with. Try it. It’s hard. It takes confidence but ultimately the equity it builds is worth it.  

Do you have good eye contact? 

Remember when you were a kid?

When you ran… you were fast. 

When you lifted something… you were strong.

When you could reach the sink… you were tall.

But pretty soon, you grew up and realized that someone was always faster, someone was always stronger, and someone was always taller and better than you.

When did we stop believing in ourselves? Was it when we started comparing? Or was it when we heard and believed, for the first time, the two little words that control a lot of our thinking: I can’t

Children don’t have to wait until everything is in order to go after something. They don’t care what others think, and failure is not even a thought.

So, is there a goal that seems out of reach? A dream you’ve put off because it overwhelms you? Is there a vision for your church, family or ministry that scares you into procrastination?

God believes in you, but do you believe in yourself?

“I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17 NLT

All my life I’ve been “too young.”

• Too young to graduate,
• Too young to travel alone,
• Too young to be a pastor,
• Too young to have the success God has given me… 

yada, yada, yada…

Here are the top 5 ways you know you’re too young:

• While visiting students at school you get repremanded and asked to return to class
• You can’t drive the church van or rental car on the mission trip.
• You turn the corner to meet with a parent about their troubled teen and they say, “YOU’RE the youth pastor?”
• You can’t participate in you company’s 401K program for another year.
• You end up leading adults who are old enough to be your dad (or they are your dad!

I’m glad I’ve never listened to those lies about being too young!

What about you? Have you ever been too young?

I heard something today that really got me thinking. “Don’t under-estimate the leadership development that happens along the way.”

Sometimes we can get caught up in thinking that leadership development has to look a certain way: in a classroom setting, taking notes at a training seminar, meeting regularly with a mentor. Don’t get me wrong, all those things are necessary for leadership development, but sometimes the best development happens during the journey.

Sometimes it’s the hard seasons in life that teach us the most. It’s the times when things seem rough that shape us into the leaders we are today. I’ve heard it said, that “life is the best teacher of all.” But the key is you have to be looking for those lessons, and truly learn from them. Keeping a teachable heart is the quickest way to grow as a leader.

Think about yourself a year ago. How different are you now? How much have you grown as a leader, a Christ-follower, a parent, or a person?

Leadership development is happening all around you. It’s called life. Are you taking the time to learn from it? 

“A good leader is future-minded. They think about how their actions will affect them in the future.”

I tell my students that all the time. “You can’t just live in the here and now. What you do today, really WILL matter later in life.” As I continue to grow up, I realize the truth behind this statement.

Learning this concept at an early age has helped me in tremendous ways. It’s what I used to filter every decision as a teenager and a young adult. It’s the reason I did some things, and didn’t do other things, and I know it’s the reason for where I’m at today. As I was thinking about this leadership concept, I realized it goes even deeper than being future-minded. Instead I would have to say that good leaders are eternally minded. After all eternity is what we’re promised as Christ-followers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          What about you? Does the phrase “future-minded” or “eternally-minded” strike a cord with you? What things would you have done differently when you were younger, now that you see how your choices affect your life as an adult? 

Working in full time ministry now for almost two years has taught me a lot! One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that:

I can’t do it alone.

For the longest time I thought that asking for help was a sign weakness. Because of that I would kill myself to try and get everything done so that I wouldn’t need anyone’s help. I also thought that if I couldn’t do it all I was somehow failing my job and my volunteers.  But thankfully my eyes have been opened.

Asking for help is vital because it:

• Helps you realize you’re not SuperMan and that it’s ok to rely on others for support
• Gives those around you a chance to be a part of something too
• Shows you that God’s people have a lot to offer if you’ll just allow them
• Gives you a chance to rest and actually enjoy some of the fruits of your labors

I’m beginning to see that NOT asking for help is the real sign of weakness, and not allowing people to pitch in is the quickest way for failure in my ministry relationships and even my personal relationships. Plain and simple: not asking for help is just kind of selfish.

Do you struggle with asking for help? What benefits have you seen in your life when you’ve allowed others to give you a hand? 

“Leadership happens first with myself.”

This one is actually the hardest one for me.  To effectivly lead we must first lead ourselves well.  Having life balance will only make us better leaders in the end.

Please keep me accountable to this.  I’m bad at it.

What about you?  Do you have good life balance? How could it be better?

This one rocks my world.

“Lead at the capacity you want, not the capacity you have.”

Meaning… lead like you’re an organization making millions, even if you’re making thousands.  Lead like you’re the leader of 100 even if it’s only 50. 

How can you lead at the capacity you want? What changes do you think this mindset would bring?

Chew on this one for a bit:

“I was not made to do tasks.  I was made to lead.”

What tasks in your life, ministry and leadership could you give away to become a greater leader?

The past couple weeks have been a huge turning point in the way I approach my ministry and leadership.  This week I’ll share a few “nuggets” “morels” “bites-to-chew-on” of how God is changing the way I lead. 

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“The more you give your leadership away, the greater your ministry grows.”

Don’t believe me?  Try it… if you think you’re up for it!

Have you seen this play out in your own life, leadership, ministry?  How so?