“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” That is an often quoted word from a leadership consultant. But here’s the problem. It would seem that we hear the leadership “quip” and even quote it. Wouldn’t it be more effective to utilize this insight in our leadership? Working with spiritual leaders we discover that we can so easily be swept into the hottest… Read more »
We live in an age of mistrust, especially of organizations. No wonder! We have observed a myriad of leaders choosing themselves over those they lead. Often this is done out of the public eye, but eventually the heart is revealed, and when the constituents discern ANY breach of trust the toxin has entered the system. Organizations can often identify “trust”… Read more »
More than leaders who are skilled, who have certain personality traits (extroversion/ D’s and I’s) our people need LEADERS WHO ARE LED! When we serve under leaders who are led, we can follow with hope and joy. We can trust that our church is fulfilling the calling of God upon us. We may or may not immediately see the results,… Read more »
What do you do when your church struggles? How do you lead in those seasons and times? Of course analyzing would be important. However, the most significant “to do” of the leader is to intensify time with other leaders. Move closer to invest and bless, not further away. If the key factor is leadership (not just yours but others) then investing… Read more »
Holy leaders are a gift to the people. They are evidence of God’s love for us! Isn’t that striking? When we ponder how much the Lord loves us, one expression is the leaders He places over us! The sacrifice of a leader is an expression of our value! The willingness of a leader to lay down their life (which could… Read more »
The statement is often made, “I want to do this for the Kingdom.” Maybe so, but then again, maybe not so much. I find myself often hearing the Spirit processing my motive, “Why do you want that? Why would you like to be that speaker, that leader who does that?” And my heart is split open. Though I want a… Read more »
Jesus will always call out our inner world. He did it for the disciples (Mark 9:14-33). Before we can be used mightily, we must be cleansed deeply. He does this inner work by asking the questions that deeply reveal our hearts. “What were you arguing about along the way?” He asked, knowing that the subject of the argument was revealing their inner world. What… Read more »
You can’t lead them if you need them! You can’t lead people when you need their approval. You can’t lead people when you need their finances. You can’t lead people unless you are free, whole and healthy. The inner work of a leader must go to this depth, to do the work of being “free” to lead, free to encourage and to call up… Read more »
Leaders lead out of trust. Trust accelerates momentum, eases conflict and overcomes mistakes. However, trust has a dark side. When someone says, “I don’t trust” it can indicate more work needs to be done in that relationship. It can be a call to listen, to have a conversation about where the trust was lost. It can also be an invitation to the dark side…. Read more »
“What if I’m not the leader?” That was the question asked by a leader in a newer setting. Conflict was evident, and the leader was aware that people were not “following.” Sometimes what leaders mean by having others to follow is that he or she (the leader) has all power and others must simply respond with “yes” to any request or… Read more »