Vision is overrated if what we mean by vision is pure numbers, statements like, “our church’s vision is 1500 people”. That really isn’t vision, and that kind of statement is not empowering and therefore overrated. Vision that empowers has to capture our imagination, has to connect to those we serve. Then vision becomes powerful, it interprets what we do and what we don’t do, which… Read more »
Every person chooses their level of impact. Our level of impact is not shaped by our parents, by our opportunities of school, our luck here or there. We choose our level of impact day after day, in the sacrifices we make, the moments we push ourselves a little extra, the times when we give up “what everyone else gets to do” so that we… Read more »
Why would we allow you to lead us? Yes, the key word is allow, for leadership is always about choosing to follow. Why would we allow you to lead us? Because we like you? We like many people whom we would not follow to the future. Yes, “like” is a powerful force, but getting people to like you does not mean they will follow… 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 »
It happens regularly. A leader experiences a time when the organization or group they lead appears to take off. Momentum is high and obstacles appear easy. Other leaders gather around listening and looking for the magic bullet, the one thing that brought the “pitch” and turned everything. The funny thing is, the leader leading the now energized organization most often misses what has really happened…. Read more »
Leadership can appear to be places of privilege, positions where your preferences can be played out. Before you sign up for leading you may want to reconsider! 1. Your whole life has to be shaped around your calling as a leader. 2. You will have to give up your rights and live with higher responsibility. 3. You will have to do the hard work… Read more »
People often speak of wanting to change the world. One important question would be why? Another is how? But our understanding of success is still flawed. The people who change the world in ways that reach multi-generations do not focus on a one time big moment of cataclysmic proportions. They do so over time, in catalytic ways, one person at a time. Real… Read more »
The inner work of a leader is often elusive. The inner work includes patterns that will feed and fuel the leader’s soul. Learning to be disciplined in reflective prayer, learning to sit with scripture; not to produce a lesson, but to invite the Lord to shape the heart and soul are essential. Years seeded with hours upon hours of alone prayer and reflective reading catalyzes a… Read more »
The inner work is often elusive. Our tendency is to live “externally,” thinking that our challenges and obstacles are “out there” among others, hence our lack of resources, our setting, etc. Human nature is to look outside of our hearts, as opposed to in our hearts and souls for the key breakthroughs. The inner work, for some leaders, remains elusive their whole life! The only… Read more »