The inner work is the most significant work of any leader. Learning to lead ourselves is a precursor to leading others. Learning to discern what is going on in our own souls is essential to understanding the hearts of others. This inner work may be described in a few sentences, but it will take a lifetime of focus. This inner work will include… Read more »
Here’s a vital point: Leaders will often find themselves in moments and even seasons of conflict. How we lead through the conflict can accelerate our leadership or limit our future! On a scale of 1-10 how effective are you at leading through conflict? What are some skills you use to navigate hot moments? When you think of conflict, what are… Read more »
Cultures (and generations) collide, as we know so well. Perhaps the clearest evidence of this in the church is in the arena of music. Music is, at the heart, an expression of culture. That could give us insight into why when the music is changed or rejected, people experience loss and even feel criticized. Cultures collide, but they also connect,… Read more »
Jackie went to Bible College full of dreams like every other young leader. No different than high school, some students were the cream of the crop and others, well, you know. Jackie had fire for the Lord, but was not voted most likely to succeed. That distinction was reserved for a few others, those favored by the masses and the profs. A few… Read more »
Leaders often find themselves in a critical directional decision making matrix. Making the right decision for the organization is only half of the moment. When leaders make the “right” decision for their organization but scar the process, the ethics of the process (how people were treated, what they experienced, etc.), often convolute the “rightness” of the decision. If you are leading and finding yourself in… Read more »
Do you want to talk or do you want to be heard? Those are different! When our hearts are full of fuel (anger, anxiety, etc), we often want to “get it off of our chest,” which means express it with the full fuel we are feeling. The problem with that is that the fuel (emotion) is so overwhelming that the… Read more »
No one could figure that this promotion would change the heart of this leader… but it did. Power and prestige do strange things to the human soul. What they really do is reveal what is not settled with the Lord! Perhaps our inner world of confidence, significance, etc. appears resolved, but when we come into power, it is as if… 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 »
When Your Friends Go Crazy! He was going through a challenging season – major work decisions, high stress. Truth is, he was quite difficult to be around. Chaos, high tension and fear was the cloud following him. Others can be difficult to be around when they are going through a tough season. Of course, we can be just as challenging,… Read more »
Recently I was in a hot meeting. High stakes, strong emotions, people seeing differently. The good news is that they were people of integrity. Finally at one moment, I turned to a leader who was outspoken, strong and intense – all good qualities! My challenge was for him to lead. Lead the moment! Lead the way home so that those… Read more »