I have the privilege of leading. Leadership is always a privilege and a trust. In our staff we continuously review our values to discover where we are leading with our values, or not, and what might need an adjustment. We then determine anew what that looks like. Here’s our first value, “Relationships led by our belief in people.” That means we cannot dismiss any leader… Read more »
I was a bit surprised at the words I was hearing. Someone was choosing to take offense. Yes, choosing. No offense was given, nor intended. But offense was still taken. It is amazing how we live in the story in our heads. This story was that in a crisis someone didn’t think they were supported. So now the question is would they in turn… Read more »
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 »
Our church had been through a long season of challenge. The leaders had made the shift and the focus was clear. I then said to the Lord, “We need a blessing. Would you send us people?” The response was immediate, “No chance!” It was shocking, but somehow didn’t seem like a rebuke. “If I send you people now you will shift back to your… 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 »
Life without wonder is lived small, lived in the confines of our thinking, our ability, our limitations. Wonder opens our imagination. Wonder calls us to live in majesty, in the amazement of a God to whom nothing is impossible. Wonder opens us to possibilities and future. Leaders need wonder. Leaders need to be captured by the majesty of the Lord who orchestrates future, who calls… 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 »