So many leaders today look to the next rung of people above them as the ones who are responsible for their development. They expect their boss or their pastor or their supervisor to hand development down to them. This, however, is a false notion. You and you alone are primarily responsible for your development as a leader.
Extraordinary leaders hold themselves accountable for constantly upgrading their competencies, strengthening their gifts, growing in their spiritual walk, and maturing their relationships.
To become a truely extraordinary leader you must have a desire, a passion, and an aspiration to do all that it takes to be one.
Chose to be an extraordinary leader today by being intensely focused on growing spiritually and talking with the Lord on a daily basis. Be the leader God intends you to be!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Be A WYSIWYG Leader!
Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you left the conversation feeling like they told you what they thought you wanted to hear just to appease you for that moment in time? Isn't this what you want from a leader? I mean don't you want your leader to make you feel better with empty messages that rarely are acted upon or delivered?
Many leaders today run away from direct, kind and truth filled communications with team members within their church, business and family. Matthew 5:37 says "...let your message be Yes for Yes and No for No."
I'm not talking about positioning your words, tone, and inflection to influence and persuade someone - this is normal and necessary to gain buy-in and inspire leadership in others. I'm talking about having a destructive attitude of "if I tell her what she wants to hear then I can end this conversation and maybe she'll just forget about it or maybe she won't forget about it but I will never have to hear about it again." Get the picture?
If you truly want to disrupt your team in ways that inspire them to achieve higher levels of success, significance and influence, focus on having straight forward, transparent and actionable conversations.
Don't appease them, believe in them. Believe they are strong leaders who value direct and real conversations. Make a decision today to be a WYSIWYG leader by intentionally applying the conversational principle found in Matthew 5:37.
Inspire Someone Today!
Many leaders today run away from direct, kind and truth filled communications with team members within their church, business and family. Matthew 5:37 says "...let your message be Yes for Yes and No for No."
I'm not talking about positioning your words, tone, and inflection to influence and persuade someone - this is normal and necessary to gain buy-in and inspire leadership in others. I'm talking about having a destructive attitude of "if I tell her what she wants to hear then I can end this conversation and maybe she'll just forget about it or maybe she won't forget about it but I will never have to hear about it again." Get the picture?
If you truly want to disrupt your team in ways that inspire them to achieve higher levels of success, significance and influence, focus on having straight forward, transparent and actionable conversations.
Don't appease them, believe in them. Believe they are strong leaders who value direct and real conversations. Make a decision today to be a WYSIWYG leader by intentionally applying the conversational principle found in Matthew 5:37.
Inspire Someone Today!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
What Is Your Answer?
At some point in our life God will call each and every one of us. Whether or not God calls us isn't in question, what is in question is how we answer?
At times I've UNINTENTIONALLY ignored my wife's call to do something or even to stop doing something (that's my story and I'm sticking to it - smile). I've faked sleeping and ignored calls from my children to come outside and play...only a few times so don't go nuclear on me. There are some phone calls that, well, truthfully when I see the caller's name on my phone - let's just say I am too busy to answer the call. Once I even attempted to ignore God's call. So how did that go for me? Have you read the story of Jonah and the Big Fish? Let's just say I'm doing everything in my power to never ignore His call again.
From various stories in God's Word (The Bible) we know that God called Abraham and told him to go - so he went to a foreign land with no master plan. God called Moses - not into the good life but into the very hot frying pan of leading whiny people to a promised land. God called Peter to leave his boat, his nets and his family to go on a journey that made no worldly sense whatsoever. God called the virgin Mary to give birth to the greatest leader (and only Savior) the world will ever know.
So what does being called by God look like? First it is personally addressed, written and delivered to you. Whether the call is to join His family through His Son or it's to serve out the rest of your life as a missionary; God's calling is personal and unique to you, and requires your personal response, your personal attention, your personal time.
God's calling is about giving you a personal passion to accomplish a personal mission...a personal and unique mission that He has set aside for you to complete. By the way, too often we confuse passion with enjoyment. We can be passionate about our God-given mission, while recognizing the mission comes with tasks (and people) that we do not enjoy.
God's love is directly focused on people, therefore His call (mission) to you should be focused on loving others through words, action, and service and irregardless of their status in life.
God's calling will always push you beyond your perceived finite limits. His path for you includes the preparation needed to succeed in your mission. What you learn, how you grow, and where you go can be a tool in your hands to distract you from your mission or a tool in God's hands to equip you for your mission. Case in point pride subtracts from your mission, humility adds to your mission.
God calls you to lead from many different roles (family leader, church leader, community leader, marketplace leader). If you are faithful in His current missional assignments regardless of their worldly level of significance then He knows he can trust you to be faithful with additional missional assignments. And these new assignments from the world's perspective may be larger (or smaller).
Are you a Christ Follower with no mission or are you someone who hasn't answered His call to join His family through His Son? Jesus is calling you now - disrupt your life today by answering His call!
At times I've UNINTENTIONALLY ignored my wife's call to do something or even to stop doing something (that's my story and I'm sticking to it - smile). I've faked sleeping and ignored calls from my children to come outside and play...only a few times so don't go nuclear on me. There are some phone calls that, well, truthfully when I see the caller's name on my phone - let's just say I am too busy to answer the call. Once I even attempted to ignore God's call. So how did that go for me? Have you read the story of Jonah and the Big Fish? Let's just say I'm doing everything in my power to never ignore His call again.
From various stories in God's Word (The Bible) we know that God called Abraham and told him to go - so he went to a foreign land with no master plan. God called Moses - not into the good life but into the very hot frying pan of leading whiny people to a promised land. God called Peter to leave his boat, his nets and his family to go on a journey that made no worldly sense whatsoever. God called the virgin Mary to give birth to the greatest leader (and only Savior) the world will ever know.
So what does being called by God look like? First it is personally addressed, written and delivered to you. Whether the call is to join His family through His Son or it's to serve out the rest of your life as a missionary; God's calling is personal and unique to you, and requires your personal response, your personal attention, your personal time.
God's calling is about giving you a personal passion to accomplish a personal mission...a personal and unique mission that He has set aside for you to complete. By the way, too often we confuse passion with enjoyment. We can be passionate about our God-given mission, while recognizing the mission comes with tasks (and people) that we do not enjoy.
God's love is directly focused on people, therefore His call (mission) to you should be focused on loving others through words, action, and service and irregardless of their status in life.
God's calling will always push you beyond your perceived finite limits. His path for you includes the preparation needed to succeed in your mission. What you learn, how you grow, and where you go can be a tool in your hands to distract you from your mission or a tool in God's hands to equip you for your mission. Case in point pride subtracts from your mission, humility adds to your mission.
God calls you to lead from many different roles (family leader, church leader, community leader, marketplace leader). If you are faithful in His current missional assignments regardless of their worldly level of significance then He knows he can trust you to be faithful with additional missional assignments. And these new assignments from the world's perspective may be larger (or smaller).
Are you a Christ Follower with no mission or are you someone who hasn't answered His call to join His family through His Son? Jesus is calling you now - disrupt your life today by answering His call!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
"Woe Is Me" or "Forget It And Move On"?
I used to box (only as a hobby). I was not that good but had pretty quick hands. One day at the gym I was in the ring with a much bigger and slower opponent. In the first and second round I pummeled him with a barrage of quick punches. In the third and final round the big, slow behemoth landed his first and only punch of the fight. Of course it landed square on my chin and it was a round house, bone crushing, knock you out kind of punch. Down I went and down I wanted to stay. However, I did muster up enough strength to get up and finish out the round.
Life can, will and does beat us down. Whether it's a beat down from relationships, finances, work, ministry or even sports, sooner or later we will experience first hand "moment of truth" challenges in our lives.
There is a great message in II-Corinthians 4:8-10 that addresses these type of challenges.
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."
We all experience the bad things that life brings our way. We can choose to let it drag us down or we can choose through His strength to get up, dust ourselves off, learn from it and move forward. It's our choice, our decision to have a "woe is me" mentality or a "forget it and move on" mentality.
Disrupt your life today by choosing Jesus and allowing His mighty power to lead you through your life experiences.
Life can, will and does beat us down. Whether it's a beat down from relationships, finances, work, ministry or even sports, sooner or later we will experience first hand "moment of truth" challenges in our lives.
There is a great message in II-Corinthians 4:8-10 that addresses these type of challenges.
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."
We all experience the bad things that life brings our way. We can choose to let it drag us down or we can choose through His strength to get up, dust ourselves off, learn from it and move forward. It's our choice, our decision to have a "woe is me" mentality or a "forget it and move on" mentality.
Disrupt your life today by choosing Jesus and allowing His mighty power to lead you through your life experiences.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
e-Fights Aren't Cool!
Lately I've e-connected with acquaintances and friends that seem to focus on criticizing Christ followers who behave differently than them or criticizing churches that have a different methodology for reaching out, investing in and inspiring others.
One individual commented, "I go to church but I'm not one of those Jesus followers and besides my morals are better than the majority of those types anyway." Wow! I pray for him regularly. Another person reacted to a fellow Christ follower criticizing their Christian walk by one-upping them and throwing two criticisms back via facebook. Then a third person joined in on the feeding frenzy. I think you're beginning to smell what I'm cooking!
It's one thing to have a one-on-one, face-to-face private discussion with someone you disagree with, but to share these viewpoints in our digital-centric world of facebook, twitter, blogs, etc. is a poor example of leadership regardless of your beliefs. Let's don't fight with one another in a digital world where everyone can observe and be influenced by our e-comments. BTW - I know some will say that I am doing the same thing right now. Hopefully most of you will recognize that I am not criticizing anyone, but merely trying to influence all of us (including myself) to behave in a disruptively different manner. I doubt that I will succeed with everyone...
My point is this - we are not all perfect and we should give each other a little more mercy and grace. My Lord knows how imperfect I am. I regularly do things that take away from my ability to lead as a Christ follower. I'm sure I have caused many a believer and non-believer to stumble. It is not my desire to do so but it happens.
Be a disruptive leader by choosing not to react and criticize others where 10's, 100's and even 1,000's could be negatively influenced by our e-words.
Disrupt Someones Life Today!
One individual commented, "I go to church but I'm not one of those Jesus followers and besides my morals are better than the majority of those types anyway." Wow! I pray for him regularly. Another person reacted to a fellow Christ follower criticizing their Christian walk by one-upping them and throwing two criticisms back via facebook. Then a third person joined in on the feeding frenzy. I think you're beginning to smell what I'm cooking!
It's one thing to have a one-on-one, face-to-face private discussion with someone you disagree with, but to share these viewpoints in our digital-centric world of facebook, twitter, blogs, etc. is a poor example of leadership regardless of your beliefs. Let's don't fight with one another in a digital world where everyone can observe and be influenced by our e-comments. BTW - I know some will say that I am doing the same thing right now. Hopefully most of you will recognize that I am not criticizing anyone, but merely trying to influence all of us (including myself) to behave in a disruptively different manner. I doubt that I will succeed with everyone...
My point is this - we are not all perfect and we should give each other a little more mercy and grace. My Lord knows how imperfect I am. I regularly do things that take away from my ability to lead as a Christ follower. I'm sure I have caused many a believer and non-believer to stumble. It is not my desire to do so but it happens.
Be a disruptive leader by choosing not to react and criticize others where 10's, 100's and even 1,000's could be negatively influenced by our e-words.
Disrupt Someones Life Today!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Disruptive Humility
Humility trips up a lot of people (including me). In our culture of self-glorification, the temptation to put aside humility is ever present. But as Christians, we should always seek to honor our Savior over ourselves. I struggle with humility, so much so that in my morning quiet times I consistently ask God to lead me not into temptation and deliver me from the evils of self-centeredness.
There are far too many people, seeking honor through supposed bigger and better positions within the workplace, church and community. I Peter 5:6 states "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." When we try to obtain honor from and at the expense of others, we're really saying we don't trust God to honor us in His due time.
When it comes to truly disruptive humility that inspires those around us, we all need to be mindful that honor and respect are given by and achieved through God - and only God. They are not infinite rights any of us can earn.
God checks our heart and knows if we are seeking to accomplish His purpose or seeking to promote our personal purpose. Proverbs 29:23 sums it up perfectly: "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor."
Let's focus on being a disruptively humble leader by seeking to honor our Holy God and not seeking honor for our unholy self.
Disrupt someones life today!
There are far too many people, seeking honor through supposed bigger and better positions within the workplace, church and community. I Peter 5:6 states "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." When we try to obtain honor from and at the expense of others, we're really saying we don't trust God to honor us in His due time.
When it comes to truly disruptive humility that inspires those around us, we all need to be mindful that honor and respect are given by and achieved through God - and only God. They are not infinite rights any of us can earn.
God checks our heart and knows if we are seeking to accomplish His purpose or seeking to promote our personal purpose. Proverbs 29:23 sums it up perfectly: "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor."
Let's focus on being a disruptively humble leader by seeking to honor our Holy God and not seeking honor for our unholy self.
Disrupt someones life today!
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