4 Reasons I Believe “Hire Slowly, Fire Quickly”
If you are responsible for leading a group of people, you know how important building a team is. The people on the team form the culture and fulfill the mission you have embraced. Just as the flavor of soup changes with each ingredient, each new team member changes the collective flavor of a team. If […]
5 Ways Insecurity Damages the Team
Insecurity can plague leaders because leaders are constantly evaluated and continually carry the burden of responsibilities. While it is natural for leaders to struggle with insecurity, leaders who live in insecurity bring great damage to the people they are supposed to be serving. While there are varying degrees of damage, insecurity leaves a wake of […]
The NBA Championship and How the Mighty Fall
In his business book, How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins chronicles what causes great companies to crumble. The first stage is hubris. The dictionary defines hubris as excessive pride. When the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors last night to win their first NBA championship behind monster performances from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, […]
3 Reasons Leaders Are Made, Not Born
People have often asked, “Are leaders born or made?” This is not a new debate, not a new opening discussion question, and not a new title for an article or section in a book. Wise writers often hedge with a “surely both” response, noting that there are certainly God-given qualities in leaders and yet also […]
6 Signs You Are an Easily Distracted Leader
D.L. Moody said, “Give me a person who says, ‘This one thing I do,’ and not ‘These 50 things I dabble in.’” He was likely referring to several biblical passages where believers described their single-minded focus on the Lord (Philippians 3:13-14 and Psalm 27:4, for example). When it comes to our spiritual maturity, focus is […]
10 Proverbs for Leaders
While the Bible is not a book about leadership (it is God’s self-disclosing story of His creation, pursuit, rescue, and restoration of a people for Himself), there are incredible nuggets of leadership wisdom within the Bible. Because our faith should impact every aspect of our lives, including our leadership, we find great truth within the […]
Killing a Gorilla and How Leaders Make Difficult Decisions
When Kaye and I were in our mid-twenties and living in Cincinnati, we spent the night at the zoo with her 5th grade class. Kaye taught Math and Science, and the zoo allowed her class to sleep in front of the manatees in their aquarium. The folks were kind and gracious and valued the kids […]
Six Questions Leaders Should Routinely Ask Themselves
Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Because our lives are like a mist, here now and gone quickly, we should examine them to ensure we are making the most of the time. Leaders are merely stewards. We don’t own the people, the ministry, or the organization we lead. We merely steward […]
Ten Differences Between Delegating and Dumpster Leadership
Dumpster leadership is similar to driving to a dumpster and quickly unloading all the things in your car that you don’t want, things you never want to see again. After emptying your trunk or the bed of your truck, you wash your hands and move on. Dumpster leadership hands tasks to others without a heart […]
Three Essentials in Evaluating Chemistry During an Interview
Zappos famously guards their culture. Because they know each person brought on the team will either contribute to or corrode a healthy culture, they pay people not to accept a job after going through orientation. Even if a person is talented, they don’t want the person to stay if the person does not believe in […]