5 Ways to Say “Thanks” as a Leader (without a pay increase)
The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. ~ Max Depree Leaders must define reality, create urgency, and guide teams in a direction. But leaders must also say, “thank you.” They must continually express […]
Is There a “Leadership Code”?
James MacGregor Burns wrote, “Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth.” So to better understand leadership, Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, and Kate Sweetman set out to discover if there is a “leadership code” —a set of leadership characteristics that are transferable from one context to another. Perhaps you have heard […]
3 Reasons Pastors Should Read Leadership Books
Earlier this week, I wrote about some reasons pastors should reject leadership books. There are seasons in a church leader’s life when reading leadership books is a bad idea. If one’s devotional life is weak, Christian worldview is not firm, or compassion for people is waning, then church leaders should flee from leadership books. However, […]
A Challenge to Young Leaders
Earlier this week I pointed out that there are fewer leaders who meet the typical “leadership profile” for positions such as senior pastor. From a practical and purely demographic vantage point, there are fewer people in Generation X than the preceding Boomer generation, so there are currently less available leaders in the often sought-after 35-50 […]
3 Ways Leaders Can Maintain an Exercise Routine (And Why They Should)
I have not always exercised as I should. During my doctoral work and writing my first book, I packed on extra pounds as I didn’t exercise and ate a ton of carbs to keep writing late into the night. I felt sluggish, less engaged mentally, and more stressed. The Lord convicted me that I was […]
7 Basics for Better Staff Meetings
Though it is common to lament staff meetings, to take jabs at their usefulness, and to breathe a sigh of relief when they are canceled, the reality is that staff meetings are essential. Teams must communicate. Without effective staff meetings, over time, people and teams will move in a plethora of directions. I have been […]
4 Leadership Traits the World Needs
What impact does integrity have on a leader’s performance? Does a leader’s character impact the organization the leader is leading? According to recent research conducted by KRW International, CEOs noted for their integrity led their organizations to higher levels of performance than those CEOs with lower integrity scores. * Employees were asked to rate their […]
5 Expressions of Cowardly Leadership
In his classic book Spiritual Leadership, Oswald Sanders lists courage along with humility, sincerity, and integrity as essential qualities for leaders. He writes, “Leadership always faces natural human inertia and opposition. But courage follows through with a task until it is done.” The antithesis of courageous leadership, of course, is cowardly leadership, where leaders lack […]
4 Root Idols That Corrupt Leaders
Often when one thinks of idolatry, images of manmade objects that people bow before come to mind. But idols of the heart are as offensive and destructive as idols of the hands. Things we set up as gods in our hearts are idols, and they determine and drive how we live. Martin Luther said, “Under […]
Servant Leadership and Strategic Thinking
Last week I gave a sketch of the Eishenhower Matrix, which has challenged leaders to focus on the most important things and to not allow the urgent to dominate and derail them. As a reminder, here is a sketch of the matrix: While many leaders have been served well with the thinking behind the framework, […]