4 Reasons Why Pastoral Honeymoons Are Shrinking
In the last several years, I have had many conversations with pastors who have expressed surprise over how short “the honeymoon” period was at their new church. At first I thought that maybe it was a few isolated cases, but I have been hearing it continually for several years. All of these pastors had served […]
2 Possible Outcomes of Being Overwhelmed
I have encouraged leaders to look for seasons of being overwhelmed, to disregard the cliché “don’t bite off more than you can chew” and intentionally take on more than you thought you could handle so you will be forced to learn and grow. In their newest book, The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath […]
One Trait That Links Geniuses Like Jobs, Franklin, Edison, and da Vinci
Walter Isaacson has extensively studied people known as “geniuses,” distinct from those around us who are just “super smart,” which Isaacson says are a dime a dozen. Isaacson has written biographies on both Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci. And the one trait that stands out in all the geniuses he has studied is their […]
4 Ways Leaders Can Construct Their Lives for the Long Haul
The headline of The Ringer article successfully grabbed my attention: “LeBron James’s Life Is Constructed to Keep Him on the Court.” And the details in the article from the podcast are fascinating, such as the statement that LeBron invests 1.5M a year in his body. He has replicated the team gym at his home, has […]
The Importance of Being “a Finisher”
Cal Newport, the author of Deep Work, has invested years studying the habits of successful people, and he believes the most common trait in successful people is their compulsion with completion. They are finishers. They may finish in different ways, depending on their personality or approach to work, but they are committed to finishing. He […]
3 Warning Signs You Are Responding with Pride to a Leader’s Fall
People love to watch great and mighty buildings fall. We find it fascinating that a structure that took years to build can come down in a few seconds. Some arrive hours early for a scheduled implosion to get a good view of the devastating seconds when the building topples inward. Those who love to watch […]
How Should We Respond When a Leader Implodes?
I was at lunch with a friend recently, processing the news of another fallen leader. While perhaps we are only more aware of the number of leaders falling because of our constant connectedness via social media and online news, it sure feels like an epidemic at times. Regardless of whether or not the reality of […]
6 Important and Impactful Quotes from Leaders
I recently offered my five most favorite leadership quotes. They are not from modern leaders, writers, or thinkers but from leaders, theologians, and philosophers whose writings and sayings have endured the times. This is not to say that only old, dead thinkers have the best quotes. And to prove it, here are six important and […]
5 Favorite Leadership Quotes and Why
Leaders often use pithy quotes in leadership talks, staff meetings, or when framing strategic direction. The reason we are attracted to quotes is because they capture, in a succinct way, something we believe to be true and important. Below are five I have used many times. None of them are from current writers or thinkers. […]
2 Dumb Ways Leaders Deal With Their Weaknesses
Just as all leaders have areas of strength, all leaders also have areas of weakness. There is no such thing as an omni-competent leader. But what should a leader do with his or her weaknesses? Books have been written and speeches have been given encouraging leaders to focus on their strengths, to leverage what they […]