3 Traits in Healthy Leaders
Healthy ministries (and healthy organizations) are led by healthy leaders. For this reason, the Apostle Paul challenged pastor Timothy to “pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:15-16). If a leader is faithful in teaching […]
What Does Untainted Leadership Look Like?
There was a time when leadership was as it should be all of the time, when motivations were always pure, when goals were not bent out of shape with unholy ambitions, and when the actions of a leader were right and good and pure. With all the corrupted or apathetic leadership that we have observed, […]
Excellence and When What Seems Like a Sacrifice Is Not a Sacrifice
Here are two different types of people on a team (athletic, organization, ministry, etc.): One person considers the sacrifices willing to be made for the sake of the team or for the sake of excellence. Another person doesn’t view the same actions as sacrifices at all because of an overwhelming passion for the work. The […]
3 Inexpensive Leadership Decisions That Are Very Costly
Earlier this year, I wrote about five expensive leadership decisions that are worth more than they cost. Meaning, it is wise to spend the money and invest in your marriage and family, generous giving, wise counsel, developing leaders, and a seasoned leader on your team. There are leadership decisions that have a cost, but the […]
Complacency Is Not the Biggest Threat
This summer, my youngest daughter Evie and I took surfing lessons while our family was on vacation in Hawaii. While we were in the water with the surf instructor, a great guy named Eddie, he shared about the operation he is part of—“we only hire surf instructors who can surf,” to which I said something […]
Successful Succession Requires More Than Great Leaders
“Why don’t you think the leadership transition worked at ___________ ?” It is a common question I am asked by ministry and marketplace leaders, and there have been dozens of churches and organizations in the blank. Typically, the person asking is sincerely perplexed why the transition of leadership or the planned succession has not worked […]
5 Expensive Personal Leadership Decisions That Are Worth More than the Cost
Many have said that you can tell what is most important to you by looking at your calendar and your checkbook. While most of us don’t write physical checks that often anymore, the principle is still true. We finance what is most important to us. We find a way to allocate resources towards what we […]
Leaders and Managing the Gift of Momentum
If you are a leader, you know there are seasons with momentum and seasons without. As a Christian leader, you must preach to yourself that God is good in both seasons, faithfulness to Him is the priority in every season, and often the most fruitful work is done when there is no momentum—that seasons of […]
Adjusting Your Approach to Serve Those You Lead
While Michael Watkins created a framework that helps leaders evaluate the needs of the organization they will be leading, Ken Blanchard developed a framework, famously known as Situational Leadership, that helps leaders evaluate the development needs of each person the leader is leading. What I Appreciate About This Framework I love that the framework emphasizes […]
Matching Your Leadership Approach to the Organization’s Needs
In his book, The First 90 Days, Michael Watkins offers this framework as a tool to help leaders think through the phases of the organization or team the leader is entering. What I Appreciate About This Framework I love that the framework emphasizes the leader should (1) understand the context and (2) adjust leadership to […]