Can a Constraint Be Beautiful? Some Thoughts for Leaders
We are in a season of constraint. As a pastor, we are constrained from gathering physically. We are constrained from using all the resources the Lord has given us – from the facility to the events we have had to cancel. We are constrained from lunch meetings where development conversations occur, from face-to-face counseling appointments, […]
Leadership in a Crisis: Defining Reality AND Giving Hope
Napoleon is credited with the leadership wisdom of: “The role of the leader is to define reality and give hope.” This is especially true in a crisis – which is where leaders are most needed. The reality is that most organizations have gotten to a place of maturity that they can operate daily and even […]
September 11, the Coronavirus, and Ministry
I was on the phone with my good friend Ed Stetzer a few nights ago, asking for his perspective on the impact of the Coronavirus on our culture and the Church. Ed is much smarter than I am on these sorts of things, and he articulated that there have been five culture-altering events in the […]
One Thing Church and Marketplace Leaders Can Learn from Each Other
Last Friday I spoke for my friend John Townsend at a leadership event he hosted for leaders in his network. After my presentation, I fielded some questions for a few moments and was asked (I am paraphrasing), “Because you have led in both marketplace and local church contexts, what is one thing you think those […]
Navy SEALs and 4 Reasons Trust Is Greater than Performance
The Navy SEALs are known for their skill, valor, and effectiveness. They are generally recognized as one of the most elite teams of people in any discipline or field. What do the leaders of the SEALs look for in potential team members? In Simon Sinek’s new book The Infinite Game, Sinek describes the tool that […]
3 Leadership Reminders From an Elon Musk Tale
In the introduction of Edge, a book from Harvard Business School professor Laura Huang, Laura recounts a tale about Elon Musk – one a colleague shared with her. The story goes that a person was able to land a face-to-face meeting with Musk, the famed entrepreneur and leader of Tesla and SpaceX. The person walked […]
5 Warning Signs a Leader is Leading at “Too High” a Level
Leaders are often encouraged to lead “at a high level.” “Lead higher” is a helpful way to describe rising above the details and the day-to-day operations so a leader can look to the future. By “leading higher,” a leader is able to set direction, remind people of the why beneath the work, clarify mission and […]
4 Important Lessons From Marathon Runners About Your New Year Goals
As a new year begins there will be a lot of new goals set: physical goals about exercise or weight loss, financial goals about paying off debt or making more money, and relational goals about more time with loved ones. Setting goals can be very helpful because they force conversations about what is going to […]
7 Reasons to Be Thankful to Be a Christian in America in 2019
To be thankful to be a Christian in America in 2019 is really to be thankful for three different things. First, and most important, it means to be thankful to be His, to have God as our Father. Second, it includes, of course, being thankful for our country and the freedoms we enjoy in America. […]
3 Things That Will Happen Naturally to Your Team This Week
Peter Drucker said, “Only three things happen naturally in an organization: friction, confusion, and underperforming. Everything else takes leadership.” Like a lot of his pithy statement, Drucker effectively captured the natural drift that occurs in organizations (and ministries) and the importance of leaders to rally people against the natural drifts. Just as a person does […]