Loneliness seems to be on the rise. So much so that Britain appointed its first ever “Minister of Loneliness” to work to combat the rising problem of loneliness in the country. Research uncovered that nearly 9 million people in the Country “often or always feel lonely.” Why is loneliness on the rise? What values have…
Conflict
How Should I Confront My Leader?
In my latest book, How to Ruin Your Life, I share how isolation typically leads to destruction. Leaders are not the only ones who face the temptation to abandon community, but the temptation for isolation is strong for leaders because they can use the guise of “it is lonely at the top.” Since writing the…
Fighting with Ed Stetzer, Becoming Friends Again, and Lateral Leadership
I recently Skyped in for a class Ed Stetzer was teaching at Wheaton, where Ed teaches and serves as the Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center of Evangelism. Ed asked me a series of questions to kick off the discussion, and in one of those questions, he asked for my perspective on why we…
4 Harmful Impacts of Leaders Who Need to Be Liked
Typically genuine and kind and reasonable people like being liked. They don’t wake up in the morning wondering if they can cause a new person to hate them today. But needing to be liked is different. When someone needs approval from others, the person is willing to sacrifice conviction and do anything to earn that…
Civil Conflict and Battles That Don’t Matter
The head coach of UConn’s football team attempted to declare a rivalry against University of Central Florida and named it the “Civil ConFLiCT” (notice the FL and CT are capitalized for Florida and Connecticut). The two teams play in the AAC conference, with UConn playing in the North and UCF playing in the South (thus…
Four Questions to Spot the Difference Between Healthy Tension and Unhealthy Conflict
There is a difference between healthy tension and unhealthy conflict. Wise leaders attempt to foster healthy tension where team members who love and trust one another sharpen each other and where ideas get matured and developed through robust discussion. Just as tension in exercise makes a body stronger, healthy tension can make a team stronger….
4 Ways to Lead through Spiritual Spats
The following is by Joshua Crutchfield. Joshua Crutchfield is Pastor of First Baptist Church Trenton, Texas. He is a two-time graduate of Criswell College and a Ph.D. student at Dallas Theological Seminary. Follow him on Twitter. Ten years ago, I was called to pastor my first church. At the ripe old age of twenty, and with…