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…
Decision Making
6 Problems with Obsessing over Data
Data can be a leader’s friend as it is wise for leaders to leverage data in their decision-making. While it is foolish for leaders to ignore data, it is equally unhealthy for leaders to obsess over it. Here are six problems with obsessing over data: 1. You can find your worth in the numbers. There…
Links for Leaders 1/5/18
How to Lead When You Aren’t the Leader—Chris Brown Why do you want to lead? For some, the desire is innate. For others, it’s situational. Think first about what draws you to leadership. You may find a mix of selfish and servant-hearted reasons. Awareness of not-so-great desires is a good thing. Use that knowledge to focus on…
4 Failings of the 60,000-foot Leader
Leaders are often encouraged to lead at 30,000 feet, which is a metaphor to lead above the daily grind and think further out, plan ahead, and navigate towards the future. Just as airplanes fly high to rise above the turbulence and above the clouds, leading at 30,000 feet allows a leader to rise above the…
Links for Leaders 8/26/16
Central to just about any leadership role is the oft-difficult task of making decisions. Some decisions are small, insignificant, and relatively easy to make. Some decisions, however, are big, weighty, and hard to make. Michael Kelley shares about how we might make decisions in light of the sovereignty of God. Leaders face trials and temptations…
Links for Leaders 7/29/16
How often do you take the temperature of the culture at your church or organization? How well do you know the feelings, fears, joys of those on your team or in your office? Culture matters. Leaders who neglect culture usually regret it later. Here are five characteristics of a healthy culture from Mike Lukaszewski. Conflict…
Killing a Gorilla and How Leaders Make Difficult Decisions
When Kaye and I were in our mid-twenties and living in Cincinnati, we spent the night at the zoo with her 5th grade class. Kaye taught Math and Science, and the zoo allowed her class to sleep in front of the manatees in their aquarium. The folks were kind and gracious and valued the kids…
Links for Leaders 2/26/16
Accountability is vital to healthy leadership, and healthy Christian living in general. But, how we go about keeping each other accountable is important. Leaders, in the church or otherwise, need to be intentional about accountability in order for it to be effective. Leaders must be careful not to unnecessarily frustrate the people they lead. A leader…
Having a Ministry Strategy Means Saying “No”
Michael Porter is a Harvard business school professor, consultant, author, and leading authority on strategy. Porter’s view of strategy, according to Harvard associate Joan Margetta, contains five essential beliefs. I am taking some liberty to restate and contextualize Porter’s views on strategy for a ministry context. If Michael Porter were to consult with you, perhaps…
Links for Leaders 8/20/15
We need to be learning at all times. Leaders are never too powerful or important to be learners. Here are 10 unforgettable leadership lessons from Faith Whatley. “Sometimes we just feel stuck. Not that anything is really wrong, but more the sense that we’re not going anywhere. That place where you sense that things are…