One of the most discouraging compliments someone can give to me after I preach a message they loved is, “I am so glad you are preaching the gospel because you are preaching about __________ (insert a cultural issue).” The statement is typically delivered in a “it’s about time. I’m glad you finally got it together”…
Encouragement
3 Cruel Christian Clichés for Graduates
It’s graduation season and your mailbox is likely filled with graduation invitations and pictures. Your church has likely asked graduates to stand and be recognized or marched them across the stage as proud family members took photos and celebrated/mourned the ending of an important season in their lives. It is an exciting time for graduates….
Links for Leaders 7/28/17
“One aspect of leadership is appreciating the people one leads. I must admit, this has to be a discipline for me, because I’m not naturally wired for this.” Ron Edmondson shares seven suggestions for leaders when they are offering praise. “How do you lead your congregation to be a people that reflect the Gospel? The…
Links for Leaders 10/21/16
Links about the power of perspective, pastoral attitudes, and more
Five Reasons Leaders Must Encourage
If you read any leadership book, you are likely to be encouraged to encourage the people you lead. If you have served with an encouraging leader, you know the impact the encouragement makes on the morale of the team, the focus of the people, and the commitment to one other. Here are five reasons leaders…
Links for Leaders 2/12/16
“All leaders should lead well, but when one claims to be a follower of Christ their leadership reflects on his or her walk with Christ.” Helpful, convicting words from Ron Edmondson on seven core disciplines of a spiritual leader. Everyone has different leadership styles, and we often forget that different aspects of our personality may…
Links for Leaders 11/20/15
Perhaps one of the most universal needs in the workplace is the need to feel productive. Whether you’re a C-Suite executive, a mid-level manager, an assistant, or otherwise, you wish you were more productive. Here are five simple tips to improve your productivity. “Lack of curiosity is deadly in changing times. Vision, courage, and energy,…
Four Ways to Express Love to the People You Lead
Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages has been a helpful resource to many couples. He challenges spouses to learn each other’s love language—how one most feels loved, pursued, and valued—whether through time, words of affirmation, acts of service, gifts, or touch. When Kaye, my wife, jokingly insists that she has all five languages, I…
5 Ways to Say “Thanks” as a Leader (without a pay increase)
The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. ~ Max Depree Leaders must define reality, create urgency, and guide teams in a direction. But leaders must also say, “thank you.” They must continually express…
A Time I Was Confronted for My Cynical Criticism
One moment sticks out in my mind from journalism class my senior year in high school. It was late fall and the journalism class at a rival high school published one of those black and white high school newspapers, and we had several copies. Our teacher passed them out to us and sat at his…