Some have articulated that leaders need to motivate employees differently because of the infusion of millennials into the workforce. But that is only true if a leader has relied primarily on extrinsic motivation—on putting carrots or rewards in front of followers. Carrots work less and less because millennials are more intrinsically motivated than preceding generations….
Motivation
Three Reasons Urgency Must Precede Vision
In his highly regarded book Leading Change, John Kotter articulates that establishing urgency must always precede communicating vision. Before attempting to implement change, leaders must create dissatisfaction with an ineffective status quo. They must help others develop a sense of angst over the brokenness around them. Without urgency, a vision will not take root in…
Example and Highest End
We must be careful not to teach people that the ultimate goal of Christianity is serving. Jesus is the ultimate goal, the highest end. Our serving must ultimately be grounded in Him, and for Him, our hearts deeply tuned toward Him. We are incapable of serving for the right reasons, incapable of making any impact…
Motivation for Service
The gospel is not only the foundation for our service; it also radically purifies our motivation for service. In fact, serving others for reasons other than the gospel actually doesn’t make a lot of sense because of the philosophical contradictions beneath the surface. Take, for example, the predominant worldview of Western culture today—the worldview of…
The Serving High
Jesus told His disciples that they would be blessed if they served. And you will be blessed if you serve, both eternally and presently. Eternally you will receive rewards because of your faithful service. Presently, a supernatural high comes with serving. Experiencing God overflow out of your life to serve others trumps anything the world…
Focus: The One Thing I Do
Focus is the commitment to abandon everything that falls outside of the simple ministry process. Focus most often means saying “no.” Focus requires saying “yes” to the best and “no” to everything else. While movement is the most difficult simple church element to understand, focus is also the most difficult element to implement. It takes…