4 Ways to Live Wisely Through a Season of Being Overwhelmed
According to Gallup’s research the only people whose mental health increased from 2019 to 2020 are those who attend church every week. Other than those people, mental health reached a twenty-year low in 2020. No one was surprised. 2020 was filled with news and moments that angered, scared, and frustrated people. We dealt with those […]
Why Leaders Should Run Towards Pressure, Not From Pressure
The first episode of the new Netflix documentary series, The Playbook, features basketball coach Doc Rivers. Coach Rivers led the Boston Celtics to a championship in 2008. Coaching one of the most storied franchise brought an immense amount of pressure to Rivers and the whole team. Instead of minimizing the pressure, Rivers put a spotlight […]
Pressure Exposes and Develops Character and Competence
When a ministry or organization experiences growth there is simultaneously an exposing and developing of character and competence. The pressure of caring well for more people, the stress of new problems, and the weight of new decisions both exposes and develops. In the same way, when a ministry or organization experiences a challenging season there […]
The Leader, Exercise, and 4 Ways to Keep Going
When I first heard, as a Christian, challenges to exercise those challenges were typically connected to taking care of the body the Lord has given, to stewarding well the one body the Lord has provided us in this life. When the apostle Paul challenged Timothy to train himself in godliness, he articulated that physical training […]
Leaders and 3 Types of Stress
Right before Dr. John Townsend walked up to shred a guitar to some old Blink 182 songs with the band he has with his sons, I asked him if he was nervous. In a brief moment he talked to me about leaders and the three different types of stress we can face. Before I share […]
Urban Meyer, Oswald Sanders, and the Pain Leadership Can Bring Your Family
Urban Meyer coached his last game for the Ohio State Buckeyes on New Year’s Day. He is respected as one of the greatest coaches in the game, having won multiple national championships with two teams. Because he is only 54, which he admits is relatively young, he is definitely walking away from the profession earlier […]
Leaders: Bring the Good Stress, Not the Bad Stress
“Working for him is stressful.” “Her leadership stresses me out. You have likely heard those statements before, and they are almost always uttered in disdain about a leader who is putting too much pressure on people, setting unrealistic goals, or holding people to expectations that are deemed to be too high. But great leaders put […]
Three Differences Between Busyness and Productivity
There is a mammoth difference between teams and leaders who run around being busy and those that are truly productive. Busyness can give the allusion of productivity as people are doing things, as meetings are happening, and as emails are being sent and read. But not all busyness is valuable. In fact, busyness can mask […]
Four Practical Ways to Avoid Burnout
After posting a blog called “Four Warning Signs You Are Approaching Burnout,” I heard from several friends and leaders who were struggling with burnout or felt they were headed in that direction. They wisely recognized warning signs in their lives and were committed to making adjustments. Self-leadership is critical. We must lead ourselves well, and […]
Four Warning Signs You’re Approaching Burnout
The pressure, responsibilities, and pace placed on leaders can be immense. If leaders don’t care for themselves, burnout is inevitable. Sadly, many leaders struggle with reading the signs that they are approaching burnout. Despite all the advice, books, and sessions calling leaders to care for themselves, many leaders struggle with slowing down. Many fail to […]