Connect, Lead, Equip: What Does it Look Like to be Optimistic as a Leader? “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,” (Philippians 3:13, ESV).
Connect, Lead, Equip: The Advantage (a Top Recommended & Important Book for Organizational Growth) - A healthy organization is one that can operate effectively, adapt adequately, change appropriately, and grow from within.
Reasons Christian Leaders Need to Make Plans: Following God’s ExampleWe may think that planning is too structured. It may seem that it curbs our freedom...
Connect, Lead, Equip: Jesus' Example of Motivation in Leadership - “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God,” (Hebrews 12:2, NASB).
Patience is a very critical aspect of personal development and perseverance not just in life but especially as a leader. Think about what God designed for Joseph when he went from the prison to the palace. Had Joseph come before Pharaoh two years prior, chances are it would have been only because of the king’s curiosity. There would have been no personal need or sense of urgency in the king’s own heart. He would not have called for all the wise men of Egypt. Consequently, there would have been no opportunity for Pharaoh to compare Joseph’s success with their failure. That’s why the king said to Joseph, “There is no one so discerning and wise as you,” (Genesis 41:39).
When all this was going on, Joseph probably didn’t fully realize what God was doing. He only knew of the single events that occurred. And he knew he didn’t like them. He didn’t like being sold as a slave, or thrown into prison, or forgotten by the cupbearer. He couldn’t see at that time how any of that made sense, especially since he was a man who sought after God and was faithful to Him. But when things unfolded, we do know that God used Joseph to not only save Egypt from disaster but to save his own family from starvation. Genesis 50:20 shows that Joseph did eventually understand God’s plan clearly when he said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” As a leader, Joseph exemplified patience and great things eventually came.
Below are some questions regarding leadership and patience to consider based on Joseph’s situation.
Patience during difficulty allows time to develop true character […]
How to be Productive & Block Plan for Work and Outreach - Whether you’re a business owner, pastor, secretary, community engagement supervisor, etc...
Leaders are active not passive. They act rather than react. A bold vision without corresponding execution is only a dream. Taking the initiative to act involves being dissatisfied with the status quo, seeing the changes that need to be made, and seizing new opportunities. It may be that everyone and everything is “fine” at your work or ministry but the organization’s mission lies dormant or the big project is stagnant. Through prayerful preparation you must develop a plan, communicate a sense of urgency, and establish high expectations for your people. That’s a lot to take on… it’s a big challenge. One excellent book for every person to read (because we’re all leaders in one capacity or another) is The Leadership Challenge (fifth edition).
For more than 25 years, The Leadership Challenge has been the most trusted source on becoming a better leader, selling more than two million copies in over 20 languages since its first publication. Based on Kouzes and Posner’s extensive research, the fifth edition casts their enduring work in context for today’s world, proving how leadership is a relationship that must be nurtured, and most importantly, that it can be learned.
An indispensable resource for leaders at all levels, this anniversary edition is a landmark update and must-read.
The Leadership Challenge Editorial Reviews:
An inspirational and practical handbook, this expanded revision of a bestselling manual originally published in 1987 offers sound advice to corporate leaders and entrepreneurs, to managers and employees and to aspiring leaders in retail, manufacturing, government, community, church and school settings. Drawing on interviews and a questionnaire survey of more than 3000 leaders, the authors identify five fundamental practices of exemplary leadership: challenge the status quo; inspire a shared vision; enable others to act; model the way forward by setting an example; tap individuals’ inner drives by linking rewards and performance. Kouzes, chairman and CEO of TPG/Learning Systems, and Posner, managing partner of Santa Clara University’s Executive Development Center in California, write insightful, down-to-earth, jargon-free prose. This new edition has been substantially updated to reflect the challenges of shrinking work forces, rising cynicism and expanded telecommunications. An appendix includes the author’s Leadership Practices Inventory, a tool for assessing leadership behavior. 75,000 first printing; Executive Program Book Club main selection; author tour. (Sept.)
Publishers Weekly […]
How to Build Trust as a Leader in Community & Ministry - Every job, role, or project hinges on trust. Whether it’s in the context of pastoring a church...
Pentathlon is an Olympic sport comprised of five events in which the winner has the best overall proficiency. The athlete must be proficient in pistol shooting, fencing, horseback riding, swimming, and running. It requires a thoughtful strategy for training. The athlete’s training time must be carefully divided among the events, although some events will take longer than others to train for. The goal is to do well in all five areas to win the prize. Of course, being able to perform well in five different Olympic events requires strong time management skills.
Business and ministry leaders face similar time management demands both in day to day operations and in implementing community projects. Whether it is identifying organization or community needs, establishing vision, delegating, managing operations, or other tasks, leadership always requires sharp time management and planning abilities.
Often, we mentally think about and maybe even write out a plan. But we don’t act on it. Below are some steps for planning and prioritizing.
For each work or project priority, begin to record specific actions to move forward. For example, spend 45 minutes a week managing the budget, updating records, allocating funds, etc. What will you do daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually to make progress in all priorities? One helpful organization method is to make a chart of priorities with steps underneath. Enter the activities in your calendar as commitments. They must be quantifiable and measurable.
Ask co-workers or peers to hold you accountable to your plans. This step will help you reach your goals.
“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed,” (Proverbs 15:22).
To plan wisely and effectively, enlist the wisdom of others. Talk to experienced, wise people. Watch the way others do things to learn from their mistakes and successes. Share the written plan. You need to let someone else look at the actions you’re going to take and the calendar outlining the time commitments you’ve made. Periodically ask them to review this.
This may seem extreme, but you don’t have to do it this way for the rest of your life. The goal is to review the plan daily long enough to get it cemented into your thinking.
Take your priorities action list and estimate how much time you want or need to spend each week. This is helpful for personal and vocational priorities. Below is a work flow example of block planning showing only a few time slots in a week. It will be unique for each […]
Connect, Lead, Equip: The Fruit of the Spirit & Community Outreach Leadership - If Christian leaders in ministries and businesses want to do good for others and impact local communities, we ourselves must be doing well, which involves discipline.
