John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States, once defined leadership in these terms: "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." That's a great definition. You've probably heard that leadership is influence (thanks to John Maxwell). That's true. If you're not influencing someone, you're not leading them. Take Maxwell's definition and through it in the blender with President Adam's definition -- and you have a really good definition of leadership. Ask yourself the following questions ... Do the people I lead dream bigger dreams than before? Do the people I lead show a desire to learn more than before? Do the people I lead do more on their own initiative, without my prompting? Do the people I lead become better leaders? Here's why many leaders will struggle with these questions: for them, leadership isn't about those they…
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For those who remember, boxing legend Muhammad Ali never lacked for bravado. On many occasions, he would say of himself, "I am the greatest!" Once while flying to a fight, Ali refused to buckle his seatbelt despite being told many times. The flight attendant kept insisting, but Ali said, "Superman don't need no seatbelt." Finally, the fast-thinking attendant replied, "Superman don't need no plane." Ali buckled his seatbelt. Muhammad Ali experienced an attitude adjustment. For those of us who have given our lives to Christ, the cross offers us a different way of looking at life: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
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"If you give in to "just this once," based on a marginal-cost analysis, you'll regret where you end up. That's the lesson I learned: it's easier to hold to your principles 100 percent of the time than it is to hold to them 98 percent of the time. The boundary—your personal moral line—is powerful because you don't cross it; if you have justified doing it once, there's nothing to stop you doing it again." -- Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business School
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A black hole is a "region of space-time where gravity is so strong that nothing that enters the region, not even light, can escape" (Wikipedia). Black holes are the enemies of good ideas. A father can become a black hole if he puts down every suggestion. Children want to be affirmed, to feel valued. No one wants to be constantly put-down. The easiest way to avoid a put-down? Offer no suggestions. A boss can become a black hole if he or she believes every good idea must originate with them. Employees who offer ideas only to see them dry up or go unused will eventually stop offering ideas. A friend can become a black hole if they treat opinions with sarcasm. Not every opinion is equal. Not every opinion is correct. But every opinion is personal, even the most hair-brained idea. Sarcasm communicates a lack of appreciation -- not just for the…
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Yesterday, Forbes Online had a great article about serial entrepreneurs -- those men and women who love to start things. It's part of a series on entrepreneurship. If you're a church planter, I'd encourage you to read the entire series. Here are the three characteristics they highlighted. Serial Entrepreneurs: Believe that talented and motivated teams are the entrepreneur’s most valuable asset. They know that the persistence, expertise, ideas, and foolishness that they went though on their journey are all required. Tend to ask more questions and make fewer assertions. Often realize that the chase itself is the reward. Are you a serial entrepreneur or church planter?
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