I love this line from Mark Sanborn: "Self-preservation isn't selfish; it's vital to the health of those you lead." As a leader, what are you doing to stay physically, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally healthy?

Leadership has been rightly defined as influence.  Paraphrasing John Maxwell, if you think you are leading people but no one is following you, you're just taking a walk. Without influence, a person is not a leader. Without integrity, a person does not have influence. You can motivate (influence) people out of fear or guilt for only so long.  And after a while, the law of diminishing returns kicks-in and it actually becomes counter-productive.  Leaders who use fear to get things done are developing followers who will grow resentful. Leaders with integrity know that character matters more than competency.  Ideally, a leader will have both.  But if I had to choose between a leader with high character and average competency or high competency and average character ... it's a no-brainer.  Choose otherwise and you're setting yourself up for disappointment; or worse, disaster.

Is the fear of failing the greatest when just starting out or after a season of success? While it is true that a fear of failing may discourage some folks from ever trying anything new, most people eventually do. A more insidious form of fear comes when a person experiences success.  It may be the fear of having to sustain a level of effort required to maintain success.  It could be the fear of having to replicate a prior success but in a new environment (economy, personnel changes).  Often it is the fear of losing what took hard work to attain. This fear of failing, rather than discouraging the first step, discourages the next step.  It leads to maintenance thinking -- what must I/we do to keep the wheels rolling? Here's the irony: those who have taken the first step and experienced success should have a track record to fall…

One of the things I've learned as a parent that has impacted my effectiveness as a pastor is this: Unless the other person understands what I'm saying, I haven't communicated.  I've just been talking. While talking might make me feel better, it alone does nothing to solve a problem or move the ball forward.  Understanding is what matters.  My goal in preaching is not to use a certain amount of words; it is to move the listener into closer alignment with God. As a leader, the same is true.  I will gladly sacrifice eloquence for understanding.  And one of the most important keys to understanding is being clear about what you're communicating.  A lack of clarity allows an issue to get out of focus.  It blurs the lines around the action required.  It may actually demotivate someone from taking any action at all. When it comes to communicating, how clear…

Leaders who excel at moving organizations forward (be it a church, business, or team) are typically "big picture" thinkers.  By painting a compelling vision of the future, they encourage others to follow where they might not otherwise go.  Often it is the leader's ability to begin with the end in mind that gathers people to the vision itself. As leaders, we need to be aware of what I call "shrinking thinking."  Symptoms include focusing on the minutia rather than the mission or reducing options rather than expanding them.  A sure sign of a lost vision is when a leader spends too much time wading through the trivial instead of allowing others to handle the details.  With that comes a lack of clarity that slows everything down. The cure?  Set aside significant time each week to reflect on the big picture.  And then ask others you trust how big they think…