Leadership

I'm reading a great new e-book from Tony Morgan called "Taking the Lid Off Your Church: 6 Steps to Building a Healthy Senior Leadership Team."  ($2.99 at Amazon!).   I'd like to share with you the seven questions he says you should ask when considering a new person for the team: Do they have leadership gifts? Are they big-picture thinkers? Are they strategic thinkers? Can they build teams? Do they share the vision and values of your organization? Do they help us reflect the diversity of our ministry? Are they lifelong learners? Great questions!  I'd recommend you buy Tony's book and give it a thorough read.  If you don't have a Kindle, don't worry ... you can download a free Kindle app for your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone or tablet.

Many years ago Stephen Covey wrote the best-selling book, "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People."  One of those habits was: "Begin with the end in mind."  In other words, define what you're working towards before you start. On paper, this seems to make sense.  Before you get in the car, know where you are going. But in many ways, we hop in the car and try to figure out as we're driving where it is we are going. In your career, what does success look like? If you're a Christ-follower, what does a mature Christ-follower look like? If you're a youth pastor, what do you want a graduating senior to be like?  To know? If  you're married, what does a healthy, fulfilling marriage look like? If you're a pastor, what does a growing church look like? Once the end is defined, the steps to get there usually fall in place.…

This past weekend, I spoke on the early church and their response to opposition.  Instead of praying for deliverance, they prayed for boldness: "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness" (Acts 4:29). Let's be honest: Most of us would have prayed for deliverance.  "God, get rid of these people ... fix this problem ... smooth out this bump ... give me more money!"  Instead, these believers prayed for a boldness equal to their challenge. Here's the choice we must make when faced with difficulties: While I allow these difficulties to deepen my determination or defeat my determination? Often, we allow difficulties to defeat our determination.  Or, to put it this way, we give up.  We walk away, give in, fold over.  Is there a proper time to quit?  Yes.  Sometimes it is foolish to continue down an unproductive path. However, just…

I've been a fan of business author Jim Collins for many years.  As a pastor, I read his books and baptize them for use as a church leader.  He's probably best known for Good to Great, a book that examined how good companies became great companies while their competitors failed to do so. Two years ago I read another of his books: "How the Mighty Fall".   In this book, Collins outlines the stages of decline that mark the downfall of a great company.  It's a fascinating read.  I believe it's also a must read for anyone in leadership.  The moral of the story is this: successful companies, or organizations, or churches can fall from their perch if they fail to identify the stages of decline. The Five Stages of Decline The Hubris of Success.  Success can insulate leaders from the best ideas because the new ideas don't fit with…