Leadership

The minute you stop moving, you start settling. If you stop pursuing better communication with your spouse, you are settling for the level of discourse you have now. If you stop reading books that stretch your mind, you are settling for the knowledge you have now. If you stop exercising, you are settling for the health you have now. If you stop pursuing your dreams,  you are settling for your present achievements -- soon to be past accomplishments.

A few days ago I read an excellent article by Mark Batterson offering tips for high capacity leaders.  Batterson is the pastor of National Community Church, a thriving multisite church in the Washington D.C. area.  Over the years, I have apprenticed myself to him via his books and blog.  This article is a great example of why. Here are a few of my take-aways. Your destiny isn’t a mystery. Your destiny is the cumulative decisions you make. Negativity is a cancer. No margin = no vision. If you listen to God, people will listen to you. If your life is interesting, your messages will be interesting (what does that say about boring preaching!). Don't try to be who you are not.  

"To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful." -- Edward R. Murrow, journalist

Inevitably, once you've clarified your values and beliefs, you'll notice something: my behavior doesn't always match my beliefs. For example, I might say I value family but if my schedule shows I'm hardly ever home, there is a gap between what I believe and how I behave.  In order to live authentically, something must change -- either my beliefs or my behavior.  If I'm unwilling to change my belief because I feel it is non-negotiable, then my behavior must change.  

How does a person live with authenticity?  For starters, it begins with clarity in terms of what you believe.  What are your values?  Convictions?  Non-negotiables?  Authenticity means being true to the real you. Once you've clarified your beliefs and values, ask yourself this question: Does my behavior match my beliefs?