Leadership

When it comes to celebrating New Year's Eve, I tend to follow the example of my dad: the best way to start the new year is with a good night's sleep.  I don't believe there is anything magical about turning over a new calendar. That being said, I do believe that each new year is a great time to refocus, recalibrate, and renew.  In our culture, we rarely set aside time for reflection.  We rush.  We hurry.  The business of introspection gets lost in the busyness of life. As we approach 2012, will you spend a few moments, minutes, or hours refining your focus?  Life is too short to live aimlessly.  Without a clear sense of purpose, we surrender our effectiveness to the circumstances that surround us.  Is that the best stewardship we can offer God? Will you also find time to recalibrate?  If you're like me, you've probably recognized…

I'm passing along a great article by Phil Cooke entitled, "Seven Things Every Leader Should do in the New Year."  You may resonate with all seven or only a few.  While it is written for pastors, there is something here for any leader. I personally resonate with 1, 5, and 7. Enjoy! ******************* 1.  Start the project you’ve always dreamed of creating.  The clock is ticking, and you’re not getting any younger.  Remember the book manuscript in the desk drawer you’ve always wanted to publish?  Or the radical new ministry you planned on the back of a napkin?  Or the media outreach you always believed would change the community or city?  Stop dreaming and start doing.  There’s no better time than now. 2.  Understand the power of a compelling brand. In a media-driven culture, a compelling brand is the key to breaking through the clutter and getting noticed by your…

Do you have enough white space in your life? If you're like most people, the paper of life gets filled up with stuff.  Things to do, appointments, and outright clutter.  We're rushing from this place to that one.  Even the margins of life have scribbles in them. The symptoms of too little white space include: Little-to-no down time. Uncomfortableness with silence. A feeling of always being distracted. Feeling rushed. Feeling guilty if you're not doing something. How do you recapture lost white space?

“Satan tempts us to bring out the worst in us, but God tests us to help bring out the best.”  -  Warren Wiersbe

Gordon MacDonald once wrote about VDP's or Very Draining People.  These are the people who drain our energy rather than refueling us.  Into every life at least one VDP must wander.  But we can choose to limit our exposure or interaction with them. We can also choose to surround ourselves with more positive people.  I love to be around believers and dreamers.  These are the people who provide a mental pick-me-up when I need it. Which are you?