Skills are good. Creativity is fine. Results are important. Each of those, from a Christian perspective, is trumped by character. We should never get so pragmatic that results, even if they are good results, are valued over a person's character. Unlike the corporate world where leadership is measured by results (primarily profit), the Kingdom of God operates with a different set of standards. How can we help younger leaders develop the right character? It starts with having the right character ourselves. We pass on what God has been doing within us. With that one hopefully being a given, there are other things we can do to help a younger leader develop the right character. Lovingly challenge ungodly behavior and attitudes. Depending on their background, a younger leader may never have been shown what godly character looks like. When a selfish or sinful attitude appears, lovingly point it out and map…
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This little gem comes via Mark Batterson on Twitter: "Your level of influence isn't determined by YOUR competence but by the competence of the people you surround yourself with."
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Individually or as a group, one of the most powerful things we can do is create momentum (moh-men-tuhm). In physics, momentum is defined as the mass of an object multiplied by velocity. In simpler terms, it's the tendency of a moving object to continue moving. You know when you have momentum ... and you know when you don't. As individuals, we may sense a loss of momentum when our work becomes dull or our energy level dips low. A lack of motivation is also a symptom of waning momentum. When we're gaining momentum, external forces of motivation aren't necessary -- we get up earlier, we work longer, we play harder. Not because we're told to but because we want to. In a group setting, momentum gives birth to excitement and new ideas. There is an air of expectancy in the culture. Employees come to work expecting to have a good…
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The mistake many leaders make is to delegate responsibility without giving the proper authority needed for the recipient to develop and grow. The word for this is discretion. For younger leaders to learn how to lead, they'll need the discretion to make decisions. By making decisions, they're learning to how exercise discernment and what it means to live with the consequences. By drawing the boundaries too tightly, we are actually encouraging them to follow instructions rather than create and implement ideas. Rather than develop leaders, it may actually result in developing one of the following: hack, n. ... 2. a professional who renounces or surrenders individual independence, integrity, belief, etc. in return for money or other reward in the performance of a task normally thought of as involving a strong personal commitment: a political hack. drudge, n. 1. a person who does menial, distasteful, dull, or hard work. 2. a…
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One of the greatest needs of every generation is to have leaders with vision. An even greater need is to have mature leaders who can help younger leaders catch God's vision for their life. Buried in a list of men who joined David's army are these guys: "men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do ..." (1 Chronicles 12:32). We need men and women of Issachar who understand the times and seek God's direction. As we work with younger leaders, it's important to see the need to have a vision that is larger than life. This is not some pie-in-the-sky, Pollyanna wish for things that will never come true. A God-given vision is one that understand the current realities and sees a God-enabled future. We need to catch emerging leaders at the intersections of life when they are making decisions that will continue to unfold…
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