Think you have a great idea….sleep on it…
If you read this blog regularly, surely you have learned that I’m a risk-taker by nature. I love to encourage big dreams and I want to be a catalyst for idea generation and innovative thought. I’m even a church planter!!! Talk about risk…
In spite of that tendency in me to act quickly, I have learned one principle of leadership by personal experience…this is one of those wisdom learned by mistake kind of things…so listen closely…
I tweeter recently a question. What is one non-negotiable characteristic of a leader you are willing to follow?
Here are some of the responses:
I love exploring Ted.com for exceptional videos. I don’t get to very often, but when I do, I find great stuff.
Here’s one you should consider watching. It’s about 17 minutes long, and honestly he rambles at times, but you’ll get some great wisdom and reminders from a great man. Here’s John Wooden on the subject “What is True Success?”
This is a silly post with an important principle…
The other day I was on a Skype call with missionaries from Costa Rica. I serve on their ministry board and this was a board meeting. As with most meetings, I get bored easily, so I began to doodle on a piece of paper in front of me. What started literally as doodling with no intended purpose turned into a masterpiece…as you can see from this picture.
So maybe “need” is too strong of a word. Perhaps you can do everything I will suggest as reasons to be involved with social media without social media (Although I would question how well you can these days) but I don’t think anyone could argue social media is not a large part of our culture today. Because it is such an influence, today’s successful leaders, including those in the church, must figure out how to make it work for them and make their ministries even more successful.
For me that currently means Twitter, Facebook and blogging. Not everyone has to do all three, but I have found them to each have unique benefits in my ministry.
Here are 7 reasons you should be using social media:
I love watching the dynamics of organizational growth and leadership. It is always interesting to me how people approach the position they are given. Some step up and lead quickly…others take a short time to adjust to the organizational culture before leading…some never move from employee to a leader on a team. I personally like to surround myself with leaders. It’s harder to lead leaders, but, in my opinion, it’s more effective, more productive, and more fun.
I want to encourage you to step across the line to leadership excellence. Too many people never take the initiative to personally become the leader God has equipped them to be.
Here are a few examples of what I mean by stepping across the line to leadership excellence:
There’s a competitive spirit in most of the leaders I know. I saw mine kick in while running recently…
It was 6 AM and already 76 degrees with near 90% humidity. I was casually running, listening to our formal worship pastor Daniel Doss’s song Masterpiece, when out of the corner of my eye I sensed someone trying to pass me. I looked around and it was a girl! She’s the wife and sister of two good friends from college, and a dedicated athlete, so I may have normally been okay with her passing me, but something snapped in me. I said a few nice things and then I gradually picked up speed. I killed myself…but I won! YEA!!! Not that it was a race, and I’m sure she could have taken me had she wanted to, but there was the thrill of victory when I pulled ahead on the road.
I have written this before and I know it creates controversy to talk about, but what if we used that competitive spirit in a way that helped grow the Kingdom?
met with a young leader recently who works for a large corporation. He is sharp, energized, and a hard worker. If he were in a field I needed, I would hire him in without question. He’s looking for a new job.
He’s frustrated that his corporation isn’t moving forward. They aren’t thinking progressively and suggestions he offers for his department are quickly dismissed. He feels undervalued and underutilized. He realizes now he doesn’t want to waste much more of his career with this company.
While this is a secular example, I hear from young pastors every day in similar environments in their churches.
One of my favorite pastors interviews one of my favorite leadership authors: Â This is great information for leaders.
In Brazil, often the drug lords gave us access into the slums in which we ministered. We were invited to do medical clinics, construction projects, and evangelism. Even though they never allowed visitors, since we could have reported their activities to police or warring gangs, they saw value in us ministering to their people. We even saw many of the drug lords come to a saving knowledge of salvation.
We saw that same type leadership in West Africa. Village chiefs, mostly belonging to religions very opposed to Christianity, allowed us to come into the village and spend time with their people. As a result, we saw many life changes occur.
I recognize both these examples as good leadership…
