I have been thinking of the leaders I have been associated with over the years. Though they were each one different from the other, as I look back, I see common characteristics, attributes and ways of operating that were quite similar. 1. They were honest. Sometimes painfully so. They told me the truth even when I would have rather received sanitized, homogenized opinions. Even when my feelings…
Read MoreLeadership Bootcamp
No one wonders more about leadership than those who are leading! Many of us did not start out realizing that we were, in fact, leaders. Right at the beginning, you must understand you are leading! If you cannot think of a place where you are leading, then go home and look in the mirror, the reflection you see is the first person you should be leading. You and I must…
Read MoreThe Authentic Leader
So much has and is being written about leadership. Often I think I do not believe one more thing can be said regarding the subject. Then I hear a speaker, read an article or a book and I think “that was helpful.” So to add to the enormous wealth of material concerning leadership, allow me to offer a few items for your consideration: Be authentic. Nothing…
Read MoreLeadership 101
At every turn, someone is saying something about leadership. “These three secrets to being a better leader, five truths all leaders must know, and eight ways to be a better leader.” I have contributed my formulas/ideas about leadership over the years. In a complex world, what are the necessary few things, if done regularly will make a difference? What should I be doing every day was the question a young man…
Read MoreThe Entrepreneurial Leader
Bill Hybels lists ten manifestations of leadership. They are “visionary, directional, strategic, managerial, motivational, pastoral, team-building, reforming, entrepreneurial.” The manifestation of leadership today is entrepreneurial. The very first thing one needs to do in regard to the word entrepreneurial is to define it, here is a dictionary definition: “a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative…
Read MoreReforming Leader
The next leadership manifestation for us to consider is the reforming leader. Again, I do not believe I have ever seen this in anyone’s lists of key components of leadership. What exactly is meant by reforming? And how does it pertain to leadership? Whenever someone arrives at a local church or ministry there are already many things in place. The vast majority of which are…
Read MoreAre you a team building Leading?
Team building is the manifestation of leadership we are looking at today. At its basic this would involve the ability to bring people around the vision and the mission. Together everyone assists in implementing and fulfilling the goals that have arisen from the vision. The place to start is asking, what is team building? The dictionary definition of team building: the ability to identify and motivate individuals to form a team that…
Read MoreThe Pastoral Leader
The next manifestation of leadership is pastoral. It is a wise choice that one of the manifestations for pastoral ministry is pastoral. Pastor is a word that has been melted down to nothing more than a title. It seems to be synonymous with being a member of the clergy. I’ve always been fascinated by pastors who refer to themselves as pastor so-and-so even when they are not my…
Read MoreThe Motivating Leader
Motivational This is one of the manifestations of leadership. I really love the topic of motivation. Nothing much gets done without someone being motivated! It can be difficult to get out of bed in the morning if you are not motivated. Motivation is not the be-all or cure-all for everything, but it is foundational for living a productive and successful life. Growing up in the1960’s I remember my…
Read MoreThe Managing Leader
The next manifestation of leadership is managerial. As long as I have been studying the subject of leadership there has been a debate as to whether leadership and management are related, similar or dissimilar? I have always felt that leaders do have to manage and managers have to lead, I’m not suggesting they’re interchangeable but they are interconnected. You can’t have one without the other. It’s the same way…
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