Dreams

There is an important dimension to hanging tough that you dare not miss. It is the thing that keeps you going. I call it a dream. I don’t mean those things we experience at night while we’re asleep. No, by dream, I mean a God-given idea, plan, agenda, or goal that leads to God-honoring results.

Commitment

People of excellence are those who see through the clutching greed of our times—people who have declared their undivided allegiance to Christ’s message, people who have humbled themselves to Christ’s sovereign authority. If you are greatly gifted, you may be able to do marvelous things that would cause the public to be swept up in your skills and in your abilities.

Optimism

Vision—the one essential ingredient for being an original in a day of copies—gets lost, overwhelmed by the odds. Too bad! We start focusing on the trouble. Then we start comparing the odds. The result is predictable: We become intimidated and wind up defeated. What is your challenge? Which giants make you feel like a grasshopper when you face them?

Flexibility

Are you open to change? People who make a difference can be stretched, pulled, pushed, and changed. You heard it from me: traditionalism is an old dragon, bad about squeezing the very life out of its victims. So never stop fighting it. Let’s be careful to identify the right opponent. It isn’t tradition per se; it’s traditionalism. I’m not trying to be petty, only accurate.

Ethics

We need heroes. I mean genuine heroes, authentic men and women who are admired for their achievements, noble qualities, and courage. Such people aren’t afraid to be different. They risk. They stand a cut above. Yet they are real human beings with flaws and failures like anyone else. But they inspire us to do better. We feel warm inside when we think about this rare breed of humanity.

Priorities

Life is a lot like a coin; you can spend it any way you wish, but you can spend it only once. Choosing one thing over all the rest throughout life is a difficult thing to do. This is especially true when the choices are so many and the possibilities are so close. To be completely truthful with you, however, we aren’t left with numerous possibilities.

Of Parrots and Eagles, Part Two

Eagle thinkers ask the hard questions, take strategic risks, search hard for the whole truth, and soar high above mediocrity. Parrot people enjoy the predictable, routine, rehearsed words of others. As we discussed yesterday, the church is overrun with parrots and virtually devoid of eagles. Too harsh? You decide.

Balance, Part Two

Both adversity and prosperity confront our equilibrium, but prosperity is perhaps the more challenging test. Today we look at another biblical person who rose to the top and kept his balance. The classic example is David. According to the last three verses of Psalm 78: [God] also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands. (Psalm 78:70–72, emphasis added)

It’s about Time, Part Two

Yesterday, I mentioned my penchant for time-management books. It’s a vital topic to address because it bleeds into every area of life. Let me mention a few specifics. Some people are always running late. Yes, always. Punctuality is simply a time-management matter. Some folks feverishly work right up to the deadline on every assignment or project they undertake.

Spiritual Leadership

Leadership is influence. To the extent we influence others, we lead them. If I were asked to name some of the standard qualities or characteristics usually found among natural-born leaders, I would list: Enthusiasm, Optimism, Persistence, Ambition, Competitiveness, Knowledge, Insight, Inquisitiveness, Independence, Friendliness . . .

Category Archives: Leadership