Sustaining Leadership...

This insightful quote from Israel Galindo's book Perspectives On Congregational Leadership has deep implications for all of us who desire to be Christ-like leaders:

Here is the heart of what it takes to sustain leadership. We move from the impossible--controlling others--to the merely difficult--managing ourselves.

We can in fact manage ourselves, if we choose to. We cannot control others. But we can offer our point of view, challenge them, and give them room to respond.

Defining The Real Problem...

I got an iPad recently. And one of the iPad apps I've already found to be quiet useful as a personal brainstorming tool is Whiteboard. I find myself using Whiteboad to think in pictures, and to scribble out a quick thought. Like the following:

Could we be addressing issues, symptoms, reactions… attempting to correct a problem… but the real problem continues to be unaddressed?

Hey Jude Flowchart...

While listening recently to the Beatles' classic "Hey Jude" on my iPod, I came across this interesting flow chart. Try it out yourself. Cue up "Hey Jude" and stare at the flow chart. Caution: don't get stuck in an infinite loop of "na na na na na na na na na..."

12 Characteristics of A Godly Leader...

1. Be humble.

2. Be authentic.

3. Be generous.

4. Be Christ-like.

5. Be the best at what you do.

6. Be consistent.

7. Be courageous, willing to go first and take risks.

8. Be honest and trustworthy.

9. Be thankful.

10. Be a learner.

11. Be adaptable and open to change.

12. Be an encourager.

11 Words For 2011...

Need some inspiration for 2011? Check out these 11 words.



Are you inspired?

Nativity 2.0...

This interesting video reveals what the birth of Jesus might have looked like if it happened in 2010.


Clever... and makes you think.

Emotional Endurance...

I'm becoming more convinced that one of the keys to effective leadership is what I would call emotional endurance. If you're going to make it as a leader, you have to have a high threshold for a wide variety of emotions.

Every once in a while, fellow ministers will ask me about the greatest challenge I face in church-world. Frankly, I think it's managing your emotions. You have to manage the fear and the discouragement and the anxiety. If you can't, you won't make it. But if you allow the challenging situations to build emotional endurance, you'll be prepared for even bigger challenges.

One of the things that has helped me deal with criticism and stress is my perspective. I don't particularly like criticism or stress, but I see it as building emotional endurance. And if I'm going to do bigger and better things for God, then I'm going to need more emotional endurance.

What I'm getting at is this: God wants to work in and through our emotions. He wants to build emotional endurance. And that often involves high levels of stress, or criticism, or fear, or discouragement. But if we open ourselves up to God growing us through these circumstances, then we'll become a stronger person emotionally.

One of my most challenging leadership memories is rooted in a ropes' course element described by various names: Pamper Pole, Eagle's Nest, Leap of Faith. Whatever you call it, the essence of this element is: slip on a safety harness, limb to the top of a 30' telephone pole, leap from the pole to a nearby trapeze bar. Sounds simple, right?! It's a good thing I'm 30 feet in the air because I'm usually shaking so bad prior to leaping that my knocking knees are making quite a racket. But I look back at these kind of situations that were clearly outside my comfort zone and they built emotional endurance. I was able to step into a high pressure situation with a little more confidence the next time around.

May God give us thick skin and a soft heart.