Archive for the ‘Leadership’ Category
Ever caught yourself asking God what you were to do next? I have.
As I think about the disciples, I do not think they spent a lot of time asking Jesus where are we going? What about our bills? What about our meals? What’s the calendar look like for the next week? No, I think they simply stayed close to and listened to Jesus. They knew that Jesus was the “Way” and the Good Shepherd.
It is often much easier to create a plan than to cultivate a relationship.
You see, the man who walks with God always gets to his destination. When we spend time with the Father, growing our relationship, we simply follow Him where He leads us. There is no need to rush into His throne room asking for directions – darting back out again in all of our busyness.
There is an old hymn that says it like this:
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Cultivate the relationship.
I believe in vampires. I do! I’ve seen them! Not necessarily the kind you see on television or at the theatre, but the kind of undead folks that suck the life out of you! You know the kind that sees the gray cloud in every silver lining. They are not fully alive, and want you to be the same way.
Vampires are creatures of the night and darkness. The enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy our lives, hopes, and dreams and those of our loved ones. The Apostle Paul tells us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities, powers, and spiritual forces. You see, the undead do not associate themselves with light and goodness, except to prey on it.
Just like the undead life-suckers of folklore, those in real life are often invited into our lives with us unaware of the drain and destruction they will eventually bring upon us. That is why it is so important to guard our associations and relationships and establish clear boundaries. You cannot always keep away from them (they may be at your place of work or your family), but you can limit your exposure to them and keep your guard up when you are around them.
Unlike the vampires of folklore, some can be returned to the life of the fully alive. However, most life-suckers are much more accustomed and comfortable to being the victim of another life-sucker that they choose (unknowingly) not to get better. Other vampires can just be mean life-suckers that enjoy their role. In either case, it takes a lot of energy and wisdom in helping them. Most untrained mortals are not up for the task. It should be left to the professional (and I’m not talking about Buffy!).
Values-based decision-making is a concept I use both in my executive coaching and in my life choices. As an executive coach working with clients, one of the first steps that I do is to help the client identify their values. Probably even more important than organizational values are the individual’s personal values. If there is a lack of congruence in the individual values and the organizational values, an individual’s employment becomes work. When an individual’s values are congruent with the organizational values, employment takes on a sense of calling and can be very fulfilling for the individual (and profitable for the organization). Read the rest of this entry »
Ever in your life felt like screaming, “Help, we need a highly effective leader!”
You can find literally countless books published on the subject, with no shortage of ideas and programs. Why then is effective leadership so hard to find and how do we know what constitutes an effective leader?
First of all, you have to describe what does effective leadership convey to you and your organization? In order to improve anything you have to have a clear understanding of 3 things. Read the rest of this entry »
It seems everyone is trying to reduce organizational costs and achieve more productivity from their existing resources. I have even heard some say that they cannot afford executive coaching in our current economic environment. Unfortunately, too often executive coaching is seen as a luxury item instead of a necessity. For those organizations that want to propel themselves forward in these challenging times, I would ask how could you afford not to have executive coaching as part of your organizational game plan? Read the rest of this entry »
I have had the o
pportunity lately to work with an organization that is stuck. You know the kind – good people wondering why things do not work as they used to work. An interesting thing about this group is that while they agree with me that things need to change for the viability of the organization, and appreciate me showing them where they need to change, few things or people are changing. I have come to be known for my Read the rest of this entry »
I had the privilege last week of sitting in on probably the best social media webinar I have ever attended. (And trust me, this ain’t my first rodeo!) My friend Eric Goldstein (Twitter @ericgoldstein) and his ‘empoweredtribe’ demonstrated what Napoleon Hill spoke of when Hill wrote on the Power of the Mastermind Group in his timeless book Think and Grow Rich. This empoweredtribe showcased Hill’s definition of the “coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.” There is no doubt that these men are destined for greater success because of the synergy and accountability they bring to one another’s leadership skills. Read the rest of this entry »
While attending a networking event in Dallas, I had the pleasure of exchanging dialogue with many interesting individuals. In one particular conversation, a young man, after discovering that I am a leadership coach and consultant, asked a rather insightful question: “What do you think is the most important quality in a leader?” Read the rest of this entry »
I must confess, I have a biblical worldview of leadership. Now before you walk away, you need to understand that everyone has a worldview, or a fundamental cognitive orientation (see, isn’t the term ‘worldview easier’?). Some may call it their leadership paradigm (a theoretical or philosophical framework), but I prefer the term Read the rest of this entry »
John Maxwell asserts, “Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less.” I referenced this quote several times this past year as I had the privilege to speak to numerous groups of leaders. Oftentimes, when we think of leadership and influence, we think of others. However, I have found the greatest leadership challenge often lies within myself. The challenge of self-leadership, or self-discipline, can be a daily, even hourly, task. This is the stuff about which New Year’s Resolutions are made. Read the rest of this entry »
