Are Leaders Born or Made?
The classic argument – nurture or nature – is well represented in leader development philosophies everywhere. We would all agree that some people are “born leaders,” but is it really that simple?

Articles in this category focus on practical issues of how we build healthy leaders and lessons learned
The classic argument – nurture or nature – is well represented in leader development philosophies everywhere. We would all agree that some people are “born leaders,” but is it really that simple?
A true leader is one who helps those following Him to become like the ONE he is following.
If you want to be the kind of leader whose organization is on the cutting edge, stop asking for someone to give you an answer you already know. Great leaders have the courage to act!
If you’re serious about seeking out godly leadership, begin by visiting your children’s and youth ministries.
May students not be seen as projects, but instead be seen as extremely valuable people who need to be reached through the Gospel, discipled in the Gospel, and set free with the Gospel to reach other students for the glory of Jesus Christ!
Ever feel like your life is a constant battle? Want three keys to turning those battles into minor skirmishes? These battles are where the enemy seeks to render us ineffective in our work for our Lord. Scott reminds us that God is the owner of all aspects of a true leader’s life and calling. Releasing the ownership of these aspects to [...]
I spent last week expanding on the first goal we tend to overlook in our leading: investing in our own development and growth in Jesus. In this week’s podcast, I explore four other goals we frequently overlook in our leadership.
We must “do the work before the work” of leading others. In other words, we must ensure that we possess a sufficient inner journey so that our outer journey of work flows from a deep center with Jesus.
Either initiate some action, get on board with what someone else is doing, or step aside and stop contributing to the bottleneck. There are two equally good and important options for engagement: lead or follow. Am I doing one of those, or do I need to get out of the way?
Adults know what they know and know what they want to know. They will tune out even the most gifted or well-prepared teacher if they perceive the upcoming message isn’t of value to them. Dr. David Goodman explores how to overcome this reality.
Every good leader knows he or she doesn’t know everything. But that’s not what leadership is about. Leadership is intentionally moving yourself and others toward a goal.
Why I’m most grateful for the worst examples of leadership.
As a child in Africa, it took two weeks for us to learn of the death of my own grandmother by way of a telegram relayed from continent to continent and handed off to a bicycle courier who made the day-long trip in hopes of a gratuity upon delivery. Things have changed.
Barnabas, the “son of encouragement,” demonstrates mentoring in some ways we might find surprising. Dr. David Goodman examines five qualities in this gifted mentor’s ministry, for each of us to emulate (including, possibly needing to kiss a few frogs).
Leaders who build leaders should themselves be involved in the daily responsibilities of leadership. They should not teach in some artificial environment removed from the real world.
We must first teach our students to pursue service, and watch their influence and leadership naturally expand as a result. When we choose to serve, everything else seems to fall into place.
Change is a necessary part of leadership, so what are the principles for leading a healthy change process?
Christian leadership is as transformational to us as it is to those we are called to lead.
All selection involves risk and work, but creating a process that brings clarity, creates communication and makes honest assessments possible is fundamental to wise leader selection.
Leaders must give hope for the future, mobilize people in a direction, and believe deep in the core of who they are that there are great opportunities on the horizon.