Articles in this category focus on how a Christian leader can build and nurture competencies and apply them practically in ministry life.
Smartphones are indispensable for today’s leader, yet smartphones get us off track as well. On the plus side, multitasking is phenomenally enabled by those handhelds. However, focusing on one thing for an extended period, without electronic interruption, significantly impacts our results. Leaders must learn to balance multi-tasking and [...]
Corey Olynik
Recently, I was sitting in a restaurant with a group of friends. One of my friends left his reading glasses in his car. When he strained in a desperate attempt to read the menu, I smiled and offered my glasses. Apparently, his desire to save a trip to the car was sufficient motivation to give […]
Paul Metler
I spent December quietly at home with the intention of getting much-needed perspective on the next season of my life. I was aware of the danger of drift on one hand, and of indiscriminately maintaining the status quo on the other hand. In the process, the key word that surfaced for me was the word intentional. […]
Rod Denton
The late, great Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty) was once asked why so many people like his novels. He answered, “I leave out the parts readers skip.” Wow. Don’t you wish more business speakers took that advice? Can you? [ecko_alert color=”gray”]Pause and Reflect: Are your presentations crisp, concise, focused? Or, are they [...]
Corey Olynik
Steward leaders must understand the significant impact they have on their organizational culture. To help us think about that impact, consider the concept of fractals. Fractals are complex structures that originate in simplicity. One example is a fern, which appears to be a complex structure of countless shapes and patterns that are [...]
Scott Rodin
Wise leaders encourage their teams to solve their problems with their own insight rather than with the leader’s insight. When a staff person or a volunteer brings a problem to us, it’s often easier and less time consuming to give them advice and solve their problem. Yet in the long run such a response can […]
Charles Stone
Recently, I outlined what it takes to hire and retain the best talent. It is all about the culture, the job description and the initial screen. The culture is the most important piece to the puzzle. It determines the style of person that will be successful in your organization. Once you define the culture, you need to do […]
Fred Noble
I’ve been in vocational ministry over 38 years and my leadership roles have included my role as singles pastor, discipleship pastor, associate pastor, teaching pastor, church planter and lead pastor. Although I’ve earned two seminary degrees and I appreciate what I learned in seminary, I’ve learned many key lessons that seminary never [...]
Charles Stone
I spend a lot of time with missionaries, and they always challenge me and stretch me. Frankly, I wish I had spent more time with missionaries when I was a full-time pastor – as I think I would have been a better pastor. I don’t want to suggest that pastors are not already doing these […]
Chuck Lawless
Successful church leaders naturally think differently than the majority of church leaders. It’s one of the things that set them apart. The good news is you can learn to think just like them. #1 They think about who they’re trying to Reach instead of who they’re trying to Keep Another way to say this is […]
Paul Alexander
How do Christians learn how to live a God-inspired life? Sixty years ago, the answer was clear: Actively participate in the worship, study and missions life of a local congregation led by a seminary-trained pastor using literature developed by the denomination. This system for nurturing faith worked pretty well as recently as 30 years [...]
Dave Odom
In his famous work, Good to Great, Jim Collins coined the phrase “level five leader.” The leaders Collins wrote about were ones who were fiercely and boldly committed to the mission of those they led but simultaneously humble. Humility and boldness can and must coexist in a leader’s life. Collins described the level five leaders as [...]
Eric Geiger
Working from home can be amazing: no stress from commuting or rain-soaked work uniforms, plenty of money and precious time saved, and, let’s be honest, working in t-shirt and shorts is incredible. Suffice to say, working flexibly from home can be a massively positive aspect of your working life, not only for you but also […]
Nick Franks
How a leader begins the day impacts the entire day. If a leader begins a day in chaos, the entire day will likely be chaotic. If a leader begins the day without looking to the Lord, the day will likely be lived apart from His power. Instead, a leader should begin the day with his/her […]
Eric Geiger
I’m sometimes shocked at how little I have to actually do in order to make an impact on another person. When I coach leaders, I often find myself: Repeating back to them what I heard them say Simply acknowledging the challenge or value of what they’re doing Over half the time, I find that these things are […]
Adrian Pei
We’re moving into summer vacation season. Rest. Relaxation. Rejuvenation. Concocting. Brooding. Scheming. Yes. Yes. Yes. No. No. No. Most leaders I talk with are working too hard; they never shut it down. No wonder they run out of ideas. This year, please, take a couple of weeks off … really off. Cut yourself off from [...]
Corey Olynik
Great leaders are always great communicators, but not always great speakers. Great leaders may not excel with a microphone, but they are able to communicate what is valued and what direction is being taken. Communication and leadership are intertwined and deeply connected. When leaders fumble in execution, culture formation, or rallying [...]
Eric Geiger
The first chapter in my new book and guide, Facing the Demands of Leadership, covers the skill of “connecting with pain.” In this chapter, I write about one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in leadership: Logic is overrated. It really is. I’m a pretty rational person by nature, but over the past few years I’ve learned […]
Adrian Pei
I spend a lot of time doing accidental qualitative research with leaders. In other words, I listen while a lot of leaders talk. Over a good cup of coffee or during a coaching session, issues leak out. Every leader has them. Leadership is hard and continues to throw us challenges we feel we aren’t ready […]
Alan Briggs
Collaboration is never easy – especially when the challenges before us are large, complex, or costly. The reality is that people are not born knowing how to tie their own shoes, much less how to work together effectively through networks and partnerships. Facilitating a collaborative partnership requires a different set of skills than [...]
Kärin Primuth