Leadership

How to Be a Courageous Leader (Pt.3)

3. Follow God’s instructions. Joshua 1:8. “Don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed." God have given Moses the ‘book of the law’ to guide them. When we hear the word 'law' we often think of legalism or rules. But to Israel, the Torah was a revelation of God’s character and it contained principles for maintaining a loving, covenant relationship with God. His commands were always “for their good”.... Read more →


How to Be a Courageous Leader (Pt.2)

2. Face your challenges. Joshua 1:6, 9. “Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors … Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged.” God said to Joshua three times, “Be strong & courageous!” He must have known that challenges were ahead - rivers to cross, cities to conquer, and giants to defeat. Between every promise and its fulfilment there is a battle! He had to possess his inheritance. The reality was that this was a momentus, risky, humanly impossible task. Joshua was leading a group of nomadic... Read more →


How to Be a Courageous Leader (Pt.1)

Last night at our church leader's meeting, I shared some thoughts from the life of Joshua as an encouragement for us to be courageous leaders today. Here is a summay: Joshua 1:1-9. After the death of Moses the servant of God, God spoke to Joshua, Moses ‘assistant: "Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I'm giving to the People of Israel. I'm giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on – just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon... Read more →


A Call to Courage

The apostle Paul finished his letter to the church at Corinth, which was facing many challenges at the time, both internally and externally ... "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." 1 Corinthians. 15:58. NLT Bill Hybels writes this in his excllent book Courageous Leadership ... "No matter how difficult the hardship, no matter how long the particular storm lasts, no matter how dark and scary it gets, no matter how the winds how and the waves crash... Read more →


Halftime Australia

Only one hunderd years ago the average human life span was less than 50 years. Today, we are one of the first generations to live long enough to have two considerably lengthy halves of life. Even at the age of 50, although you will have already had 30 years of work and contribution, you have a possible additional 'second half' of another 30 years or more of contribution. In our first half we tend to focus on whatever we define as 'success'. It's wise to have a good 'halftime' experience in order to reflect on our life and ensure that... Read more →


Bringing Out the Best in Others

I love the story of a man who had dealings with two British prime ministers, William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli. He said of Gladstone, “Whenever I came away from a conversation with him I was left with the feeling of how brilliant he was.” He said of Disraeli, “Whenever I came away from a conversation with Disraeli I was left with the feeling of how brilliant I was.” Disraeli probably earned the right then to quip: "The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.” How can... Read more →


Developing Confidence (Pt.5)

Here are my own favourite confidence builders, gleaned from years of life and ministry experience: Confidence Builders 1. SEE yourself as God sees you. Your words and actions are a reflection of how you see yourself. Therefore, you cannot constantly live and/or minister in a manner that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself. If you think you are a "grasshopper" you will act like one (Numbers 13:33). If you think you are more than able, you will act with that confidence. Gideon had to change the way he saw himself in order to conquer fear and become the... Read more →


Developing Confidence (Pt.4)

Confidence Builders Your confidence can grow. What from? Here's a list that I collected from our recent staff meeting: Faith in God. Encouragement and affirmation from other people. Success. Good preparation. Self-belief. Someone believing in you. Forgiveness. The company we keep. Experience. Being empowered by others. Training. God's Word. An encounter with God. Using your spiritual gifts. Practice. What builds your confidence? Take some time to think about it. It's important to know how to build yourself up or encourage yourself in God. Tomorrow I'll share what I've learned about developing confidence. [Part 5] Read more →


Developing Confidence (Pt.3)

Confidence Knockers Your confidence will come under attack. What from? Here's a list that I collected from a recent staff meeting as we all brain-stormed around our life and leadership experiences: Doubt. Mistakes or failure. Fear. Criticism or negative words from other people. Disappointment. Intimidation. Negative 'self-talk'. Unmet expectations. Lack of knowledge. Poor physical health. Tiredness. Limitations. Opposition. Lack of opportunity. Comparison with others Bullying or abuse fron other people. Unresolved conflict. Discouragement. Frustration. Lack of encouragement. What destroys your confidence? Take some time to think about it. What's holding you back or holding you down at the moment? We... Read more →


Developing Confidence (Pt.2)

The quality of confidence can be defined as: faith, belief, trust, assurance, certitude, being sure, undisturbed calm. It is a spirit of faith that is certain of success, yet not afraid of failure. Every person used by God reaches their potential through confidence in God - despite difficulties, challenges and obstacles. Encounters with God Think of what happened to these people after an encounter with God: Abraham left home to become a great nation. Esther conquered fear realising she had come to the kingdom for ‘such as time as this’ - to rescue her people. Moses led Israel out of... Read more →


Developing Confidence (Pt.1)

This week, we want to reflect on the area of confidence. Let's start by reading and meditating on these statements from the pages of Scripture. Ephesians 1:18. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called — his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. NLT Ephesians 3:12. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. NIV Philippians 1:6. Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it... Read more →


A Personal MBA

Jesus once said that the children of this world are sometimes wiser than the children of light. That wasn't a compliment! We can learn a lot from those who achieve and accomplish things in fields such as business, arts, sport or leadership. There is wisdom to be gained from the experience of others. In the business world, the most desired education is an MBA - a Masters in Business Administration. People will often pay a lot of money to earn such a degree, and especially from some of the most reputable universities around the world. Josh Kaufman begs to differ.... Read more →


The Dark Side of Charisma

When we think of charisma, we think of inspiring, bold, self-confident leaders who attract many followers who believe in their clear and compelling vision. But is there a danger in an organisation becoming too dependent on a particular person and of a cult of personality developing? We want to build organisations that thrive beyond one person and that understand that a whole team of people are leading the organisation. Some leadership researchers have noted the dark side of charisma: 1. Leaders sometimes go from confident to arrogant, from bold to excessive in their risk taking. 2. They begin to have... Read more →


Leadership Myths

What do you think of when you hear the word 'leader'? We all have different idea and perceptions of what a leader is and what they are supposed to do. Often this is based on our own upbringing, our environment, our personal experience and our learning. Here are five leadership myths that need busting (by Michael A. Roberto in the course "Transformation Leadership"): 1. "Leaders are born, not made - some people come of of the womb ready to lead others." 2. "Leadership is the act of lone genius, often thought of as the person at the top of the... Read more →


Love Your Pastor

A good friend of mine sent me this earlier in the week. I thought it was quite funny but had some good points. Let's always seek to love and encourage those who lead us, in whatever capacity. Pastors have a tough job. They get more kicks than kisses. If a pastor is young, he lacks experience; if he’s grey–haired, he’s too old. If he has five kids, he has too many; if he has none, he’s setting a bad example. If his wife sings in the choir, she’s being forward; if not, she’s not dedicated enough. If he preaches from... Read more →


Spiritual Leadership Lessons from Farming

Let's read and reflect on the following related Scriptures: James 5:7-8. Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. NIV 1 Corinthians 3:6-9. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one... Read more →


Leading in Changing Times

Back in 1964 Bob Dylan sang, "The times they are a changing." How true and the changes haven't let up. One business writer put it this way: Winds of change are barrelling in from all directions. Competition is tougher than ever and coming from places you least expected. The customer is more sophisticated and demanding. Technological changes are incessant. Government regulations are tougher. And everyone is restructuring, reorganising, reinventing, downsizing, outsourcing - all at an ultra sonic pace. Don't look for a safe place to wait out the storm, because these winds are unrelenting. If anything, they're getting stronger and... Read more →


Next: Pastoral Succession that Works (by Warren Bird)

Warren Bird and William Vanderbloemen have written an excellent and much-needed book about leadership succession within the local church: Next - Pastoral Succession that Works. The book is based on over 200 case studies and 50 in-depth interviews with pastors and churches who have navigated the succession territory - either effectively or badly. There is much to learn here on this essential topic. Here are a few key insights and facts from the book: Every pastor is an interim pastor. The day when a successor takes over will come for everyone in ministry. Planning for that day of succession may... Read more →


Global Leadership Summit - Willow Creek

Bill Hybels is one of the most outstanding Christian leaders I know. Every year in early August, his local church in Chicago, Willow Creek Community Church, hosts a summit on the subject of leadership. They bring in the best thinkers and practitioners of leadership from both the church and business world. Via video-cast, 10s of 1000s of leaders are challenged and inspired by this event. Then a few months later, the highlights of the conference are presented around the globe. Check out the Australian Willow Creek Association web site for details of the seminars coming up in October. Why not... Read more →


The Advantage: Organisational Health - by Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni's most recent book is The Advantage: Why Organisational Health Trumps Eveyrhting Else. He believes that all the competitive advantages that businesses have been pursuing over the years are gone - strategy, technology, finance, and marketing. No, those disciplines have not disappeared. They are all alive and well in most organisations. But as meaningful competitive advantages, as real differentiators that can set one company apart from another, they are no longer anything close to what they once were. That's because virtually every organisation, of any size, has access to the best thinking and practices around strategy, technology and those... Read more →