Leaders must LISTEN!

 Ever been in a strange city and got lost?

I can remember on several occasions being in a new place and getting lost. That's right, no way could I stop and ask for directions, I would lose man points! Right? WRONG! The only thing I lost was precious time that I can never get back. Sometimes we have to stop and ask someone who knows how to get there!

I have found several things that have really helped me hear God:

• Time. Spend time LISTENING everyday, ask, then listen.
• Journal. When I sit with God I always have a journal. WRITE IT DOWN!
• Pray Scripture. Praying through scripture in the 1st person brings new revelation into the situation.
• Sabbath. That means set aside an extended time to be quiet, schedule a half or full day to go somewhere, and just worship, walk & wait!
• Desperation! God needs to see we are desperate for Him.

There are people in the car with you, don't lead them around in circles! Stop and ask someone that knows where you need to go!

Psalms 50:7 (NLT) 
“O my people, listen as I speak. I am God, your God!

The Leader’s Engine

What is it in a leader that keeps him forging forward? What engine is under that hood that gives momentum and drive, not just for him, but for all that would fall behind a great leader with passion? One word:

VISION

Vision is not a cheap commodity, it can't be bought or taught. Vision is an incredible force that can fuel people, movements and even nations. But for a leader to possess such a weapon comes at very high price, and MUST be handled with the greatest of care. Just a couple thoughts on vision:

1. Commitment. It takes a great deal of time to develop vision.
2. God authored. For vision to last it must be God authored or it will perish! Without vision people will perish.
3. Steps. Steps toward the vision must be given to those who follow. You can't "beam them" there!
4. Guarded. Great vision leaks! You have to keep going back to the well, and fill up!
5. Repeated. Those who follow you will forget it! Repeat it until you are sick of hearing it!

Great leaders we have, many can be trained. But, great leaders with vision are a rare jewel!

How did I get here?

When we find ourselves in a place of leadership, responsibility or honor that place comes with obligations!

It's easy to forget how we got there! Yes, we may have worked hard, obtained an education, known the "right" people but all of these things are still gifts from God. In spite of how you may feel about yourself, really… you're not that good!

To be the best leader we MUST remember WHO put us there. A few things to help keep that in perspective:

1. Develop a habit of thanksgiving. Thank God, for the smallest of things, this is how you get close to Him. (Ps. 100)
2. Always give honor to those who help you. In spite of what you hear, you are not an army of 1. Without those around you, you would fail. Guaranteed!
3. Always be willing to help. No job that benefits the team or cause is "beneath" you, those who follow you must see this modeled by you. Quick-find the broom!
4. Look for others to push up! Leaders always have to have their eyes open for new talent! And when it's found, pour all you have into them. There is no greater honor for a leader, than to help someone become better than their teacher.

Psalms 49:20 (NKJV)
A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.

7 steps…to get it ALL done?

Leaders and those who are task oriented are always asking me, "Artie, how do you get it all done?" Well, let me share a very simple tool that I started using just a couple of years ago when my "do's" starting overrunning my "day."

I use a Franklin Planner (I know it's paper and old school…Ugh…I use some electronic stuff too! But I have found that sometimes old school is the best school.) and on my "Today" page tab I have a copy of my weekly "plan." I use this as a guide to plug in tasks, meetings & down time. It works like this:

1. Break up your day into 3 parts: AM, PM & EV
2. When requests for time and energy, you know where to put it
3. You have priority time for family, (wife and kid dates…ESSENTIAL!!!)
4. You know when to plan time with friends (Vital)
5. You schedule your tasks and work time in the right slot
6. When that time is up, STOP! You must learn to compartmentalize!
7. Helps to establish "deadlines" when you have to complete a project

It looks simple (that's why it works for me) but it has been a life saver for me. I get more things done and that leaves plenty of time left to go to the movies! (VERY VITAL)

Stop Freaking Out!

You have to give it a break, I'm serious, right now, give it a break! Life comes at you full force most days, and if you are anything like me, you want to jump on that bull, and "ride it to the ground." Yeah! Show that thing who's the boss. Right! WRONG! That attitude will put you in an early grave. As Christ followers we have to learn this lesson every day, and re-learn it again.

Psalms 46:10 (ESV) 
Be still, and know that I am God.

That means, we stop, and realize we can't ride this bull to the ground and win! It will never stop. So we step back, get quiet with God and rest in His strength. I know that sounds so elementary, but if practiced correctly, this is what it looks like:

• No Fear
• No Anxiety
• No Restlessness
• No Worry
• No Distractions (you can engage others in the moment, my wife tells me when I'm not doing so good at this one )
• None of these, instead, you have: Joy, peace, fullness & rest

Take the Joy… and STOP FREAKING OUT!

3- Undeniable traits of great leaders

Many are running in the leadership race. Many aspire to lead, encourage, mobilize & transform people, places & even culture. But there are 3 components that if not in place will cause anyone aspiring to be a great leader to lose balance and fall out of the race.

1. Truth- Truth is a non-negotiable. If a leader ever sacrifices their integrity as a short cut to climb the ladder faster, they will cut their own legs out from under themselves. When those who follow were polled and asked, "What is the one thing most desirable in a leader?", they responded, "Integrity."
2. Humility- Humility keeps you from being threatened by the talented around you. You have no fear in "pushing" others up. You look for opportunities to praise others and avoid receiving it for yourself. True humility will attract high powered leaders to you  and your team. Don't think you have to be the best on the team! Make room!
3. Justice-Justice in a great leader shows up in their concern for the ones unable to defend themselves. They don't turn a blind eye to a colleague or by standar that is less fortunate and because of their plight, they are discriminated upon. Great leaders rally around the defenseless in all situations and become their champion!

With these (3) foundations to build on, great leaders will run the race in VICTORY

Psalms 45:4 (TLB) 
Go on to victory, Defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to awe-inspiring deeds!

5 Great things to see on Sunday!

5 things I love to see on Sundays

1. Someone you have poured your life into… SOAR!
2. Children telling their parents they LOVE THEIR church
3. People reaching for the tissue under their seats
4. Conversations about the miracles God is doing
5. People from different nations, tribes & tongues, loving one another

I love to see these things because they are outward signs that a great God is moving on the inside!

Be happier than your friends!

Everyday we wake up wondering what the day holds. Is this project going to work out? Are my kids going to be OK? Is my spouse still mad at me from last night? Am I going to make it to work on time? Is this pain in my back ever going to go away? All of these things, let's just call them "life", happen to us every moment of every day. More often than not, they program our day, and dictate our level of satisfaction, joy & happiness. Our "life" has many things we can't control, but those things end up controlling our joy & happiness. This should not be!

Psalms 45:7 (TLB)
You love what is good And hate what is wrong. Therefore God, your God, Has given you more gladness Than anyone else.

If we make the right choice, regardless of how we "feel", there is great reward. Then God comes along, and by His grace extends to us something we cannot get on our own. He pours gladness on us! Have you ever felt that? I have, and I love it!

So, if we choose to do right, in spite of our feelings eventually gladness will come. I like to call that "faking it 'til you feel it."  Try it-you will find yourself happier than your friends!

Open wide your eyes

We are making some final preparations for our trip to Liberia next Sunday! My wife & I are leading a small team to Monrovia (where my wife was born & lived until she was 17) next week to check on some organizations in which we are going to become more involved.

These organizations are making big changes in the lives of people who are really hurting: The hungry, the illiterate, those caught in human trafficking & former soldiers who were actually children!

There is such a temptation to become so involved in what is so close, we lose sight of what is out of sight. I think they call that a lack of vision. We are called by God to reach & touch all people, those near and those far away. I know for me, I become so intense in the here and the now, I forget about the "there." We cannot focus all on one, and forget the other, to do so is to live an "unbalanced" life.

So my challenge… look and give great passion to your "here" but do not close your eyes and forget about the "there." Open wide your eyes!
 

LEADING WHAAAAT?

 I was having a conversation with a fellow pastor and he was sharing some difficulties they were having with staff. As our talk continued, several things popped into my head about how to effectively lead a church staff:

1. Always take the heat, but never the praise
2. When they fail, coach 'em up, don't beat 'em up
3. Oh yeah, almost forgot… it's OK for them to fail… because we do!
4. ALWAYS value everyone's input with enthusiasm
5. Expect others to do things better than you. Because you need them to!
6. Look for their strengths & always remind them how much you notice them
7. Challenge them & then give them the authority to see it through, if they fail see #2
8. Schedule time for "walk & talk." Go to them, find ways to help & show you care
9. Look for opportunities (privately & publicly( to tell the world how much you love them
10. Together… Seek World Peace (Just in case)