Friday, January 28, 2011
Yesterdays daily bread was great. worth another look
Don't brag about tomorrow, since you don't know what the day will bring. 2 Don't praise yourself; let others do it! 3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is heavier than both. 4 Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but who can survive the destructiveness of jealousy? 5 An open rebuke is better than hidden love! 6 Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. 7 Honey seems tasteless to a person who is full, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry. 8 A person who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest. 9 The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. 10 Never abandon a friend -- either yours or your father's. Then in your time of need, you won't have to ask your relatives for assistance. It is better to go to a neighbor than to a relative who lives far away. 11 My child, how happy I will be if you turn out to be wise! Then I will be able to answer my critics. 12 A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. 13 Be sure to get collateral from anyone who guarantees the debt of a stranger. Get a deposit if someone guarantees the debt of an adulterous woman. 14 If you shout a pleasant greeting to your neighbor too early in the morning, it will be counted as a curse! 15 A nagging wife is as annoying as the constant dripping on a rainy day. 16 Trying to stop her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or hold something with greased hands. 17 As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. 18 Workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat its fruit. In the same way, workers who protect their employer's interests will be rewarded. 19 As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person. 20 Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied. 21 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised. 22 You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle. 23 Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, 24 for riches don't last forever, and the crown might not be secure for the next generation. 25 After the hay is harvested, the new crop appears, and the mountain grasses are gathered in, 26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will be sold for the price of a field. 27 And you will have enough goats' milk for you, your family, and your servants.
Do you trust Him
Do You Trust Him?
by Max Lucado
I know God knows what's best.
I know I don't.
I know he cares.
Such words come easily when the water is calm. But when you're looking at a wrecked car or a suspicious-looking mole, when war breaks out or thieves break in, do you trust him?
Scripture, from Old Testament to New, from prophets to poets to preachers, renders one unanimous chorus: God directs the affairs of humanity. No leaf falls without God's knowledge. No dolphin gives birth without his permission. No wave crashes on the shore apart from his calculation. God has never been surprised. Not once.
I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness. I am the one who sends good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things. (Isa. 45:7)
Some find the thought impossible to accept. One dear woman did. After I shared these ideas in a public setting, she asked to speak with me. Husband at her side, she related the story of her horrible childhood. First abused, then abandoned by her father. Unimaginable and undeserved hurts scar her early memories. Through tear-filled eyes she asked, "Do you mean to tell me God was watching the whole time?"
The question vibrated in the room. I shifted in my chair and answered, "Yes, he was. I don't know why he allowed your abuse, but I do know this. He loves you and hurts with you." She didn't like the answer. But dare we say anything else? Dare we suggest that God dozed off? Abandoned his post? That heaven sees but can't act? That our Father is kind but not strong, or strong but doesn't care?
I wish she could have spoken to Joseph. His brothers abused him, selling him into slavery. Was God watching? Yes. And our sovereign God used their rebellious hearts to save a nation from famine and the family of the Messiah from extinction. As Joseph told them, "God turned into good what you meant for evil" (Gen. 50:20).
Best of all would have been a conversation with Jesus himself. He begged God for a different itinerary: a crossless death. From Gethsemane's garden Christ pleaded for a Plan B. Redemption with no nails. " 'Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.' Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him" (Luke 22:42-43).
Did God hear the prayer of his Son? Enough to send an angel. Did God spare his Son from death? No. The glory of God outranked the comfort of Christ. So Christ suffered, and God's grace was displayed and deployed.
Are you called to endure a Gethsemane season? Have you "been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Phil. 1:29 NASB)?
If so, then come thirsty and drink deeply from his lordship. He authors all itineraries. He knows what is best. No struggle will come your way apart from his purpose, presence, and permission. What encouragement this brings! You are never the victim of nature or the prey of fate. Chance is eliminated. You are more than a weather vane whipped about by the winds of fortune. Would God truly abandon you to the whims of drug-crazed thieves, greedy corporate raiders, or evil leaders? Perish the thought!
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
For I am the Lord your God.
(Isa. 43:2-3 NASB)
We live beneath the protective palm of a sovereign King who superintends every circumstance of our lives and delights in doing us good.
Nothing comes your way that has not first passed through the filter of his love.
Learn well the song of sovereignty: I know God knows what's best.Pray humbly the prayer of trust: "I trust your lordship. I belong to you. Nothing comes to me that hasn't passed through you."
A word of caution: the doctrine of sovereignty challenges us. Study it gradually. Don't share it capriciously. When someone you love faces adversity, don't insensitively declare, "God is in control." A cavalier tone can eclipse the right truth. Be careful.
And be encouraged. God's ways are always right. They may not make sense to us. They may be mysterious, inexplicable, difficult, and even painful. But they are right. "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Rom. 8:28).
From
Come Thirsty
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2004) Max Lucado
by Max Lucado
I know God knows what's best.
I know I don't.
I know he cares.
Such words come easily when the water is calm. But when you're looking at a wrecked car or a suspicious-looking mole, when war breaks out or thieves break in, do you trust him?
Scripture, from Old Testament to New, from prophets to poets to preachers, renders one unanimous chorus: God directs the affairs of humanity. No leaf falls without God's knowledge. No dolphin gives birth without his permission. No wave crashes on the shore apart from his calculation. God has never been surprised. Not once.
I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness. I am the one who sends good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things. (Isa. 45:7)
Some find the thought impossible to accept. One dear woman did. After I shared these ideas in a public setting, she asked to speak with me. Husband at her side, she related the story of her horrible childhood. First abused, then abandoned by her father. Unimaginable and undeserved hurts scar her early memories. Through tear-filled eyes she asked, "Do you mean to tell me God was watching the whole time?"
The question vibrated in the room. I shifted in my chair and answered, "Yes, he was. I don't know why he allowed your abuse, but I do know this. He loves you and hurts with you." She didn't like the answer. But dare we say anything else? Dare we suggest that God dozed off? Abandoned his post? That heaven sees but can't act? That our Father is kind but not strong, or strong but doesn't care?
I wish she could have spoken to Joseph. His brothers abused him, selling him into slavery. Was God watching? Yes. And our sovereign God used their rebellious hearts to save a nation from famine and the family of the Messiah from extinction. As Joseph told them, "God turned into good what you meant for evil" (Gen. 50:20).
Best of all would have been a conversation with Jesus himself. He begged God for a different itinerary: a crossless death. From Gethsemane's garden Christ pleaded for a Plan B. Redemption with no nails. " 'Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.' Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him" (Luke 22:42-43).
Did God hear the prayer of his Son? Enough to send an angel. Did God spare his Son from death? No. The glory of God outranked the comfort of Christ. So Christ suffered, and God's grace was displayed and deployed.
Are you called to endure a Gethsemane season? Have you "been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Phil. 1:29 NASB)?
If so, then come thirsty and drink deeply from his lordship. He authors all itineraries. He knows what is best. No struggle will come your way apart from his purpose, presence, and permission. What encouragement this brings! You are never the victim of nature or the prey of fate. Chance is eliminated. You are more than a weather vane whipped about by the winds of fortune. Would God truly abandon you to the whims of drug-crazed thieves, greedy corporate raiders, or evil leaders? Perish the thought!
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
For I am the Lord your God.
(Isa. 43:2-3 NASB)
We live beneath the protective palm of a sovereign King who superintends every circumstance of our lives and delights in doing us good.
Nothing comes your way that has not first passed through the filter of his love.
Learn well the song of sovereignty: I know God knows what's best.Pray humbly the prayer of trust: "I trust your lordship. I belong to you. Nothing comes to me that hasn't passed through you."
A word of caution: the doctrine of sovereignty challenges us. Study it gradually. Don't share it capriciously. When someone you love faces adversity, don't insensitively declare, "God is in control." A cavalier tone can eclipse the right truth. Be careful.
And be encouraged. God's ways are always right. They may not make sense to us. They may be mysterious, inexplicable, difficult, and even painful. But they are right. "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Rom. 8:28).
From
Come Thirsty
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2004) Max Lucado
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Are you listening to your father above
Today, as I am waiting to interview a potential employee I open and email from a friend that has NO idea of where I am or what is going on in my life. This is not a person who has ever sent me an email like this before. Here is what he sent me:
The New Employee
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2 by Os Hillman
Saturday, January 15 2011
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Cor 4:7).
What would happen if Jesus took your place for a year in your workplace? Let's consider some hypothetical things that He might do.
He would do His work with excellence. He would be known around the office for the great work He did (Exodus 31:2).
He would develop new ideas for doing things better (Eph 3:20).
He would hang out with sinners in order to develop a relationship with them in order to speak to them about the Father (Mt 9:12).
He would strategically pray for each worker about their concerns and their needs. He would pray for those who even disliked Him (Mt 5:44).
He would rally the office to support a needy family during Christmas (Jer 22:16).
He would offer to pray for those who were sick in the office and see them get healed (Mt 14:14).
He would honor the boss and respect him/her (Titus 2:9).
He would consider the boss as His authority in His workplace (Rom 13:1).
He would be truthful in all his dealings and never exaggerate for the sake of advancement ( Ps 15:2).
He would be concerned about His city (Lk 19:41).
He would always have a motive to help others become successful, even at his own expense (Pr 16:2).
Hmm. Sounds like some good ideas we could each model.
Who really sent this? God is real and he loves us but are we so busy to listen. Or are we moving so fast that we just miss his word. Thank God today that I did not miss this message.
Are you listening? He is speaking...
Peter
The New Employee
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2 by Os Hillman
Saturday, January 15 2011
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Cor 4:7).
What would happen if Jesus took your place for a year in your workplace? Let's consider some hypothetical things that He might do.
He would do His work with excellence. He would be known around the office for the great work He did (Exodus 31:2).
He would develop new ideas for doing things better (Eph 3:20).
He would hang out with sinners in order to develop a relationship with them in order to speak to them about the Father (Mt 9:12).
He would strategically pray for each worker about their concerns and their needs. He would pray for those who even disliked Him (Mt 5:44).
He would rally the office to support a needy family during Christmas (Jer 22:16).
He would offer to pray for those who were sick in the office and see them get healed (Mt 14:14).
He would honor the boss and respect him/her (Titus 2:9).
He would consider the boss as His authority in His workplace (Rom 13:1).
He would be truthful in all his dealings and never exaggerate for the sake of advancement ( Ps 15:2).
He would be concerned about His city (Lk 19:41).
He would always have a motive to help others become successful, even at his own expense (Pr 16:2).
Hmm. Sounds like some good ideas we could each model.
Who really sent this? God is real and he loves us but are we so busy to listen. Or are we moving so fast that we just miss his word. Thank God today that I did not miss this message.
Are you listening? He is speaking...
Peter
Friday, January 14, 2011
For our kids sake
USDA Breaking News: Combat Obesity
School Lunches To Change Drastically
"Sorry kids, say goodbye to chips, tater tots and chocolate milk. In a move to change the practices of school lunch services that have helped drive the United States into a state of obesity emergency, the USDA made public new recommendations to overhaul the 15 year old methods being used in our children's schools that affect more than 32 million American students."
medicalnewstoday.com, January 13, 2011
School Lunches To Change Drastically
"Sorry kids, say goodbye to chips, tater tots and chocolate milk. In a move to change the practices of school lunch services that have helped drive the United States into a state of obesity emergency, the USDA made public new recommendations to overhaul the 15 year old methods being used in our children's schools that affect more than 32 million American students."
medicalnewstoday.com, January 13, 2011
Move ON
Move On!
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, January 14 2011
..."Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on." - Exodus 14:15
Moses had brought the whole nation of Israel, approximately 600,000, to a dead end in the desert. The only thing between Israel and Pharaoh's pursuing army was the Red Sea. This was after ten plagues God had inflicted on Pharaoh to motivate him to free the Israelites. Finally, Pharaoh had freed Moses and the people, and they left Egypt. They thought they were home free. "Freedom at last," they said. But God did a strange thing. He directed Moses to take a route that led to the Red Sea, instead of the northern route around the Red Sea. God explained that He didn't want them fighting the enemies they would have encountered on this route. But still, there was the issue of the Red Sea.
They finally arrived at the Red Sea, and the people were wondering where they would go from there. News hit the camp: Pharaoh had changed his mind. He was coming after them with his army. Panic set in. The defenseless Israelites cried out, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?...It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" (Ex. 14:11b-12)
God sometimes brings each of us to a "Red Sea" in our life. It may be a work problem that can't be solved. It may be a marriage that seems to be failing. It may be a debilitating disease. Whatever your Red Sea, God tells us one thing: "Keep moving." The Red Sea was before them, yet God was angered at Moses and told him to "Keep moving."
"But Lord, the Red Sea is before me." "Keep moving." When we live by sight, we act on what we see. God sets this stage in dramatic fashion. God is into the dramatic. There is no way out without God here. That is just the way He wants it. No one will get glory except God.
A friend once admonished me when I was in the midst of an extremely difficult time in my life, "You must not withdraw from being proactive in your faith just because of this trial that you are in. God's hand is on your life. There are too many who are depending on you to fulfill the purposes God has in your life. Keep moving! Keep investing yourself in others." I didn't feel like it. I was in too much pain. But I did it anyway. God met me at the point of my greatest need once I decided simply to be obedient. Getting past myself by investing myself in others helped heal the pain. There is great healing when we look past our own problems and seek to invest ourselves in others for the sake of Christ. This is when our own Red Seas become parted. We begin to walk to freedom. But we will never experience the miracle of the Red Sea in our lives if we don't first "Keep moving."
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, January 14 2011
..."Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on." - Exodus 14:15
Moses had brought the whole nation of Israel, approximately 600,000, to a dead end in the desert. The only thing between Israel and Pharaoh's pursuing army was the Red Sea. This was after ten plagues God had inflicted on Pharaoh to motivate him to free the Israelites. Finally, Pharaoh had freed Moses and the people, and they left Egypt. They thought they were home free. "Freedom at last," they said. But God did a strange thing. He directed Moses to take a route that led to the Red Sea, instead of the northern route around the Red Sea. God explained that He didn't want them fighting the enemies they would have encountered on this route. But still, there was the issue of the Red Sea.
They finally arrived at the Red Sea, and the people were wondering where they would go from there. News hit the camp: Pharaoh had changed his mind. He was coming after them with his army. Panic set in. The defenseless Israelites cried out, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?...It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" (Ex. 14:11b-12)
God sometimes brings each of us to a "Red Sea" in our life. It may be a work problem that can't be solved. It may be a marriage that seems to be failing. It may be a debilitating disease. Whatever your Red Sea, God tells us one thing: "Keep moving." The Red Sea was before them, yet God was angered at Moses and told him to "Keep moving."
"But Lord, the Red Sea is before me." "Keep moving." When we live by sight, we act on what we see. God sets this stage in dramatic fashion. God is into the dramatic. There is no way out without God here. That is just the way He wants it. No one will get glory except God.
A friend once admonished me when I was in the midst of an extremely difficult time in my life, "You must not withdraw from being proactive in your faith just because of this trial that you are in. God's hand is on your life. There are too many who are depending on you to fulfill the purposes God has in your life. Keep moving! Keep investing yourself in others." I didn't feel like it. I was in too much pain. But I did it anyway. God met me at the point of my greatest need once I decided simply to be obedient. Getting past myself by investing myself in others helped heal the pain. There is great healing when we look past our own problems and seek to invest ourselves in others for the sake of Christ. This is when our own Red Seas become parted. We begin to walk to freedom. But we will never experience the miracle of the Red Sea in our lives if we don't first "Keep moving."
Monday, January 10, 2011
From Joe Gibbs
It's What I Love about You
There's something in men that wants their wife to be beautiful, not just to enjoy a pleasant face across the dinner table, but to impress others with the kind of woman they were able to attract. There's something in fathers that wants their daughters to be the kind the other boys think is pretty, somehow sharing indirectly in their children's popularity.
But as men saved from proving ourselves acceptable to God through external shows of behavior, we should know better than anyone that outward appearances are not what make a person beautiful. Just as holiness is what "adorns" the house of the Lord (Psalm 93:5), our eye for beauty in our wives and our daughters should be for the fire of Christian character shining through their lives. Holiness should be what "adorns" our house as well.
Our wives should be the most beautiful to us when they're bowed in prayer on the side of the bed, or scribbling notes in their Bible margins at church, wanting to get God's truth deeper and deeper into their hearts. Our daughters should never be better looking than when they're taking stands for purity, or listening to worship music on their iPods, or honoring their mother by obeying a bit of parental instruction, even if it's unpopular with their friends. As husbands and fathers, we should be quick to praise what we see Christ doing in our family members' lives, letting them know that it means more to us than anything.
Pray this prayer: Lord, retrain my mind to honor what you honor, to love what makes you the most delighted in us. Help me want nothing more for my wife and children than to love you with all their hearts.
There's something in men that wants their wife to be beautiful, not just to enjoy a pleasant face across the dinner table, but to impress others with the kind of woman they were able to attract. There's something in fathers that wants their daughters to be the kind the other boys think is pretty, somehow sharing indirectly in their children's popularity.
But as men saved from proving ourselves acceptable to God through external shows of behavior, we should know better than anyone that outward appearances are not what make a person beautiful. Just as holiness is what "adorns" the house of the Lord (Psalm 93:5), our eye for beauty in our wives and our daughters should be for the fire of Christian character shining through their lives. Holiness should be what "adorns" our house as well.
Our wives should be the most beautiful to us when they're bowed in prayer on the side of the bed, or scribbling notes in their Bible margins at church, wanting to get God's truth deeper and deeper into their hearts. Our daughters should never be better looking than when they're taking stands for purity, or listening to worship music on their iPods, or honoring their mother by obeying a bit of parental instruction, even if it's unpopular with their friends. As husbands and fathers, we should be quick to praise what we see Christ doing in our family members' lives, letting them know that it means more to us than anything.
Pray this prayer: Lord, retrain my mind to honor what you honor, to love what makes you the most delighted in us. Help me want nothing more for my wife and children than to love you with all their hearts.
Monday Motivational
If you have ideas, you have the main asset you need, and there isn't any limit to what you can do with your business and your life. Ideas are any man's greatest asset.
-Harvey S. Firestone
No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit.
-Andrew Carnegie
Business, more than any other occupation, is a continual dealing with the future; it is a continual calculation, an instinctive exercise in foresight.
-Henry R. Luce
-Harvey S. Firestone
No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit.
-Andrew Carnegie
Business, more than any other occupation, is a continual dealing with the future; it is a continual calculation, an instinctive exercise in foresight.
-Henry R. Luce
Friday, January 7, 2011
Lottery is Now Open
Guys:
This is a life changing event. Many of us have been to the Bootcamp and they all agree that it was off the charts. You will come back a different man and I am planning on going again if I am selected.
Learn More
Wild at Heart Boot CampIn order for a man to get his heart back, he’s got to take a journey. One that involves risk, danger, and a point of no return.
Wild at Heart Boot Camp, lead by John Eldredge, author of Wild at Heart, and the Wild at Heart Team, is a four-day quest into the recovery of the masculine soul.
Through teaching sessions that go deep into the message of Wild at Heart, guided times of personal reflection, and optional adventures, Boot Camp is more than a retreat – it is an expedition of the heart. You will never be the same.
We have chosen to use a lottery process because of high demand for our events. Demand exceeds supply. All economic laws are telling us "more" is the answer… charge more money…do more retreats… include more people! But God has entrusted us with a message--a message about the heart in which "more" is often heart-killing. We want you to experience these retreats (and most importantly experience your God in life-changing ways), but not at the cost of sacrificing the message we want you to experience. So, to better serve all of those interested in attending, we are using a lottery selection process
Learn More
This is a life changing event. Many of us have been to the Bootcamp and they all agree that it was off the charts. You will come back a different man and I am planning on going again if I am selected.
Learn More
Wild at Heart Boot CampIn order for a man to get his heart back, he’s got to take a journey. One that involves risk, danger, and a point of no return.
Wild at Heart Boot Camp, lead by John Eldredge, author of Wild at Heart, and the Wild at Heart Team, is a four-day quest into the recovery of the masculine soul.
Through teaching sessions that go deep into the message of Wild at Heart, guided times of personal reflection, and optional adventures, Boot Camp is more than a retreat – it is an expedition of the heart. You will never be the same.
We have chosen to use a lottery process because of high demand for our events. Demand exceeds supply. All economic laws are telling us "more" is the answer… charge more money…do more retreats… include more people! But God has entrusted us with a message--a message about the heart in which "more" is often heart-killing. We want you to experience these retreats (and most importantly experience your God in life-changing ways), but not at the cost of sacrificing the message we want you to experience. So, to better serve all of those interested in attending, we are using a lottery selection process
Learn More
Thursday, January 6, 2011
What gives a man or woman the right to lead?
What gives a man or woman the right to lead?
It certainly isn't gained by election or appointment. Having position, title, rank, or degrees doesn't qualify anyone to lead other people. And the ability doesn't come automatically from age or experience, either.
No, it would be accurate to say that no one can be given the right to lead. The right to lead can only be earned. And that takes time.
The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow, but on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow. You must become someone others can trust to take them where they want to go.
As you prepare yourself to become a better leader, use the following guidelines to help you grow:
1. Let go of your ego.
The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They lead in order to serve other people. Perhaps that is why Lawrence D. Bell remarked, "Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things, and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things."
2. Become a good follower first.
Rare is the effective leader who didn't learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United State Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first - and why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School.
3. Build positive relationships.
Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. That means it is by nature relational. Today's generation of leaders seem particularly aware of this because title and position mean so little to them. They know intuitively that people go along with people they get along with.
4. Work with excellence.
No one respects and follows mediocrity. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents, but also great passion and hard work. They perform on the highest level of which they are capable.
5. Rely on discipline, not emotion.
Leadership is often easy during the good times. It's when everything seems to be against you - when you're out of energy, and you don't want to lead - that you earn your place as a leader. During every season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must choose between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely on the rock of discipline, not the shifting sand of emotion.
6. Make adding value your goal.
When you look at the leaders whose names are revered long after they have finished leading, you find that they were men and women who helped people to live better lives and reach their potential. That is the highest calling of leadership - and its highest value.
7. Give your power away.
One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. You're meant to be a river, not a reservoir. If you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.
It certainly isn't gained by election or appointment. Having position, title, rank, or degrees doesn't qualify anyone to lead other people. And the ability doesn't come automatically from age or experience, either.
No, it would be accurate to say that no one can be given the right to lead. The right to lead can only be earned. And that takes time.
The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow, but on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow. You must become someone others can trust to take them where they want to go.
As you prepare yourself to become a better leader, use the following guidelines to help you grow:
1. Let go of your ego.
The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They lead in order to serve other people. Perhaps that is why Lawrence D. Bell remarked, "Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things, and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things."
2. Become a good follower first.
Rare is the effective leader who didn't learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United State Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first - and why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School.
3. Build positive relationships.
Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. That means it is by nature relational. Today's generation of leaders seem particularly aware of this because title and position mean so little to them. They know intuitively that people go along with people they get along with.
4. Work with excellence.
No one respects and follows mediocrity. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents, but also great passion and hard work. They perform on the highest level of which they are capable.
5. Rely on discipline, not emotion.
Leadership is often easy during the good times. It's when everything seems to be against you - when you're out of energy, and you don't want to lead - that you earn your place as a leader. During every season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must choose between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely on the rock of discipline, not the shifting sand of emotion.
6. Make adding value your goal.
When you look at the leaders whose names are revered long after they have finished leading, you find that they were men and women who helped people to live better lives and reach their potential. That is the highest calling of leadership - and its highest value.
7. Give your power away.
One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. You're meant to be a river, not a reservoir. If you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
