Dwight Eisenhower is noted as saying, “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.” This "Eisenhower Principle" is said to be the basis for how he organized his workload and priorities.
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When we think of the Apostle Paul, typically we consider him as a church planter and a letter writer. Yet it’s important to understand that he was also a disciple-maker.
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Every now and then I will hear a leader say, “I am absolutely out of gas! I’m going to ask my board for a sabbatical.” I’m hearing it even more often in these current trying times.
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I’m a voracious reader. On the fiction side, my taste ranges from historical novels to detective mysteries. On the non-fiction side, I enjoy devotional, professional, and developmental publications.
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One of the most beloved names given to Jesus in the Scriptures is Immanuel – God with us. But more than a theological truth regarding the incarnation, or pretty words to sing at Christmas, Immanuel – God with us - is a reality you and I can experience every day.
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In his outstanding book Hero Maker, Dave Ferguson posits that leadership at the highest level isn’t about attracting followers but about developing other leaders. It doesn’t settle for being the hero. It is committed to making heroes.
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Most of us are probably familiar with C.S. Lewis’ classic work, The Screwtape Letters. For the uninitiated, Lewis writes from the perspective of a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew and protégé, Wormwood, on the various ways to get “the patient” to turn away from “the Enemy” (God).
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I have talked with scores of pastors since COVID hit in the middle of March. Every single leader has said the same thing: “I’m exhausted.” It seems that it’s the one thing everyone can agree on right now. Eight months of pedal-to-the-metal leadership has left many feeling totally depleted.
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In my 40 years of walking with the Lord, I’ve worked hard to maintain a disciplined devotional life. While that commitment has proven to be valuable, I’ve got to admit that at times it’s been more duty than delight.
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The most potent organizations in the world are those in which individuals possess a common group identity. There’s a shared sense of “This is us. This is who we are. This is how it’s like us to act.”
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It’s election day in the United States, a day that has loomed large on our national consciousness for months. We have stewed over it, argued over it, fought for it, and dreaded it. Indeed, this has been the most vitriolic election our nation has seen in years.
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In my years of pastoring, I had to lead my organization through a lot of change - from major paradigm shifts to small operational adjustments. In that process, I’ve discovered a couple of key truths regarding change.
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If you’re the leader in an organization, you have the responsibility of communicating the facts clearly. All the facts. Those that folks want to hear and those that folks don’t want to hear.
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My wife and I have both been greatly inspired by the challenges regarding prayer that Mark Batterson offers in his book, Draw the Circle. In one section, the Washington D.C.–based pastor talks about not allowing prayer to be a substitute for action but a stimulus to action.
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Thirty-eight years ago this month I was installed as senior pastor at Fellowship Missionary Church. The church was a small plant and met in a YMCA. And I was as green as grass!
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In light of my experience of handing off a church I led for 34 years, I’m often approached both by pastors and church boards to share with them what I learned about succession. What worked for us well, where we made some mistakes, and what I would do differently.
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The comments I’m hearing from the pastors I’m dealing with are growing in their consistency and intensity. They are all feeling overwhelmed (“The burden of leadership is so heavy!”, disillusioned (“I didn’t sign up for this!”), and perplexed (“I don’t know what steps to take!”).
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One of the surprising things that I’m hearing from pastors these days is that they are sensing the need to hire more staff to meet the new needs that have surfaced in this season. And by shifting around their church budgets, some dollars have been freed up to do so.
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In this season of prolonged stress brought on by the repercussions of a global pandemic, the need for good soul care is essential – especially for pastors and leaders. Without it, we may find ourselves headed toward burnout, depression, addiction, and/or damaged relationships.
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One of the primary responsibilities of leadership is solving problems. It simply comes with the territory. The problems may arise from circumstances that are not really anyone’s fault.
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