Let’s be honest. Most of us don’t love staff meetings. They are often boring, too long, and sometimes even irrelevant. And yet, we all know that staff meetings are a must if our teams are going to have any chance of staying on the same page.
Read MoreOnce again Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has won the MVP for the National Football League. It’s the third time he’s been given this high honor.
Read MoreWhen it comes to leadership, there is one practice that is often overlooked yet is exceedingly important. That is simply giving a sincere compliment.
Read MoreAs shepherds, we who lead in the church have both the privilege and responsibility of tending and guiding our flock. We can take great satisfaction when that flock is flourishing and healthy.
Read MoreDwight 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.
Read MoreWhen 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.
Read MoreEvery 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.
Read MoreI’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.
Read MoreOne 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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreMost 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).
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreThe 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.”
Read MoreIt’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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreIf 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.
Read MoreMy 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.
Read MoreThirty-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!
Read MoreIn 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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