Leadership Devotional 2011, Day 3

One of the last things any leader wants to talk about is personal weaknesses, but one of the hallmarks of a good leader is the capacity to recognize and contend with them. I can’t tell you how many times over the years I have felt inadequate for what I was being asked to do. Work doesn’t get any less fun than that, and yet we don’t need to let that defeat us because God not only knows that we’re inadequate in our own strength, but He tells us that’s OK because it gives us the opportunity to rely on Him and not ourselves. This seems counter-intuitive to the modern, self-made leader who is taught to suck it up, put on their big boy or girl pants and conquer the world without relying on others. This is a lie, one that has doomed many leaders. If you want a great example of this from the Bible, read about Saul, the first king of Israel, in 1 Samuel.

Failure and disappointment are regular companions of all leaders. What will we do about this? First and foremost we must take these things to God and ask Him to work through our circumstances so that His purpose is accomplished. I’ve learned a lot as a leader through what felt at the time like failure, but if we’re open to learning the lesson we will be able to look back on an experience or season of life and say “I wasn’t happy to have gone throughout that at the time, but in retrospect I’m glad I did.”

“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10 NLT)

Questions for reflection:
What do you think are your weaknesses? Why do you think you have them? Do you think you’d be a better leader without them?
Do you feel comfortable talking about your weaknesses with others? Have you shared any of your difficult work/life lessons with people you lead?

Talk is Cheap

“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” (Matthew 7:20 NLT)

This is one of the values of being in God’s Word daily…sometimes you hear exactly what you need to hear, whether you like it or not! I was convicted by this verse this morning. The message was clear: it’s not enough to talk about the importance of ___________. Either do it or stop talking about it.

This isn’t part of the series I started 2 days ago but it felt urgent enough to post today.

Leadership Devotional 2011, Day 2

Each of us is a leader. Have we thought about why? Why us? When did those leadership traits in our lives begin to emerge?

Leadership is a role – a gift – divinely given by God. This doesn’t mean that only Christians are talented leaders, or that Christians blessed with leadership should only lead within a church or ministry setting, or that leaders so blessed don’t make mistakes. What it does mean is that God has blessed some of His people specifically with leadership gifts, and we are called to use those gifts to inspire and build up the people within our sphere of influence. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, encourages us to “take the responsibility [of leadership] seriously” which, I think we could all agree, some people in leadership roles do not do. Because it’s a gift from God, we should seek His help to be the best leaders we can be – not perfect, not flawless, but willing to learn and be taught along the way.

Another important principle here is that God gives every person unique gifts, talents, interests and strengths. As leaders, it is important that each of us take time to cultivate those traits in others, and encourage them to own their own development. We must also learn to rely on others to play their parts and to take on responsibilities for which we are less (or not) gifted. This is why Paul uses the human body as an analogy for the Church (the Body of Christ) – each part of the body has it’s function, and the body would not function effectively if every part did the same thing. Clearly this is true on our teams too, so always look for ways to add & cultivate new skills to your teams, while growing & stretching those already evident. Many people, Christian or otherwise, fail to recognize their talents, or even downplay or suppress them out of fear, so be ever mindful of the role you may play in helping others fulfill their potential!

“Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.” (1 Corinthians 12:28 NLT)

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” (Romans 12:6-8 NLT)

Questions for reflection:
Do you consider yourself a leader in all aspects of your life? If so, how are you caring for your growth outside of the office? If not, why not?
Does the idea that God may have called you into leadership change how you view yourself and your leadership role(s)?

Leadership Devotional 2011, Day 1

Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave. (Proverbs 12:24 NLT)

Many people, whether they are Christian or not, believe that the Bible has nothing to say about contemporary life, that it’s all simply rules & stories from a bygone era that are irrelevant in our sophisticated, post-modern era. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truths contained in the Bible are as vital today as when they were recorded, and there’s so much we can learn for our everyday lives…if we’re willing to dive into it.

One morning last year I woke up with this thought in mind: compile some verses & reflections from Scripture about leadership and work for a meeting I was attending out of town. I assume it was divine inspiration because it wasn’t anything I was consciously planning. The meeting was four days long, and my hope was to lead a voluntary time of reflection each morning. That didn’t work out, and it occurred to me during a walk last night to share that material here. I’m going to break the content up over more days than four. My prayer is that you’ll find a takeaway for each day, and perhaps be inspired to do your own study of the Bible on these themes. I would love to hear where your own reflections take you.

Panic or Pray

Where am I going to put my faith in the moment of crisis – myself or God? Should be an easy choice but too often my focus is on the wind, the waves, the storm or the boat, and inevitably that’s when I start to sink.

But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 4:37-41 NLT)

Proverbs Day 4

Wise words bring many benefits,
and hard work brings rewards. (Proverbs 12:14 NLT)

I was so caught up in the second half of this verse yesterday that I completely glossed over the first half, which is awfully ironic considering my pretensions about offering my own wise words.

What are some of the benefits of wise words?

1. As long as we have been listening to the right people, there’s little to no pressure on each of us as individuals to be independently brilliant all day every day.
2. Wise words build up rather than tear down, even if they’re words we don’t want to hear.
3. The right words at the right time remind you of important things you’ve forgotten in the midst of turmoil & uncertainty.
4. Sharing wisdom enriches both the speaker & the listener/reader.
5. There’s no shelf life for wise words, meaning you can dust them off and apply them whenever you need them. This is especially true with wisdom from the Bible, which our popular culture has deemed outdated & irrelevant.

Proverbs Day 3

Wise words bring many benefits,
and hard work brings rewards. (Proverbs 12:14 NLT)

So many kids grew up getting a trophy just for showing up, they believe that’s how things are supposed to happen on the job too. You will not be surprised to learn that I see things differently. I love how many different kinds of incentives my company offers. People should be rewarded for hard work, and the incentives we offer should be challenging to earn so that 1) they truly are an incentive and not a gimme (which motivates no one), and 2) the people who earn them truly feel a sense of achievement. If the Bible says we should reward hard work, who am I to argue with that?

Benefits & rewards need to be crafted & promoted strategically. A reward that no one knows about, or that no one understands how to earn, is really no reward at all. I had this conversation with some members of my team a few days ago concerning a monthly incentive program we’ve been running for a couple of years. Was it making a difference? Were people striving to earn it, or were they pleasantly surprised to learn that they had, even if they weren’t sure how or why they had? We didn’t feel good about our answers, and so we decided it was time to take a fresh look at that incentive and bring it in line with our current priorities.

In fact, over the past few months I’ve looked at a number of different incentives we’ve been offering and, if I felt that they’d outlived their usefulness, I eliminated or repurposed them. The goal was not to cut costs, but rather to ensure that those precious incentive dollars were allocated in ways that could make a difference. After all, what’s the point of spending money on incentives if they’re not inventing the right behaviors?

Proverbs Day 2

People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life,
but those who ignore correction will go astray. (Proverbs 10:17 NLT)

There’s no shame in making mistakes, which are inevitable. Failing to learn from our mistakes, though, puts us in a very precarious position. I am always proud of people who overcome their mistakes through determination and sacrifice. Their stories inspire others and prove that the short-term consequences don’t have to be the end of the story.

But without that willingness to acknowledge that the discipline was needed, it’s hard to make the necessary course correction. And so sometimes the biggest challenge for us as leaders is helping people see the value in taking ownership of their mistakes.

Proverbs Day 1

The Book of Proverbs is as useful & relevant today as it was when it was written 2500+ years ago. I’m taking a brief tour through it again right now so I thought I’d share a few choice passages in the days ahead. I could probably replace most of my books on business with Proverbs.

My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.
Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul.
They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way,
and your feet will not stumble. You can go to bed without fear;
you will lie down and sleep soundly. (Proverbs 3:21-24 NLT)

Blog as Metaphor

I haven’t blogged in days for 2 reasons:

1) I can’t think of anything to write about
2) I haven’t been making time for thinking

Inspiration may come naturally to some, but I don’t think I fall into that category. I’m at my creative best when I’m deliberate about making time for pursuing the creative. And this is true at work too. If my schedule is being set by the Now, and my task list is dominated by the Immediate, it’s no wonder other activities get squeezed. And when I get home from a workday like that, reflecting on work is the last thing I want to do.

So I need to commit to blogging regularly, and I need to stare down the Immediate and make time to sit quietly and imagine what’s possible. It all comes down to priorities. Waiting for flashes of divine inspiration (which do happen) feels lazy and ignores my own responsibility to myself.