Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the tag “emerging leaders”

14 Jul 2014

Leading from the Promises of God – Part 1

Kingdom leadership is a leadership of faith.  While it can be said that those who don’t lead in the Kingdom also must exercise faith, their faith is founded in something other than God.  It may be experience, resources, skills or something else.  But we who lead in the Kingdom find our faith rooted in the promises of God.

Here’s a reminder from Charles Spurgeon regarding Scriptural promises/  “A promise of God may very instructively be compared to a check payable to order. It is given to the believer with the view of bestowing upon him some good thing. It is not meant that he should read it over comfortably, and then have done with it. No, he is to treat the promise as a reality, as a man treats a check. He is to take the promise, and endorse it with his own name, by personally receiving it as true. He is by faith to accept it as his own. He sets to his seal that God is true, and true as to this particular word of promise. He goes further and believes that he has the blessing in having the sure promise of it, and therefore he puts his name to it to testify to the receipt of the blessing.

“This done, he must believingly present the promise to the Lord, as a man presents a check at the counter of the bank. He must plead it by prayer, expecting to have it fulfilled. If he has come to heaven’s bank at the right date, he will receive the promised amount at once. If the date should happen to be further on, he must patiently wait till its arrival; but meanwhile he may count the promise as money, for the bank is sure to pay when the due time arrives.

“Some fail to place the endorsement of faith upon the check, and so they get nothing; others are slack in presenting it, and these also receive nothing. This is not the fault of the promise, but of those who do not act with it in a common-sense, business-like manner.”

Charles Spurgeon
Faith’s Checkbook, a collection of God’s promises for daily use

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
07 Jul 2014

Mentoring Others for Their Development

6 Reminders for Helping Others Create Goals and Development Plans

As we think of helping others create their personal goals and development plans, one of the first thoughts that should enter our minds is this:  What’s the purpose of this exercise?  Remembering the adage – always begin with the end in mind – we are instructed to ask ourselves, “What’s the desired outcome of these plans?”  Once that’s clearly defined, then the actual plans themselves are more easily identified.

The more specific the outcomes articulated, the more specific the plans can be to help accomplish them.  For example, a poor outcome would be, “to grow in Christlike character.”  Not that this is a bad overall objective, but a better outcome might look like, “to grow in Christlike humility.”  Note the sharper focus.  Now the plans on how to actually work intentionally on growing in humility will naturally flow out of this outcome.

A second reminder on setting goals and plans is that they must have a specified time period (time horizon) for their accomplishment.  In the collegiate context, we normally think in terms of semesters or summer breaks.  In the marketplace we think more along the lines of fiscal years or calendar years.  Knowing the time frame for accomplishing the goals again makes it easier to determine what realistically can be accomplished during the time allotted.

A third reminder is that as we help others in setting these goals, the outcomes must be agreed upon from the beginning of the time period.  If we do not have agreement on the outcomes, then, when it comes time for evaluation or feedback related to accomplishment, we will have major problems.  There should be no surprises on what was expected because from the beginning both parties agreed upon what the desired outcomes were.  Now we can objectively look at the facts of what really got accomplished during the time determined.  Did we hit the mark, overshoot, or undershoot?

A fourth reminder is to help others set realistic goals.  Many of us have over-zealous ambitions (ideas) on what we think we can get done in a given time period.  We too often shoot for the moon and barely hit the ceiling!   Helping others create goals and objectives that are realistic, allowing some margin for obstacles and unexpected challenges along the way, is part of the art of leadership.  Some may have to be challenged to stretch a little more than they are comfortable with, perhaps fearing failure more than stepping out in faith.  Again, the art of helping them put more stretch, growth, faith, etc. in their goals is an art, not a science.

Fifth, whatever goals or plans we finally settle on, remember that, “Man plans his ways, but God directs his steps.”  Plans and goals are simply tools to help us live more fruitful and obedient lives as we follow Christ.  They are not to master us, but rather serve us as we live day-to-day.  We must be careful that we don’t become slaves to our plans.  Plans are great servants, but poor masters!

Finally, remember to follow through on a period of feedback when the time period is finished.  As a mentor, it does not help the development of others if I don’t review with them their accomplishments after the time period is up.  This review should be one of overall affirmation, with few surprises.  Any shortfalls should have been highlighted along the way, not waiting until the end of the time to communicate dissatisfaction or failure.  If the goals were specific enough to begin with, then the outcomes should be self-evident.  In the case of shortfalls, we’ll need to discuss the “whys” and how to avoid them in the future, as well as lessons learned through the experience.

Creating goals and development plans are helpful for living focused and fruitful lives for the King.  Develop the habit and seek to help others do the same.  You’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish for His glory!

Posted in #4 REPRODUCE - Developing More Leaders and tagged , , , , , , , ,
23 Jun 2014

Mentoring Gen Y Emerging Leaders

The following was a list of suggestions sent to me by Jamie and Darci Kidd, themselves emerging leaders in the Millennial generation (Gen Y).  If you are being asked to lead or mentor members of this generation you would do well to pay attention to these suggestions.

  1. Don’t come across as if you have it all together.  This platform doesn’t work with today’s younger leaders.  They know that you are more mature, more experienced, and have more knowledge.  Still, the attitude of being the “expert” just isn’t appealing.
  1. Be transparent.  Be real.  Share how you are still on the journey.  Share what the Lord is teaching you today, this week, this month, over the past six months.  It is not just your weaknesses or failures, either.  The key is they want to see that you are still learning as well.  That you are a fellow-journey-er.  That you are still in process.
  1. Be his/her fan when they share new ideas (unless it’s way off the wall).  Then help them bring it about or at least keep up with them on how it is coming – “How’s that idea coming along?”  The tendency for older mentors is that they come back with a response like, “Oh, we tried that a few years ago.  It didn’t work.  I don’t think it will work now.”  This really de-motivates the younger leader.  It is better to believe in them and help them make a go of it, even if they fail, than to kill the idea up front.  Ask them for their ideas about things.
  1. Don’t ever give up on them. Just about everyone has had a significant older person (dad, mom, coach, teacher) give up on him or her.  Be willing to walk with them through the dark phases of their growth and maturing.  There are many who won’t fit the “profile” of the leader with the “right stuff.”  They may ask difficult or controversial questions.  Stick with them.  With the number of broken homes today, many of the younger leaders are saying/asking, “My dad gave up on me.  Will you do the same?”  They view the relationship not so much as a teacher/student but more as a dad/son or mom/daughter.
  1. It’s good for the older person to initiate a meeting as well.  This communicates value.  Have an idea of why you want to meet with them.  By saying, “The reason I wanted to meet with you is that I’m thinking of exploring this topic and was wondering if you would be interested in joining me in that?” you are inviting them into your adventure of exploration.  This way, you can learn from each other.  This helps close the generation gap.
  1. Get beyond the formalized meetings (meeting at the coffee shop, for example) at some point.  Get them into your world – family, sports, hobbies, travel, etc.
  1. Young men today are part of a passive culture.  This is not just an issue of temperament.  Many young men don’t have dads who are good role-models for them.  Their dads are either absent or passive themselves.  The best way to help them with this is to put them in leadership opportunities and coach them through it.  Being entrusted with real responsibility and with others is empowering.  God made all men to be leaders of one sort or another.  It’s in them.  Help bring it out.

How’s your understanding and mentoring of the rising generation of emerging leaders from Gen Y?  Don’t let the seeming distance or dissonance discourage you from initiating a mentoring relationship that will launch a young leader into a lifetime of influence.

Posted in #4 REPRODUCE - Developing More Leaders and tagged , , , , , , , ,
16 Jun 2014
1 Comment

Leading a Generation of Free Agents

“Leading a Generation of Free Agents”   by Tim Elmore

“I just had the most intriguing conversation with a local employer in Atlanta. He told me he’s at the end of his rope–and he’s about ready to see a therapist. The reason for his duress? The college graduates he recently hired. They were driving him crazy. When I inquired about what made them so challenging, he noted the following realities he faced:

*  They came in with high expectations of relational time with him in order to be mentored

*  They wanted time off to travel and participate in volunteer organizations around the world

*  They expected a raise within the first six months, just because they showed up for work on time

*  Their mother actually set an appointment to negotiate their raise for them

If you think this sounds crazy, think again. More and more, I am meeting corporate leaders who share the same basic story. This new population of Millennial generation kids (born between 1984 and 2002) are demanding a different work environment than the previous two generations. The Baby Boomers were “anti-establishment” but those rebels made up 79 million of the population. They questioned authority. Next, the Generation Xers entered the workforce. They were smaller in number and wanted to experience authentic community within their jobs. They ignored authority. Today, the Millennials (or Generation Y) come in raising the bar for everyone. Their expectations are high and they are in demand, with so many of the Baby Boomers retiring and leaving space atop the corporate ladder. These new workers will choose their authorities.

Let me give you an analogy. More than thirty years ago, the game of baseball experienced an amazing transition. Curt Flood, of the St. Louis Cardinals, ushered in the age of Free Agency. He was the first team member to successfully demand that players should have a say as to where and how long they play with a club. Following Curt Flood’s arbitration, professional players began to expect to spend some of their career as “free agents” having a choice about such things. It was a new day of privilege and power.

This same phenomena has occurred among twenty-somethings entering the job market today. They come in as though they were “free agents.” They fully expect to dictate some of the terms of their working conditions and they are liable to quit if they don’t get what they want. Over half of Generation Y’s new graduates move back to their parents home after earning their degree, and that cushion of support gives them the time to choose the job they really want…”

You are called to lead – those who are easiest are those that are just like you.  But a mature leader knows how to lead well those that are like him or her and those who are very different.  How’s your connection with the rising generation of emerging leaders?

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
09 Jun 2014

A Tender Heart and a Tough Hide

Cultivating a Tender Heart and a Tough Hide
by Charles R. Swindoll

For as long as I have been in the ministry I have asked the Lord for a balance between a tender heart and a tough hide. It isn’t an easy balance. In fact, the latter is more difficult to cultivate than the former. In order to be fully engaged in ministry, job number one is to have a tender heart. The challenge is developing a tough hide.

Those in ministry are especially likely to be lightning rods; we are big targets for criticism. Every passionate pastor, every Christian leader, every Christian author I know can list a litany of things that have been said and done against them, many of them unfairly.

What about you? How do you deal with judgmental remarks, those unkind put-downs made to your face or, worse, behind your back? When a neighbor mocks your version of biblical parenting, when that couple in your small group questions every decision you make, when you find out a fellow Christian you thought was your friend has been spreading rumors about you, how do you respond? Are you tough and tender or do you become brittle and bitter?

Few handle criticism well. But we’d all have to agree, there was one man who handled it with grace and grit.

In Acts 24, Paul is on the witness stand before Governor Felix while a shady lawyer named Tertullus pontificates through some trumped-up charges. As you read along in this chapter, you will notice Paul waits for the smoke to clear and then calmly steps up to give a defense. Paul’s words illustrate seven ways to maintain a tender heart and a tough hide while enduring criticism.

Number one: He refused to be caught up in the emotion of the charges. That’s the first mistake we usually make. Everything in us prefers to lash out, to protest, to cry, or simply walk out. Paul refused to overreact. His opening line is disarmingly pleasant, “I cheerfully make my defense.”

Cheerfully? By now the man ought to be blazing with indignation! Even though labeled as “a real pest” and a ringleader of a cult (see Acts 24:5), Paul graciously acknowledged the opportunity to make a defense. He refused to let his emotions take the lead.

When we lower ourselves to the overcharged emotions of accusers, our anger is unleashed. When that occurs, straight thinking caves in to irrational responses and impulsive words. Paul didn’t go there.

Number two: He stayed with the facts. He said, “You can check my record. Twelve days ago I went up to worship. You can ask those who were there.” He reported, “Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me” (Acts 24:11–13).

The apostle never blinked. He stood his ground with stubborn facts. That strategy not only kept him on target, it enhanced his credibility in the eyes of Governor Felix.

Number three: He told the truth with a clear conscience. Paul stated, “But this I admit to you . . . I do serve the God of our fathers . . . I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience . . . both before God and before men”
(Acts 24:14–16).

There is nothing like a clean conscience. It not only helps you sleep well, it keeps you thinking clearly. You have no fear that some skeleton will rattle when the investigation begins . . . because there is no skeleton!

Number four: He identified the original source of the criticism. Few things are more maddening than shadowboxing when you’re dealing with criticism. One of the worst things you can do is to spread the venom to a number of other people—your children, your parents, your friends, or a group of other Christians—rather than going to the original source of contention and addressing it. You need a tough hide to do that.

Number five: He would not surrender or quit. I love that about Paul. He’s like a pit bull on your ankle; he won’t let go! Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 11:23–33. Beaten, bloodied, shipwrecked, harassed, endangered, run out-of-town, and falsely accused, Paul didn’t give up, let up, or shut up.

Number six: He did not become impatient or bitter. For two years Paul had been waiting for this trial. Did you know that? Yet we see no sign of bitterness. No impatience. No grudges. No ranting against the Roman authorities. Paul believed God was firmly in control of both people and events.

Number seven: He stood on the promise of God. You know what flashed through my mind when I read this passage in Acts 24? A song I’ve sung in church since I was just a kid in Sunday school.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. . . .

Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s Sword,
Standing on the promises of God.1

Someone has said that there are over 7,000 promises in the Bible. Have you claimed one this past week? Two? Do I hear five?

How did Paul handle criticism? He refused to get caught up in the emotion of the charges. He stayed with the facts. He told the truth with a clear conscience. He identified the original source of the accusations. He refused to surrender or quit. He became neither impatient nor bitter. He stood on the promise of God. Is that great or what? And it’s all from the Bible. You can do every one of those seven. If you want a tender heart and a tough hide when enduring criticism, you must do them. So must I.

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, “Cultivating a Tender Heart and a Tough Hide,” Insights (July 2003): 1-2. Copyright © 2003, Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

1. R. Kelso Carter, “Standing on the Promises”, in The Celebration Hymnal (Word Music/Integrity Music, 1997), no. 410.

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , , ,
02 Jun 2014
2 Comments

A Shelter Day in the Ministry – Part 2

The following is from my “archives” and a great reminder of a timeless truth for leaders.

Taking It from the Top
Moody Monthly – January 1992    Dr. Wayne Hopkins

The ministry is work. Hard work! Any servant of God worth his salt, motivated by a sense of righteousness and eternity, painfully feels there is more to do than what he can accomplish. Hurting people in his ministry need him-because of marital problems, wayward children, and conflicts with relatives, neighbors, and folks at work and church.

Hence, time always seems in short supply for the urgent crises of counseling witnessing, preaching, Bible studies, and helping others. The staggering amount of abuse, adultery, bankruptcy, divorce, drunkenness, eating disorders, gambling, idolatry, and store housing drives the caring shepherd.

Not uncommonly the servant tastes the fatigue and desperate panic of an athlete in the Triathlon who discovers during the race additional miles and events are being added, pushing the finish line further away into the twilight.

The genius of a Shelter Day (S-Day)–where activity hatches are shut and bolted down, no matter how spiritual or alarming–is that it serves as a submerged day for rest and recharging. In addition to it being a study time, the S-Day is to be distinguished by stillness (Ps 46:10). It is not enough merely to stay home one day a week in seclusion; one cannot hopscotch around the house to the phone, computer, TV and refrigerator (Ex 14:10-18). Stillness requires staying fixed and focused mentally, and it excludes leapfrogging on ministry projects behind closed doors (Ps 37:7).

God’s “thoughts and ways” which are as high and different from mine as the heavens are above the earth (Isa 55:8,9), are not grasped by me in the midst of a cyclone, convulsions. or even a dull circus. The profound joy and peace–promised to me from another world (Isa 55:12)–as a result of entering God’s intimacy are not merely millennial blessings, tucked away for me for the future, in the meantime leaving me to grunt, gnash, and gnaw on my own (Isa 28:12,13). God orders me to abandon now my “evil thoughts and ways” (Isa 55:7-13) and ponder His thoughts and ways.

Before the S-Day can produce “strength and a rescue” for me, it must be furrowed with “rest and quietness” (Isa 30:15). A modern “can-do” American, especially the guilt-driven Kingdom worker, finds it virtually impossible to turn off the power drive and park for 24 hours.

Both a physical and mental idle is mandatory, if I am going to benefit reflectively from God’s presence with me (Ps 116:7; Zech 2:13). A throttled-down, unflapped composure by me is that steady state needed to refuel in mid-flight. True poise, which allows insight and refreshment from the sphere above, gushes to a calm, unruffled soul below, content to wait for Him no matter how long it takes (Hab 2:20; Zeph 1:7).

David’s other-world contemplations and psalms flushed earthward while he sat or lay motionless and hushed (Ps 4:4; 16:78; 42:1-43:5). Songs bubbled up and over, springing from deep wells within, only in a long lull which followed a storm. Job, likewise, made absolutely no progress in penetrating the mystery of his afflictions until he and his friends stopped their flap and fury allowing God to interrupt with facts (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6).

Like rain and snow cycling from heaven to earth then back, according to Isaiah 55:10, 11, the Word of the Lord spreads throughout the land to accomplish that which He intends. The soil, nourished like my soul, then yields its “seeds for the sower and bread for the hungry.” Patiently and majestically nature waits–as anyone knows who has stood in the middle of a meadow or deep in the woods–for the moisture of the rain and snow. Comparable, the nurture of wisdom and grace, derived from perceiving God’s thoughts and ways, arrives fruitfully in season to those who wait (1 Sam 12:16). Heaven never makes the fields and valleys fertile because they “spin or toil” (Mt 6:19-34; cf. 4:4). They must wait.

For my soul to be restored, God leads me by the still waters (Ps 23:2). For me to drink, I must cease my bank-side romp and ruckus and lie in green pastures. For I process truth about God only in a balmy, soft, and soothing setting, not in a brouhaha, by a boombox, or amid baubles. In praise, singing and celebrations, with bands and voices, I communicate with God. In the still and quiet, God communicates with me…

Do you have your scheduled Shelter Day – a day of reflection, meditation on God and His Word, and study?  It need not be weekly, but it does need to be regular.  Is it on your calendar?

Posted in #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
26 May 2014

A Shelter Day in the Ministry – Part 1

The following is from my “archives” and a great reminder of a timeless truth for leaders.

Taking It from the Top
Moody Monthly – December 1991    Dr. Wayne Hopkins

I guess every warrior wrestles occasionally in his sleep. I certainly do! David did at times  (Ps 6:6, 42:3 77:2).

The Bible suggests that sleep and dreams in the night, or the lack thereof, gauge how well I do in the day (Ecc 5:3, Is 29:7-8). Indeed, God desires me to have sweet dreams (Ps 4:8).

As the Searcher of all hearts and the Knower of all thoughts (2 Ch 32:31), however, He may grind on me at night in my sleep (Ps 17:3; Heb 4:12-13). He may prod me to cooperate; to do some soul-searching myself on a sleepless night, instead of turning to Sominex or a nightcap (Ps 4:4; 63:6).

Perhaps He seeks to fuss about something ajar or amok in my life (Job 33:14-18). God cradles some, others He clobbers or torments during the night (Isa 50:11). Sleep disorders for some, due to their lifestyle, are such that money, no matter what the amount, cannot buy them sleep (Ecc 5:12). Nightmares, sleepwalking, early arousals, or the like, may serve as a divine alarm, which produces a warning about a spiritual or emotional problem. The problem left unchecked could blaze into a multiple alarm, i.e., physical sickness (Ps 38-3-18). Merely turning off the buzzer is not the object; determining the cause and putting out the fire is.

It seems that God may resort to the night shift with me when He cannot get through on the day shift (Ps 25:8-9). Perhaps in the daytime I am too baffy, bawdy, or busy, but I must collapse or crash somewhere, someplace. Then, there He is (Ps 107:4-32; 139:1-12).

God’s preferred plan, I believe, is that I need one day each week for Him to punch me down, purge me out, patch me up, and mold me back, after six days of duking, drubbing and drifting (Ps 64:4). Fundamentally my soul craves solitude with Him for recuperation (Ps 55:4-8; 84:1-2). Now, a full day of retreat will not replace nor diminish time spent with God each day in prayer, meditation, and study. The Shelter Day is an addition. David, certainly an enterprising administrator, like Daniel, prayed three times a day (Ps 55:17).

But I need at least one major in-take period…; a time of seclusion (Mk 1:35; Heb 4:9); a time for replenishing me deepest wells. Hence, the S Day must be a quiet, study day.

The S Day is not the time for direct sermon or lesson preparation per se’, for that is work, draining the well. On the S Day the well is allowed to recharge. Later, when the well is brimful, sermon construction is quicker. Without the S Day, the well has little time to recover before the bucket bangs the bottom again, scooping up mud and mush…

…The S Day, to reload the heart and soul with premium gusto should be Word centered (Ps 119:92; Mt 4:4; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17), in a cloistered haven. Here I suggest a simple, meditative reading first, then rereading the biblical text (Deut 17:18-20: Ezra 7:10). It is not unthinkable that, in this manner, the entire Bible could be read a half-dozen times each year.

Second, endeavor to outline. Outlining forces critical thinking as one seeks for the theme, message, and logical development of a paragraph, chapter, or book…

Third, study inductively. Original outlining requires it, of course. Collecting references and thoughts, too, (perhaps on 3×5 cards) on relevant topic helps. These topic headings are personal, arising out of one’s life, ministry, and interests…

…compile a growth log. Here one keeps notes and dates on fresh insights. This is not a diary or journal, but a record of added wisdom, jotted down not only on the S day, but as thoughts surface on any day.

Perhaps these S Day study-tips will allow one’s pool to be restocked and flooded with fresh, cool, and living waters from Jesus Christ Himself (Ps 19:7-11; 25:4-5)…

Hence, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in a sheltered place” (Ps 4:8).

Do you have your scheduled Shelter Day – a day of reflection, meditation on God and His Word, and study?  It need not be weekly, but it does need to be regular.  Is it on your calendar?

Posted in #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
19 May 2014

Finish What You Started!

In Hebrews 1:14 we read, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”  Angels are God’s servants who are sent on various missions of service to accomplish His purposes.

In John 17:18 we find Jesus praying for those who would believe on Him in the future, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”  We too are people on a mission – to accomplish God’s purposes in and through us.  And of course, this compelling vision is to disciple the nations for Him (Matthew 28:18-20).  Once we have completed our God-given purpose or mission we will end our life and enter His presence.  “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.”

God is missional in His purposes.  The Bible opens with God at work in Creation and Jesus testifies that, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”  Adam was created in God’s image and, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

As Kingdom leaders we are called to accomplish God’s purposes – to a mission or task. We are called to lead and to work.  It is God’s job to identify the mission and it is our job to join with Him in completing the work He gives us to do.

It is not enough just to begin this work or mission.  We are called to bring it to completion.  It is Jesus example that compels us, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17:4).

Paul exhorts his co-laborer Archippus in Colossians 4:17:  “Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”

What have you begun that is either taking longer or much more effort than what you thought it would take?  Are you weary and considering quitting?  Did not God call you to accomplish a mission or task?  His calling was not to begin and quit half-way through.  Bring it to completion!  Finish what you started!  Do it for Him!

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
12 May 2014
1 Comment

Thriving Under Poor Leadership

As I talk with other leaders, especially the younger emerging leaders, they will frequently express their frustration in the lack of good leadership that they are experiencing from their own supervisors.  They will say, “Tom, I know what good leadership is and my leader is a lousy leader!  How can I reach my potential and learn to lead well while I am stuck with this kind of leader over me?”

This experience is not uncommon.  I will often remind these young leaders that one day they too will be supervising others and then perhaps their own direct reports will be expressing frustration with them because of their leadership.  No leader is perfect.  And serving under imperfect leadership is no excuse for not growing as a leader.

Jacob served a very imperfect leader–his father-in-law, Laban.  Not only did Laban deliberately deceive Jacob into taking Leah as his first wife instead of his beloved Rachel, but he broke or changed employment contracts and agreements with Jacob.  This was all done so that Laban might prosper at the expense of Jacob.  Laban wanted to “win” and that meant the Jacob must “lose.”

But there was one over-arching factor that did not let this intentional deceit reach it’s desired end.  That factor was God Himself!  For God watched over Jacob and protected him from the evil and intentional deceit Laban planned for Jacob.  And at the end of his service, Jacob has this testimony about his period of service:  “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.  You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength,yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times.  However, God has not allowed him to harm me.” (Genesis 31:5-7)

Not only was Jacob protected from the evil intended by a bad leader (his own father-in-law no less), but God caused Jacob to prosper under Laban’s poor leadership.  And Jacob served under Laban for 20 years!  Not exactly a short-term of service!

So what can we learn from Jacob’s example (and other examples like Joseph and Daniel)?  God is bigger than any leader over you and He will not allow that leader to frustrate or hinder the plans He has for you.  You need not worry that you won’t develop or reach your potential as a leader due to poor leadership over you.  In fact, God can and will use this leader and their leadership to build you up and make you prosper, even if they intend to harm you.  He is able and He will do it!

Don’t seek to flee or run out from under poor leaders.  Trust God and submit to them.  Be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove (study Jabob’s example of how he served under Laban).  And watch God do “above and beyond what you can ask or imagine.”

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , , ,
05 May 2014
2 Comments

What Generals Do

One of the challenges faced by leaders is to determine what they, and only they, can and must do.  And once this is identified, how to stay focused on this and not be diverted into the daily “leadership whiteout” of responding to the demands of others.

Gen. Freddie Franks, commander of VII Corps in Desert Storm, provides some good advice for leaders on what they should focus on.  Tom Clancy recorded this advice in his book, “Into the Storm: A Study in Command” (page 637).

Responsibilities of Generals

“I believe generals get to focus on and solve big problems in peace and war.  They must know details and occasionally dip into those, but essentially they must figure out the few deciding issues or battles for their times and conditions and focus their energies on those.  These are what I called points of main effort.  They cannot be many.  You have to decide what they are, and make them stick.

  • Generals must have an imagination that lets them visualize what needs to be.  They must synthesize to create a whole when others cannot see, and then communicate that whole with so much clarity and so much conviction that others will see it, too, and follow it.  That is command.  That is leadership at the senior levels.
  •  Generals decide where to be bold and where not to be bold.
  • They must be strong and decisive, yet they must also keep their ego from clouding their judgments.  Instead, they must use that ego to stick to doing what is right, even in the face of adversity.
  • Generals decide where to intervene and where not to intervene.
  • They decide where to tolerate imperfection and where not to tolerate imperfection.
  • They must be intensely competitive.  They must hate to lose.
  • They need to demand a climate of dignity and respect, and to know that to lead is also to serve.  They can do a lot of good for individuals every day.
  • They must continue to grow.  They must not be complacent.
  • If they can, they should rest easy in the saddle and have a sense of humor.  Smile once in a while.
  • If generals can remember “Don’t worry, General, we trust you,” and do their best to fulfill that trust, they will have done their duty.”

Have you thought through what you and only you must do as the leader?  Have you made the difficult decisions to say no to many other things in order to stay focused on what you and only you must do?

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , ,

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →