Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the tag “Intentional leader development”

10 Mar 2014
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Indignation — Now I’m REALLY Ticked Off!

Emotions – they’re morally neutral–not good bad, or purple.  All of us have them and some of us are better at recognizing and expressing them in a healthy way.  When it comes to what we would perceive as those emotions that are considered “negative” emotions, it’s what we do with them that matters.

Anger is one such emotion that is often seen as a negative emotion.  We mistakenly believe that if I am more mature or more spiritual that I’ll somehow be freed from this feeling of anger.  Just becoming a little “ticked off” as someone or something raises the blood pressure and we can feel “frustrated.”  It’s anger but at a somewhat lesser degree.

But if the person has broken a trust, betrayed a confidence placed in them, or their failure leads to major negative impact, we can move beyond frustration or anger and move to indignation.  The root English word is the same we use for the color indigo – a purple, reddish color.  Have you ever been so angry that you turn purple-red and feel like you are ready to explode?  That’s indignation!

In Mark 10:13-14 (NIV) we read the following about Jesus’ emotions:  “People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant (emphasis added).  We explored this in last week’s blog.

But if we continue to read in the same chapter we find this said about the disciples in Mark 10:41 (NIV):  “When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.”  The Zebedee boys had tried a pre-emptive strike to move ahead of the other 10 in the coming Kingdom.  We note that this was at the very end of their 3+ year training period with Jesus as future leaders.  And here we see that 2 of them wanted to jump ahead of the other 10.  Not a good way to win friends or influence people!  Well, they could claim it wasn’t really them.  Matthew’s account tells us that it was their mother who did the asking on their behalf (see Matthew 20:20 ff).

There were great emotions being expressed on Jesus’ leadership team.  He showed His indignation to The Twelve and they expressed their indignation with one other.  Yet with all of this the leadership team held together.  There was no fracture or lasting division.

Good teams can share strong feelings with each other and still work together well.  This comes from a foundation of trust and confidence that we are all working together towards the same ends.  Our team goals are not preempted by our personal goals.

So, is it safe to share how your really feel on your team?  Are strong emotions being expressed in appropriate ways without sin?  Can we be “gut-level honest” or are there areas that are just too sensitive to share how I really feel?

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
17 Feb 2014
1 Comment

A New Creation!

2 Corinthians 5:1-21

Joy and Amy were scared as they knocked on the door.  They had never shared the gospel before and now was their opportunity.  Perhaps Holly wouldn’t be home, they hoped secretly.  But, Holly greeted them warmly at the door and they entered her room.

As the two women began to explain the details of the Good News, Holly began to cry.  Never having experienced anything like this, they looked at one another wondering if they had somehow offended Holly.  In a voice choked with emotion, Holly asked, “Is this the gospel?”  They swallowed hard and responded affirmatively.

“Oh, this is wonderful,” Holly exclaimed!  This morning I was going to leave my apartment to visit my family.  But, I had a feeling that I should wait here in my room for something important to happen.  So, I’ve been waiting all day.  And now here you are!

“In high school,” Holly continued, “I noticed some others who were very happy and they seemed to talk a lot about the ‘gospel.’  But they never told me what it was.  So, for the past three years, I have been praying for God to show me what the ‘gospel’ means.  And now, today, God has brought you to me so that I can know what this is!  This is great!”

Joy and Amy had the privilege of introducing Holly to the Savior that afternoon.  God had obviously prepared her heart to respond to the message.  There are many around each of us whom God has prepared, but we must deliver the message.  We must be a verbal witness, as well as witnessing with our lives.

Who has God placed in your life for you to introduce to him?  Many are sincerely seeking answers and waiting for an explanation!  Why not pray and ask God for an opportunity to share with them today?  You’ll see God opening doors of opportunity for you too!

Additional References:  John 3:3,5; Acts 16:31

Posted in #4 REPRODUCE - Developing More Leaders and tagged , , , , , ,
11 Nov 2013
2 Comments

A Leadership Reading List

In reflecting recently on J.O. Sanders and his impact on my life I was once again reminded of his exhortation, “Leaders are readers!”  ‘Of making many books there is no end…’ (Ecclesiastes 12:12).  And we could add our own thoughts, “Of the writing of many leadership books there is especially no end in sight!”

I am frequently asked which leadership books I would recommend to begin to read on this exciting and challenging topic.  Given the shear numbers of leadership books available, where should one begin?  Below is my recommended beginning leadership reading list.  It was compiled several years ago from my polling several leaders who were well-read and asking them for their top ten books on leadership.  Any book that made it into multiple lists was added to my recommended list.  It’s a good start for building a leadership library.

Leadership Bibliography

Books to be read for a foundational understanding of leadership

 The Bible  –  read and study this Book first as your basis for understanding the principles of spiritual leadership;  this will be the grid through which you evaluate all other teaching on the subject of leadership

Leadership Concepts

   1.      Spiritual Leadership / Sanders

  2.      Leadership is an Art  /  DePree

  3.      Leadership Jazz  /  DePree

  4.      Leaders:  Strategies for Taking Charge  /  Bennis & Nanus

  5.      Principle Centered Leadership  /  Covey

  6.      The Leadership Challenge  /  Kouzes and Posner

7.      The Making of a Leader /  Clinton

Leadership Practice

  1.      The Effective Executive / Drucker

  2.      Developing the Leader Within You  /  Maxwell

  3.      Developing the Leaders Around You  /  Maxwell

  4.      The Training of the Twelve  /  Bruce

  5.     Leading from the Sandbox   /  Addington

  6.     Leading Change  /  Kotter

7.     Biographies of great leaders  –  Dawson Trotman, Hudson Taylor, George Mueller, J.O Fraser, Adoniram Judson, Amy Carmichael, etc.

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks and tagged , , , , , , , ,
28 Oct 2013

J.O. Sanders

J.O. Sanders spoke to The Navigators’ Indonesian staff at our annual conference in September 1986 in Central Java.  I had the privilege of accompanying him afterwards across Java to insure that he arrived at his next destination in good order.  This time at the conference and the personal time with him afterwards was one of the highlights of my entire 11 years in Indonesia.

Here are some of the notes I gathered as a result of that time together:

  1. You must pay for a spiritual ministry.  It is paid for a little at a time throughout life.  When you stop paying, the ministry stops.
  2. Leadership trials all leaders face:  appetite, avarice (desire for things), and ambition
  3. God prepares the ministry for the person and the person for the ministry.
  4. The Lord does not always explain Himself.    John 13:7
  5. The word “leader” is only used 6x’s in New Testament.
  6. To see if you are a leader check and see who is following.
  7. Spirituality alone does not make a good leader.
  8. A leader leads in vision and faith.  Joshua got the vision for Jericho, but had to communicate the vision and faith to the people of Israel.
  9. Leaders set the tone by their example.
  10. Watch your life and doctrine closely – notice the order!   1 Timothy 4:11-16
  11. Maturity is the fullness of Christ.    Ephesians 4:13
  12. Becoming mature (Matthew 5:48) as the Father is ‘perfect’ is used in a relative sense.  That is, we are to be mature for our stage of spiritual growth, not mature in an absolute sense.
  13. We are as close to God as we choose to be.     Exodus 33:13,17
  14. Maturity is measured by the fruit of the Spirit, not the gifts of the Spirit.
  15. Gifts can be counterfeited, but fruit can’t.
  16. Tests of a Person’s Maturity
  • Seeks the glory of God more than their own glory or advancement
  • Prefer holiness instead of happiness
  • Desire solid food, not milk from the Word
  • Prefer serving others rather than being served
  • Prefer giving rather than receiving
  • Will be fruitful rather than barren (fruitful in character and in service)
  • Will be joyous rather than gloomy
  • Will accept rather than refuse the discipline of God
  • Will accept responsibility in the service of God
Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
07 Oct 2013
3 Comments

5 Ridiculous Prayer Requests

I once did a study on what I titled the ‘ridiculous prayers’ of the bible.  These were prayer requests that from a human viewpoint may seem outlandish or over the top, but God saw fit to say ‘yes’ to.

This study included Moses asking to see God’s face, Solomon asking for wisdom, and Jabez asking for God’s blessing among others.  After I’d finished the study I was humbled when I thought of my own prayer life and my meager requests before the Lord.  I was also challenged to consider what could I possibly ask that may seem foolish or ridiculous, but that was not out of the realm of possibility from God’s perspective.

The result was the following list of five prayer items that I have been asking of the Lord for many years now.  You will see after each of these some references for others who either requested the same or perhaps are promises that I’m praying over related to this request.

1.       Power of the Holy Spirit when Preaching and Teaching

  1 Samuel 10:6; 1 Peter 4:11

2.       God’s Blessing on My Life and Ministry

  1 Chronicles 4:10; Isaiah 45:2-3

3.       Teach me Your Ways Lord – Knowing Why God Does What He Does

          Exodus 33:13

4.       See God’s Glory

  Exodus 33:18

5.       Wisdom for Life and Leadership

 1 Kings 3:9

What ‘ridiculous things’ are you asking Him for?

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
30 Sep 2013

10 Qualities for Success

Some years ago Marvin Smith did a study on what made successful Navigator missionaries as a thesis for his Master’s degree.  The result of his study was a list of ten qualities that he was able to identify that contributed to those who were able to have long-term, fruitful ministries around the world.

Now certainly there are many factors that contributed to the lives and ministries of these people beyond this list of qualities, but as I reviewed them and compared it with my own experience and observations, I too could see the wisdom in what Marvin had identified.

The result was that I took these qualities and made them into a personal prayer list, asking God to help form these qualities into my own life.  Whether these are true or not for me is not for me to judge.  But I continue to ask HIm for these for me and others that I lead.  Perhaps you too would see the wisdom in asking the Lord to form these qualities in you.

Here’s the 10 Qualities of a Successful Missionary from Marvin Smith:

1.       Dependency on God

2.       Love and Compassion

3.       Sensitivity

4.       Humility

5.       Flexibility

6.       Harmony Builder

7.       Courage and Perseverance

8.       Willingness to Sacrifice

9.       Emotional Stability

10.     Good Family Life

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , , ,
02 Sep 2013

Leaders and Commitment

William Borden came from a family whose success in the dairy business was well known.  As a high school graduation gift, William’s parents sent him and a chaperone on an around the world trip to help prepare him for college at Yale.  They gave him a Bible to read on the journey and somewhere in Asia he was struck by the enormity of the task of reaching the world for Christ and how he must give his all to helping to reach those without Christ.  He penned two words in the first page of his Bible, “No Reserves.”

After entering Yale to study business, he became friends with a mission’s zealot named Samuel Zwemmer whose passion for reaching Muslims soon infected William.  He sensed God’s calling him personally to help bring the gospel to the Muslim peoples of western China.  After explaining to his parents that he would not take over the family dairy business after graduation, he wrote two more words in the front of his Bible, “No Retreats.”

Having finished some Biblical studies, he sailed for Egypt to study Arabic before moving on to China.  After only six months of language study, William contracted cerebral meningitis and died.  His mother sailed from New York to Cairo to collect his personal belongings, among which was his Bible.  After opening it, she read two more words that William had added to the front page, “No Regrets.”

“No Reserves!”  “No Retreats!”  “No Regrets!”  That total commitment to Christ drove Borden of Yale to give his life for world evangelism.

The highest good in the Christian life is not becoming a missionary or a vocational Christian worker.  Rather, it is discovering God’s will for your life and doing it with this type of total commitment.  The days demand it.  The King deserves it.  Why not make that commitment today!

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , , , ,
26 Aug 2013

Modeling Balance & Margin 2

Yes, I’m still on a break….when was the last time you took one?

This blog will begin again on 2 September 2013.

A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.
Theodore Roosevelt

The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.
Theodore Roosevelt

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Theodore Roosevelt

Posted in #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , , ,
19 Aug 2013

Modeling Balance and Margin

I am taking a break…perhaps you should too!

This blog will continue again on 2 September 2013.

“When you come to the edge of all the light you have known, and are about to step out into darkness, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen-there will be something to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.”       

Author unknown

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , ,
12 Aug 2013

Leaders and Assessment

Is assessment a Kingdom principle?  Does God want His leadership to assess others?  What’s the difference between assessment and judgment?  How can we give assessment to those we lead in a positive, developmental way?

Jesus sent out the Twelve and then upon their return they reported what they had done (Mark 6:30-31).  The parables of the Talents (Matthew 25) and the 10 Minas (Luke 19) teach that we will give an account to God for our stewardship.  Hebrews 13:17 reminds us that leaders will give an account for their leadership.  Paul gave feedback to the churches through his letters.  Assessment is a Kingdom principle.

But we must not cross over from assessment to judgment.  Jesus commands us not to judge others (Matthew 7) and Paul reminds us of the same (1 Corinthians 4).  Judgment is passing a final, negative opinion on another.  It focuses on final results and motives.  It often involves assessing someone’s motives or matters of the heart that we cannot know for certain.  It implies making personal standards normative for others.  Only God can judge!

But as leaders who must give an account to God for our leadership, we are told to know well the condition of our flock.  We must evaluate our flock to know if they are doing well or not.  Assessment of those we lead focuses on their faithfulness to labor, not the results which are determined by God.  Assessment is given to encourage growth and help measure progress and development.  It has a desired positive impact on another with a willingness to be involved in helping to correct any shortcomings.

Assessment is more formal than feedback.  It relates to mutually agreed upon standards or desired outcomes, deals with a process, involves a commitment to help, and provides accountability.  Feedback in informal, does not need mutual goals, deals with an event, does not necessarily involve a commitment to help, and provides perspective.  Leaders assess; facilitators give feedback.

For assessment to be positive, we must begin with agreed upon measuring marks.  The one being assessed must know from the outset what will be evaluated at the end of the process.  The leader bringing the assessment should seek to point out the positive outcomes initially.  Negative assessment should be limited to one or two items at the most, focusing on those areas that are most important.  As a leader you should offer to help them correct these in the future.  Ask how you as a leader can help them succeed in their efforts.  Get involved!  Bring resources to help them become a success.

Remember to assess, not judge.  Seek to apply the Golden Rule of Leadership in your assessment of others, “Lead others the way you want to be led” (Luke 6:31).

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

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