Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the tag “Personal development”

17 Mar 2014
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Anointed vs Appointed

The following is an excerpt from an article by R. Scott Rodin titled, “Becoming a Leader of No Reputation” that originally was published in Journal of Religious Leadership,/ Vol. 1, No. 2 (Fall 2002), pp. 105 – 119.

“I know of few Christian leaders today who were anointed before they were appointed.  We have employed the business model of doing careful searches looking for Christian leaders whom we can appoint to office.  Once in place, we then anoint them and ask God to bless their work.

“The Biblical evidence seems to indicate that God selects leaders in the opposite order.  Samuel anointed David before appointing him King.  The selection criterion for leadership was not based on who would most likely get the appointment, but whom God had anointed for this task.  And appointment without anointment always led to disaster.

“Christian leadership requires nothing less than a complete, wholesale sell-out of your life in service to God and God only.  It is the ‘losing of your life’ to the work God will do in you to benefit your institution, school, church or organization.  And the stakes are high.  Nowhere else in the Christian life will the price for divided loyalties be so costly for so many for so long.  Ineffective and fallen leaders compromise kingdom work, and the effects are eternal.

“With God’s anointing comes God’s power and presence.  There is a special blessing bestowed on God’s anointed.  It is the blessing of God’s power manifest in ways only seen through the work of God’s chosen.  God’s anointed do the miraculous because they are the servant of the Almighty.

“God’s anointed will do anything God asks… anything.  God’s anointed will seek God’s will with a passion.  They will not move without it and they will not be diverted from their course once they have it.  God’s anointed are servants first, last and always.  And God’s anointed have only one passion, to know and do God’s will that He might have the glory.  In this way, God’s anointed are people of no reputation.”

So, the next time you are in the process of selecting a leader what will you look for first?  God’s anointing or God’s appointing?

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
10 Mar 2014
7 Comments

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
03 Mar 2014
2 Comments

Frustrated, Angry, or Indignant?

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.

For instance, we delegate a responsibility to a team member and they fail to follow through on it.  If the failure has minimal consequences, we might become frustrated with them.  But if their lack of performance has major impact on the team or the mission, that frustration now moves up a notch and becomes anger.  Blocked goals often lead to frustration and anger.

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).

Jesus was really, really mad at The Twelve for preventing the little children from coming to Him.  It was one of those ‘face turns to purple’ type anger moments.  Yet He became indignant without sinning!  He was perfect, sinless, mature, yet He still was indignant at the actions of the disciples.

It’s not the emotions that cause us problems.  It’s what we do with them that can cause us to sin.  Check your anger levels.  Are you frustrated, angry, or indignant?  More importantly, how are you expressing these to those on your leadership team and those close to you?

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

Safe and Secure

Romans 8:1-39

 

Security is found not in the absence of danger, but in the presence of the Lord.  Once we have trusted Christ and become a member of God’s family, he promises never to leave us.  Nothing will separate us from him; we are safe and secure in his care.

 

Jesus promises to be with us forever.  Though we still encounter trials and difficulties, he will be with us in the midst of them.  We need not fear that he will forsake or abandon us.  He will be faithful to us, even if we are unfaithful.  What amazing love!

 

1.      God will never leave us!  What is said in the following passages about God’s commitment to us? — Matthew 28:20; John 10:27-30

 

2.      One person plus God is a majority.  What do the following passages say about the security we have in the presence of God? — Romans 8:31; Hebrews 13:5-6

 

Question to ponder:  How does the fact of Christ’s presence with you always affect your daily attitude and activities?

 

Passages for further study:

Proverbs 3:23-26

2 Timothy 2:11-13

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 , , , , , , , , , ,
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 , , , , , , ,
23 Sep 2013
1 Comment

Leaders and Pressure

Leadership and life itself is full of pressure.  The pressure comes from within and from without.  Some stresses are self-imposed and some are unexpectedly born.  Regardless of the source, we chafe under pressure, wanting to throw off the strains that sap our life blood and divert our attention.

In Isaiah 5 we find a metaphor of the vineyard referring to God’s people.  God is described and planting the choicest vines in His vineyard and building a hedge of protection and a watchtower in the midst of it.

But God also builds a winepress in the middle of His vineyard, for it is only through the use of this press that the desired results can be obtained.  Grapes are grown to be pressed in order to release the juice stored within them.  Without the pressing of the grapes no wine will be produced.  And so too are we pressed to shape us into the desired image of Christ.

God’s press comes in multiple forms.  It can be relationship stresses, financial pressures, external threats to the mission or task, health issues–the list is seemingly endless.  All are used by God to drive us out of our self-reliance and into dependence upon Him.

In 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 we read of Paul’s press that God was using in his own life and how he was responding to it.

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”

Note that the pressure Paul describes was far beyond what he thought he could handle, even to the point of wanting to give up and die.  He summarizes it all by saying that the purpose was to force him to rely on God, not himself.  In closing he makes this conclusion – the Lord has delivered in the past, He will deliver them from their current difficulties, and will also continue to deliver them when they face more challenges in the future.

God wants dependent children, not independent ones.  Lean into and embrace the press that you are under.  Don’t run from it.  Rely on Him and let Him accomplish all that He intends through this in and through you.

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , , ,
06 May 2013
11 Comments

Begin with the End in Mind

Someone has said, “If you don’t know where you are going, then any road will get you there.”  Have you thought about the final seasons of your life when hopefully you will have developed your strengths to the point where you are serving and blessing others in and through them?  If that is the ‘end,’ then what road should you be on now that will lead you to that destination?

By way of personal illustration, what I am currently doing is sharing my life messages in the form of coaching leaders individually, teaching others from these life lessons, and helping to lead a leader development process for our US Navigator work.  But all of this flows from a decision to focus on my life passion of leadership and developing leaders about 20 years ago. 

When home on assignment from Indonesia for six months in 1991, I took some extended time to reflect upon where I sensed the blessing of God on my life and ministry and where I was truly motivated and excited about the topic.  This led me to begin to focus on the areas of leadership and developing emerging leaders.  After leaving the Collegiate Director role in 2003 I again took some extended time to reflect upon my passions and life messages that I felt a sense of stewardship for before the Lord.  This led to a laser focus on three areas:  leader development, emerging leaders, and the nations (missions). 

In thinking about this path of development over two decades plus now it is clear that the “end” has become more and more focused.  The general direction for multiplying my life through spiritual generations of laborers now has resulted in a personal mission statement as follows:  I am out to change the world one leader at a time by helping them live and lead like Jesus.

In sharing this I am not suggesting that you imitate my personal journey.  I only point this out as an illustration to consider for your own development.  Operating and leading from strengths will not just happen with the passing of time.  You will have to choose to focus, to say ‘yes’ to some things and ‘no’ to others in order to maximize your strengths.  It will be a process, a longer process that you think, to get to a destination of serving others from your passions and strengths.

So, here are some general thoughts for you regarding contributing in your strengths:

 1.        Develop yourself for contribution, not a role or title or spot on an organizational chart.  The latter is thinking too small and limiting what God could desire to do with and through you.  Develop your life messages and then let God surprise you as to how He will let you make that contribution.  The two roles that I have now in leader development did not exist 10 years ago.  Both were created for me as I developed my strength in the message of leadership and developing leaders.

2.       Work on your personal mission statement to clarify your contribution.  Take some time to stop and think about the end of your journey now, not later.  What would you desire?  What would ‘turn your crank?’  This could be a great sabbatical exercise.  It will clarify what you are aiming for in the future.  Why has God made you?  For what purpose?  What are the life messages He has given you to steward for which you will be held accountable?

3.       Determine your primary audience for your contribution.  Who is the audience that the Lord seems to connect you with?  What age group?  Do you have cross-cultural ability or experience?  Again to illustrate from my life, I determined that my primary focus was to be emerging leaders under the age of 40.  I wanted to help shape them before they made too many choices that led to bad consequences in their leadership careers.  This aligned with my life experience as well as my strategic desire to help others before they made major mistakes, rather than afterwards.

4.       Finally, you will want to determine your primary delivery platform.  What format do you just love to engage others in?  Is it one-on-one, small group, or large group?  Do you like informal, semi-formal, for formal environments for influencing others?  Written or verbal?  Is it more “come along and watch me” or “sit down and let’s dialog on this”?  Regardless of the delivery platform, there needs to be intentionality for the greatest impact in the lives of others.

Now, it’s time to get out the map and determine your destination.  Remember, if you don’t know what you’re aiming for, you’ll hit it every time!

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #4 REPRODUCE - Developing More Leaders and tagged , , , ,

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