Delegate

#Beingaleader means you have to learn to delegate. Your job includes finding the right person with the right skill set(s) to achieve what needs to be done. You often don't have the time nor the right skill set(s) to get the job done yourself. You need others. Your job is to identify them and delegate … Continue reading Delegate →

Projecting Peace

#Beingaleader means you have the ability to project peace to others. To project is to extend outward from yourself to someone else. To give of what you have to sustain others or fill their tanks. Peace is a sense of tranquility or calm that you have regardless of the current circumstances. So in order to … Continue reading Projecting Peace →

Different Than Me

#Beingaleader means you need people around you that are different than you are. Different in perspective. Different in style. Different in skill set. Different temperament. We hear a lot about diversity and inclusion. In the marketplace. In church. In politics. In society at large. This is not a post about racial or gender diversity specifically … Continue reading Different Than Me →

Leading Leaders

Not everyone you lead will be a follower. Sometimes #beingaleader means you have to lead leaders. This is a different level of leadership and requires a different skill set, mindset and demeanor. You cannot treat other leaders as followers but rather co-voyagers on a journey. They are already people of vision, inner strength and motivation. … Continue reading Leading Leaders →

Self-Aware

#Beingaleader means you are self-aware. Self-aware is defined as "being honest with yourself." You need to answer at least these two important questions in this regard: "Who are you?" and "What brings you life?" You cannot truly be in the right place as a leader without being honest with how you were made, what your … Continue reading Self-Aware →

Keep Going

#Beingaleader means you get tired. Keep going. I've touched on this topic before but it's forefront in my mind. My month has been full of funerals/memorial services. Sometimes you just get tired of it all and want to quit. Is it really worth it? Keep going. Press through. The darkness will dissipate. God's mercies are … Continue reading Keep Going →

It’s Love, Stupid.

We often hear in politics that "it's the economy, stupid." But in #beingaleader (a parent) to your family there are way more important things to discuss than just economics. Today we will touch on one of those fundamentals. Love. When talking about parenting, there is no more important facet than the showing of love. I … Continue reading It’s Love, Stupid. →

Celebrate the Wins

#Beingaleader means you have to celebrate the wins of your team. They need it. You need it. Don't forget it. Too often we focus on the negative and fail to recognize the wins along the way. #Beingaleader isn't always about hardship and difficulty and failure that you have to overcome as a team. There are … Continue reading Celebrate the Wins →

Stress

#Beingaleader means you live in a world of stress (defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.) Changing circumstances. Pace of life. Unforeseen issues. Volume of issues. Loudness of the questions. All of these can lead to stress. How you handle it will show how … Continue reading Stress →

Lead By Example

#Beingaleader means you lead by example. Want a great team? Be a great leader. Want a hard working team? Work hard. Want a team that communicates well? Learn to communicate well. Want a team that serves others? Be a servant leader. Your priorities will be their priorities. #Beingaleader means that you don't settle for a … Continue reading Lead By Example →

Lead Something

#Beingaleader means you lead. Something. All the time. Small. Big. It doesn't really matter. You hone your skill in the doing. There is no substitute for this action. Reading and listening to the advice of others are important and good and can give you examples of how you should do things. But you learn more … Continue reading Lead Something →

Margin

#Beingaleader means you need to create margin in your life. I define margin as creating time to think, prepare and build your future and the future of your team. This impacts everything from relationships to business ventures to family life. We get so busy living the here and now that we don't want, that we … Continue reading Margin →

You’re Fired

#Beingaleader means that sometimes you have to let people go from your team. It's not fun. It's not easy. But it's sometimes necessary. There are plenty of euphemisms for this: reduction in force; it's just not working; we're going in another direction; etc. Lots has been written about being on the receiving end of such … Continue reading You’re Fired →

Inspire

#Beingaleader means you need to inspire people. The successful team is one that wants to go where you are going. You inspire by giving them vision; a reason to go in a particular direction; and the tools to get there. #Beingaleader is about letting them see where the team is going; to so inspire them … Continue reading Inspire →

Stand Firm

This coming weekend I will be speaking at my church's men's retreat on the subject of Standing Firm (see 1 Cor. 16:13 for context). What was surprising to me as I prepared was that we are told to stand firm. Not to stand still. It is an active thing. Not a passive one. #Beingaleader means … Continue reading Stand Firm →

Setting the Tone

#Beingaleader means you set the tone for your team. You create the atmosphere so be careful in selecting what that atmosphere is going to be. It is very difficult for your team to rise emotionally above where you are at so set the bar high. Everyone of us has ups and downs. #Beingaleader means you … Continue reading Setting the Tone →

Responsibility

#Beingaleader means it's your fault. You have to take responsibility for the bad things that happen in your group or on your team. This includes errors in judgment, mistakes, giving authority to those who can't handle it, or any other thing that falls within your purview. #Beingaleader means you cannot blame-shift. You cannot point fingers … Continue reading Responsibility →

Culture

#Beingaleader means you are responsible for the culture of your team. Today we are going to touch on communication culture. That is: how do the team members communicate with you and with each other? Good, bad or indifferent? Simon Sinek had a TED talk about similar things that you can watch here: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe. The premise … Continue reading Culture →