Fruitful Failure: Find a New Definition of Failure
Issue #433, October 7, 2026 All leaders fail, but not all leaders find ways to make failure fruitful. The fear of failure often keeps leaders from moving forward and the pain of failure keeps them from trying again. Effective leaders turn failures into opportunities to grow by changing their perception of and response to failure. […]
#369 Secure Leaders Accept Mistakes
March 13, 2024 Leaders make mistakes and those they lead make mistakes! But there are many ways that leaders respond to the mistakes. Their response indicates their own level of security as a leader. The story of Joseph is a model of leadership in many ways. When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, it was […]
# 326 A Flourishing World: Accountability is Natural
June 8, 2022 God’s flourishing world included clear standards as we have already observed. God told Adam that there was one tree from which he was not to eat. Sadly, it wasn’t long before that command was broken. 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to […]
Leading with Grace: Share it.
December 11, 2019 Leaders who learn to receive God’s grace and integrate grace into their daily lives are then ready to share this grace with others. As they do, they recall the words of Paul: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the […]
Speaking the Truth, with No Record of Wrongs
When I’ve done my best to speak truth in love to a good friend, but they continue repeating the same mistakes, what does it mean to respond in the way of Jesus? Paul clearly commands us to speak the “truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). But then he clarifies that love “keeps no record of wrongs […]
The Leader and Emotion: Betrayal
Betrayal is a common experience in leadership which stirs up many emotions. Betrayal happens when a person close to us violates our trust. Betrayal itself is an action, not an emotion. But it often catches a leader by surprise and results in many different emotions such as anger, hurt, bewilderment, etc. A church member may […]
Joseph: Recognizing the Purpose of the Dream
Issue #222, December 13, 2017 As Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, he showed that he finally understood the purpose for which God gave him the dream. What he understood about the purpose of his dream as a mature leader was very different from what he thought as a 17-year-old. And now, do not be […]
Grace to lead in a new year
Issue #73, January 11, 2012 As we enter 2012 I've been reflecting on why New Year's Day is a significant event around the world. While we know that nothing really changes from December 31st to January 1st, the mental change is profound and results in massive celebrations in every time zone. I conclude that New […]
Tame that Tongue: Grace to Change
Issue #72, December 28, 2011 In the last three issues we examined the “big three” sins of the tongue: Talking too much, lying, and gossiping. James reminds us that as leaders we are held to a higher level of accountability because of our influence (James 3:1). So, let’s conclude this series by looking at five […]
The Leaders’ Identity
Issue #37, August 11, 2010 Leadership Nuggets from Ephesians, 1 Servant leaders influence greatly because they have a strong sense of their identity in Christ. Paul lays the foundation for our identity in Ephesians 1:1-14 and provides several key factors that shape our identity. The principles he lists apply to all believers, but three have […]