A Flourishing Culture: Servant Leadership
Issue #414, January 14, 2026 Flourishing things are attractive. We love to look at a well-manicured flower garden where all the plants are healthy and strong. The same is true for organizations that flourish—they are attractive. Flourishing plants require healthy soil; flourishing organizations require a healthy culture. In this series we’ll examine 6 elements of […]
Joshua: Using Wisdom to Cast Vision
Issue #403, July 23, 2025 Joshua’s leadership work was nearly done. The land was divided, and the people were settled. But before he died, he used wisdom to cast a vision for the next generation. 14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates […]
Paul: Raise the Bar™
Issue #394, March 19, 2025 Effective leadership begins with a compelling purpose. But the vision will not be accomplished unless teams are built around shared values that align peoples’ actions with the vision. Values guide the actions of everyone on the team and shape the culture. Values are expressed when someone says, “That’s how we […]
#390 Serving Leaders Follow Those Ahead of Them
#390, January 22, 2025 In the last issue, we examined how serving leaders follow those in authority over them as Paul followed Christ. In this issue, we’ll focus on how leaders follow those ahead of them. Serving leaders today have the privilege not only of following those in authority over them, but also following other […]
#372 Nehemiah: Raise the Bar™
April 24, 2024 Nehemiah had a clear vision to build the wall, but as a serving leader he was also concerned about the welfare of his people. During the rebuilding project Nehemiah discovered that many of the people were suffering because of high interest rates charged by their fellow Jews. The wealthy were taking advantage […]
#364 Let’s Talk Money: Share It
December 13, 2023 We previously observed that serving leaders see themselves as stewards of money and they are thoughtful about how they obtain money. With this foundation, the heart of serving leaders is fully expressed when they generously share their financial resources with others. Serving leaders live their entire lives with a focus on others […]
#357 Timothy: Becoming a Role Model
September 6, 2023 Timothy learned early that leading himself came before leading others. Before he called others to follow, he had to model the way. Consider these verses: Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales; rather, train yourself to be godly” (1 Timothy 4:7, NIV). Don’t let anyone look down on […]
#353 Timothy: Learning the Word
July 12, 2023 One of the many things Timothy needed to learn as a church leader was how to understand, apply and teach the scriptures. As a follower of Jesus, this was his essential textbook for life and leadership. Consider these exhortations from Paul: 15and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which […]
#348 Paul’s Leadership Pipeline: Encourage Them
April 19, 2023 We have reflected on several deliberate actions that Paul took to develop his leadership pipeline strategically moving people from one level to the next in their capacity. One action that Paul continually practiced was encouraging those he wanted to develop. Consider these examples from his communication with Timothy: For this reason […]
#343 Paul’s Leadership Pipeline: Show Them
February 8, 2023 We have observed how Paul chose and prepared Timothy, one of the emerging leaders on his team. As Paul invited Timothy to join him on a leadership journey, he was beginning a deliberate process of showing Timothy how to lead. They would walk together, work together, talk together and share life together. […]