Daniel: Marketplace Leadership
Issue #160, July 22, 2015 Servant leadership is an inside job, but it will show on the outside in the way we do our work in the marketplace. Daniel already demonstrated his character and ability to wisely appeal to authority, but he also demonstrates compentence in his service to the king. When it was time […]
David: From Mistakes to Success
Issue #141, October 29, 2014 At last David is King and is ready to lead for the glory of God! One of his first acts as king was to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem, symbolizing his desire to have God’s presence at the center of his leadership. But as they danced and celebrated […]
Lead with Your Ears: The Barriers to Listening
Issue #128, April 30, 2014 Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear (James 1:19, The Message). Leading with our ears sounds great, but leading with our tongue seems a lot more natural to most leaders. After all, our tongue is right at the front of […]
Lead with Your Ears: The Benefits of Listening
Issue #127, April 16, 2014 My tongue has gotten me in plenty of trouble, but my ears? Never! If only I would learn to follow James’ counsel, Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear (James 1:19, The Message). Not surprisingly, the first recorded action of […]
Lead with Your Ears: Listen to the Right Voices
Issue #126, April 2, 2014 For a long time, I had the following verse posted on my office wall: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear (James 1:19, The Message). I love the perspective The Message offers to servant leaders, “Lead with your ears, follow […]
Quality Assurance: Not New Convert
Issue #110, July 26, 2013 Paul continues his quality checklist for Timothy by noting that the leaders chosen must “not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6). At first glance it may seem like Paul is against young leaders. However, he […]
Quality Assurance: Able to teach
Issue #104, April 22, 2013 Paul’s quality checklist to Timothy next calls for leaders who are “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2). Many associate this skill with only a few select individuals who are gifted and called to public speaking and teaching. But Paul is convinced that all leaders should have this ability. He agrees […]
Quality Assurance: Temperate/Sober-minded
Issue #100, February 25, 2013 After calling leaders to be blameless and to honor marriage commitments, Paul adds to his quality assurance list; the leader must be “temperate” (1 Timothy 3:2). My first response is “What?” Temperate is not a word I use often! Other translations use “vigilant” and “sober-minded.” The main idea is the […]
Servant Leaders Need Servant Followers
Issue #17, October 22, 2009 At a break in a conference a leader came to me and said, “People trusted me until I became a leader.” He was a part of an organization that had a deep mistrust of leaders and his comments addressed the difficulty of leading in this environment. Servant leadership is not […]