The Sound of Silent Leadership…in Reflection
January 22, 2020 Servant leaders learn that leadership is not always about talking. They acknowledge that, at times, what is done in silence may have more impact than what is done in public speaking! They embrace the call of the writer of Lamentations to spend some time in silent reflection: It is good to wait […]
The Leader and Emotion: Peace
We have looked a David’s life to reflect on all kinds of emotions including joy, sorrow, fear, anger, guilt and vengeance. We’ll conclude our reflections on emotion with peace…a pleasant place to finish! 1Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. 2Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he […]
The Leader and Emotion: Anxiety
What will happen to me tomorrow? Will I be able to pay the bills? Can I overcome the obstacles I am facing? What if I lose my job? Every leader deals with questions like these about the future. These questions can easily lead to anxiety—a feeling of worry or nervousness about an imagined threat or […]
The Leader and Emotion: Confusion
Issue #247, December 12, 2018 Can a great leader be confused? Leaders usually act with confidence and seem to know the direction to go. But all of us have faced situations in which the way forward was not very clear. David was a great leader, but experienced confusion and often cried out to God for […]
The Leader and Emotion: Fear
We all face situations that bring fear. Fear can be a very natural response to a situation that presents danger or harm to us. Our bodies react instinctively either to flee or fight. David also experienced fear. 1 Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; 2 hear me and answer me. My […]
The Leader and Emotion: Loneliness
With our entire world connected by social media it seems that none of us should be lonely. But the United Kingdom recently appointed a “minister of loneliness” to deal with the increased social and health issues associated with this emotion. Loneliness is not a new emotion; it was keenly felt by David when he said […]
The Leader and Emotion: Sorrow
From joy to sorrow, all leaders experience a broad range of emotions. Often they are mixed together as they were for David in Psalm 31. In the first verses he expresses his joy in God’s love but then he quickly reveals his sorrow. 9 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress; my […]
The Leader and Emotion: Jesus
I begin this series with a personal confession. At the age of 55, after many years of leading and teaching on leadership, I am beginning to realize that I have often not been aware of my own emotions. In fact, I’ve tried hard to keep my emotions from impacting my leadership. I allowed myself to […]
Jacob: Leading with a Limp
Issue #206, May 3, 2017 We often think the best leaders are strong and powerful, walking with bold confidence in their abilities and working hard for success. Jacob walked like this for many years and in the previous issue, we saw how he limped towards leadership. But as Jacob fled from his father-in-law to return […]
A Sense of Timing: A Time to Rest
Issue #194, November 16, 2016 Many leaders know how to work hard; only a few know when it is time to rest. Yet rest is a part of God’s plan for all leaders. Creation introduced a rhythm of day and night. The concept of a weekly Sabbath rest was also introduced in the creation and […]