The Sound of Silent Leadership…in Conversation
February 19, 2020 Recall the last conversation you had with a close friend. Who did most of the talking, you or the friend? Did the one who talked the most have more influence? We usually think that the person who talks most in the conversation has the most influence. This is true sometimes, but not […]
Learning from Rehoboam: Leaders Choose to whom they Listen
October 16, 2019 To whom do you listen when you have a tough decision to make? Rehoboam, like all leaders, had a choice to make. And the choice of who the leader listens to can have significant outcomes, as it did for Rehoboam. We have already seen that Rehoboam learned that failing to listen would […]
Daniel: Speaking with Wisdom and Tact
Issue #161, August 5, 2015 It was a matter of life and death. The executioners were searching for Daniel to kill him. The king earlier had a dream and ordered his astrologers to both tell him the dream and provide the interpretation. When they declared that the task was impossible, the king ordered all the […]
Daniel: Appealing to Authority
Issue #159, July 8, 2015 Our first lesson from Daniel’s life was his resolve not to be defiled; he lived with a moral compass that would not be moved. But his moral resolve quickly brings Daniel into conflict with the king’s plans and leads to his first leadership challenge. But Daniel resolved not to defile […]
David: Needing a Nathan
Issue #147, January 21, 2015 David’s repentance recorded in Psalm 51 is a beautiful picture of a leader who is truly remorseful for his sin. But his repentance happened when, “The LORD sent Nathan to David” (2 Samuel 12:1). David was a king, a mighty warrior, and a successful leader in so many ways, but […]
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 […]
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 […]
Speaking Truth with Love
Issue #35, July 7, 2010 Leaders use their tongue with great impact. Servant leaders recognize the power of their tongue to bring life or death to those who listen. Paul clearly identified one challenge facing all leaders, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the […]