BA - Fort Wayne Bible College
MAR - Trinity Evangelical Divinity
D.Min - Grace Theological Seminary
Birkman Certified Coach
John Maxwell Certified Team Member
Myers/Briggs Certified
FIRO-B Certified
TKI Certified
25 Years Executive Coaching
When people are faced with this kind of leadership weakness, they can run from it, or they can try to overcome it.
What is your current goal as a leader?
LIVE IT
I can’t lead people if I need people! This statement is worthy of your reflection.
Every leader will face tough times. Your decisions are marked by these three things:
The tough call demands risk
A tough call brings with it an inner battle
A tough call will distinguish you as a leader
LEAD IT
If you aren’t willing to take care of the little difficulties, don’t expect to be able to rise up to meet the big ones.
No matter how tough it gets, a real leader will keep on leading and never give up.
If you keep doing the right thing, you will continue to gain greater responsibility.
Have you made the tough calls in the past?
Are you prepared to win the battle within?
Are you playing it too safe as a leader?
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at its testing point.” — C.S. Lewis
7 Key Benefits of Courage
Courage enables you to maximize the potential of yourself and others. It has been said that life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. The Law of Expansion says that Growth Always Increases Your Capacity. Leadership has at its center the requirement of courage. You cannot be a leader unless you find a way of developing and generating courage in yourself and then “encouraging” others.
Courage sustains you to live a life of few regrets. Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that really matter.” — Martin Luther King
Courage allows you to climb as you step up the ladder of life. It has been said that courage is a muscle that is strengthened by use.
Courage encourages you during uncertain times. The Special Olympic Prayer says; “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.
Courage propels you to reinvent yourself as often as needed. Courage can be viewed as the power to leave the familiar.
Courage sustains you long enough to win. “If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in the eye and say, ‘I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.’” — Ann Landers.
Courage advances your voice. People do not follow titles, they follow courage – William Brown. Respect on difficult ground. JFK once stated, “The stories of past courage…can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.”
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The Challenge Zone: “I attempt to do what I haven’t done before.”
The Comfort Zone: “I do what I already know I can do.”
The Coasting Zone: “I don’t even do what I’ve done before.”
One of the great dangers of life is believing that you have arrived.
LIVE IT
Whether you are trying to cross over into the ranks of continual learners, or you are trying to build an organization that possesses a growth environment, the secret to success can be found in the people who surround you.
People’s attitudes and actions rub off on one another.
Small people will try to put the same limits on you that they have put on themselves.
LEAD IT
Remember, a growth environment is one in which:
Others are ahead of them (this means you are growing).
They are continually challenged.
The focus is forward (on the future, not past mistakes).
The atmosphere is affirming.
They are often out of their comfort zone (but not their strength zone).
They wake up excited (they are excited about coming to work).
Failure is not their enemy (they are allowed to take risks).
Others are growing (you must place a high value on growth for everyone).
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
In case you missed it, we are shifting or have shifted in some cases to a network world. To use a historical illustration, think about the Catholic Church and The Reformation with Martin Luther. The 95 Thesis nailed to the front door of the church at Wittenberg, Germany started a decentralization of power and authority away from an institutional church to the people. Today, technology coupled with our pandemic disruptions, social racism, economic pressure, and election outcomes is all serving to defuse the authority of the church once again either in how we consume religious practices and content to how people are interacting with faith and belief in a digital world.
Our ability for global travel coupled with the Internet 2.0 is radically changing the volume of content that is available. Pastors, you do know that Gen-xer’s, Millennials and Gen-z’s are fact-checking your sermons in real-time for accuracy and who else has spoken on this sermon series? This reality was unheard of fifteen years ago but is now part of the worship experience in churches.
Consider Sociologist Max Weber’s three types of authority[1]. There is a Traditional Authority that is more of a Monarchy type of authority. This is followed by Legal Authority that includes Presidents, Congress, and big denominations. Finally, there is Charismatic Authority which focuses on the Charisma of a personality and their ability to attract followers outside of formal authoritative structures. Technology is allowing everyone to become a commentator and pundit. Our current President demonstrates the power of circumventing normal news channels to get a message to the masses via Charisma. The vertical authority of Legal Institutions is being eroded by the power of horizontal conversations of charismatic voices on the Web.
The unique challenge of Pastoral Ministry today is that Boomers and Gen-xer’s are leading Teams that are comprised of Millennials and Gen-zer’s. That is a difficult mix to say the least. So, what can be done to lead in an era of Social Tribalism? I believe that Sociologist Max Weber is missing a fourth level of authority – Spiritual Authority! Spiritual Authority is simply God grabbing our heart and shaping the passion of our voice and the sound of words in our content. Regurgitating everyone else’s content is not Spiritual Authority. The Apostle Paul gives clarity to Spiritual Authority in the Bible book, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV; And I, when I came to you, brothers,[a] did not come proclaiming to you the testimony[b] of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men[c] but in the power of God; 4:20 ESV; For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.
You may become drawn toward Charismatic Authority, but your spiritual transformation will only come through Spiritual Authority. There is something powerful about leaders who press in toward God and seek His presence through brokenness and tears, emerging with new authority that is not ours!
Is it possible that our pandemic shutdown and social distancing has opened up people to various new authorities? Are we beginning to watch the decentralization of all things BIG to all things TRIBAL which is more small community connected? How are spiritual leaders supposed to lead in the face of rapid changes culturally? Here is what I know, severe crisis and disruptions cause people to respond when confronted with pressure they did not create. Modern Evangelism has been defined as, watching people move from one idol to another idol because of crisis pressure and then stand in that gap with spiritual authority.
Joel 2:15-17 (ESV) is a right now present word for our COVID world! “Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. 17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations.[a] Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Today is a day of great HOPE and FAITH in Christ Jesus!
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
Time cannot be managed. It cannot be controlled in any way.
Twenty-four hours is the best any of us is going to get.
Nothing separates successful people from unsuccessful people more than how they use their time.
Are you getting the best use of your time?
LIVE IT
Good Leaders cannot be bad self-managers! WHY?
They undervalue their uniqueness by doing what others want them to do.
They ruin their effectiveness by doing unimportant things.
They reduce their potential by doing things without a coach or training.
LEAD IT
Those who do it well do things that:
Advance their overall purpose in life – this helps them grow.
Underscore their values – this brings them fulfillments.
Maximize their strengths – this makes them effective.
Increase their happiness – this gives them better health.
Equip and coach others – these compounds their productivity.
Add value to others – this increases their influence.
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
Taking responsibility is the first step in maximizing your potential
Responsibility is the most important choice that you make in your life
Overcome the tendency to blame circumstances and people for failures
Taking responsibility is tied to increasing your success
LIVE IT
Responsibility creates the foundation for your success
Responsibility will put you in control of your life
Responsibility sets the course of your daily activity
Responsibility prepares you for action
Responsibility makes your habits serve you
Responsibility earns you respect and authority
LEAD IT
Have you connected the idea of taking responsibility and increasing your potential?
Do you think becoming more responsible could help you in your personal life and career?
On a scale of 1-10 would you rate yourself when it comes be prepared to take action?
What habits will change when you decide to become more responsible?
How do you daily manage the decision to be more responsible?
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
When you are young and Idealistic, you feel that you can lead better than many who have come before you. IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS! Consider….
I gave little thought to what might go wrong.
I assumed that the “right way” would be mistake-free.
I did not acknowledge mistakes I made to myself or others.
I was not learning from my mistakes.
I was not helping others by teaching lessons learned from my mistakes.
LIVE IT
If you want to learn to fail successfully and handle the mistakes you do make with maximum profit, then you need to do the following five things:
Admit and own your mistakes and weaknesses
Accept mistakes as the price of progress
Insist on learning from mistakes
Ask yourself and others, “What are we missing here?”
Give the people around you, permission to push back
LEAD IT
What is your attitude toward mistakes?
Are you owning up to your mistakes?
Are you getting the best ideas from your subordinates?
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
80 percent of traffic jams occur on 20 percent of the roads.
80 percent of classroom participation comes from 20 percent of students.
80 percent of time you wear 20 percent of your clothes.
80 percent of the profits come from only 20 percent of the customers.
80 percent of problems are generated by 20 percent of the employees.
80 percent of sales are generated by 20 percent of the salespeople.
80 percent of all decisions can be made on 20 percent of the information.
LIVE IT
FIND THE MAIN THING
I determine not to know everything!
I determine to not know everything first!
I determine to let someone represent me!
I determine to stay with my strengths and not my weaknesses!
I determine to take charge of what took my time and energy!
LEAD IT
Take a look at your calendar and to-do lists from last month. For every
block of time, determine how your activities could be categorized according
to the following list:
Something I was told in school that I ought to do.
Something other people want me to do.
Something I see other successful people doing.
Something I know I should be doing.
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
Three reasons you do not send your ducks to eagle school:
1. If you send ducks to eagle school, you will frustrate the ducks. What happens when you move people out of their strength zone in regard to comfort, strength, or effectiveness?
2. If you send ducks to eagle school, you will frustrate the eagles. Think about your followers. Have you noticed those that stand out? Why do they stand out?
3. If you send your ducks to eagle school, you will frustrate yourself. Have you ever led people who never did rise up and fulfill your expectations?
LIVE IT
How do you develop good leaders?
How do you find potentially good leaders?
Know what potential good leaders look like.
1. As a leader, it is your responsibility to know what you’re looking for. What type of leader do you look for?
2. You need to know what qualities and characteristics are present in leaders who are successful in your industry. Have you studied successful leaders in your industry? What did you find?
LEAD IT
Good leaders and potential leaders display the following characteristics:
Adaptability – Quickly adjusts to change.
Discernment – Understand the real issues.
Perspective – Sees beyond their own vantage point.
Communication – Links to all levels of the organization.
Security – Does not find identity in position.
Servanthood – Does whatever it takes.
Resourcefulness – Finds creative ways to make things happen.
Maturity – Puts the Team before Self.
Endurance – Remains consistent in character and competence over the
long haul.Countability – Can be counted on when it counts.
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
Many leaders never achieve their potential because they are “blown up” by
problems they never see coming. Because of the fear and anxiety of this pandemic year that many leaders have experienced it is worth our time to examine some leadership landmines. Keep in mind the mental – emotional health of spiritual leaders is 10x greater this year than any other year in history in which tracking data has been gathered.
Seasons of crisis can produce fear and anxiety in the hearts of leaders. When our vision becomes obscure due to crisis management, we can miss some obvious landmines that can blow up our leadership effectiveness. While we could create quite a list of potential landmines, in this podcast we will examine three landmines.
Landmine #1 – TODAY’S SUCCESS
What got you here will not keep you here! Yesterday ended at midnight! The wrong question to be asking is “Does this job have a future?” The correct question to ask is “Do I have a future?” If what you did 5 years ago still satisfies you – you have no future. So how do we avoid this landmine?
You must recognize this landmine. Joe Frazier once stated the punch that knocks you out is the one you did not see coming.
2. Keep growing personally. Growth = Change!
3. Continually as, is there a better way?
4. Be willing to seek out and pay for outside Coaching. You cannot obtain a proper perspective until you get out of the frame. Do not assume that you have the clearest perspective and vision on your leadership.
5. Don’t protect the past. Do not build a memorial to it. Recognize that it is OK to be embarrassed by your past because today you have grown beyond your past. None of us were that good in our past.
6. Build on your success do not sit on it. Keep people around you who not impressed with you. This provokes you to excel unless you see these people as a threat.
Landmine #2 – Loosing Touch With Your People
An isolated leader is an ineffective leader! How do we avoid Loosing Touch With People?
Recognize this landmine. Success leads to withdrawal – “I don’t need to see the people. Failure leads to withdrawal – “I don’t want to see the people.”
2. Value People – they are your only appreciable asset!
3. Avoid Positional Thinking – Do not fall into the positional trap!
4. Love the people you lead – people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!
5. Understand that you are in the people business6.Understand and live into the Law of Significance. This law states that one is too small of a number to achieve greatness!
Landmine #3 – Betrayal of Trust
Warren Bennis claims that trust is one of six basic ingredients of leadership.
“Integrity is the basis of trust, which is not so much an ingredient of
leadership as it is a product. It is the one quality that cannot be acquired,
but must be earned. It is given by coworkers and followers, and without it,
the leader cannot function.” Trust is the foundation upon which relationships
in every setting are built.
Receiving Trust from others is the result of
Character
Confidence
Consistency
Value character more than success.
2. Focus on shared goals more than personal agendas
3. Do the right thing regardless of personal risk
4. Be accountable to others5.Follow the Golden Rule
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
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