Just like doctors can become calloused to the physical suffering of their patients, we as leaders can become hardened to the people in our ministry and lives. It can be painful to walk with them through their struggles time and again, and sometimes we wish we didn’t feel so deeply. It’s tempting to harden up […]

Ambiguity and uncertainty are givens for leaders. The vision is still percolating. The project is still being massaged. The employee situation is still unresolved. Not to mention the strained relationship in our personal lives. How can we remain resolute when so much around us is in flux? Recently, an unresolved relationship in my personal life […]

As leaders, we want to do things with excellence. But what does that truly mean, and what does it take to achieve? I recently witnessed a display of excellence that brought tears to my eyes. We were having concrete steps installed at our cottage and didn’t know the expertise of the landscapers. I had a […]

As leaders, our minds are filled with vision, planning, and implementation. Left unchecked, though, they can become overly full to the point of flooding. We have a small cottage on the St. Lawrence Seaway in northern New York, where the river is at its highest level in one hundred years. Docks are submerged, boat houses […]

A deep current of passion runs through the soul of most leaders. But just like the current of a river can ebb and flow, a leader’s zeal can too. How can we keep the flow strong and well-directed? Last fall, God used a documentary on a worship band to deepen my love for Jesus. As […]

The other day I dumped a forgotten bucketful of damp rags into the washer, and they smelled like crazy. The same can be true of our strengths. Left unchecked, they take on a foul odor.     One of my leadership strengths is vision. I readily see into the future and have lots of ideas about […]

Leaders are doers, movers, and shakers. But if that’s all they are, their efforts can amount to shadowboxing. Thankfully, God has a one-two punch that’s powerfully effective and worth learning. It was our monthly retreat to plan state-wide initiatives. Given the scope of our outreach, we could’ve felt the pressure and packed our agenda. But […]

There’s no exaggeration to the phrase, “the right perspective changes everything.” Depending on how we look at a situation, it’s flat and lifeless or it’s got hope and vitality in God. But how do we find God’s perspective? I needed God’s perspective after serving as a newbie among spiritual giants on a national leadership team. […]