Leadership http://leadership.churchoftheking.com Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:25:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Controlling The Flow http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/331 http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/331#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:44:29 +0000 amy http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/331

  • What are 3 things you can begin to do to make your mind new everyday (Romans 12:2)?  How will your mind being made new impact others?
  • “Our responsibility is to lead others…set the table for them to know God and fulfill their purpose in life.”  How does this apply to your life as a leader?
]]> http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/331/feed 0 Growing in Christ: The foundation for developing as a leader http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/growing-in-christ-the-foundation-for-developing-as-a-leader http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/growing-in-christ-the-foundation-for-developing-as-a-leader#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:27:39 +0000 amy http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/?p=329 By Danny Mequet (dmequet@churchoftheking.com)

A few days ago I was asked by a good friend of mine what my growth strategy is as a leader. While there are several different things that I intentionally do to continue to develop myself, there is no doubt in my mind that it is my relationship with Christ that is my source. As I look back over my life, I credit my dad and one of my former youth pastors, Shane Harris, for helping me understand the importance of developing my personal relationship with Christ. Throughout my junior high and high school years I remember my dad would be sitting on the couch in our living room reading his Bible and praying every morning when I got up for school at 6 am. It was through his constant example that spoke so loudly to me of the importance of developing the habit of connecting with God everyday. Shane was a great youth pastor of mine when I was a skinny 14 year old kid trying to figure out life. Shane was an intense guy who was a former college linebacker, so needless to say he had my respect if for no other reason he was twice my size! I remember that every time I saw him he would ask me if I’d been praying and reading my Bible. In order to be able to truthfully tell him, “Yes” I would make sure I spent time with God on a regular basis. Whether or not I did this with the right motive doesn’t matter. What matters is that as I continued to connect with God I began to grow in my relationship with Him.

It is a personal relationship with God that will allow you to grow in godly character (Romans 5:3-4), your God-given purpose (Romans 12:2) and passion for others (Matthew 22:39). It is these three areas that are critical to develop as a godly leader, and it is only through a growing relationship with Jesus Christ that these qualities will be found.

By pursuing growth in your relationship with Christ you will continue to build the foundation upon which God will be able to trust you with more leadership opportunities.
Questions for reflection:
• What are you currently doing to improve yourself as a godly leader?
• What are you currently doing to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ?
• How have you seen your influence with others grow as your relationship with Jesus has grown?

]]> http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/growing-in-christ-the-foundation-for-developing-as-a-leader/feed 0 Becoming a great leader — Having the heart of a servant http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/becoming-a-great-leader-having-the-heart-of-a-servant http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/becoming-a-great-leader-having-the-heart-of-a-servant#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:37:40 +0000 amy http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/?p=327 by Danny Mequet

When my wife Missy and I first got married I remember having an argument over how I cleaned the dishes. I was much more upset over the fact that I didn’t get appreciated for my act of service than I was about her disagreeing with how I did the dishes. As I look back, I realize the reason I was so upset about not getting appreciated was because I served with the wrong motives. I wanted her to notice and thank me for my actions, which showed my motivation for serving was self-centered.

As leaders, it is natural to want to accomplish great things, but as we attempt to make a difference in this world we must make sure we have the right heart – the heart of a servant. Jesus does a great job of addressing this issue in Mark 10:43 when he said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”

This verse is powerful because it speaks to the heart of who we are, not to what we do. Many people look at the person who sweeps floors, serves in the nursery or directs traffic in a busy church parking lot as a servant; and there is not doubt that they are. However, many people’s definition of a servant is limited.

Do you think the owner of a multi-billion dollar business would be considered a servant by most people? How about a small group leader at a church who is intent on seeing people fulfill their God-given purpose? Truett Cathy, owner and founder of Chic-fil-a is both the owner of a multi-billion dollar business as well as a faithful leader in his church. He may not appear as somebody we see as a typical servant. I’m sure there were days when he swept floors or took out the trash, but it is his heart that makes him a servant. Truett Cathy is not dedicated to making good chicken sandwiches, he is dedicated to building people. It is his tireless efforts that make this extremely successful man also a great servant.

As you think about your motivation to be a leader ask yourself the following questions:
• Do I want to lead in order to gain recognition or because I want to see others fulfill their God-given purpose?
• When I don’t get the recognition that I desire from serving how do I feel? What thoughts go through my head? How do I react?

Becoming a great leader (person of influence) is not about the act of serving…it’s about having the heart of a servant.

]]> http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/becoming-a-great-leader-having-the-heart-of-a-servant/feed 0 What does it mean to “lead myself?” http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/what-does-it-mean-to-%e2%80%9clead-myself%e2%80%9d http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/what-does-it-mean-to-%e2%80%9clead-myself%e2%80%9d#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:14:24 +0000 amy http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/?p=317 Danny Mequet

As leaders, we often hear “you must lead yourself before you can lead others.” This is a true statement, but learning how to practically live this out can be challenging. In order to help bring clarity to this sometimes ambiguous statement we are going to look at three different areas in which we must grow in order to effectively lead others.

1) Character
As leaders, we must understand that who we are is more important that what we accomplish. Our talents and charisma can carry us to certain levels of successful leadership, but real influential leaders are defined by the core of who they are.

“Guard you heart, for out of it comes the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Character is the “heart” of who we are. If our heart is not aligned with who God has called us to be then we will not be able to successfully lead others.

2) Purpose
Our purpose has more to do with what God has called us to do and can only be addressed when our character lines up with who God has called us to be. As you lead yourself you must begin to make strides towards accomplishing what God has uniquely called you to do.
In order to fulfill your purpose you must:
1) Find your purpose
2) Set goals to reach your purpose
3) Work towards your purpose

“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained” Proverbs 29:18

Find God’s purpose for your life, set the necessary goals and work towards it so that you can lead others to fulfill their purpose.

3) Relationships
Once we work on developing our character and purpose we can begin to develop the relationships that will allow our influence to increase. As leaders, we must understand that “leaders must accomplish things through, with and for people, and that can happen only with the ability to build relationships.” (Launching a Leadership Revolution; Brady & Woodward).
As leaders, the most valuable resource we have is our influence, and that influence is only gained when we understand the importance of valuing people. God gives us the greatest example of value when He told us in 1 John 4:19, “We love, because He first loved us.” If you put others first then you will be given influence.

God has called us to be people of influence and the only way we can become what God has called us to become is to lead ourselves. Now that you have seen 3 areas you must lead yourself in you can begin the journey of building your influence so that you can build God’s Kingdom.

Questions for reflection
• Why do you think it is important to lead yourself before you can lead others?
• Of the 3 areas we must lead ourselves in, what is the most challenging one for you? Why?
• What will you do to begin to lead yourself better in your character, purpose and relationships?

*Several of the ideas in this article were adapted from Launching a Leadership Revolution by Brady and Woodward.

]]> http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/what-does-it-mean-to-%e2%80%9clead-myself%e2%80%9d/feed 0 The Strength of Serving http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/the-strength-of-serving http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/the-strength-of-serving#comments Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:48:23 +0000 amy http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/?p=314 Many times in life we face challenging circumstances that seem as if they will “take us out.” When facing these types of challenges we can respond one of two ways. We can give up out of fear, or we can hold to God’s promises (Romans 8:37, Psalm 23:4, Romans 8:28) and trust that God will work all things for His good. Through the incredible challenges that we may face in life, it is the attitude of a servant that will allow us to not only be overcomers, but to lead others into an overcoming life.
(This article is from GIANT Impact http://www.giantimpact.com/iphone/article_read/be_the_one_serve/ and it helps us understand the importance of having an attitude of service as we lead through challenging times.)
In life, it’s not what happens to you, but what happens in you and through you that counts. When adversity visits your life, you have two choices: to be a victim or to be a victor. Victims allow life circumstances to get them down, and they spend their lives asking others to redress the grievances life has dealt them. Victims are needy and demand to be served. Victors, on the other hand, rise above the challenges they encounter. They rebound from life’s hardships with newfound strength, and they use their strength in service of those around them.
Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon was born in 1860 to a wealthy family in Savannah, Georgia. Far from the typical Southern belle, Juliette was willful and tomboyish, always in search of adventure. She was the type of person never to be caught sitting still; she enjoyed trying new things and traveling new places.
In her mid-twenties, the first of a series of misfortunes struck Juliette. Suffering from chronic earaches, she sought medical care, but doctors mistreated her. As a consequence, Juliette lost the majority of her hearing in one ear. The following year, Juliette was married, but as she and the groom exited the ceremony a grain of rice, tossed by a well-wisher, lodged in her good ear. While attempting to remove the grain, a doctor punctured her eardrum, and Juliette lost hearing in her second ear.
For someone who enjoyed an active lifestyle, deafness could have been devastating, but Juliette persevered. She moved to her husband’s estate in England where she became a favorite in social circles. Her humor and vivacity made her a sought-after guest and celebrated hostess.
However, Juliette soon crossed paths with tragedy again. Her husband’s alcohol abuse and infidelity contributed to the gradual decline of their relationship, and in the middle of divorce proceedings, Juliette’s husband died from a stroke. To make matters worse, he bequeathed his substantial estate to his mistress rather than giving it to Juliette.
Choosing to Get Up Rather Than Give Up
Having lost her hearing, her husband, and her home, you would have expected Juliette to feel bitter and victimized. However, at this very point in her life, she chose to serve. Somehow, she moved past her own tragic circumstances to see the good she could do for others.
Having befriended Sir Robin Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts, Juliette became intrigued by the Girl Guides, Britain’s sister organization to the Boy Scouts. The Girl Guides program awakened passion in Juliette, reminding her of youthful adventures from days gone by. With the help of Sir Baden-Powell, Juliette returned to the United States with a notion to launch the Girl Scouts.
Over the next 15 years, Juliette devoted her life to pioneering the Girl Scouts of the USA. She founded its inaugural troop, authored its bylaws and handbooks, and solicited its startup funds. Thanks to her tireless recruiting and relentless campaigning, the Girl Scouts program blossomed. The organization was such a source of joy for Juliette that, when diagnosed with cancer, she hid the illness as long as possible in order to continue advancing the scouting movement. While she never had children of her own, by the time of her death Juliette had an “adopted family” of more than 160,000 girl scouts. Her legacy lives on today in the 3.4 million young ladies who belong to local Girl Scout troops in America.
Questions for Reflection
Where do you focus the majority of your time, on self or on service? When the hardships of life show up at your door, do you back down or rise to the challenge? On your journey through life, will you allow yourself to be victimized, or will you be the one who claims victory over adversity and serves others out of your strength?

]]> http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/the-strength-of-serving/feed 0 Leading Hearts vs. Correcting Behavior http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/leading-hearts-vs-correcting-behavior http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/leading-hearts-vs-correcting-behavior#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 22:08:40 +0000 amy http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/?p=304 Danny Mequet

Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized that your kids have turned the tables and taught you a huge life lesson? One Sunday afternoon, my three year old son Caleb taught me an incredible leadership lesson during what was supposed to be his nap time.

As a father, I understand the incredible value of a Sunday afternoon nap. However, as a three-year-old boy, Caleb did not see eye to eye with me on the importance of taking a nap. I allowed this slight difference in opinion to quickly escalate into what appeared to be World War III. After nearly two hours of screaming and crying (me and Caleb!) my wife intervened with a very timely question. She asked, “Why don’t you go see what’s wrong with Caleb instead of simply trying to make him do what you want him to do?”

After pondering this incredibly convicting question from my wife, I walked into Caleb’s room, climbed into his bed with him, wrapped my arms around him, told him I loved him and asked him what was wrong. In between sniffles brought on by the two hours of crying he said, “Daddy, I want you.” After hearing that simple but profound statement, I laid my head next to his and within three minutes he was peacefully asleep.

I learned a powerful leadership principle that afternoon about the hearts of those that I have the privilege to lead. I learned it’s more important to lead people’s hearts than to focus on correcting their behavior.

If you find yourself frustrated because you aren’t seeing life-change take place within the people you are leading, you may want to inventory your own heart and ask yourself, “Am I leading their hearts or simply attempting to correct their behavior?” In order to begin to lead someone’s heart, it’s important to understand that our behaviors are a result of our hearts (Proverbs 4:23, James 1:13-15, Mark, 7:21-23, Luke 6:45). If we simply try to correct behaviors, then we are only treating the symptoms instead of treating the core issue.

I know when I have a fever and I go to the doctor, I don’t expect the doctor to treat my fever. Instead, I expect him to treat the infection which is causing the fever! In the same way, as we lead others’ hearts, we must learn to deal with the core issue instead of simply treating the symptoms.

Through prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit you will be able to lead people’s hearts, which will lead to godly behavior qualities (Galatians 5:22-23). This will take more time and energy, but will result in long-lasting results. Always remember to focus on leading hearts instead of correcting behavior.

]]> http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/leading-hearts-vs-correcting-behavior/feed 0 Leadership Lessons from the Jungle http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/leadership-lessons-from-the-jungle http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/leadership-lessons-from-the-jungle#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:51:39 +0000 amy http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/?p=302 Danny Mequet

Have you ever experienced something that has caused you to look back and learn some valuable lessons? I recently returned from leading a mission trip and as I’ve taken time to reflect on the trip there are three things that God has helped clarify concerning leadership in my life, and I’d like to share them with you.

As a leader I must be:

1) Flexible
I’ve found that taking international flights provides a great opportunity to develop flexibility. After taking 48 hours to complete a trip that should have taken 18 hours I sat exhausted in a small village nestled in the middle of the rain forest in Guyana. I knew I had 11 team members who were looking to me to help set the tone for our whole trip so I had to make sure I responded correctly.

As the leader, I knew that our game plan had been thrown off significantly, but our purpose of reaching people and building lives had remained the same. Therefore, I had to be flexible with our plans, but true to our purpose. As leaders, flexibility to the plan while remaining true to the purpose is vital.

2) Spirit-led
Despite the challenges we faced in Guyana, we had a great trip and I believe there was a great impact on the people we ministered to. I attribute our success to the personal and team times of prayer that we had daily. I understand that going into battle without preparation is foolish and will lead to an unfulfilled purpose, so we made sure to prepare spiritually. Just like we expected, God answered our prayers in more ways than we could have imagined.

Just as we relied on our times of prayer to prepare us for our ministry in Guyana, we must also rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us as we lead in our daily opportunities that God gives us.

3) A Servant
One day we went throughout the village asking people how we could serve them. On that day we had the opportunity to help clear the land and place the foundational posts for a single mom who was waiting to have a house built. We also came across some farmers who had just started clearing the land for their farm. Our team was able to help clear a significant amount of land that will help these men prepare their farm. The following day, the young ladies on our team put a “Spa Day” on for the ladies of the village. It was awesome to see over 60 ladies in the middle of the rainforest being treated like queens by young ladies who were intent on sharing God’s love.

As a leader, we must never forget that we are called to serve. One of my favorite quotes is from Pastor Stoval Weems of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, FL (www.celebration.org). He said, “If I’m a leader who serves, I only serve in areas I’m passionate about. If I’m a servant who has opportunities to lead then I serve in areas of need with a great heart.”

I was impacted greatly by my time in Guyana and I hope that the lessons God taught me while in another country helps you as you grow in your ability to lead others for Christ.

]]> http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/leadership-lessons-from-the-jungle/feed 0 Leaders Make It Happen In Faith http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/leaders-make-it-happen-in-faith http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/leaders-make-it-happen-in-faith#comments Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:17:30 +0000 amy http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/?p=298 Leaders Make It Happen In Faith
by Gary J. Borgstede

Recently, I learned from reading Dr. Myles Munroe’s book, The Principle And Power Of Vision, that there are basically three types of people in the world: 1) those who never seem to be aware that things are happening around them, 2) those who ask, ‘What just happened?’, and 3) those who make things happen. Of the three types of people mentioned in Dr. Munroe’s book, what type of person would you most rather be as a leader in your home, business, church, and community?

For me the answer is clear. I want to be a person that can make things happen with a spirit of wisdom and excellence serving people and solving problems that make a difference in life. And if I had to guess, I’d say that most people would rather be someone who can make things happen too. Well, the good news is that God gives us the free gift of the Holy Spirit so that believers in Christ can make things happen in the power and might of His strength regardless of the challenges we might face in the process. In fact, the Lord declares through the prophet Zechariah that “’It’s not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

Furthermore, in the book of Numbers, the Bible shares the story of Joshua and Caleb, two of my favorite Make It Happen people in the Bible. When Moses sent out 12 spies to spy the Promised Land, 10 spies came back with a bad report and a “can’t do” spirit of fear; whereas, Joshua and Caleb came back with a good report and a “can do” spirit of faith. I personally like the way the Message Bible records their good report and “can do” spirit of faith in Numbers 13:33 stating, “Let’s go up and take the land—now. We can do it.” Despite the potential challenges and significant adversities they would have to face in the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb possessed a “can do” spirit of faith believing that all things were possible with God; but unfortunately, they weren’t able to possess the Promised Land until 40 years later because of the “can’t do” spirit of fear among the leaders on their team.

Therefore, to make it happen with a “can do” spirit of faith, leaders must work diligently in the Lord to create a team culture of empowerment that reaches people and unleashes their extraordinary God-given potential to make a difference in life. I have personally found that leaders can effectively do this by building teams upon the following nine faith-based Make It Happen team values:

1. Make It Happen people possess a positive Make It Happen attitude
2. Make It Happen people are led by servant leaders
3. Make It Happen people are service enthusiasts
4. Make It Happen people take calculated risks in the pursuit of excellence
5. Make It Happen people work extremely hard and have lots of fun
6. Make It Happen people invest and participate in training and development
7. Make It Happen people celebrate individual and team accomplishments with abundance mentality
8. Make It Happen people foster a safe environment of teamwork and mutual respect
9. Make It Happen people are professionals

Building teams on a foundation of Make It Happen team values will help create an environment where people can flourish and make it happen in life, being all that God created them to be, and doing their part to fulfill the vision and mission of their team. Thanks and have a blessed day!

]]> http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/leaders-make-it-happen-in-faith/feed 0 The Power of the First Move http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/the-power-of-the-first-move http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/the-power-of-the-first-move#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 14:34:33 +0000 amy http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/?p=296 The Power of the First Move
By Dan Reiland
The power of the first move is incredible. We’ve all seen it in action but even good leaders can forget to be intentional about making the first move. It’s sometimes as simple as the first person to pick up the phone.
Life-changing moments in a small group often come from someone making the first move. It might be a personal confession of sin, or maybe a married couple gets honest about the condition of their relationship. Then the whole group opens up and God does His work.
You know the results of the first move in a worship service. An invitation is given to say yes to the salvation of Jesus Christ. No one moves. Then the first one stands, and in seconds after, many come forward. All the moment needed was someone to go first.
In a capital stewardship campaign we know that when the leaders make their financial pledges first, the rest of the congregation is encouraged and inspired to participate in the vision.
My objective in this article is to re-fire your leadership heart about the value and power of the first move. Before I cover a few practical thoughts, I want to say that the impact of the first move isn’t always positive or productive. The first move needs to be the right move for the value to be realized. Just because you go first doesn’t make you right, nor does it make you a good leader. Going first finds its power when you make the right move. Well, duh! I know. This is a simple idea, but my observation reveals that many church leaders wait, or hesitate, or just never make that move at all. And if you fall into that category, you need to know you are losing ground as a leader.
When others sense the right move and make it first, on a repeated basis, over a period of time, they become the leader. Let’s say you’re the leader of an area of ministry in the church. And there’s a person serving in that area who is causing trouble but you procrastinate doing something it. In fact you hesitate so long that the senior pastor or a board member, or a strong volunteer leader makes the first move. If this is a one time occurrence, it may not a problem. It could represent good teamwork. If this is a pattern, you are losing influence as a leader.
If you are a leader who holds back, hesitates, and waits too long to make the first move I encourage you to ask yourself why. Is it that you don’t know what to do? Are you fearful of making a mistake? Have you gone though something similar that was a bad experience? Your answer will help you understand why you hold back and help you make a breakthrough toward making effective and productive first moves.
Making the first move isn’t about ego and being in charge. It’s about being the catalyst to move people. To put it bluntly, you can’t lead if you can’t make the first move. You don’t have to make the first move every the time, but you do have to make the first move at the right times.
There are three components that prepare me to make the first move.
• I have thought through the impacts and consequences, and sought wise counsel when needed.
• I’ve talked with God and asked Him for His will and wisdom.
• I have the conviction to make the move on my own. (The conviction to stand by the decision / action on my own.)
Now there is no reason to wait. These three steps will cover the process needed to keep you making good decisions most of the time.
There are situations when you don’t have time to do anything in advance. You are in the moment and you either lead or you don’t. These times are critical and they can be difficult. In these moments, I follow the slightly tongue-in-cheek saying: “When in doubt, do something.” Trust your instincts and go with them.
I was leading a men’s leadership development group one night (Joshua’s Men) when things got heated between two of the guys. The room went cold as ice. No one moved and no one said anything for several seconds. The atmosphere begged for somebody to make the first move. I was the leader of the group so I jumped in, broke the ice, and brought things back to order. Over the next ten to fifteen minutes I guided the men back to a place, not of agreement, but of reconciliation.
So, how are you doing when it comes to making the first move? Do you pick up the phone and make things happen or to you wait for it to ring? Do you set the meetings and agendas or do you let others make the first move? How about your leadership at home? Do you take the initiative and make the first moves that keep your home happy and loving or do you hold back hoping someone else will get things going?
Be the one to make the first move.
This article was taken from Dan Reiland’s leadership blog and can be read in it’s entirety at http://leadsharp.org/2010/the-power-of-the-first-move/

]]> http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/the-power-of-the-first-move/feed 1 Empowering http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/empowering http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/empowering#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 21:01:39 +0000 amy http://leadership.churchoftheking.com/?p=284

  • Are you empowering others to become what God has called them to be?
  • Who has empowered you and helped you become the leader you are today?
  • What did those who empowered you do that you need to emulate with those you are leading?
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