Let’s ask an awkward, difficult, and at times piercing question: What motivates your ambition? Is it selfish? That’s an important question to ask. Why? Because if you don’t ask it, I promise everyone else around you will. Mostly I don’t…
I recently surveyed 1400 small and mid-sized church pastors to find out what they struggle with most as their church grows. They overwhelmingly identified developing leaders as their top challenge. Don’t get me wrong, there were many more issues (I…
Of all the challenges you face as a leader, one of the most intense is knowing how to win the battle that goes on in your head. Leadership is above all a mental (and therefore spiritual) game. You can have…
As a leader, people are always anxious to figure out who you really are. It’s understandable. A leader’s primary commodity is trust. People follow leaders they trust. Violate that trust, and people stop following you. Many leaders talk a good game. And that’s…
Ever wonder what might happen if you actually went for it? Did what you always felt called to do but were too afraid to? I hope you wonder what might happen. If there’s one thing the church in the West needs…
Ever asked yourself: What do the great leaders do that other leaders (average and, well, poor) don’t? Greatness in leadership is in part born, but it’s also learned. Just because you have the instincts for leadership doesn’t make you a great…
Twice this week so far, I’ve heard of church leaders who are moving out of leadership because they had affairs. Last weekend, another well known pastor had to step down after admitting to having had an affair. Yesterday I got a…
In leadership, you always face your share of critics. Everyone has an opinion, and if you’re like me, you can get focused on keeping people happy, which is always a critical leadership mistake. Your church or your organization isn’t for everyone…
So…over the years, I’ve struggled with insecurity as a leader. Maybe you have too. Most leaders I know struggle with some level of insecurity. But there was a season where I didn’t really know I was insecure. And with most…
Are you a people pleaser? If you think you have no people-pleasing tendencies, just remember how you felt the last time someone criticized you. Not fun is it? Even those of us who don’t think we’re people pleasers feel the…