Leadership & Market Place Ministry: July 2015

Friday, July 31, 2015

Are You Asking the Wrong Question as a Leader?

By Jon Acuff

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Jon Acuff encourages leaders to focus on the right question.

There is one question I hear more than any other.
Since starting StuffChristiansLike.net in March of 2008, there’s been a single question that bubbles up more than any other. People tweet it to me. They email it to me. They ask me in 3D when I go speak places. Across the country, I hear one question, and this is it:
“How do I get more followers?”
The exact language changes of course. Some people ask about more readers or more clients or more fans, but the sentiment is usually the same. And it’s not a bad question. In a world where it’s free and easy to measure everything we do online, it makes sense that we’d be invested in growing our platforms and our communities.
I’m not opposed to that question. I think it’s a good one, and I think branding and marketing are geared at answering it. I just think it’s the wrong question for leaders to ask. Instead of asking, “How do I get more followers?” I think we need to be asking, “How do I give more of me to more of them?”
That is, how do I give more of that unique passion God’s blessed me with to more people that might need to hear it, too? How do I give more of what I’ve been gifted with to more people? I like that question for two reasons:
1. It forces us to look at what’s inside.
Sometimes, we get so wrapped up with branding and growing our platforms that we don’t take the time and effort to really dig deep into the “why” of what we’re doing. Reframing the question changes the way we approach leadership, allowing us to be patient with what we do.
2. It puts the focus on the vital, not the viral.
I think the greatest way to not create something viral is to try to create something viral. But you see the double rainbow guy blow up, or the hide yo wife, hide yo kids, and hide yo husband guy, and you think that overnight success is the only definition of success. It isn’t. Focus on the vital, not the viral. Viral is quick and loud and bright and, like a firework, fades fast into the night. Vital is slow and strong and powerful.
Ultimately, I think those are the things that move people. The ideas and concepts that catch hold of hearts and whole communities of people have something in common. They tend to be the overflow of someone’s heart. They tend to be something uncontrollable. Something honest and raw and real that was simply too wild to hold inside. So it was shared, someone explored how to give “more of me,” and in doing so, found a whole lot of “them.”
The perfect example is the Save Blue Like Jazz movie campaign. What an amazing testament to the power of crowds and movements that is. It’s difficult not to see that and be absolutely amazed that they raised over $300,000 in a month to save the Blue Like Jazz movie. It was just started by two guys who believed in the book and the power of the movie.
But here’s the truth about that. It took 30 days to raise the money, but it took 10 years for Donald Miller to make people care about it. In 2000, he released his first book. He focused on giving more of himself to more of “them.” And 10 years later, the “them” wasn’t just a small group of fans and readers.
It was a virtual army, able to quickly mobilize and raise an insane amount of cash in an insanely short amount of time.
I can’t wait to see what you do. I hope it’s what you’re called to. I hope it’s an overflow of what’s inside. And most importantly, I hope you’ll not lose sight of it in your search for “them.” Focus on what matters first and don’t let audience growth come before your audacious God.

Listen to Jon Acuff on the ChurchLeaders Podcast.

Jon Acuff has built an online following of millions through his stuffchristianslike.net blog and the resulting book, Stuff Christians Like. He’s a contributor to CNN.com, speaks nationally on the subject of social media and joined the Dave Ramsey team fulltime in 2010. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Nashville, Tennessee. More from Jon Acuff or visit Jon at http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/

30 People You Want On Your Team

Brian Dodd on July 27, 2015 in Character, Church Leadership, Great Teams, Performance

What type of people do you want on your team? Allow me to provide you the list of the type of teammates I am looking for.

You want people who can handle adversity. They handle failure and conflict productively.
You want people who can overcome their limitations offering a very special skill instead.
You want people who produce when it is needed most.
You want people with high intelligence.
You want people with a sense of urgency.
You want people who are focused and not easily distracted.
You want individual profit centers. They generate revenue.
You want people who can move the organization forward.
You want people with endurance. They are always available.
You want people with relational intelligence.
You want people who have earned respect because they have shown respect.
You want continual learners. They are humble enough to know they do not know everything.
You want people who finish what they start.
You want people who know their role and fit well in your system.
You want people who are outliers. If you can find them, they have rare skills.
You want people with a deep passion for your organization and what it provides.
You want people who not only think outside the box but think about new ways to use the resources found inside the box.
You want people with situational awareness. They recognize and seize opportunity.
You want people to not only do their job but also give you something extra.
You want your best performers to be your best leaders.
You want people who hate mediocrity. Good is the enemy of the best.
You want efficient people. They don’t waste time. You can’t get it back.
You want problem solvers.
You want people who make other people better.
You want great communicators. Leadership comes with a microphone.
You want producers. As John Maxwell once wrote – don’t confuse activity with accomplishment.
You want people who celebrate success.
You want people who are willing to pay a price others aren’t willing to pay.
You want loyalty. Loyalty does not make you a leader but disloyalty will disqualify you.
You want leaders with high character. Otherwise, your talent will take you places where you character cannot sustain you.

Are these the type of people you are looking for?

Pain, the Big Prioritizer: 4 Elements to Think About

By Kile Baker

“I believe there are four elements that we need to pay specific attention to when it comes to pain in our life.”

I’ve gone through a fair amount of physical pain lately, which made me realize something: Pain is one of the biggest prioritizers in my life. Physical pain will cause us to stop whatever we’re doing and go to the hospital. Traumatic emotional pain will shut off our mind almost completely as we attempt to deal with the onslaught of feelings or numbness. And as scripture tells us, the pain of being distant from God or being disobedient to Him can have drastic consequences both immediately and eternally.
One of my favorite quotes from my wife is about pain, and what its purpose is: “Pain is your body’s way of telling you to pay attention to it.” It’s a very simple, but very applicable, lesson to most things in life. Pain = attention. When something goes wrong long enough to grow into a big problem, or when an intense event happens that immediately stops the normal function of something, some sort of pain is usually the result. It’s a big neon arrow that says “YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION RIGHT HERE.”
So what should we pay attention to exactly?
I believe there are four elements that we need to pay specific attention to when it comes to pain in our life, whether it be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. Here I focus mainly on the spiritual side as I feel its the most important:
1) What causes the pain
2) The long-term effects if the cause continues
3) How to stop the pain
4) The long-term effects if the pain stays away
These can apply to all areas of our life where we experience pain, but is specifically important to our spiritual life. For example, if we fail to be in God’s presence through prayer, reading of scripture and gathering together for worship, we may experience the pain of feeling like God is far from us. If it continues on, the long-term effects could be a loss of faith or connection with the body of Christ. On the other hand, if the initial pain causes us to give it the focused attention it needs and we prioritize it, we can correct it or seek help in order to stop the pain fairly quickly. Additionally, the long-term effects mean that we’ll not only prevent the pain from coming back, but that we’ll grow resilient to it by strengthening our priority to put God first.
Example: Most people (including myself) have some sort of habitual or pesky behavior they do on a regular basis that puts some sort of wedge between them and God. This wedge is spiritually painful. We feel like God is not there, is deliberately far from us or just doesn’t care. If we use a
common example—like busyness—with these four elements above, we can see the consequences:
1) Being busy causes: stress, distraction, loss of effectiveness, fatigue, guilt, feeling stretched too thin, etc.
2) Long term, it means we say yes to too many things and don’t priortize family, church, serving others, quiet time and eventually a close relationship with God because we don’t make enough time for Him.
3) How to stop being busy would be to selectively say yes to the right things, and create more margin in our lives.
4) Long term, it means we get to devote more energy and time into the right things and still have enough margin for God, which leads to a healthy faith life.
If you’re going through some spiritual pain right now, take a step back and work through those four elements above. Oftentimes we already know what we’re doing wrong, and probably even the long-term effects if we continue. Focus on how to stop it, and the long-term good effects.
Is there a pain in your life recently that you’ve been ignoring and need to prioritize?

Kile Baker is a Southern California Pastor who has worked in all types of ministries from students, sports, and college to adults. He is a graduate of Hope International University, and is finishing his Masters in Systematic & Philosophical Theology from the University of Nottingham. Most recently, he was the Pastor of Adults & Small Groups for Saddleback Church in Huntington beach. He is passionate about theology for leaders, leading through service, and young church leaders. You can find more on these subjects and his journey from atheist to pastor at kilebaker.com. More from Kile Baker or visit Kile at http://www.kilebaker.com

7 Questions Leaders Should Use Often

By Ron Edmondson

“Whenever I consult with leaders, one of the first things I do is analyze what questions the leader is asking.”

Questions are a powerful tool for every leader. The greatest leaders I know ask lots of questions.

Whenever I consult with leaders, one of the first things I do is analyze what questions the leader is asking. You only get answers to questions you ask. The better the questions—the better the answers.
Questions can challenge. They encourage discussion. They can open the process toward discovery of solutions and better ways of doing things. Plus, questions allow other people to have an opinion other than the leader—adding huge value to organizational health.
I’ve learned over the years, people often have opinions they won’t share until they are given a direct invitation to share them. I keep my door open all the time. I take pride in not being a “controlling leader.” But, it doesn’t guarantee people will share what’s on their mind. The forum has to be created for them most of the time.

Here are seven examples of questions leaders should memorize and use often:

How can we improve as a team?
This is a practical question, which, in my experience, people will enjoy answering. It can make their life better. They may have thoughts on needing more meetings—or less meetings—or better meetings. That could be valuable insight you don’t see. Even if they’ve never thought about this question, it opens their mind to ways to improve. Who doesn’t need that?
Will you help me?
Everyone wants to be wanted. They want their input to be needed. I’m not talking about dumping on people, but when a leader asks this question and genuinely invites the team into the decision-making process, they feel empowered.
How can I help you?
Knowing a leader is willing to help is huge. Even if they don’t need your help, they appreciate knowing they are truly part of a team. And the leader is a team player.
Do you understand what I’m saying?
This is a valuable question to follow up with after you’ve said anything, but especially when you’ve delegated a task or given someone a responsibility. Because, again, they may not ask if you don’t. Not asking this question can lead to unnecessary confusion, miscommunication and frustration.
Do you have what you need?
Giving any assignment without asking this question leaves many people unprepared and doomed for failure. Good leaders make sure the team has adequate resources to do their work.
What do you think we should do?
This question is helpful, for example, whenever there is a problem to be solved that has never been addressed before. Most likely, when the question is answered it will impact others on the team. Inviting people to help solve the issue or come to a conclusion about it gives them ownership in the solution.
What’s next for us?
This is a great brainstorming question. It forces people to dialogue about creating something new or developing something existing. It fuels momentum.
It should be noted—these questions are most helpful on healthy teams and with healthy team members. If you have an overly negative team member, for example, I wouldn’t recommend asking these questions. Or, maybe ask the “How can I help you?” one. (Even if that needs to be transitioning to another place where they can be happy.)
What I would say, however, is questions can be a way to improve the health on a team. And,sometimes even improve an unhealthy team member. It’s all in picking the right questions. And asking them.
What questions would you add?

Ron Edmondson is a pastor and church leader passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Ron has over 20 years business experience, mostly as a self-employed business owner, and he's been helping churches grow vocationally for over 10 years. More from Ron Edmondson or visit Ron at http://www.ronedmondson.com/

My Single Biggest Regret From a Lifetime of Ministry

By Joe McKeever

“I am not groveling in self-pity. I tell this in the hope that younger ministers will see themselves in this and not make the mistakes I did.”

I invite you to read this opening to my journal dated October 1980.
I was 40 years old and Margaret was 38. We were in our 19th year of marriage, and pastoring the First Baptist Church of Columbus, Miss. Our children were 17, 14 and 11.
The first entry in the book is dated October 9. However, the paragraph above that reads:
The month of October got off to a poor start around the McKeever household. I announced to Margaret that until October 27, there were no open days or nights. The month was filled with church meetings, committees, banquets, associational meetings, speaking engagements at three colleges, a weekend retreat in Alabama,and a few football games. She cried. Once again, I had let others plan my schedule in the sense that I’d failed to mark out days reserved for family time.
I ran across that book today, read that paragraph, and wept.
The irony of this is that a year or two earlier, we had come through months of marital counseling and felt that we finally had a healthy marriage. In fact, one Sunday night six months after this journal entry, Margaret and I would take the entire worship service to tell the congregation of our marital woes, of our attempts to make this relationship work, of our extraordinary efforts to get counseling, which involved driving 180 miles round trip twice monthly for two-hour sessions with a professional therapist, and of the Lord healing our marriage.
We were supposed to have a healthy marriage, and here I am putting everyone and every thing ahead of my own family.
What’s wrong with this picture?
That is my greatest regret from over half a century of ministry: I failed to take care of my family.
Now, I am not groveling in self-pity. I tell this in the hope that younger ministers will see themselves in this and not make the mistakes I did.
The tension between home and ministry was constant for us, starting early and never letting up.
As young marrieds, when we were living in the vacant parsonage of Central Baptist Church, Tarrant, Ala., Margaret said, “You might as well move your bed to the church.” I was holding down a 40-hour-a-week job in a cast iron pipe plant nearby, and in the evenings and weekends serving Central as assistant pastor.
Margaret’s father had been a Greyhound bus driver almost all his adult life. His schedule varied from time to time, but when he was home, he was all there. There were no calls for him to drop everything and report to the station.
A minister’s life is all about interruptions.
Margaret used to complain that the moment I walked in the house the telephone started ringing.
I loved my family dearly and I think they knew it. What they could never understand was that the demands on me were never-ending and that I had a hard time telling people ‘no.’
In fact, to this day, I admire people who can say ‘no.’ Over the years, from time to time I would ask people to serve on this committee or that task force, to chair a project or to lead this drive. While I appreciated those who responded eagerly and positively, people who turned me down because “my ministry is in this other direction” or “I’ve promised my wife we would take that trip” earned my total respect. I wished I had their strength of focus.
No one is saying a pastor should put his family before the Lord.
But a pastor doesn’t have to attend every committee meeting.
A pastor doesn’t have to accept all those invitations to speak elsewhere.
A wise minister learns to say, “No.” And if he finds that impossible, he can take a smaller step and practice saying, “Can I pray about that, and get back to you?” Stalling for time—even an hour—allows him to look at his schedule more objectively.
Somewhere I read of David Jeremiah’s angering a church member who had dropped into the office demanding an hour of his time just as the pastor was leaving to make his son’s baseball game. The member was irate that the pastor would put his son’s game ahead of his needs. Jeremiah assured the man that there were other ministers in the building to assist him, and with that, he walked out the door.
The minister who learns to say ‘no’ in order to protect his time with the family will occasionally anger a self-centered, demanding church member. But it’s a small price to pay, and in the long run, works out best both for the family and the immature member.
Only a strong pastor can do this. I sure wish I’d been one.

After five years as Director of Missions for the 100 Southern Baptist churches of metro New Orleans, Joe retired on June 1, 2009. These days, he has an office at the First Baptist Church of Kenner where he's working on three books, and he's trying to accept every speaking/preaching invitation that comes his way. He loves to do revivals, prayer conferences, deacon training, leadership banquets, and such. Usually, he's working on some cartooning project for the denomination or some agency. More from Joe McKeever or visit Joe at http://www.joemckeever.com/mt/

12 Truths About Pastors, Their Assistants And Marital Affairs

Brian Dodd on July 29, 2015 in Relationships

The relationship between pastors and their assistants can be one of the most healthy and productive partnerships in the Kingdom. And it can also be one of the most destructive.
Recently, Bryan Miles, owner of MAG Bookkeeping and EA Help, joined Carey Nieuwhof for an amazing conversation about pastors and their assistants. You can listen to the full interview on Carey’s can’t-miss leadership podcast by clicking HERE. One of the many topics they covered was why marital affairs can so easily take place between the two.
As you read their thoughts below, it will become obvious Bryan and his team can help you become a more effective Christian leader. Click the image above for bookkeeping assistance and HERE for information on the value virtual assistants can bring to your church or business.
Now, onto their comments with initials provided for the quote’s originator:

Today there is very little you need someone onsite for from an administrative standpoint. – BM
I’ve seen a lot of pastors who have had affairs. – BM
If you can put 800 miles between a pastor and an assistant, that’s a pretty good way to mitigate some concerns the Elder board may have. – BM
When an assistant is working really well with a leader it is very good. It’s a good rhythm. It’s like a working partner. You’re communicating well. You’re executing. You’re getting stuff done. You’re working hard on stuff. I think there’s this natural attraction that happens in that process and if you’re not careful, you can overstep that boundary. – BM
You’ve got some pastors, they like to test the boundaries a little bit. – BM
I see some pastors that’ve got quite the following and that goes to their head a little bit and they start to tease that out in other ways as well. – BM
You’ll find someone else if it’s not your assistant if you’re inclined to go down that path. – CN
You have to be on your guard for sure. – CN
I’m really interested in seeing marriages survive. – BM
It can be a career-limiting move for a pastor to be caught up in something like that (affair). – BM
Your whole world comes crashing down. It really, really does. Your relationship with Christ, your family, your kids. That should be good incentive. – CN
An affair only looks good to the two people involved in the affair. Those are the only two people cheering. Your kids are not cheering. Your wife is not cheering. Your church isn’t cheering. Leaders aren’t cheering. The people following you aren’t cheering. You’re the only two people in the world who think it is a good idea. Which probably means it’s not a good idea. – CN

If you are a pastor, church leader or even in the business community and there is a chance for an inappropriate relationship with your assistant, contact Bryan and his team at EA Help today. They work with all types of leaders from many different environments. This may be the boundary you need to save your marriage and career.

The Great, Glorious Agenda of King Jesus

By Brandon Cox

I posted something negative about abortion on Facebook and then watched a mini-landslide of comments come in calling me all kinds of not-nice names. Others jumped in to stand up for life but it just wasn’t a pretty moment at this table of strangers. This issue, among plenty of others, begs the question: will we ever figure it all out?
Will we determine what righteousness in a nation really looks like? Will the innocent, born and unborn, be rescued? Will the victims of oppression ever be delivered? Will the poor ever eat well? Will the burdened ever have their burdens lightened?
The answer to all of these, of course, is yes. And it’s a big loud YES! because of the great, glorious agenda of King Jesus.
For those who choose to place their trust squarely in Jesus, the world will absolutely look much differently someday, and many of the issues we do battle over in the culture today will be solved once and for all to the benefit of the poorest and most broken among us. A psalmist once wrote about the agenda of the King with these words:

Praise the Lord!
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
He made heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them.
He keeps every promise forever.
He gives justice to the oppressed
and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.
The Lord loves the godly.
The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows,
but frustrates the plans of the wicked.
The Lord will reign forever.
He will be your God, O Jerusalem,
throughout the generations.
Praise the Lord!
– Psalm 146 NLT

God’s deepest concerns about our planet are the poor, the oppressed, the victimized, the prisoners, the foreigners, the hungry, the orphans and the widows. The plans of politicians will perish with them, but the kingdom agenda of redeeming and restoring all that is broken about this world is ultimately being proliferated today in subtle and quiet ways all around us and will someday be accomplished under the Kingship of the One who created all, loves all, and died for all.
Jesus demonstrated, during his lifetime, a bit of his own kingdom agenda. He didn’t take on Rome or challenge Pilate to a run-off. He walked humbly through the land of ancient Israel healing, feeding, teaching, caring, touching, and loving people at their lowest points in life. That’s the kingdom agenda of Jesus. He’s not into rule by oppression, and will someday overthrow all oppressive regimes once and for all. He’s about freedom and liberty within his good and perfect will.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe we’re to work to bring his kingdom in partial fulfillment around us. We are to feed, serve, heal, and protect people. We ought to be concerned about rescuing victims of human trafficking, saving the lives of the unborn, providing for the welfare of those trapped in cycles of poverty, watching out for abused, neglected, and abandoned kids, and extending a hand of kindness to the foreigners among us. But all of our effort will feel vain and empty if we every fail to realize that God himself will keep all of his promises.
I’m excited about the great, glorious Kingdom agenda of Jesus! So much so that I want to see it happening now in little bits around me and someday in fullness, for eternity.
Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, no matter what questions you may have about the historical nature of Scripture or Christianity, you can follow this King. He is good. He saves. And this King invites you into his very living room for a chat.

The Crucial Difference Between Managing and Leading

By Rick Warren

It’s been said many times by many different people that everything rises or falls on leadership. I don’t think that’s ever truer than in ministry. Charles McKay, a former professor at California Baptist College, used to tell us if you want to know the temperature of your church, put the thermometer in your mouth. That’s a good statement. You can’t ever take people farther than you are yourself, spiritually or any other way.
I remember when I was interviewed on the Acts television network by Jimmy Allen, and he asked me about starting new churches. He said, “How important is location?” I said it’s very important, the second most important thing. But the most important thing is not location, but leadership in a church. I see churches in great locations that aren’t doing anything and I see churches with good leadership in poor locations doing great things.
Leadership is the key.
You don’t have to be a charismatic leader (in the emotional sense) to be a great leader. Some of the greatest charismatic leaders of this century were also the worst — Stalin, Mao, Hitler. They were all very charismatic people, so personality has nothing to do with dynamic leadership.
Leadership and vision
It’s not the charisma of the leader that matters; but the vision of the leader. Whatever your assignment may be in your church, no matter what your ministry concentration may be, your number one responsibility of leadership in that area is to continually clarify and communicate the vision of that particular ministry. You must constantly answer the question: Why are we here? If you don’t know the answer, you can’t lead.
As a senior pastor, my job is to keep us on track with the original New Testament purpose of the church. That gets much more difficult as the church grows larger and larger. When we were very small, the only people who wanted to come were non-Christians. We didn’t have a lot of programs. We didn’t have a children’s ministry or a music ministry or a youth ministry. The people who wanted all those things went to churches that had them. Now I meet people coming over from other churches every week. This new dynamic presents an acute problem. Every one of these people carries in a load of cultural baggage. They expect Saddleback to be like the church they left. The first words off their lips can be, “At our old church, we did it like this…”
How can I politely say, “We don’t care how you did it at some other church.”? I don’t mean to be rude, but the vision of the church someone just left isn’t the key issue. Our vision in this church is the key issue. Therefore, I must continually clarify and communicate Saddleback’s vision to everyone who walks through our doors. I must make clear what we are doing and why we are doing it. No one can be left in the dark to the question of vision. At Saddleback, we constantly communicate our vision through the membership class, through social media, and in any way we possibly can. Our purpose for being is always out front where everyone can see it. Everyone needs to know why we are here and catch our vision.
Leader or manager
Vision is the main difference between leadership and management. Management consists primarily of three things: analysis, problem solving, and planning. If you go to any management course they’ll be composed of those three things. But leadership consists of vision and values and the communication of those things. If you don’t clarify the purposes as the leader, who’s going to?
Most churches are over-managed and under-led. Your church needs to be managed, but it also needs to be led. You have to have both. When you only have management in the church, you get the problem of paralysis of analysis. It’s like “Ready… Aim … Aim … Aim …” And they never fire. Management without leadership results in constantly analyzing and looking, but never actually doing anything. Don’t get me wrong. You need managers within the church as well. Without them you end up with a church that says, “Ready…. Fire!” without ever taking the time to aim. You need both.
The power of vision
Some people have dreams, but not vision. There is a difference. A vision is a pragmatic dream. Lots of people have great dreams. They have grand ideas of all they would like to accomplish, but they can never get their dreams in a concrete form where they can do something about it. A vision is a dream that can be implemented. It’s specific. Nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific.
Every Easter Sunday I stand back and marvel at all God has done in our church. We started on an Easter with a handful of people. Now, every Easter we have even more than the year before as thousands upon thousands gather together. That’s incredible to me when I think how it all just started with a little vision. And from that we’ve watched a movement happen. That’s the power of a vision.

20 Leadership Quotes and Lessons From Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Brian Dodd on July 31, 2015 in Movies

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is amazing! This is the best action movie I have seen since Lone Survivor. Unbelievable action sequences, stunts and the movie keeps you guessing throughout. And I want to give them credit for something else – no language. I’m all in on Rogue Nation!
Tom Cruise is back for the fifth installment of this amazing franchise. Cruise, once again playing Ethan Hawk, is tasked with eradicating an international group of rouge agents called The Syndicate who are as skilled and talented as Hunt himself.
Go see this movie! The following are 20 Leadership Quotes and Lessons From Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation:

Women Are The Most Loyal Audience – Just ask Oprah, Ellen or Beth Moore. 70% of the sold out audience tonight were women. I asked my wife why so many females were at an action movie. She said, “They’re not here for the action. They’re here for a reaction (to Tom Cruise).”
Successful Leaders Must Constantly Make Difficult Decisions – As I watched this movie I could not help but notice one difficult decision had to be made after another. Leaders understand this. They often make difficult decisions on a daily basis. It simply comes with the responsibility of being a leader.
Authenticity Matters – The movie’s stunts, hanging off an airplane and an incredible motorcycles chase among others, look real because they are real.
You Never Have To Recover From A Good Start – Smart leaders always plan a fast start. This prevents you from spending an excessive amount of upfront energy digging out of a hole. The movie opens with the airplane scene shown above. Great opening!
Smart Leaders Know How To Leverage Luck – Everyone receives luck – good luck and bad luck. It is what you do with luck which matter. “Your results look like luck.” These were words spoken during a congressional hearing about the actions of the IMF.
Your Greatest Strength As A Leader Can Sometimes Be Your Greatest Weakness – “Hunt is an arsonist and fireman at the same time.” – Alan Hunley, head of the CIA, played by Alec Baldwin.
Successful Leaders Fight Through Discouragement – There are perks to leadership but there is also a price. Sometimes leadership is not all it is cracked up to be. Benji Dunn, played by Simon Pegg, says “Join the IMF. See the world on a monitor inside a closest.”
Successful Leaders Always See The Potential In Others – During a foiled assassination attempt Benji gets shot by Ilsa Faust, played by Rebecca Ferguson. Benji says, “She shot me!” Hunt replies, “That doesn’t make her a bad person.”
Leaders Are Willing To Pay A Higher Price Than Others Are Willing To Pay – Benji says, “I am a field agent. I know the risks.”
Trust Is The Foundation Of Any Successful Relationship – Luther, played by Ving Rhames, tells Brandt, played by Jeremy Renner, “I know Ethan. I don’t know you.”
Results Matter – Actions speak louder than words. The team did not trust Ilsa until she saved Ethan’s life.
Successful Leaders Expect The Best And Plan For The Worst – After securing a disk containing an incredible amount of sensitive information, Benji says, “Of course I made a copy of the disk.”
Great Leaders Forge Mutually Beneficial Relationships – Ilsa said, “I was not going to let him (Hunt) die. He’s an allie.”
Leaders See Opportunities Others Fail To See – Luther says, “Sometimes Ethan is the ONLY one capable of seeing the ONLY way.”
Leadership Is A Calling And A Choice – Ilsa tells Hunt, “We’re only fighting for the right side because that’s what we choose to believe.”
There Will Always Be Problems Which Leaders Will Be Needed To Solve – Ilsa continues in her conversation with Hunt, “There’ll always be another Lane. There’ll always be people like us to fight him.”
Smart Leaders Always Put People Ahead Of Tasks – Brandt says, “We do what we have to do for our friends.”
Great Leaders Make Others Look Good – IMF agents Hunt and Brandt made Hunley very successful at a key point in the movie.
Desperation Is A Leader’s Friend – Brandt says, “Desperate times. Desperate measures.” For more on the topic of desperation, click 10 Reasons Why Desperation Can Be Your Best Friend.
Great Leaders Must Have A Great Team Around Them To Achieve Success – “You have an army. We have a Hulk.” As I watched the movie I was reminded of this Robert Downey Jr. quote from The Avengers. Hunt was the Hulk taking on an army of Syndicate agents. However, he still needed a great team around him to ultimately succeed.

Once again, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is a fantastic movie. Go see it and have a great time.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

4 Reasons to Believe in Young Leaders

By Eric Geiger

“The kingdom benefits when younger leaders are unleashed to serve.”

For a long time, I was the young leader. I took my first role on a church staff just before I turned 19. When I moved to Cincinnati to serve as student pastor, I flew into the airport and was too young to rent a car. I moved to Miami to serve as executive pastor of Christ Fellowship when I was 27. All the while, godly leaders believed in me and trusted me. They invested in me, allowed experiences to teach me and mold me, and kept challenging and encouraging me. I am eternally grateful.
By God’s grace, I hope to do the same for others. There are many younger leaders in ministries and organizations that are ready to be believed in and trusted with significant responsibilities. They are hungry to be encouraged, developed and challenged. Here are four reasons to believe in young leaders:

1. The Future

Young leaders are the future, and leaders are responsible for future leadership. A leader who is not developing young leaders for the future is not serving the organization well. The leader is either being shortsighted or selfish—shortsighted in that the future is not being considered, or selfish in that the leader thinks only about himself/herself.

2. New Thinking

Not only are young leaders the future, but they also carry with them great ideas, energy and passion. Young leaders want to contribute in this season, not just the future. They often possess new thinking. They believe they can do what others feel is impossible. They have not had the life beaten out of them.
Years ago, I heard Rick Warren say, and I am paraphrasing, “I have the same ideas now that I had when I was 25, but no one listened to me then. So I am asking: What 25-year-old should I be listening to?” There are younger leaders in every organization who could be leveraged now.

3. Kingdom Impact

Historically, God uses young leaders to encourage His people and build His kingdom. The kingdom benefits when younger leaders are unleashed to serve. For example, Josiah was 16 years old when he began to seek the Lord, which led to a revival among God’s people. Mary was a teenager when the Lord chose to bring the Messiah into the world through her womb. George Whitefield and John Wesley met together with a handful of others as college students in what was called the “Holy Club.” Jonathan Edwards was 19 when he penned his 70 resolutions.

4. Biblical Example

Paul told Timothy, a young leader he was developing, “Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Paul believed that Timothy, in the midst of his youth, could set the example and the pace for others.

Eric Geiger serves as the Vice President of the Church Resource Division at LifeWay Christian Resources. Prior to LifeWay, Eric served local churches, most recently investing eight years as the executive pastor of Christ Fellowship Miami. Eric received his doctorate in leadership and church ministry from Southern Seminary. He is also a teaching pastor and a frequent speaker and consultant on church mission and strategy. Eric authored or co-authored several books including the best selling church leadership book, Simple Church. Eric is married to Kaye, and they have two daughters: Eden and Evie. During his free time, Eric enjoys dating his wife, playing with his daughters, and shooting basketball. More from Eric Geiger or visit Eric at http://ericgeiger.com/

Friday, July 24, 2015

10 Characteristics of Magnetic Team Leaders

By Rick Howerton

Ten qualities of a leader whose leadership style is a magnet for followers.

Oftentimes, when we think of a church leader we think of the ultimate human leader leading the church, the senior pastor. Below the senior pastor on the flow chart are multiple team leaders. These individuals are most often staff members, but in many settings they are non-staff members, church members with the leadership gift who lead teams of their own. Because these individuals are without the senior pastor title, in order to be effective, they must be more than good—they must be magnetic.
Below you’ll find 10 characteristics of a great team leader, a leader whose leadership style is a magnet for followers. Magnetic team leaders …
1. Have been called to a vision/responsibility only God can accomplish.
2. Communicate the vision God has given them so passionately and effectively the unimaginable becomes a visible reality in the listener’s mind’s eye.
3. Gather followers to aid them in accomplishing the vision by personally inviting those potential followers to join the team.
4. Spend recreational time with the team members, and during those recreational experiences discipline themselves and don’t discuss the work the team is involved in.
5. Seriously consider the team members’ ideas and prove it by taking those ideas to the rest of the team for discussion.
6. Are available to team members 24/7.
7. Get to know the family members of each team member, sincerely care about each of them, and prove it by asking about the things each of them are involved in (ball games, plays, etc. …).
8. Understand team members have busy schedules and call meetings only as often as is necessary.
9. When in conversation, continually make eye contact with the team member they’re speaking with and acknowledge he/she is listening by responding appropriately to statements made.
10. Pray daily for each team member without ever telling team members of the time spent praying for them.

Rick has one passion… To see “a biblical small group within walking distance of every person on the planet making disciples that make disciples.” He is presently pursuing this passion as the Small Group and Discipleship Specialist at LifeWay Church Resources. Rick has authored or co-authored multiple books, studies, and leader training resources including A Different Kind of Tribe: Embracing the New Small Group Dynamic, Destination Community: Small Group Ministry Manual, The Gospel and the Truth: Living the Message of Jesus, Small Group Life Ministry Manual: A New Approach to Small Groups, Redeeming the Tears: a Journey Through Grief and Loss, Small Group Life: Kingdom, Small Group Kickoff Retreat: Experiential Training for Small Group Leaders, and Great Beginnings: Your First Small Group Study, Disciples Path: A Practical Guide to Disciple Making. Rick’s varied ministry experiences as an collegiate minister, small group pastor, teaching pastor, elder, full-time trainer and church consultant, as well as having been a successful church planter gives him a perspective of church life that is all-encompassing and multi-dimensional. Rick is a highly sought after communicator and trainer. More from Rick Howerton or visit Rick at https://rickhowerton.wordpress.com

How to Develop a Great Ministry Team

By Rick Warren

I first began to understand the importance of teams as a seminary student. I did a study of the 100 largest churches in the United States, and I asked them a series of questions related to staff and ministry. This may come as no surprise, but the study showed strong churches have a strong team spirit.
They do this by combining two things: a common goal with good communication.
Both of these elements have to be present. You can have people working on the same project but not communicating with each other, and they ARE NOT a team. You can have people who communicate well, but are not working toward the same goal, and that is NOT a team, even if you call them that.
Let me give you some foundation on why I think this is important:

First, the body of Christ functions as a team ministry.

Romans 12:4-5 says that, just as there are many parts to our bodies, likewise there are many parts to Christ’s Body. Essentially, God designed it so that we all need each other to have a fully functioning ministry and EVERY ONE of your staff members (or lay ministry leaders) plays an important role. The very fact that the church is a body and not a business means that teamwork is more important to those of us in ministry than it is to people in a normal business relationship.
Nobody has cornered the market on all the gifts it takes to make a church successful. If you only surround yourself with people who mirror your strengths, then the church is going to have problems. For instance, I am a visionary, and I can see the big picture, but in order to make the vision a reality I need other people around me who can hammer the vision into a reality. You don’t want to hand me the hammer. I might hurt someone!
The problem that I see with a lot of pastors, and I’m being frank here, is that too many of us are afraid to admit there are some things we cannot do. In a sense, the first real step toward teamwork is for you to admit you need a team.
The success of Saddleback is not about Rick Warren. The success of Saddleback is really about the many people who worked together toward a common goal. No doubt I provided the vision, but it’s guys like Glen Kreun, who came on staff two years after I founded the church, who turned the vision into a reality.
That’s why, at Saddleback, I intentionally choose staff people with strengths that compensate for my weaknesses. I think the secret of a good church is that you hire people who are smarter than you, particularly in areas that you know nothing about.

Second, teams accomplish more than individuals working separately.

This principle is taught all through Scripture. When there are more hands working, more can be accomplished. One example of this is found in Ecclesiastics 4:9-12, where we’re told that two are better than one, and a rope of three cords is hard to break. Another example of teams accomplishing more than individuals is in Nehemiah, where people worked by groups or families.
In the New Testament, Jesus sent people out by two to minister (Mark 6:7). Paul, in Acts 24, specifically mentions 7 people who are part of his ministry team.
This mutual encouragement is vital to your ministry because you’re NOT just working on well-meaning projects: you are in a spiritual battle; carrying the most important message the lost world will ever hear! The devil wants to defeat you, and one of his favorite tools is discouragement. That’s why you need a team working with you, whether you’re a senior pastor over a large staff or the only paid staff member at the church.

Third, a strong team is not threatened by disagreement.

Remember there are two essentials to teamwork, a common goal and good communication. In order to have good communication, people have to be willing to express their opinions no matter how different they are from everyone else’s.
Peter Drucker says, if only one side is being presented in a discussion, then THINKING is not taking place. So, if the people on your team are not coming up with more than one opinion on a particular item, then chances are not a lot of thinking is taking place. Or maybe they ARE thinking, but they’re AFRAID to express their opinions.
You need to create a team environment where people are not afraid to say something stupid, where they are not afraid to make a mistake. And you need to make sure you are not threatened by disagreement.
Finally, let me leave you with some characteristics of an effective team, borrowed from the book “The Human Side of Enterprise” by Douglas MacGregor. He says:

A good a team is comfortable, relaxed and informal in their atmosphere.
Everyone participates in discussions.
The task is well defined and accepted by team members.
Members REALLY listen to each other.
On a good team, critical suggestions are made without personal attack.
Members are free to express feelings and not just ideas.
Everything is out in the open, with no hidden agendas.
Clear assignments are made and accepted.
Leadership shifts depending on the circumstance.

How To Develop Leaders Through Coaching

By Keith Webb

Coaching focuses on people learning rather than us teaching them. The Holy Spirit teaches and reminds (John 14:21). Coaches actively listen and ask reflective questions, supportively challenge limited beliefs and behaviors – all in order to assist people to hear from God and respond to Him.
This practice of coaching in leadership development is actually a throwback to the historic roots of word “coach”, which is the Kocs wagon of 15th century Hungary. A coach figuratively “carries” a person to his or her desired destination through ongoing conversations, thought-provoking questions, and support.
In practice,
·       A coach focuses on the agenda of the coachee. The coachee decides which goals or problems to work on, not the coach.
·       A coach uses powerful questions to generate new learning. The coach does not teach or advise, but rather asks questions and listens.
·       A coach encourages action. The coachee develops his or her own action steps, not the coach.
·       A coach supports change. A coach follows-up to support personal learning, growth, and change, rather than demanding change.
Those who are coached (coachees) are in the driver’s seat. They choose their own growth goals, reflect deeply on their current situation, think through their options, and decide their next steps.
Coaching may sound great, but you may be wondering how this fits with teaching. After all, didn’t Jesus tell people what to do and how to believe? Aren’t the Ten Commandments rather clear in telling us what God’s expectations are of us in terms of lifestyle? Developing leaders requires that weteach and train others, does it not?
Yes, yes, and yes!
You’ll get no argument from me. I love to teach and do regularly. The question is: What teaching methods are most effective for developing leaders? There’s more to teaching than telling. It been shown again and again that adults learn better through dialogue and discovery than by someone lecturing to them.
Think of how you like to learn. Maybe you can relate to Winston Churchill when he said, “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”
As we develop leaders, I want to suggest a different approach – integrating coaching skills. Leaders are developed through a mysterious mixture of reflection, experience, ideation, authenticity, critical thinking, and guidance. It can be a messy process. A coaching approach facilitates this process.
An excerpt from Keith E. Webb’s book Coaching In Ministry: How Busy Church Leaders Can Multiply Their Ministry Impact. (Bellevue, WA: Active Results LLC, 2015).

4 Things I am Learning about Transition

By Justin Trapp

The winds of change blow from time to time in our lives. I am currently in a transitional season in my life. This process is producing some valuable lessons I thought I would share.
I have learned several things but for narrowed it down to four for this post.
1. Relationships are like bridges
And like bridges, they can have a lot of mileage on them. Keeping these relationships strong demands we inspect them so they are well maintained.
According to the Transportation for America, one in nine bridges are structurally deficient. In fact, there are 260 million trips per day on deficient bridges. Like bridges, our relationships can be deficient and still get the job done for a season.
I have seen many leaders light a bridge on fire. They watch it burn as it gets smaller in the rearview mirror. Then later in life, they need to cross that bridge to get to another destination.
If we want our relationships to survive through transitions and the test of time, we must inject intentionality into their survival.
2. It’s easy to make assumptions
In horse racing, almost everyone in attendance are guessing at who will win the race. The oddsmakers and commentary fill the air but only the people closest to each horse know the real story.
A horse’s health and age can easily be identified by its teeth so the only people who are really “in the know” are the trainers and stable hands. “Straight from the horses mouth” is a phrase we have seen as early as the 1913 in the Syracuse Herald.
During seasons of transitions there can be a lot of commentary and info swirling around. Assumptions are for oddsmakers and spectators but not healthy leaders.
Transitions are very much a fluid environment. Things are changing emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. It’s best not to make rash assumptions about anything or anyone.
3. This is NOT about you
Human beings have a tendency to overstate our impact. We look at what we have done for a church, organization or team. I know many leaders (myself included), who delayed a transition because we thought if we left, “it would all fall apart.”
We convince ourselves that no one else is capable or available to do as good a job as we did. The core of this is pride, sometimes veiled with a splash of moral obligation.
God is not bound by our accomplishments, he is the source of them. You are the nurturer of an opportunity not the originator of it.
Your transition hasn’t caught God off guard. Chances are, He has been preparing someone else for this new season while speaking to you about yours.
4. This is about you
In the old testament, Jonathan teaches us a lot about leadership and what John Maxwell calls, “The Law of the Lid.”
He was the son of King Saul and the blood heir to the throne. He was also a close friend to David, who was anointed to be the next king of Israel.
He could have been intimidated and threatened by his young shepherd friend who allegedly would take his spot. Instead, he embraced God’s plan.
At some point, we can become the lid on what God wants to do at your church, organization or business.
By staying, you are preventing progress and not allowing others to do what God has called them to do. Let us not be lids to the potential of others.
Get out of the way.
In seasons of transition, our goal should be to love and lead with honor and stability for the good of the organization, ourselves and our families.
These are some things I am learning. I would love to hear about what you have learned along the way. Comment below.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

12 Things Successful Leaders Focus On

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969 Leadership Quotes

Brian Dodd on July 14, 2015 in Performance

Successful leaders focus on things unsuccessful leaders do not. They are always growing, always thinking, always experimenting, always reading and always trying to get better. This is because we know what made us successful today will not keep us successful tomorrow.
Today I was reading some old articles I accumulated and wanted to pass along some leadership lessons I am currently thinking about and determining how to best apply in my life.
The following are 12 Things Successful Leaders Focus On. If applied, these will make you a better leader.
USA Today August 27, 2014
Successful Leaders Focus On Continual Improvement – “Once you stop improving something’s got to be wrong. The great thing about the Colts is the work atmosphere and high expectations and pressure from player to player, coach to player, player to coach. Everybody wants to get better, and it’s a great culture to work in.” – Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck
USA Today September 4, 2014
Successful Leaders Do Not Focus On Entitlement – “I’ve always thought the NFL doesn’t owe you anything. Nothing is given. You have to go out there and earn it.” – Peyton Manning. For more leadership insights from Manning, click 56 Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Peyton Manning At Leadercast.
USA Today October 22, 2014
Successful Leaders Focus On Simplicity And Excellence – “Ben Bradlee was the most charismatic boss I have ever worked for or, for that matter, ever seen. His guidance was so powerful because is was so simple. He was obsessed with being first and best on every story and wasn’t satisfied unless that was true of every story in the paper.” – Larry Kramer on The Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee
The Herd With Colin Cowherd radio show December 30th, 2014
Successful Leaders Focus On Data – “In the lead up to the draft, it becomes about statistics. It becomes about data points…There’s comfort in numbers…You gravitate to the objective stuff. That’s what rules the day when it comes to make the pick.” – Louis Riddick
USA Today May 6, 2015
Successful Leaders Focus On Staples, Not Outliers – “If you ask me if I’m ever going to platoon again, my answer is ‘No’. Last season was an absolute outlier.” – Kentucky head coach John Calipari on the substitution pattern of his team.
Successful Leaders Focus On Accomplishment – “Never in my life did I think that I would platoon but most people didn’t think we would ever win 38 straight to start the year, set a record for wins in a season and have seven players drafted. It’s amazing people could try to use that against us, but I guess you have to come up with something.” – Coach Calipari. For more from Coach Calipari, click 35 Leadership Quotes From John Calipari’s Book Players First
Successful Leaders Focus On Meeting The Needs Of Others – “It’s not always about you. It’s about other people. If something happens to me tomorrow, I know that my girls can look at me and see I’ve done something for the community and know they can do the same.” – Shaquawana Wester from Cookeville, TN, winner of the Make A Difference Day All-Star Award for organizing a coat drive which served over 1,000 needy individuals. For more on how you can impact the poor and under-resourced in your community, click How Piedmont Church Fed All 6,071 Hungry Children In Their Community For A Single Day
USA Today July 14, 2015
Successful Leaders Focus On Getting Reps – “That theory of 10,000 repetitions. I passed that a long time ago.” – Peyton Manning
Successful Leaders Do Not Focus On Yesterday’s Success – “It’s what have you done for me lately? That’s who the game’s always going to be.” – Bryce Harper
Successful Leaders Focus On Preparation – “He’s probably as well prepared as any pitcher in baseball as for knowing the hitters, evaluating their weaknesses.” – Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin on Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke
Successful Leaders Focus On The Process Needed To Become Great

Having This Does Not Make You A Leader

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969 Leadership Quotes

Brian Dodd on July 15, 2015 in Uncategorized

Bryan Miles, co-owner of MAG Bookkeeping along with his wife Shannon is one of my favorite leaders. He is not just a writer and speaker on the subject of leadership, but a true practitioner.
Recently, he wrote an incredible post on what true leadership is and what it is not. I thought his perspective was so practical and so helpful, I wanted to make it available to my readers as well.
For more on Bryan personally and MAG Bookkeeping, click HERE or on the image above to get more information. Now, onto Bryan’s thoughts:
_______________________________________________
When I was in high school (in the early 1990s) one of my favorite things to do was to play soccer. The problem was, the older I got, the more expensive it was to play. You couldn’t just show up at the field and say “Put me in coach!” You had to earn it and pay for it. My family lived in San Diego and we didn’t have a ton of money, but my parents supported my love for the sport regardless. It came time to try out for the U17 team – a premier team in San Diego called the San Diego Surf – as a goalkeeper.
There was just one problem… 13 other guys wanted to be the starting goalkeeper as well.
Tryouts were rough, long, and exhausting. The worst part is that I had a crappy pair of goalkeeper gloves and all I could do was complain about them. These other guys had super nice, super pricey gloves and it was breaking down my confidence. Yet at the end of it all, I was chosen for a starting goalkeeper for the team, with the coveted #1 jersey. Despite my gloves and the money the other guys had, I had overcome. It was a great feeling… until the team manager explained that it would cost $1,200 to play for that season. He pulled my parents aside to have a conversation and I could tell it wasn’t going well. To my surprise, he was actually telling my parents that another family was willing to pay the tuition for me so I could play. We were very humbled, but I still had these old keeper gloves.
I was still complaining about the gloves. I was a teenager.
That’s when my dad looked me in the eye and said something I’ll never forget: “Bryan, the gloves don’t make the keeper. The keeper makes the gloves.”
It was one of the first lessons in leadership that I learned and has stuck with me ever since. Simply because someone has a word after their name, it doesn’t mean they are a leader. A title doesn’t make you a leader – you make the title. You are a leader and you grow into that title. It doesn’t mean much to show up to a tryout with some fancy gloves if you cannot keep the ball out of the goal. If you cannot do this, you are not a goalkeeper. If you cannot lead in your organization and serve others, you are not a leader, regardless of what others call you. You make your position what it is. This is a life lesson that’s served me well, and keeps reminding me that I still have to earn it, and not to judge people based on what title they’ve been given.
Ironically, as I proved my worth that season on the pitch, I started getting college scouts following me and by the end of the season I had been given four or five pairs of new goalkeeper gloves from Umbro, Adidas, Reusch and more.
It was true – I earned the position, I owned the position, and the gloves came following for free. My Dad was right.
As a leader, do you struggle with the issue of title vs. influence?

7 Reasons I Need to Regularly Exercise as a Leader

By Ron Edmondson

“I was reminded, by not running as much, how valuable to me the exercise is for me personally.”

I’m a runner.

I had some knee issues for a few months that kept me from running as much as I would normally. As much as I hated missing my runs, and I tried to substitute the time with other workouts, I learned a few things about myself during the time of healing.
I was reminded, by not running as much, how valuable to me the exercise is for me personally.
I have always encouraged leaders to have a regular exercise routine. I think it’s a necessary discipline for a healthy leader. If you aren’t currently an active exerciser, I have even more practical, firsthand experience to encourage you to begin.

Here are seven reasons I need to exercise:

Forced down time—I discovered that my running time—or when I exercise—is one of the few times each day where I am not answering emails, taking phone calls or doing something that requires mental power. Exercise forces me to be still—or—well, you know what I mean. My mind is cleared to pray more—to think more.
Physical health—I am better able to maintain my weight when I am running. I feel better. I sleep better. My blood pressure tests lower. The doctor’s office loves taking my vitals when I am in a regular exercise routine. (Due to a heavier than normal travel schedule I am actually up a few pounds—just to be transparent, but thankfully it’s a few pounds, not 15 or 20.)
Mental stimulation—My best ideas come while I am running. I suppose because my body is energized and I’m free from other distractions, I’m so creative while I’m running. My biggest obstacle is figuring out how to record or remember them when I stop running. (I’ve even started to walk for a minute just to record the thought quickly.) Some of my deepest, most intimate times with God come when I’m on a long run. God seems to work in my mind during those times—probably because I’ve given Him better access to my mind.
Longevity—Long days are nothing for me when I am in a healthy running discipline. It seems counterintuitive, but I have more energy in the day—not less—when I’m exercising regularly.
Maximum effectiveness—Exercise—while it seems to take time out of my day—actually ends up being the most effective use of my time. It increases my productivity and gives me a better overall attitude toward my work (and life). It’s powerful enough—I’ve learned from experience—that on my busiest days I try to break away and exercise in the middle of the day. The fastest way for me to get out of a productivity slump is to step away from the “work” and go for a short (or long) run.
Eat with less worry—I enjoy food. A lot. People will often make a comment I must not enjoy food as much as they do because I seem to maintain my weight. The reality is they’ve never seen me eat. I don’t think you can totally ignore your diet regardless of how much you exercise. I try to be healthier in most of my choices, and I do discipline what I eat (wish I was better at how much), but I pretty much eat what I want. I’m certainly never hungry long. Running—or exercise—affords me less guilt in my diet and the occasional splurges I enjoy.
Stress reduction—I find if I’m especially stressed, a good sweat gives me a calmer perspective. It’s an excellent way to decompress. It was crazy how much not running—before I found exercise which could substitute—added to me being more tense. My family noticed it. I’m certain the people who work with me did also. I know I did. I’m a nicer person to be around when I’m running regularly. It took me a while to associate the cause of additional stress on the lack of exercise, but the return to healthy routines made it clear.
I’m back to running, thankfully. In fact, I just completed a 10K with my fastest time in several years. I’m usually training for something—even if I never run another race—because it keeps me disciplined in a routine. And I know the value. It’s been proven to me.
Do you have a regular routine of exercise? It doesn’t have to be running, but it should be something. Of course, you should always check with your doctor before you start something extreme, but I’ve never had a doctor who didn’t value some form of exercise.
If you are not regularly exercising—especially if you’re a leader—answer this question:
Considering the stress in your life, and how productive you hope to be with your life, could beginning the discipline of exercise be one of the missing ingredients?
Let me be a voice of encouragement to you. Find the exercise routine which works best for you, discipline yourself for 30-40 days, then enjoy the lifetime of benefits.