God is out of the box. Jangan batasi pekerjaan Tuhan di balik dinding gedung gereja. Benahi gaya kepemimpinan kita agar dapat menjadi berkat dimana pun. jadilah terang dan garam dunia.
This message teaches us that we are not what people say we are; we are who God says we are.
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I
write and speak a lot about leadership. I know lots of good leaders. In
fact, I work with many good leaders. I hope some would even say I have
days where I meet the standard—whatever the standard is.
I also write and speak a good deal about wisdom. And I think wisdom is critical to the field of good leadership.
A wise leader has developed certain attributes—wisdom learned from
the personal experience of success and failure and from the insight of
other leaders—which sets them apart from other leaders. Wise leaders are
valuable to any organization.
But, I’ll be honest. There are few I know in leadership whom I would
consider truly wise. Wise leaders have moved to a new stage in life from
mostly learning from others to being looked to as a resource. People
seek their input because they know they are seasoned leaders. They are
investors in new generations of leaders.
I am going to list some attributes I have observed in leaders who
have wisdom. Think in your mind people you believe are “wise” leaders.
Here are seven attributes of a wise leader:
The Art of Timing
The wise leader knows time is a commodity. They use sound judgement
in decision-making. They have patience. They know organizations and
individuals have seasons. Seasons of plenty and seasons of want. They
have learned there is a right time to act and and there are times to
wait. Character Morality
The wise leader places a high value on integrity. They know
ultimately everything rises and falls on the moral fiber of an
individual. They’ve seen people lose everything with one bad decision.
They know reputation is hard-earned and should be treated as gold. Leads With Vision
The wise leader understands the value of a big picture. They keep an
eye on something worth attaining. They continually motivate others by
sharing the “Why.” They know momentum lost is hard to regain. They
continually seek change that will spur energy around the vision. Initiative
The wise leader is risk-taking and intentionally encourages
innovation. They have witnessed a stalled organization. They know the
dreadful feeling when there is no forward progress. They have personally
experienced the cost of lost opportunity. They want to engage others by
keeping things moving, people dreaming and the culture exciting. Visible Diligence
The wise leader continues in spite of adversity. They tenaciously
persevere. They know reaching a goal is worth the struggles to get
there. They’ve been through storms before and have scars to prove you
can come through them whole. They are seen as pillars. Strength under
duress. People look to them for stability. Strategic Thinkers
The wise leader realizes no dream becomes reality without proper
planning. They make sure plans are in place and people know what’s
expected of them. They utilize healthy systems and structures. They
aren’t burdensome with rules, but they are helpful in thinking through a
process to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. Genuinely Love People
The wise leader knows people are the key to any organizational or
team success and they work to empower others. Others know they are
valued and appreciated under their leadership. They are true delegators.
They invest in and develop the next generation. They look past the
income statement to see the balance sheet—with people as the greatest
asset.
There are two church services each year which have an elevated level of importance – Easter and Christmas Eve. Tonight, my wife and I attended Piedmont Church in Marietta, Ga who was hosting the first of their many Christmas Eve services. Led by the incomparable senior pastor Ike Reighard,
Piedmont is a church who is literally transforming the community in
which they reside. For more on how Piedmont impacts the city of
Marietta during Christmas specifically read 12 Practices Of Highly Effective Churches Who Serve Their Community With Excellence.
In an effort to document what made our experience so wonderful, the following are 15 Things Churches Do To Put On Christmas Eve Services People Will Love we experienced at Piedmont Church:
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Focus On Jesus – An introductory video was shown reminding people Christmas is all about Jesus.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Acknowledge The Felt Needs Of People –
The video also discussed the chaos, stress, and busyness we all feel
during this time of year. Fortunately, the video once again reminded us
Christmas is about Jesus.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Create A Festive Atmosphere – The sanctuary was beautifully decorated and had classical Christmas music playing as people entered the sanctuary.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Open With A BANG
– After the introductory video, the service started with a powerful
guitar solo. As Ike told me afterwards, a space shuttle uses 65% of its
fuel during takeoff because you must break the force of gravity.
People attending your Christmas Eve services are weighted down by the
pressures of life. You must use a lot of fuel out during the opening of
your service to allow people to fully-engage.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Offer 2nd Chances – Ike’s focal passage was John 3:16-17 which states, “For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God
did not sent His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the
world through Him might be saved.” Ike pointed out Jesus’ birth was not to condemn the world. But rather, to give the world and each of us a second chance.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Remind Them Of God’s Priceless Gifts To Us
– The priceless gifts are forgiveness of sins, a specific purpose for
their lives, hope for the future, and the peace only God can bring.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Give The People An Opportunity To Be Generous To Others – Piedmont’s
Christmas Eve offerings go to assist a number of relief agencies in our
community. Ike discussed the issue of homelessness and noted after
analyzing all the statistical data, the picture of homelessness is sadly
that of a 12-year-old girl. This information reminded us how blessed
we are and gave us an opportunity to help meet the needs of others.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Offer Hope
– Life is very hard. As Ike reminded us, a personal relationship with
Jesus offers us a hope-filled future. But that hope also offers us the
ability to do whatever we need to do in the present.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Give Us At Least One Chris Tomlin Song – I’m just saying. Thank you for singing Glory In The Highest.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Make The Service An Experience
– People may forget what you say. They will never forget how you made
them feel. During one of the songs, a machine caused snow to fall on us
from above. Nice touch.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Offer Communion – This allows your people to slow down and effectively connect with the heart of God.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Sing O’ Holy Night– No explanation required for the greatest Christmas song ever written.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Are Generous – It is Christmas after all. Ike signed free copies of his devotional book The One Year Daily Insights with Zig Ziglaras giftsfor all visitors.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Make Adjustments – One
of the many reasons Piedmont offered a December 20th Christmas Eve
service was to learn what worked well and what could be improved. Key
learnings from tonight will determine the order of worship for their
December 23rd and 24th services.
Churches Who Put On Christmas Eve Services Your People Will Love Are Filled With Love – As my wife pointed out, seeing the staff and many leaders at Piedmont is like visiting family.
We all want to be successful leaders. Each day
leaders strive to get better and better. When our leadership journey
has concluded, each one of us wants to be able to say we achieved our
maximum potential and impacted as many people as possible. So the
question begs, what are the qualities of a successful leader?
In the October 5th edition of Sports Illustrated, writer Pierre McGuire ranked the top coaches in professional hockey.
As I read the descriptions of the Top 10, I knew they possessed the
qualities all leaders hope to have regardless of their industry.
The following are 15 Qualities The Most Successful Leaders Have I gleaned from McGuire’s article:
The Most Successful Leaders Show Respect – People
are the only appreciable asset your organization has. Joel Quenneville
of the Chicago Blackhawks is known for the respect he shows his players.
The Most Successful Leaders Delegate Outcomes – Quenneville also trusts his assistant coaches and delegates to them.
The Most Successful Leaders Are Strategic Planners – Mike Babcock of the Toronto Maple Leafs is a wise gameday tactician.
The Most Successful Leaders Handle Pressure Well – Alain Vigneault of the New York Rangers successfully deals with the intense local media.
The Most Successful Leaders Position People For Success – Claude Julien of the Boston Bruins does a great job creating roles for those on his team.
The Most Successful Leaders Demand Accountability – Julien demands the Bruin players perform their created roles with excellence.
The Most Successful Leaders Are Teachers – Peter Laviolette of the Nashville Predators is an excellent teacher of his offensive system.
The Most Successful Leaders Have Relational Skills – Laviolette has become more player-friendly with experience.
The Most Successful Leaders Create A Healthy Culture
– Bob Hartley of the Calgary Flames, last year’s Jack Adams winner for
Coach of the Year, understands the power of a healthy culture and
environment.
The Most Successful Leaders Invest In The Next Generation – Todd McLellan of the Edmonton Oilers is skilled at connecting with younger players.
The Most Successful Leaders Have High Intelligence – Dave Tippett of the Arizona Coyotes was one of the most cerebral players in the game and is now one of its smartest coaches.
The Most Successful Leaders Are Good Stewards – Tippett is skilled at getting the most out of little in terms of talent.
The Most Successful Leaders Are Great Communicators – Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightening continually keeps his message fresh.
The Most Successful Leaders Trust Their Teams – Cooper trusts his players’ skill sets and releases them to carry out their assignments.
The Most Successful Leaders Have High Integrity – Barry Trotz of the Washington Capitals is known for being an honest and loyal coach.
What is one area listed above you can improve in during 2016?
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a movie event calledStar Wars: The Force Awakens!!! Tonight I had the opportunity to attend an opening night showing. Star Wars
enthusiasts will absolutely LOVE this movie. Casual fans, like me,
will enjoy it and have a great time. The seventh episode is full of
large-scale action, a few BIG surprises, and enough nostalgia to keep
everyone happy. The Force truly has awaken.
The J.J. Abrams film focuses on the search for Luke Skywalker,
the last remaining Jedi. The movie centers around The Resistance (who
see Luke as the key to their survival) and the evil First Order (who
want to exterminate the Jedis) racing to locate a map showing his
location.
While sitting amidst of room of Star Wars enthusiasts (that is putting mildly), I gleaned 16 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Just a point of clarification, since I work with churches I view many lessons through the lens of church growth.
People Line Up For Excellence – At the theater I
attended, all five opening night shows were sold out over a month in
advance. If you put on services with excellence, they will line up to
attend your church as well.
You Cannot Move Your Organization Into The Future Until You First Touch The Past
– This makes the movie a multi-generational experience. There are
countless references to the original Star Wars movie in the seventh
episode.
Great Leaders Receive Honor – When General Leia is mentioned early in the movie, one of the characters says, “To me the general is royalty.”
Great Leaders Are Willing To Do Whatever Is Needed To Do What Is Right
– Finn, a defector from the First Order, asks, “Why are you helping
me?” To which the Resistance’s top pilot Poe Dameron responds, “Because
it is the right thing to do.”
Great Leaders Give People A Place To Belong – Upon returning to their ship, Hans Solo, played by the iconic Harrison Ford, declares, “Chewy, we’re home!”
Great Leaders Are Resourceful And Get Things Done –
Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, asks Solo, “Is that possible (fly warp
speed and then suddenly stop)?” To which he answers, “I never ask that
question until after I’ve done it.”
Great Churches Honor The Previous Generation – This
movie did a wonderful job honoring and utilizing the skills of the
original movies (Solo, Chewy, C3PO, Leia) while introducing us to a new
generation of heroes.
Women Are Blessed With A Sense Of Intuition Men Lack – Just a fact. I’m just saying. Solo says, “Women always figure out the truth. Always.”
There Is A Constant Struggle Between Light And Darkness
– Darth Vader’s grandson (and Solo and General Leia’s son) Kylo Ren
struggled throughout the film between the force(s) of good and evil.
Always Guard Your Mind – Because Satan/evil would love to control it.
Relationships Matter – General Leia tells Solo, “No matter how much we fought I always hated to see you leave.”
Smart Leaders Give Clear Instructions – Furthermore, she tells Solo, “If you see our son, bring him home.”
Put Your Best Resources On Your Biggest Problems – When it came time to destroy this film’s version of the Death Star, The Resistance sent in their best pilot to do so.
The Relationship Between Decisions And Consequences
– One lesson our world needs to learn is you get to make whatever
choices about your life you would like. It’s your life. You just do
not get to choose the consequences as Kylo Ren discovered.
There Is No Success Without Succession – ***MAJOR SPOILER*** DO NOT READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW – After Solo’s death, Rey takes over his vessel and the role he played with The Resistance.
Smart Leaders Always Give Final Words Of Blessing Over Their Teams – General Leia tells Rey, “May the force be with you.”
Once again, this is an AMAZING film. Go get in line and have a great time!
John C Maxwell is famous for saying, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
Organizations rise and fall on leadership. Teams rise and fall on
leadership. Most importantly, churches rise and fall on leadership.
And the sobering truth is not every leader can build a great
organization, team or church.
For lessons on how to do so, I went back to an article written by Greg Bishop in the October 26th edition of Sports Illustrated. Bishop profiled the New York Jets first-year general manager Mike Maccagnan.
During a dizzying eight-day stretch in early March, Maccagnan acquired
seven free agent starters and completely remade the squad.
How Maccagnan did it is something all leaders can learn from. The following are 15 Practices Of Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations I gleaned from Bishop’s article:
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Are Highly Intelligent And Well-Versed
– Great leaders have broad-based interests. Maccagnan is an avid
reader, lover of history and military strategy, grunge band fan and Game Of Thrones viewer.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Position Themselves For Success
– Maccagnan’s resume includes director of college scouting for the
Houston Texans, two front office stints in Canada, one in NFL Europe,
and being a former intern for the Washington Redskins.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Are Willing To Pay For A Quality Staff
– Closed fist individuals rarely build great churches and
organizations. When Maccagnan took over as the Jets GM, the team had
more than $50 million in salary cap space and was ready to spend it.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations See The Big Picture
– Maccagnan’s responsibilities include managing the salary cap,
evaluating draft prospects, recruiting free agents, filling multiple
positions, hiring a head coach, helping craft an organizational
strategy, and running the entire business known as the New York Jets.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Minimize Risk While Maximizing Returns – In pro football, everyone overspends during free agency. The key is not to overpay too much.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Build Mutually Beneficial Relationships
– You cannot build a great church or organization alone. Maccagnan
worked with new Chicago Bears gm Ryan Pace during a Clemson pro day to
craft a trade for wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Value The Right Things –
Count what counts. The greatest predictor of future success is past
success. What made Marshall so attractive to the Jets was his ability
to score numerous touchdowns at each of his four previous teams.
Marshall gets in the end zone.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Build Long-Lasting Relationships
– I once had a supervisor tell me, “Brian, be careful what toes you
step on. They may one day be attached to the butt you have to kiss.”
Smart leaders think long-term when it comes to relationships. Marshall
played for new head coach Todd Bowles in 2011 while with the Miami
Dolphins. Similarly, newly acquired quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick played
for three seasons for new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey in Buffalo.
Smart leaders do not burn bridges.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Think Differently Than Other Leaders
– This past offseason most general managers immediately went for the
two highest profile cornerbacks, Darrelle Revis and Byron Maxwell. This
opened the door for Maccagnan to easily sign the third-highest rated
defensive back Buster Skrine. Ironically, Maccagnan signed Revis as
well the same day.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Attract Other Great Leaders
– Like attracts like. Skrine signed the Jets after a phone
conversation. No visit was required. Skrine wanted to play for Bowles.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Sometimes Fail
– Maggagnan did not get everyone he wanted this off-season. Offensive
linemen Mike Iupati and Orlando Franklin signed with other teams.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Leverage Failure
– Not signing those two lineman opened up an unexpected $4 million to
spend elsewhere. This led to the signing of the talented defensive back
Antonio Cromartie.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Think Long-Term – Because of the way Maggagnan structured the contracts, the Jets will have additional financial flexibility in the future.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Are Willing To Make Changes
– You must be willing to make hard decisions. The Jets featured 20 new
players on their 53-man roster this season. This includes eight new
starters.
Highly Successful Leaders Who Build Great Churches And Organizations Produce Great Results
– So what is the return on this financial investment? What is the
outcome of all the personnel decisions and changes? Currently riding a
three-game winning streak, the Jets have an 8-5 record and would make
the playoffs if the season ended today. Maggagnan and Coach Bowles have
done an amazing job.
What is one thing you learned from this list which will make you a better leader?
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