Confidence and Leadership

I just had the chance to read “The Confidence Factor” by Tom Mullins. Tom does a great job of using his insight as both a former winning football coach as well as the successful founding Pastor of Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens in Florida to weave together inspiring stories of people that had the confidence to lead and be successful. Tom also gives us very practical lessons on building confidence.

I’ve really never lacked confidence; which for me has been both a blessing as well as a curse. Being confident certainly is an enabler in leadership and in management. It propels us to find creative ways to solve people and logistical issues and it also helps us to keep striving when challenges arise.

For me, there have been times when I’ve been a little over-confident. Looking back, every instance of over-confidence not only led to less than satisfactory results but always had one common element. The common element was that that I was leaning and relying completely on my own abilities and talents and not fully trusting in God.

Successful churches require confident leaders. Confident leaders are similar to travel guides that make sure we see all the right sites, fitness instructors that improve our ability to exercise and firm up our flabby bodies, and wise professors that challenge us to learn not only the correct answers but also how to reason and use rationale to formulate answers to future and yet unknown questions. These leaders all have the experience in their unique area and also the confidence that they can communicate well what they already know.

One way for us to have confidence is to constantly build on our life lessons and to know that if we let Him, God is also willing to build us up and help us lead with confidence. The Apostle Paul said it well, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

by Ken Behr Reprint from ChurchExecutive July 2010

Yes, You Belong Here!

Have you ever had the opportunity to join a ministry or a church and realized immediately that it is just a great fit? You immediately identify with the mission, you connect with the people and enthusiastically embrace their passions.

There is a reason for this I believe and it's not about your background, your education or experience but it's all about Christ.

In Ephesians 2:10, the Apostle Paul says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

This is a great verse as the word "workmanship" is a cool word. The specific Greek word is used only twice by Paul, here and in Romans 1:20. It is the word "poiema”, which is where we get the word “Poem” in English. Strong’s says that the actual meaning of this word is “To make a thing out of something." Like a modern day psalmist would take a few common words and make something new, perhaps a powerful song to use in worship.

Paul could have used a different Greek word. The other word for this creative act that is used many more times by Paul in the NT is the Greek word, “ktizo”. And get this….this word, according to Strong's is “to make a thing out of nothing." Like when God created Adam or God created the universe.

You however are God’s workmanship; you were made by God for the work you do. God however, didn’t start with nothing, he started with you! Your talents, ambitions, personality, quirky behaviors, successes and failures. It all goes in to the pot, gets stirred up by God and out comes your ministry.

If you are in ministry, you are here in the Kingdom of God for a purpose. A purpose that he planned for you to walk, a work that you uniquely would do with Him. God comes alongside us, takes all of our natural talents and even the nasty stuff as well and creates a new work, His workmanship. Together we belong; we have work to do that God has planned for us. It’s Kingdom work.

Sacrifice: Key to Servant Leadership

If you have been around church long enough, you've heard about servant leadership. The originator was none other than Jesus Christ. He was the one that was a born leader and the way that He led was through serving.

Jesus led twelve, very ordinary but very chosen men. He showed them what it was like to lead and to serve. One time, "Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35)

While many have talked about servant leadership and I've taught the concept myself, only recently have I started to few truly understand the real meaning. I have come to believe that the key to servant leadership can be summed up in just one word, "sacrifice".

Leadership is not about agendas, timelines, projects or meetings. Leadership is entirely about people.

Servant leadership therefore is all about serving people with the key being the willingness on the part of the leader to fully sacrifice himself or herself for the benefit of those that he or she is leading.

Our jobs may be nine to five but a servant leader is always available, always in tune and aware of the needs and the welfare of those that he or she is serving. Just as Jesus joyfully set aside His own deity, His divine rights and privileges in order to fulfill the mission, we too have a mission and need to set aside our own rights and privileges in order to serve others and lead them to where they must go.

As a result, there are few that can really be called servant-leaders. This is understandable as our passions, our priorities and our purposes vary. There are seasons of life when we are called in many different directions. During these times, we may put on our leadership "hat" and do a great job of leading and helping people achieve both their goals and the goals of the organization. However, the servant leader doesn't take the leadership hat off. Servant leaders are constantly leading because they are constantly serving. It's a good work!

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…” Philippians 1:6"

Leading by Listening

One of the lost arts in leadership is the simple art of listening. It has been said that we have two ears but only one mouth so we can hear twice as much as we say. Unfortunately, I was one of those individuals that had this insatiable need to fill in the silence in many meeting with my own words and my own thoughts.

In the business world, management style started changing dramatically more than 30 years ago. Some of the best business schools were encouraging a proven concept known as MBO or “Management-by-Objectives.” The key of this management practice was management sitting down with each employee and actually listening to them. The theory was that if both the team leader and the team members agreed on objectives, the resources and the goals, there would be enough buy-in from everyone to get the task accomplished.

Management and leadership styles in the churches have improved but in many ways continue to lag far behind what some of the best secular organizations have embraced. All too often, our church leaders feel that they need to be the ones that communicate in order to lead and that means that silence actually makes them feel rather insecure.

Cultural differences

I’ve spent some time in other cultures and this isn’t necessarily true globally. I’ve noticed that often the senior Japanese executives, for example, are mostly silent. Nodding their ascent from time to time these Japanese leaders allow others to speak while they merely listen.

However, in the U.S., our senior managers are the talkative ones. This is unfortunate as often what we as leaders need to be saying are not so much declarative sentences but simple questions. Questions like, “how can I help?” “How are you doing on the project?” “Do you have the resources you need to accomplish your objective?” and “How is the rest of the team responding to your needs?”

While we understand in the church that we need to work as a team, all too often the most verbal of our team members are the team leaders. This often defeats the very objectives of the team which are shared responsibility, commitment, cooperation and accountability.

Becoming helpful

If we can check ourselves and allow others to speak or better yet, when speaking ask clarifying questions, others will tell you how, as a leader, you can become the most helpful. With enough practice we can regain the lost art of listening and become better leaders.

In the Bible, we are advised to listen to one another. James, the Lord’s brother emphasizes that listening is at least twice as good as talking when he says that we are to be “quick to listen and slow to speak.” (James 1:19). Jesus also comments on our ability to listen. In Luke 10, we have the story of Martha and Mary. Luke says that “Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” but that Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he had to say.

by Ken Behr

Reprint from ChurchExecutive July 2010

Leading with Integrity

Leadership requires integrity.

I just re-ordered a copy of the "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John Maxwell. My copy was very well-read, with some underlines and yellow highlighting. After a few years, I gave it to a good friend.

Most of us want to be good leaders and I remember that this book had some great pointers on becoming more effective, about developing trust and earning influence. I need to be reminded from time to time about how to be a better leader.

The one lesson however that I’ve learned well is that if you want to lead others, you have to lead with integrity.

John Maxwell said that leadership is about influence, “nothing more, nothing less”. Many learn the hard way that in order to have influence you have to have the leadership character, quality and integrity that allows others to see that you are worthy of their trust. If they see integrity in your steps and you have a passion to lead, they will follow.

Integrity is critically important in the church, as leaders need to fully identify with the global mission of the Kingdom of God. We are to be motivated by the two instructions given by Jesus: The Great Commission, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20); and The Great Commandment, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself."(Matthew 22:38&39)

If you notice in Jesus words, our ministry is not about our own personal gain or our own agenda. When our church leaders truly focus on these very simple instructions, we avoid a lot of the ethical and character flaws that make so many leaders stumble.

Truth or Consequences

Recently, I was reading through some of those prophetical books in the bible and came across some of the pending judgements of God that was prophesied by the prophets.

For example, the prophet Habakkuk (written about 700 BC) wrote about coming judgement. The judgement was coming on people and nations because greedy people had made themselves wealthy by extortion. Habakkuk said that judgement was coming because of the violent and because of those that had used wine and drugs to exploit others. Judgement was also coming because most had looked to other gods rather than the one true God to give guidance.

As a result, there were consequences; God was going to use the ruthless Babylonians to come, kill, conquer and destroy the people.

My first thought was "Wow, I'm glad God didn't call me to be a prophet like Habakkuk". My second thought however was a quick check on my own behavior and lifestyle as I certainly don't want to be included in the judgment of the wicked.

However, I think there is another more important message here. God has given us His truth and if we don't embrace His truth we are going to have to suffer the consequences.

I know that isn't a very popular message in the church today. It wasn't in Habakkuk's time either. Nevertheless, "truth or consequences" needs to be a part of our understanding of reaching the unconverted, teaching the converted, raising our children and establishing the legacy of the Kingdom of God.

Living the Reality

Reality shows are the rage today. From American Idol and Dancing with the Stars to Orange County Choppers and Real Housewives of Atlanta/New York/ New Jersey and a city near you, it seems like we are consumed with reality.

Or are we?

Often true reality is not necessarily that which is easily portrayed by wanna-be actors and those seeking their 30 seconds of fame. The Bible tells us that what is unseen is eternal but that which can be seen, can be touched, or easily portrayed on TV is actually quite temporary and subject to change (2 Cor 4:18).

What is the true reality that is unseen and actually eternal? Well, in the final book in the Bible, in the last two chapters of that book, (Chapter 21 & 22), we have a picture of what is referred to as the “new heaven and the new earth”. This is the eternal dwelling place of all of those who have put their trust in God. This is the real heaven that studies show 80% of all Americans believe in but don't really know about as they likely have never read these two chapters.

That is unfortunate because if we read about this reality, our eternal dwelling place called heaven, we find that heaven is a real place. In this real heaven God dwells with man, takes away all of our suffering, out tears and fears. There is no longer any pain or death. This is the reality of the kingdom of God on earth.

This is the place where Jesus reigns. Jesus, the “Bright and Morning Star”, the “Root and Branch of David”, “Jesus the Christ” born of a virgin, the savior of the world and accessible to everyone that would call on his name, repent of their sin and embrace Him as Lord and Savior.

When we fully understand the reality of the kingdom of God, when we truly understand the promises of God and the reality of the plan, the place and the purpose that we have in God, then the Kingdom of God becomes a reality in our life.

The more we understand the reality of the Kingdom of God, the more the Kingdom of God becomes a reality in our lives today.

Live it!