Great post about keeping one’s mouth shut by Steven Furtick…
Category: Leadership (page 2 of 3)
This from yesterday’s Literature Ministries International’s daily A.W. Tozer devotional, Insight for Leaders…
It may surprise you that Aldous Huxley, often a critic of evangelical Christianity, has been quoted as saying: “My kingdom go is the necessary corollary to Thy kingdom come.”…
Certainly His kingdom can never be realized in my life until my own selfish kingdom is deposed. It is when I resign, when I am no longer king of my domain that Jesus Christ will become king of my life.
Ouch…
Sometimes when you step up and take the initiative you should have been taking all along, you don’t get the negative response you were dreading. In fact, it works out pretty well!
Love him or hate him, you’ve gotta admit it…Ted Turner speaks what’s on his mind…
The word “impossible” does not exist for me. I’ve got a lot of signal flags in my flag bag, but there’s not a white one in there. I’m gonna keep fighting until the day I die, and I might keep on fighting afterward – depending on where I am.
And this gem…
I’ve already decided what I want on my tombstone: I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY.
Michael Jordan on his intensity…
I never took a day off. If I took a day off, then Scottie was going to take a day off. And then Horace. The next thing you know, the whole scope of what we’re trying to do is being weakened. I never took a shortcut, and I never wanted anyone else to take a shortcut. If that meant someone interpreted me as a tyrant, I’m pretty sure they’re appreciative now.
A couple of pretty good profiles of some of the iconic men of the last 50 years in the October GQ. These quotes from the article on Colin Powell…
So what is the great threat we are facing?
I would approach this differently in almost Marshall-like terms. What are the great opportunities out there – ones that we can take advantage of?
And this…
Avoid war – and if that’s not possible, and it’s necessary to use arms to solve a political problem, then do it in a decisive way. You remove as much doubt as you can about the outcome. In addition, you need to have a clearly defined mission, and you must have some understanding of how it’s going to end.
From a guy on his cell phone this morning…
You know, some people who are really good at the people part just plain suck at organization!
Good mentors/coaches know…
- How to bring out the best and point out the worst
- The difference between a whack on the side of the head, a pat on the back, and a kick in the butt – and how and when to apply each one
What else do good mentors know?
Ken Blanchard says in Self Leadership and The One Minute Manager that the first “trick” of the self leader is Challenging Assumed Constraints. He defines an “assumed constraint” as…
a belief you have, based on past experience, that limits your current and future experiences. (p. 33)
So, if I’m going to challenge the assumed constraints in my life and my organization, and if I’m going to move beyond those past assumptions to a more productive and effective future, the starting place seems to be identifying what those assumed constraints are.
I started thinking about those assumptions this week, and as they came up, I started listing them in my notebook. I’ve got to tell you, it’s not a pretty picture. Especially when I realize that the assumptions I’ve placed on the people I lead and serve may be more detrimental to our mission than the assumptions I assume they operate under themselves.
And that scares me.
So, since you’re already praying for me after “I Quit,” you might as well go ahead and look with me into these constraints that have been holding me – and us – back.
Assumed Constraints for Our Church
- That our best days are behind us
- That we “can’t compete” with the megachurches, the new churches, etc. all around us
What About the Constraints I’ve Placed On Our People?
- That no one really cares
- That they (we) aren’t willing to change
- That they won’t follow my leadership
- That they (we) are stuck in the past
- That they (we) are not interested in the things that really matter
- That the “old dogs” are too old to “learn new tricks”
- That they (we) won’t respond to any bold challenges
- That they (we) won’t accept the responsibility for a new season of growth and effectiveness
- That they (we) are too interested in having our own needs met to actively reach out to meet the needs of others
- That they (we) won’t give to support anything new
- That they won’t like me if I lead in a different direction
- That they will fire me if they don’t like me
What About the Assumed Constraints I’m Fighting Against Personally?
- That I’m too old to attempt something great for God
- That I’m hopelessly stuck in debt that keeps me from real freedom to do those great things for God
- That I don’t have the necessary skills to be effective in this culture
- That I – and I alone – am completely responsible for the success or failure of our church
This week, I’m in the challenging mode…if you need to challenge your assumed constraints, share them. Let’s commit to praying for and helping each other with challenging – and overcoming those things that are holding us back. Deal?
I found this challenging quote in Perspective, the journal of the Association of YMCA Professionals…
When Aeschines spoke, they said, “How well he speaks, what glorious words, what magnificent tones!” But, when Demosthenes spoke, they shouted, “Let us march against Philip now!”
WOW! What will my people say when I speak this weekend? What will yours say? The more important question is: What will my people do with what I say this weekend? What will yours do?