How to Grow as a Leader

How to Keep Growing as a Leader

I'm no expert in leadership, far from it. I never write a blog for that matter, attempting to be the authoritative voice on any particular topic. Though I do believe I have learnt some lessons along the way, in terms of leadership, that I'd love to share with you right now.

How do you continue to grow as a leader?

• Good leaders read good leadership books. Keep reading. Read books on leadership. Read magazines on leadership. Further to that, challenge yourself to synthesise your thoughts after you have read something. How often have you read something, thought you understood what you read, and then when you tried to relay what you learnt to someone else, you went blank? Synthesising your thoughts and your learnings is important. Information is not beneficial in and of itself, but how you work through the information and the teaching and apply it to your situation. So read and process.
  
• Good leaders learn from mistakes. Good leadership is not expressed in the absence of mistakes, but rather, leadership is expressed in the willingness to 'give it another shot' and step up and try again. Leaders need to understand that at times, the most important thing to do, is to step up again, straighten the back and try again. Thomas Edison didn't build the lightbulb the first try.
• Good leaders challenge themselves. You can grow as a leader as you take on bigger and grander tasks. Quite often you feel ill-prepared and ill-equipped, but by throwing yourself in the deeper end, you are challenged to grow. The founder of SEEK, Andrew Bassat, took on the likes of Fairfax by starting an online classifieds website for the unemployed back in the late 90s. He threw himself in the deep end, and now SEEK has a market value of $4.4 billion, compared with Fairfax of $1.4 billion. Bassat knew little about how to run an online site, but grew as a leader because he took on a challenge.Trying something difficult, will not necessarily ensure you grow as a leader, but it will provide a context in which growth can happen.
• Good Christian leaders grow in their faith. If you are a Christian leader, then growing as a leader is about not only your skill-sets, but your relationship with God. Some call it, 'Growing in God', and others say we need to, 'Mature in Christ'. Followers of Jesus generally comprehend the importance of such things and it should really go without saying. Growing as a leader and maturing in Christ go hand-in-hand.
• Mentors and Coaches can help you grow as a leader. The right mentor will be someone who can help you understand why you think and act the way you do! They can stretch you, inspire you or point you in the right direction. They can be invaluable in their capacity to lift you to 'another level' so to speak.

The opportunity to lead is a given for many (as a parent, a minister, a teacher, a manager, a school captain, etc). Growing as a leader is not a given. Growing as a leader is optional and requires work. Be intentional if you are leader. Choose to grow.

Stop Trying to Please Everyone!

How do you please everyone? You don't!

That's a lesson I'm learning right now. I shouldn't be surprised by this statement; I mean I've heard it for years. You can't please everyone so don't even try.

Could it be that the issue for me (and could I say maybe you as well), is that we want everyone to like us? We want everyone to approve of the way we complete our work, the way we run our family, the way we live our lives.

Now, if we were simply able to tune into what God thinks of us, and then act on what he places in our heart, we wouldn't be tying ourselves up in knots. 'How to please everyone' wouldn't even be a statement that enters our mind.

Focusing in on knowing Christ and understanding as much of the love of God as we can is possibly the answer. Albeit a cliché, Christian kind of answer; but I believe it to be right!

• Colossians 2:2 - 'My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ.
• Eph 3:16-19 - 'I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.' 

This idea of pleasing God first, somewhat contradicts the teachings from Dale Carnegie (How to Win Friends and Influence People), which is all about the characteristics we should show in life to build respect amongst others. I'm not saying the chapters found in Carnegie's book are not worth following, but I am saying, that following God first, discerning his opinion and knowing Christ all trump the human aspects of building respect amongst others.

 I leave you with a thought that is just as much for me, as it is for you:

STOP trying to please everyone!


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Preaching - Tips on Communicating God's Word Today

I find myself thinking again about communication, and effective ways to communicate truth to a crowd in a way that creates change in the listener. I never want to preach to a crowd that doesn't listen, or preach to a crowd that doesn't respond. Over the last 10 years I have already had the chance to preach many times, and share the message of Jesus to many different crowds/congregations and in many different settings and environments. So what could I offer in this blog that hasn't already been said about preaching? What could Pete possibly say about communication that will inspire me? Maybe these tips on preaching and communication are just reminders, or encouragements for you, but here are some thoughts nonetheless. (Feel free to add some more below).

It is important, when preaching the Word of God, to narrow things down to ONE clear point. People won't remember the rest! Here's a test, remember these numbers: 76, 34, 53, 32, 14... Ok without looking can you remember any of the numbers? Now what about: 18, 18, 18, 18. What's the number? You remembered! If you can preach with one thought and draw all your stories, anecdotes, analysis and scripture to draw out this ONE point, people will remember! Haddon Robinson "Bibilical Preaching" calls it 'The Big Idea'. Andy Stanley in "Communicating for a Change" says to 'pick a point'. If you've got too many points to carve into one sermon then preach a series.

I stood there one morning with a piece of laminated card on my forehead. String around my head held the card up to the congregation. Some of my friends still remember the 'L' shaped letter with its bright green colour and its element of stupidity. They remember too, that morning as I spoke on the importance of leadership in the local church (I still remember touching on integrity, passion and purpose). My tip? Think about the creative factor. My wife, Jo, stole the show away when she spoke on Hosea one morning (last year), wearing a wedding dress and speaking on infidelity and sinfulness. Absolute classic!

I'm aware of the statement that says, that we don't come with wise and persuasive words, but with the Spirit's power, and I agree with that. Without God's Spirit opening up the Scriptures to us in the first place and without the Spirit revealing truth to the listeners it is just like a nice political campaign speech, 'Hi, my name's Pete, and I'm here to offer nothing of substance into your life as you listen to this...' There's a quote rolling around in my head that says, 'pray as if it all depends on God and work as if it all depends on you' (correct me if I'm wrong!). What about, 'Prepare and pray like it all depends on God, and when you preach still give it all you got!' It is naive to be ill-prepared in the, 'I'm just going to let the Spirit move this morning' kind of talks. Maybe there's a time for them; but every week?! Hey, time to do some bible study!

Communicating biblical exegesis without good hermeneutics is like being stuck in the desert without a bottle of water; you don't know where you are, where you're meant to go, and you feel dry and empty inside. The Word of God MUST speak into our everyday lives. The fact that Paul writes about peace while he's in prison, says something about the level of peace we can experience in life. When Jesus feeds the five thousand, says something of the fact that God can provide for our every need. When Elijah lifts a prayer to God and the rain comes, shows us that God answers prayer today and can use you to transform the stratosphere! If there is merely biblical insight and teaching based on what happened in Palestine, or what happened in Egypt with Moses (Biblical exegesis) and we never find an application to OUR everyday life (hermeneutics), then most of our congregations will be left wandering. It may be ok for biblical scholars and up and coming theologians, and University students, but everyday people need an everyday Bible that affects their everyday life.

For those that find themselves preaching to a crowd and communicating the message of the Kingdom of God; God Bless!

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