Tag: perspective

Sharpening Your Leadership Sword, pt 2

Share this:
Share

On Tuesday, I posted about finding ways to develop your leadership daily and weekly. Today, I’m going to look at something that’s a bit of a long range view: conferences.

Now, to be fair, I’m not a well traveled and varied conference goer. What I do have, however, is my own experience.

There is a conference I go to almost every year hosted by the Baptist General Convention of Texas called Texas Conclave. In relative terms, this is a smaller conference (hundreds, not thousands) that features main room sessions, breakouts, and an exhibit hall.

A few years ago I came to the realization my greatest takeaways from Conclave are usually the relationships–connecting with friends who have moved away, catching up with buddies from college, and meeting new guys who are doing things right in their context.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the main room teaching, and walk away with encouragement and inspiration following most of the breakout sessions I attend, but for me, the value of Conclave is in the relationships.

I have also been able to attend Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Summit a few times in recent years. I go to a satellite site that is attended by a relatively small number, so I get excellent teaching and lots of relational time.

Are you sensing a theme? I’m fueled by relationships. I love hearing what other people are doing and learning from their passion and heart. I enjoy connecting with friends. This, perhaps more than any conference, is worth it’s weight in gold.

So, how do you sharpen your sword? Know yourself. Find what excites you, and embrace it. Provide yourself with opportunities to build on what motivates you, and watch your leadership grow.

Check It Out: Training with a Purpose

Share this:
Share

I’ve been blogging now for 8 months. That’s a lot of posts. But the posts I got the most feedback on were from my “Lessons from the Farm” series where I reflected on leadership learnings I’ve gleaned from my time growing up working on my dad’s farm.

Today’s Check It Out is the first post from that series, and one that I needed reminding of this week: Training with a purpose. Click here to check it out.

Sharpening Your Leadership Sword

Share this:
Share

How do you sharpen your leadership sword?

Obviously, the most efficient way you do so is by reading this incredible blog. But other than that, what have you built into your daily and weekly rhythm to help you expand your leadership ability?

I’ve talked around this subject before, but perhaps you learn by reading, or by listening to podcasts (I share some of my favorite podcasts in this series of posts).

Here are a few thoughts I have about how to build into your rhythm a sense of leadership development:

  1. Books – nothing says “grow in leadership” like a book that promises to grow your leadership. A strong student can find a leadership book geared for any walk of life and apply the principles to their own context and experience in some way. Find a good book this week!
  2. Blogs – Again, if you’re reading this blog, you’re already at the head of the class. Well, maybe not, but if you’ve stuck with me this long, thank you. I do remember, actually, a blog I ran across years ago in my ministry that was my first read every day when I walked into the office, and something that regularly challenged me where I needed challenges, grew me where I needed growth, and seemed to always offer encouragement at just the right moment. Find something along these lines that encourages you.
  3. Podcasts – See this series of posts to see the podcasts that I make regular parts of my day or week. I’m an auditory learner and processor, so listening to conversations help me stay sharp.
  4. Table fellowship – Now, this may sound extra corny and church-y, but I love spending time around the table with other ministers who love God and love people, and are striving to equip those around them to do the same. There is something unique about including people into your life who are every day experiencing the same but different situations.

The bottom line is if you are serious in growing in your leadership, you have to be serious about learning. However you learn best, embrace it. Don’t be comfortable, but don’t guilt yourself into apathy, either. Always be willing to learn, and your leadership will continually expand.

Today’s Decisions. Tomorrow’s Direction.

Share this:
Share

Have you ever done something you never thought you would do?

For me, it’s running. I used to think people who ran 5K races were crazy. Now, I’m one of the crazies. I’ve run 5Ks (including one during a vacation), 5 mile races, 10Ks and even a half marathon.

Every time I’ve trained for and completed a race, I can look back and see decisions I made along the way that helped me achieve the goal. The most obvious was simply the choice to spend time running instead of doing something else.

Our leadership principle today is a simple one: Today’s decisions. Tomorrow’s direction.

The decisions we make today affect where we will end up tomorrow. For leadership, the implication is rather simple: are you making decisions today that will make you a better leader tomorrow?

Are you reading leadership blogs (like this one), books, and articles? Are you listening to leadership podcasts that will stretch your understanding of what it means to lead? Are you surrounding yourself with people who will help you grow as a leader?

What have you set up in your routine each day that will help you expand your leadership influence? It may be as simple as sending an encouraging text each day, or clicking over to Amazon to find a good book on leadership. Or, maybe it’s adopting the three questions and trying to answer them each day.

Remember: Today’s decisions. Tomorrow’s direction.

Check It Out: Perspective

Share this:
Share

Back in May, I posted a series called “Lessons from the Farm.” Today’s Check it Out is a link back to the first in that series, titled “Perspective.”

What happens when the wheels literally fall off? Click to find out.

http://wp.me/p8lYoA-3N 

WP to LinkedIn Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com