Emotional Intelligence has been written about a great deal by Dr. Daniel Goleman. It has become a substantial discussion in leadership. The sobriety prayer best defines emotional Intelligence. It goes, “Grant me the courage to change what can be changed, the patience to accept what cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.” […]

We listen primarily with our emotions. Keep the following several facts in mind when trying to convey messages to children, fellow workers, and friends:
1. The right brain works in sensual imagery……. No words.
2. The right brian works in pictures not words.
3. The right brain, to a great extent, determines what gets to […]

The way you think is the way you’ll act. The way you act will determine who you are. Who you are determines your rate of success. Mantras of any organization energize any organization. After some thought I have come up with my mantras for 2008. I only have seven. I am […]

For a while now it has been a stretch for me to think of baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964,  as a cohesive group. That’s a long period of time and there was a lot of unique history that passed in that period of time. I recently read some work on […]

I think one of the most significant fronts we face as Christians interested in outreach and healing is the tension between biology’s influence on behavior and the will and psychological bearings on behavior. There is no doubt that at least “biology plus psychology equals behavior.” But how does the spiritual component enter in here?
It is […]

My life is filled with so many misfires that it is hard to think of one you’d like to hear about. Probably the most intriguing misfire I have carried through on was a few years back when I lead a musical outreach. Our outreach was lead by some very talented people and we […]

Here’s a couple quotes from November’s issue of “Fast Company” (p.69). I thought my readers who are leaders might enjoy them.
“The scrappy Savings and Loan Credit Union in…..Australia has an internal strategic motto.” “We don’t want to be first but we sure as________…..don’t want to be third.”
“Don’t be first, be best. Look for […]

Manipulation has no place in the work of the Gospel. But leadership requires knowing how to help people get the “stuff” they need to make sound decisions. Here are some thoughts I have run across that can help the process of getting an apparently non-responsive group to show progress:
1. Narrow options
[…]

I have been perplexed at times why some ministry ventures within a congregation explode and others bomb but the one that bombed was actually a better offering. The following are some thoughts of mine combined with research on why products fail in stores.
1. The Name may be wrong…Frisbees were first […]

Joyce Landorf Heatherly wrote:

 “Godly affirmation is based on what we are, or what we’ve accomplished, but just on the fact that we area who we are.”

She calls affirmation the greatest bond between persons.

I think she is right. I have been slowly reading through her small book, “Balcony People.” I stumbled across it  in […]

I have been thinking about money and church. As best I can tell most churches need more money. I think money is good. I am not sure we are hitting the mark on motivating people to see that churches overloaded with money would be a good thing.
The church I am leading has plenty of requests for […]

What’s a leader for? The best answer to that question I have read is one given by Max Dupree. He says a leader has two jobs:

To press for reality
To say thank you

A real leader introduces everyone constantly to what is really going on in the organization. Of course, leadership works in the home […]

1. Broader focus than most services in church.
2. 50% volunteer ministries.
3. Core disciples growing at rate of outreach.
4. People bring and include with some skill.
5. Reliable, strong and trusted leadership.
6. Income is sufficient to support outreach efforts.
7. Vision is held by growing core.
8. Spirit of acceptance, forgiveness, love and inclusion.
9. Able to handle experimentation and […]

What is a catalytic person?

1. Someone who gives more services than they consume at their church.
2. Someone who can articulate the vision of the church
3. Someone who sees themselves as a problem solver not a problem avoider
4. Someone who is not offended in the least […]

I have had four major male influences in my life. And I feel very fortunate to be able to state such. The first of course is my dad. He is a great leader of men. He was a Fire Chief and a creative, very accomplished one.
Then there was my Granddad. He was a direct […]