The majority of leaders are driven by nature. They work long hours to ensure that the “job” gets done. Good leaders will also work to ensure that the people who they are responsible for are taking care of themselves, but many times they forget that they need taking care of also. They neglect eating right, getting a little exercise and sometimes just forget about having some plain old fun. They walk through the motions of taking vacations, but all while they are away they maintain constant contact with their “work”. In fact, the only thing that really changes is their location. They feel that this shows how dedicated they are to the mission. I do understand that there are times when you just can’t get away, but you must take advantage of the times you can. If not, you will suffer from burnout and this won’t be good for you, your people, or your job. You think you’re indispensable? Ever thought about what happens if you get hit by a bus? Sure they may have a nice service for you, but they will soon hire someone else and move on. (I know, a little extreme, but I hope you get my point) The job will not fall apart if you are not there for a few days, in fact if you have trained your people well, it will give someone the opportunity to step up their game.

Many times people sacrifice their relationships, their health, and in some cases their families for jobs where they are not truly appreciated. After many years they retire and may get a small token of appreciation from their organization never realizing the true cost of their misguided priorities.  My wife has a favorite commercial that helps to bring this point home…

 Remember…at the “end of the day” the best person to look out for you is you!!!

All of us at one time or another have felt that our current situation, for lack of a better word…SUCKS!!! You feel that you’re being dumped on and the “good life” is passing you by. Just remember, it’s all about your perspective. You’re heard the saying “I was angry because I had no shoes, but then I met a man with no feet”. Our situations could be better, however, they also could be worse. GOD has a plan for all of us and if we remain faithful…the best is yet to come.

^“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

 

Procrastination can be one of our biggest enemies. How many times have we put off important decisions until tomorrow? One such decision is making preparations on how we will spend eternity. For those of you who are non-believers give me a minute and I will get back to you in a few lines. Feel free to keep reading however. For my Christian brothers and sisters, it is time for us to step up and take the lead in the fight for saving souls. For those of you who are on the fence and keep saying to yourselves, “I will make a decision to follow Jesus tomorrow”, you may just run out of time. We all think we have more time until we don’t. Life can can end in the blink of an eye. We face battles every day against enemies seen and unseen. The fact that we may not be able to see an enemy doesn’t make them any less lethal to our eternal well-being. 

     Having the honor of raising kids or having an influence in the development of our youth is a huge responsibility that shouldn’t be taken lightly. We need to be there for them and not keep putting them off until “tomorrow” when we feel we may have more time. Life has a good way of balancing things out. While our children are young they crave our attention, when we are old we crave theirs. Spend time with them while you still can have an impact on their development. A song that helps to bring to bring home this point of not waiting until “tomorrow” is “Cat in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin.

     These are only two examples of decisions that are put off until tomorrow. Ask yourself, what would you do today if you knew that you wouldn’t be alive tomorrow? Then put forth an effort to get those things done. Remember, tomorrow is not promised to any of us.

Having the privilege to lead others is one of the most rewarding experiences of one’s career. To be a successful leader takes some work. For me, that work started with a decision I made very early in my career. Years ago I joined the United States Army and was told that I had to make decision that has guided me throughout my life. While attending Officer Candidate School (OCS) and sitting in one of the many lectures on leadership, one of our instructors told us that there were two types of leaders. The first were leaders that people followed for what they wore. In the military, he was referring to of course, the rank insignia which is worn by Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) and Officers. The second type of leader is the one people follow because who they are, the person. The instructor challenged each of us, future Army officers, to make a choice. It would be a choice that would affect us the rest of our career. It was a decision that I took seriously. I decided then that I wanted to be the kind of leader that people would want to follow even if they didn’t know my rank or position.

I know this discussion thus far has focused on military leaders, but it also holds true for the civilian sector. Look at your leaders and ask yourself why do you follow them. Would you follow them if you weren’t being paid to? If you are currently in a leadership position, do a self-evaluation and determine what type of leader you are. If you can’t determine this by yourself then ask for feedback from someone who knows you well and that you trust. This is a good strategy, but the real acid-test will come from the people you lead. You must be receptive and open to feedback, both positive and negative. People will follow you and do some extraordinary things and all that most will asked is for in return is for you to be a consistent and fair leader. They want to know that you are concerned about them and their needs. The mission must be accomplished; however, it won’t be done well without the support of your people. Every organization needs good leaders, but you must first decide what type of leader we want to be.

 Leading people can be very challenging at times. The diversity of your workforce makes a “one size fits all” approach to leading very impractical. Here are a few principles to help guide you:

– First, let your people know that you believe in them and believe it yourself. When your people feel that you believe in them they will work even harder not to let you down.

– Ensure that your people understand what is expected of them, and then inspect what you expect. This does a couple of things. For one, your people will really know that it is a priority for you. Secondly, it will give you an opportunity to recognize them for a job well done and/or to provide further guidance if needed.

– Be flexible in your leadership style. Different situations and people may dictate a varied approach to the task.

– Show your people that you are interested in their professional development. Let them know that this is a priority for you. Take the time to develop a plan for each of them. This also means you may have to help them find opportunities to further their development…be active.

– Help them develop the competence to excel at what they do and the confidence to try something new. At times it will be necessary for your people to operate outside of their comfort zone, it is your responsibility to help build within them the confidence to do so.

– Take responsibility for making your people successful. Make it your priority.

– Finally, don’t be a “crutch” for the people you lead. Help them stand on their own. Developing, mentoring, and training are key.

The title of this message may seem a little strange at first glance, but it has a story. As believers in our Heavenly Father and our savoir Jesus we know he can do all things according to HIS will. We know that he will fight our battles and we know through HIS Word that the final victory has already been won. But as we go through life there will be battles that we have to fight ourselves even though GOD is always with us…sometimes you still have to throw the stone.

In 1 Samuel, chapter 17, of the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, we read of the story of David and Goliath. 

1 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.[a] 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels[b]; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.[c] His shield bearer went ahead of him.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.”

As we see in verse 11 the Israelites were terrified but we know GOD will send help to his people in their time of need. Many times we may not recognize the help because it may not come in the form that we were expecting.

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.”

David saw what was happening and it didn’t sit-well with him that Goliath was defying the armies of the one true GOD.

26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

When you start asking the tough questions you may “ruffle some feathers” and everyone may not be happy with you and start to question your motives…

28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

But when you know who you belong to and that GOD has your back, you can stand and speak boldly because of the things HE has brought you through. When people see your conviction then they have no choice but to get behind you.

29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 

32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

People who may not fully understand your situation, may try to provide assistance that is not beneficial. They can’t see that GOD has given you all the resources that you will need.

38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

Never underestimate GOD’s People. They may look weak on the outside, but with the Spirit of the Lord in them, nothing is impossible.

41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”

45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

David not only knew who he was, but he knew to Whom he belonged. When we understand the power that GOD has bestowed upon us then we can boldly confront any enemy.

48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 

Notice as Goliath approach David didn’t back up he ran and faced the problem head on.

49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.

I love the story of David vs. Goliath. It demonstrates that when GOD is with you no one can stand against you. GOD will deliver your enemies in to your hands, you just have to have Faith. The other important fact that I see in the story, is that GOD will provide you with resources and protection, but you may still have to throw the stone.

I heard people complaining all the time about their circumstances. They hate the way they are treated on the job, in relationships, or even by our political leadership. They make statements like GOD has me and this too shall pass. Now this is true, however there are times when GOD wants us to do something.

Who knows how long the Israelite Army would have waited before taking any action against the Philistines. Would they just waited until they were attacked or until their supplies ran out? Like with the Israelites, fear will keep us in a place that GOD never intended for us to be.

GOD could have easily destroyed the Philistines, but he waited until one of his chosen had the courage to throw the stone.

I originally posted this in January of 2012, but thought it is fitting to read again as we start a new year…enjoy!!!

We have all heard the phase “today is the first day to the rest of your life”. Although there is some question on who originally coined the phrase, most sources credit it to Charles Dederich who founded the drug rehab group Synanon in the 1960’s. I felt this was a great first topic for Leadership for the rest- a commonsense approach.

As we embark on a new year, many use this time for new beginnings. We make resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, improve finances, fix personal relationships, and simply…to be better. On January 1st the resolve is strong and the intentions are good, but unfortunately, for most this resolve fades as we get deeper into the year. There are many reasons for this. We find that we don’t have the time we thought we were going have. We find other interest or we find that “life just happens”. Something just always seems to get in the way of our goals, but don’t get discouraged. Come up with a solid plan for success. Here are some suggestions to start your plan:

1.  Take time to really think about what you want to accomplish – be realistic
Being unrealistic will defeat you before you get started.

2.  Write your goals down – make a list
Making a list will help you remember what it was that you were trying to do in the first place. It will also give you something tangible to look at and keep you on track.

3.  Share them with someone you trust
By sharing your goals with someone you trust you can get some support. Just make sure you pick a person who will be supportive. A negative person can derail your efforts.

4.  Put the list in a prominent place so that you will see it daily
This will help to remind you what must be done.

5.  Periodically review your goals and assess your progress – readjust them if necessary
You need to access your progress to see how close you are to accomplishing your goals. As “life just happens” you may need to adjust your goal. Don’t give up, just readjust.

6.  Stay focused
Keeping your eyes on the prize will help to keep you motivated. Stay focused on your goal and you will get there.

This list is not all inclusive and many of you probably have some additions. Feel free to comment and add them. One of my visions for this site is for it to be a place to share leadership and life lessons. Let’s help each other to get better. Remember, today is truly the first day of the rest of your life.

Just living can be a challenge. Here are a few sayings that I picked up that may help reinforce some positive thinking. You may have read some of them before, but it doesn’t hurt to read them again….

If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are probably right.

Winners never quit, quitters never win. Be a winner…it is your choice.

If you want your place in the sun, you have to get some blisters.

Don’t have hardening of the attitudes, stay flexible.

Identify your mistakes and move on rather than identifying with them.

A problem is either a challenge or a defeat, turn problems into opportunities.

You never lose by giving. By helping those in need, you help yourself.

There is nothing worth having a bad day, don’t let anyone ruin yours.

As you think you are. Keep your thoughts positive.

“To thine own self be true” – William Shakespeare. Do things because you want or need to and not just to follow the crowd.

The person who has to be right is wrong. No one person has all the answers and it is okay to get help from others.

We attract what we project. Positive people attract positive people, negativity attracts negativity.

Each day find someone who is doing something right and tell them.

Learn from your failures, that knowledge will help you be successful in the future.

Recognize who you are and accept yourself.

Fear causes us to forget the things that we need to remember.

Our life is determined by the decisions that we have made along the way. Choose them wisely.

Choose to love people and not judge them. Experience them as they are and not as you would like them to be.

 Humans are social beings by nature. We need each other to survive. No matter how highly we think of ourselves we can’t get through life’s journey alone. To honor those who have helped you along the way…help others.

For my Christian brothers and sisters, if you see someone hungry…feed them; if you see they are lacking clothing…clothe them. A person will be more open to hearing your “witness” if their basic needs are satisfied.

For everyone, remember to treat others as you would want to be treated. As we look at the world’s shaky economy, it should be noted that our circumstances could change when we least expect it.

As I walk the streets in our nation’s capital, I see many of our fellow citizens panhandling for a meal. It would be  so easy to pass them by and act as if I didn’t notice them. It would also be easy to rationalize that they may be scamming me. How can I tell if this person really needs the money? Truth is, in most cases I won’t know. My personal philosophy is…”I rather give to the one who didn’t need, than miss the one who did”.

We are our brothers’ keeper!!!