Take 5 Series - "What My Dog Training Reminded Me About Leadership"

by Michael Hyatt

Recently, my wife bought me a Labradoodle puppy. I had wanted one ever since my daughter got hers. My grandson named him “Charlie Brown,” since his fur was a beautiful chocolate brown color.
Though he was born in January, we didn’t get to meet Charlie until last week. He spent the first eleven weeks at the breeder with his mother and siblings. Then he went straight to a trainer for “Companion Training.” (Yes, we believe in outsourcing!)

Last Monday, after what seemed like forever, we drove five hours to Indianapolis to pick him up. He was everything I had hoped he would be—cute, calm, and compliant.

The trainer spent three hours with us, going over the training. We watched with delight as Charlie responded obediently to nineteen different commands. Then the trainer let us work with him, as she coached and corrected us.

The Foundation of Success—and FailureThough he was house-broken, I had to ask her, “What happens if he has an accident and eliminates indoors. How should we respond?” (This is the part I always dread about getting a puppy.)

“No problem,” she assured me. “Just take a newspaper and roll it up real tight—like it’s a stick. Now hit yourself on the forehead and say, “Bad owner!”

We laughed out loud. She went on to explain. “If he has an accident, it’s your fault. Either you got distracted or ignored the signals.” She let that sink in and continued, “Charlie’s trained. Now we just have to train you.”

I had to smile. She was giving me a dose of my own medicine. When I teach on leadership, I always begin with self-leadership. To get better results, you have to become a better leader.
In any situation, we can practice self-leadership by taking these actions.
Action #1: Take responsibility for the results.This is a challenge for many leaders. It’s much easier to offer an excuse or blame someone else or something else.

 * “It’s the economy. Things are just slow right now.”
 * “It’s my sales manager’s fault. She didn’t get that order from Wal-Mart.”
 * We missed the deadline, because the vendor didn’t come through.”

The problem is that as long as you are making excuses you will not grow as a leader. You will also not earn the respect of others, whether it’s your boss, your peers, or your subordinates.
Instead, you have look in the mirror and say, “I own this. I don’t like it. I wish it were different, but it is what it is. I take full responsibility for this outcome.”

Action #2: Ask yourself a hard question.One of the greatest leadership lessons I ever learned was from my executive coach, Ilene from Gap International. After missing our revenue plan one August, she asked, “Why do you think you fell short of your budget?”

I stammered around, then offered a parade of excuses (actually, the very ones I cited earlier). Except, I didn’t think of them as excuses. Instead, I saw them as the reasons we had missed our target.
She then assured me she understood. “I get that all those things were factors.” Then she hit me with this zinger: “What was it about your leadership that led to this outcome?”

I did not like that question at all. In fact, I was offended by it. But she persisted.

“Look, if it’s someone else’s fault, then you are just a victim. But if you accept responsibility, you can change your behavior. And if you can change your behavior, you change the outcome next time around.”

This question has revolutionized the way I lead. I feel it is a major reason I get the results I get. But it’s not enough to ask the question. You also have to …

Action #3: Change your behavior.This is the hard part. Leaders talk a lot about the challenges of organizational change. Most of the focus is on changing other people’s behavior.
Granted, changing other people’s behavior is tough. But it’s a whole lot easier if, as leaders, we are willing to change our own behavior.

For example,

 * Leaders complain about their teammates being late to meetings but usually arrive late themselves—unless they have called the meeting.
 * Leaders insist on more analysis before green-lighting a subordinate’s project, but are content to follow their intuition when it’s their own.
 * Leaders challenge their team to explore the use of social media in their organization’s marketing efforts, but refuse to engage themselves.

The Russian saint, Seraphim of Sarov, once said, “Save yourself, and thousands around you will be saved.” This reflects deep insight into the essence of leadership and the key to organizational change.
Lead By Example

By taking these three actions, you are in a much better position to lead by example. It doesn’t mean you can’t hold others accountable. You can. But you must start with yourself and then teach others to do the same.

Source: click here

Take 5 Series - "A New Definition of Success"

I went to a funeral recently and as I looked at the deceased in the coffin, I thought to myself: "Now this was a successful man." I did not base what I thought on his economic status, for in reality he made a modest living for his family. But as I waited for over an hour in the line to greet his grieving wife and family, I thought of the John Maxwell article I had recently read that I will share with you below.

A New Definition of Successby: John C. Maxwell
In 1986, when I was 39 years old, I began to notice a terrible trend among my colleagues, college buddies and friends: divorce. This was happening in a variety of marriages – from the shaky to the apparently strong. Margaret and I didn't think our relationship was in any kind of danger, but then again, we knew that many of our friends had thought their relationships were indestructible too. At the same time, my career was really taking off. And while I was enjoying the new challenges, I knew that I didn't want to lose my family in the process. That prompted me to make one of my key life decisions: rewriting my definition of success. Instead of acclaim or advancement or achievement, I decided that for me,

Success means having those closest to me love and respect me the most.

This made success for me possible only if I included my wife and children in the journey. From that moment on, my success depended on putting my family first. If you want to truly succeed in this life, you need to ask yourself a question: Is your pursuit of success drawing you closer to - or farther from – the most important people in your life? If you want to redefine success the way I did, here are some ways to put your decision into practice:

Read the full article at this link.

Take 5 Series - "How Leaders Gain Respect"

Take a look at the process a leader goes through based on the word R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

R - Respect yourself and those you work with.

E - Exceed the expectations of others

S - Stand firm in your convictions

P - Possess uncommon security and maturity

E - Experience personal success

C - Contribute to the success of others

T - Think ahead of others

by John Maxwell, From the 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day

Take 5 Series - "Without a Plan You Are Growing Nowhere"

by John Maxwell

Personal growth doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not an automatic process. If you want to guarantee growth, then you need a plan—something strategic, specific, and scheduled. Motivational speaker Earl Nightingale said, “If a person will spend one hour a day on the same subject for five years, that person will be an expert on that subject.” Isn’t that incredible? It shows how far we are able to go when we have the discipline to make growth a daily practice.

A plan for growth requires you to…

1) Set aside time to grow.

For 13 to 20 years, depending on how long we stay in school, the educational system challenges us to learn. Yet upon graduation, many people almost never pick up a book. Going to the next level in your career demands that you take responsibility for continuing your personal growth.

The secret to success is determined by your daily agenda. You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. Be practical about personal growth—literally put it on your calendar. Never rely on enthusiasm to replace rigorous discipline and a detailed plan. Oftentimes, we get hyped up to learn something new, and then quickly abandon the project as soon as our initial excitement subsides. To sustain growth, we need to schedule it.

2) Identify your areas of growth.

Choose to grow in the areas of your strengths, and NOT in the areas of your weakness. Making this commitment requires us to swim against the prevailing cultural current. We’re taught to be well-rounded and to improve our weaknesses. However, in many arenas of life, we naturally perform poorly. Even with hard work, we will never become better than average in them. The reality is that people don’t pay for average. No one gets excited to dine out at an average restaurant, to spend two hours watching an average movie, or to hire someone with average abilities.

Success comes when we identify our natural talents, and then work diligently to develop them into extraordinary skills. Concentrate on fine-tuning your strengths, on climbing from above-average to excellent in an area, rather than on shoring up your weaknesses. When you stray from your strengths, you not only limit yourself, but you also negative impact your team.

3) Find resources in your area of growth.

People keep a poker close to the fire so that they can stir the coals and keep the fire hot. In the same way, stay close to passionate people who stir up your curiosity. Associate with fellow learners who will challenge your thinking and inspire you to grow.

In addition to finding people who will encourage your growth, track down great content and file it away for future reference. Leaders are readers. They’re hungry for insights and when they come across knowledge, they have a system for storing it up for eventual use.

4) Apply what you have learned.

The whole exercise of seeking knowledge is fruitless unless you find a way to apply what you have learned. One helpful practice is to follow the 24-hour rule. Every time you’ve learned something significant, share the lesson with someone else within 24 hours. If you do not practice or pass along what you have learned, then it will not become part of your life and you’ll lose it.

 Source: click here

Take 5 Series - "How to Discern Your Calling"

Source: Michael Hyatt leadership podcast

What keeps you going when the going gets tough … when you want to quit and walk off the field?

Tough times are inevitable for each of us. If you aren’t clear about your calling, you will cave in and quit. This is why it is so important to understand what it is.
The word “calling” comes from the Latin word, vocatio. It means a call, a summons, or an invitation. It is the same word from which we get the word vocation.
It has four attributes:
• It is external. It originates outside of you.
• It is personal. It comes specifically to you.
• It is appealing. It is something that resonates in you.
• It is optional. You have the choice whether to respond or not.
So how do you find your calling? People get confused on this point. They think they need to hear an audible voice from God or there is something mystical about it. I don’t think so.
My premise is that you will find it at the intersection of three components:
1. Component #1: Passion: What do you love?
Here are some clues:
o What do you daydream about?
o What do you love learning about?
o What would you do if money was not an issue?
A warning: Just because you love something does not mean it is your calling.
2. Component #2: Proficiency: What are you good at?
Here are some clues:
o Where do you feel God’s pleasure?
o Where are you proud of your work?
o What do you friends say you are good at?
o Where have you been acknowledged or rewarded?
A warning: Just because you are good at something does not mean it is your calling.
3. Component #3: Profitability: Can you make money doing this work?
Here are some clues:
o Is the market willing to pay for what you offer?
o Are you comfortable charging for what you do?
o Do you have a clear monetization strategy?
Warning: Just because you can make money doing something, does not mean it is your calling.
All three of these components are important. Each of them is necessary, but none of them is sufficient in itself.
• If you have passion and competence without a market, you don’t have a calling. You have a hobby.
• If you have passion and a market without competence, you don’t have a calling. You have a failure.
• If you have competence and a market without passion, you don’t have a calling. You have boredom.
It really does take all three circles.

Source link - click here.

Take 5 Series - "The Divine 7"

"The Divine 7" is something I felt the Holy Spirit gave me to speak over my own life and the lives of those I care about on a frequent basis. Seven things I need on a daily basis.

1. DIVINE RECEPTIVITY – GOD WILL HELP US HEAR HIS VOICE

2. DIVINE CREATIVITY – GOD WILL GIVE US NEW IDEAS

3. DIVINE PRODUCTIVITY – GOD WILL MAKE US FRUITFUL

4. DIVINE ENABLEMENT – GOD WILL MAKE US STRONG

5. DIVINE INTERVENTION – GOD WILL STEP IN WITH SUPERNATURAL ASSISTANCE

6. DIVINE FAVOR – WE WILL WALK IN THE “F.O.G.” – THE FAVOR OF GOD

7. DIVINE RHYTHM  - GOD WILL ENABLE US TO DO HIS WILL IN HIS PERFECT
TIMING

 - David

Take 5 Series - "4 Difficult Sentences for Leaders...

...And Why You Must Get Good at Saying Them."

by Michael Hyatt

Many words in the English language are difficult. In fact, there’s even a Dictionary of Difficult Words, but none are more difficult than the ones in the four sentences I [Michael Hyatt] share in this episode.

• Sentence #1: I am sorry.
• Sentence #2: I know that hurt.
• Sentence #3: I was wrong.
• Sentence #4: Will you please forgive me?

Caution: you must avoid using the words if and but. For example:

 

• “I’m sorry if I offended you.”
• “I’m sorry, but I think you misunderstood what I was saying.”
• “I’m sorry, but I was only reacting to something you said.”

Source: Read the article online at this link here.

Take 5 Series - Read it and Reap

Readers are leaders and leaders are readers. Three things I would say to our Journey leaders about this.

 

1. I don't fancy myself to be an avid reader or a fast reader but I am developing the daily discipline of reading widely and wisely.

 

2. I have found that iBooks on my iPad has revolutionized how I read books and compile notes. Digital books can transform the way you read making it easy, inexpensive, and extremely profitable.

 

3. I find that reading for a few minutes each morning and evening gets me further, faster as I am finishing article after article and book after book,. Consistency is the key.

 

I read a 5-minute devotional emailed to me called Tozer on Leadership. I could not recommend this any higher - click here.

 

Here is a quick-read post from Tozer this week that I wanted to share with you.

 

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"Read or Get Out of the Ministry" by A.W. Tozer

 

A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel. —Proverbs 1:5

 

When a very young minister, I asked the famous holiness preacher, Joseph H. Smith, whether he would recommend that I read widely in the secular field. He replied, "Young man, a bee can find nectar in the weed as well as in the flower." I took his advice (or, to be frank, I sought confirmation of my own instincts rather than advice) and I am not sorry that I did.

 John Wesley told the young ministers of the Wesleyan Societies to read or get out of the ministry, and he himself read science and history with a book propped against his saddle pommel as he rode from one engagement to another. Andy Dolbow, the American Indian preacher of considerable note, was a man of little education, but I once heard him exhort his hearers to improve their minds for the honor of God. "When you are chopping wood," he explained, "and you have a dull axe you must work all the harder to cut the log. A sharp axe makes easy work. So sharpen your axe all you can." The Size of the Soul, 33.

 
"In the busyness of life, Lord, help me to always guard time to sharpen my axe. Amen."
 

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 Reprinted from Tozer on Christian Leadership by A.W. Tozer, copyright © 2001 by Zur Ltd. Used by permission of WingSpread Publishers, a division of Zur Ltd.

 
Tozer on Christian Leadership is protected by copyright and may not be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, translated, transmitted or distributed in any way.

 

Take 5 Series - Prepping for Public Ministry

Below are 7 steps I used to prepare to speak at Christian Life Church.

1 – PRAY– about the assignment I have been given – ask for the anointing to speak

2 – PREPARE– I put in the time to know the material to the best of my ability

3 – PRAY– I ask the Holy Spirit to refine my thoughts and enable me to say the most powerful things in the least amount of words.

4 – PRACTICE– I time my teaching, walk through my PowerPoints, speak the teaching or message out loud several times to get into my brain memory so I’m not reading it

5 – PRAY– I ask the Holy Spirit to give me key points, illustrations, stories, and claim Exodus 4:12 – “I will help you speak and teach you what to say."

6 – PRESENT– I exercise courage and boldness and get up at the appointed time and trust God that as I go in the strength that I have He will help me present the teaching/sermon in a clear, powerful, influential, impacting, and humorous way

7 – PRAISE– After my time of ministry, I give thanks to the Lord for helping me and leave the results with him

-- David
 

Take 5 Series - Effective Leaders Cannot Afford to Be Easily Offended

As a leader, you are going to draw fire. People will criticize you. Some will second-guess your decisions. Others will impute motives that aren’t there. A few will falsely accuse you.

If you are going to be effective as a leader, you can’t afford to be easily offended. Don’t take the bait! Nothing will derail you faster and consume your energy—energy you could be using to do what matters most.

 

When I am tempted to get offended, I remind myself of four great truths I have learned—and am still

learning—about offenses.

• Truth #1: Offenses are inevitable.
• Truth #2: Offenses are usually unintentional.
• Truth #3: Offenses can be good for us.
• Truth #4: Being offended is a choice.

The greatest leaders I know are not easily offended. Instead, they practice the habit of overlooking offenses. They take the high road, give the offender the benefit of the doubt, and move on. What about you?

 

Source: Michael Hyatt article & podcast at this link here.

Take 5 Series - 3 Forces That Shape Character

by Michael Hyatt

Charisma may be useful in attracting a following, but it is largely useless when it comes to achieving a long-term, positive impact on the people and organizations we lead. For this, we need character. Effective leadership is an inside-out job.

In helping people build their platforms, I often meet individuals whose public image is better developed than their personal character. They are one person on stage and another when the spotlight is off. It is this fundamental lack of integrity that undermines their effectiveness and, left unchecked, can destroy their legacy.

This is why it is so important to give attention to developing our character. Yes, talent is important. So is education and experience. But in the end, it is our character that makes or breaks us.
In my experience, character is shaped by three forces. If we want to develop our character, we need to give attention to each of them.

 1. The Input We Consume. Computer geeks are fond of saying, “garbage in, garbage out.” The same is true with our inner life. One of the best ways to grow is by reading books, listening to podcasts and other audio programs, and attending conferences.

But the opposite is also true. Watching endless hours of television, viewing pornography, or mindlessly ingesting the worst of popular culture, erodes character.

This is why we must be attentive to the input we consume. It affects us in deep and profound ways. It is the raw material out of which our character is formed.

 2. The Relationships We Pursue. Jim Rohn taught that “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” If this is true—and I believe it is—we have to be more intentional about the people we choose to associate with.

  * If you want to lose weight, hang out with people who make good diet and exercise choices.
  * If you want a better marriage, socialize with people who have healthy ones.
  * If you want to make more money, associate with people who are successful.

Conversely, dissociate from people who reinforce your worst traits. Even the Bible warns, “Bad company corrupts good character” (see 1 Corinthians 15:33). None of us can afford relationships that pull us down.

 3. The Habits We Acquire. These are simply the consistent ways we think, speak, and act in different situations. They are largely unconscious, which is what gives them their power—both positively and negatively.

Good habits lead to good outcomes:

  * If we develop the habit of praising our spouse in public, for example, it contributes to a healthy marriage.
  * If we develop the habit of positive thinking, it can help us cope with adversity.
  * If we make healthy food choices, it can increase our energy, improve our productivity, and extend our lives.

But bad habits can have the opposite impact, too. If you make a habit of complaining about your boss, it can come back to bite you. That’s why we have to be intentional about building good habits and breaking ourselves of bad ones.

Nothing is more important to our effectiveness as leaders than the cultivation of our own character. Why? Because ultimately we will replicate who we are—for good or for bad.

Source: Michael Hyatt. Read the source article at this link here.

Take 5 - 10 Tests Every Leader Faces

Ten Tests That Prove our Potential & Maturity

Test 1 - The Test of Small Things - This test proves our faithfulness and reveals potential greater opportunities and challenges.

Test 2 - The Motivation Test - This test comes to those who are doing right, to reveal why they are doing right.

Test 3 - The Stewardship Test - This test proves how strategically and generously we handle resources that we presently control.

Test 4 - The Wilderness Test - This test comes in a time of dryness to reveal our potential for change and to enter into a new growth level. 

Test 5 - The Credibility Test - This test reveals our integrity and proves our ability to hold uncompromising ethics under pressure. 

Test 6 - The Authority Test - This test reveals our attitudes and willingness to submit to God-given authority.

Test 7 - The Offense Test - This test comes to prove that we are not easly offended and that we are ready to forgive others.

Test 8 - The Warfare Test - This test reveals what we will do when we are in God's will and experience adversity or opposition.

Test 9 - The Test of Time - This test proves the quality of our work; it is based both on quality and longevity.

Test 10 - The Lordship Test - This is a test revealing our heart's response to who o r what has the final authority in our lives. It occurs in a situation where it becomes difficult to obey God.

Source - Grow Series 2 curriculum

Take 5 Series - "Speaking With Authority"

I recently had a Journey leader email me asking how do I speak authoritatively into the life of those I am leading in the Journey? I wrote the following response and then sent this leader the

Now, how are you taken seriously? How do you speak authoritatively? First, below is a list of things that I composed off the top of my head in about 30 seconds. These are so ingrained in me that I they are an extension of who I am.
 
1. Be passionate.
2. Be real.
3. Be biblical.
4. Be relevant.
5. Be consistent.
6. Be there.

I pulled from our DC Training Series lesson on this very issue and share the following excerpt for you:

Clearly, this is one of the central issues in the life of a mentor.  The key question is:  How can I speak into the life of my mentoree, and be relevant, profound, timely and life-transforming?  How can I share with my mentorees in such a way that it empowers them?  How can my words “carry weight,” so that the mentoree not only listens to them, but trust them enough to act on them? 

Obviously, not everything we say should carry an inordinate amount of weight.  After all, we’re human and sometimes our opinions are faulty and our judgment biased.  But as discipleship coaches, often we can be an ambassador and spokesperson for God.  By being a diligent student of the Word of God (in others, being a role model in reading our One-Year Bibles), we can be faithful to convey those truths to our mentorees. 

Speaking into the life of your mentoree is a learned art.  In the Bible, we read of fathers blessing their sons.  In a sense, as a discipleship coach, we can be a spiritual father or mother and speak blessing into the lives of our spiritual sons or daughters.  According to Gary Smalley and John Trent, authors of the book, The Blessing, they describe 5 elements of this blessing:

1.       Meaningful touch

2.       Spoken words

3.       Expression of high value

4.       Description of a special future

5.       Application of genuine commitment

Three Components Necessary for Inner Health

1.       A sense of worth.  If missing, we feel inferior. 

2.       A sense of belonging.  If missing, we feel insecure.

3.       A sense of purpose.  If missing, we feel inadequate.

Take 5 Series - "Favor"

The four essentials qualities of effective leadership are like the four primary colors from which we get all the colors once they are blended. These four essential elements of leadership are:

1. Character

2. Perspective

3. Courage

4. FAVOR

Today we will discuss FAVOR.

Favor enables a leader to attract and empower others to join them in the cause.

Key Elements of FAVOR

1. Communication

2. Motivation

3. Delegation

4. Confrontation

5. Reproduction

Steps for developing FAVOR

1. Learn to "host" the relationships and conversations you engage in.

2. Determine to be others-centered, focusing on their needs, not on yours.

3. Become a "good finder." Find one good quality in others and affirm it. 

4. Make deposits in the lives of people -- encouragement, good books, podcasts, resources, , etc. 

5. Identify the strengths in people and help them find a place to employ those strengths.

6. Interview a people-person. How did they develop their charisma? 

Take 5 Series - "Perspective"

The four essentials qualities of effective leadership are like the four primary colors from which we get all the colors once they are blended. These four essential elements of leadership are:

1. Character

2. PERSPECTIVE

3. Courage

4. Favor

Today we will discuss PERSPECTIVE.

PERSPECTIVE enables a leader to see and understand what must happen to reach the target. 

Leaders see the big picture and the little process.

1. They first choose their VISION (what is the goal?)

2. They then choose their VENUE (What is the strategy to reach it?)

3. Finally, they choose their VEHICLES (What systems to use to move ahead?)

Steps for developing PERSPECTIVE

1. Watch the news or read the newspaper and ask,: What could be done to solve these problems? choose a crisis and list solution steps you would take if you were in charge.

2. Groom the optimist in you. Read and listen to positive books and podcasts. Feed yourself with big ideas from great people.

3. Write out your dream. What would you attempt to do if you did not fear failure? 

4. Interview a visionary leader. How do they think? How do they perceive things?

5. Identify one burden you've embraced. Set some goals to address it.

6. Post photos, pictures and quotes that represent your goals and dreams in your room. 

I hope this adds value to you in some way in your sphere of influence. 

David

Take 5 Series - "Courage"

Every Journey leader needs COURAGE.

The four essentials qualities of effective leadership are like the four primary colors from which we get all the colors once they are blended. These four essential elements of leadership are:

1. Character

2. Perspective

3. COURAGE

4. Favor

Today we will discuss COURAGE.

Courage enables the leader to initiate and take the risk to step out toward a goal.

COURAGE is...

• contagious
• initiating and doing what you are afraid of doing
• the power to let go of the familiar
• vision in action
• rising and seizing what is essential for growth

Steps for developing COURAGE

1. Attempt something each week that you could not possibly pull off without God. 

2. Invite accountability regarding commitments and decisions you've made.

3. Give an all-out commitment to a good habit for a set time.

4. Interview a courageous person. What gives them their courage?

5. Do the thing you fear the most and the death of fear will be certain.

6. Force yourself to be a decision-maker and a responsibility-taker.

I believe great courage has been demonstrated among our Journey leadership team. David

Take 5 Series - "Character"

There are 4 primary colors of leaderships:

1. Character
2. Perspective
3. Courage
4. Favor

Today, I want to share some bullet points on character.  Character works for a leader in four essential ways:

1. Communicates credibility
2. Harnesses respect
3. Earns trust
4. Creates consistency

6 Steps to Developing Character as a Leader

1. Discipline yourself to do two things you don't like every week.
2. Fix your eyes on a clear, specific purpose.
3. Learn the "whys" behind God's commands.
4. Interview a leader who has integrity: How did they build it into their life?
5. Adjust and monitor your motives for why you do what you do.
6. Write out the promises you've made. Take responsibility for all your actions and emotions.

Source: Grow Series 2 curriculum - homework assignment #2 - "Primary Colors"

Introducing..."The Take 5 Series"

My theme for 2014, personally and as the Discipleship Pastor at CLC, is "Good to Great." I have been doing a lot of good things these past several years but I feel the Lord wants to take me, and us as a team, beyond good all the way to great.

Realizing that to get something that I've never got before that I'm going to have to do something that I've never done before, before 2013 ended I downloaded a library of leadership books on iBooks that I plan to read in 2014. One of them is "The 21 Most Important Minutes in a Leader's Day" that I am reading from almost every day.  Renae Luketic recommended this to me, and actually Pastor Ron purchased it for the entire staff to read. I gave a copy to the Journey Advisory Team to sow this resource into them this year. Today I will be sharing with you a brief excerpt from that book written by John Maxwell.

One of the good to great things the Lord has put on my heart is to make a great connection with our Journey leadership team. That is you.  I want to make a great contribution in  helping to grow your influence this year over those you lead at CLC, in the Journey, at home, at work, or at school.

So today, I want to introduce to you to, "The Take 5 Series."

The Take 5 Series is a 5 minute, once-a-week post on this blog from something that I am reading personally to develop myself as a leader. I will keep it short, sweet, and powerful. I will only share things that are impacting me and try to limit it to a blog post that you can read in 5 minutes or less - just the headlines, bullet points, big ideas.

I'm think that if we go on this journey of good to great together, well, that in itself is a great thing.

So, I have put on my Outlook calendar to remind me every Thursday until the end of the year to post a "Take 5 Series" leadership development thought here in an attempt to add value to you. I hope you will take 5 minutes once a week to share this good to great journey with me.

Today: "Seven Assets That Followers Desire in a Leader"

1. CALLING - Few things are as compelling to followers as a clear calling in the life of a leader.

2. INSIGHT - People respect a leader who possesses keen insight, who has the wisdom to see the real issue in any situation, and who can see what's ahead.

3. CHARISMA - People are attracted to leaders who make them feel good about themselves.

4. TALENT - You don't need to look any farther than the entertainment industry to know that followers are highly attracted to people with talent.

5. ABILITY - People love competence. They are naturally attracted to someone who gets things done.

6. COMMUNICATION SKILLS - A leader who cannot communicate his calling and vision has difficulty getting the people to understand and buy in to his leadership.

7. CHARACTER - It takes character to win over people's trust. the closer the leader is to the people, the greater the need for character.

- From "The 21 Most Important Minutes in a Leader's Day" by John Maxwell


Blessings & favor,
David