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