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