You Can’t Be Great at Something You’re Not Good At

As you work this week, think about these three statements:

starnite1. Working hard at what comes hard leads to mediocrity.

2. Working easy at what comes hard leads to unemployment.

3. Working hard at what comes easy leads to amazement.

You will never be great at something you’re not wired to do well. You might be good, you might even be better than average. But why waste your life trying to be great at something you’re only good at?

While you can be really good at many things, you can only be great at a very few things. Find out what those things are. How do you do that? Here’s a hint. If it’s a thing that’s hard for others but easy for you, it’s a strength. Use it. Work hard at it and you’ll make something special of your work life.

Dave Rave – 7 Signs You’re Not a Leader

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With all the titles given these days that promise leadership, there seems to be too few leaders. And the question is, are you a leader? Here are the seven signs you might not be a leader, and if you’re not a leader, why you’re so miserable trying to lead.

The seven signs are:
1. You’re not a leader if you’re lazy. Leadership is hard work. It takes a lot of energy. It is definitely not a nine-to-five job. If you like to put in the minimum and get home to your hobbies or other distractions, you’re definitely not a leader.

2. You’re not a leader if you don’t like to read. I love the old saying that leaders are readers. Leaders constantly have to grow. Their skill sets are constantly improved by the latest information, and latest insights. They are constantly reading books, either on their iPod, hard copies, or their Kindle. Leaders are readers.

3. You’re not a leader if you don’t like people. Leadership is not a position. It’s not a corner office or a salary. It’s about people. It’s about interacting with people. It’s about trying to get selfish, self-centered, hurting, broken, wounded people to work together for a cause, for a goal, for a purpose. It’s the challenge to get them to set aside their own agendas and adopt a single agenda. To do this it means you must like people. People make things happen. They are the reason we do what we do. And if you fundamentally don’t like to work with people, you’re never going to be able to lead them.

4. You’re not a leader if you have a thin address book. By that I mean, leaders are people who collect people to connect to people. We love meeting people, exchanging business cards and knowing what makes them tick. We love putting people together in order to help them be successful. We collect large address books with connections. If your address book isn’t growing by a factor of 200-300 a year, you might not be a leader.

5. You’re not a leader if you avoid confrontation. I didn’t say that leaders like confrontation; the only people who like confrontation are bullies. Leaders don’t like confrontation. Good people, compassionate people, people who like people, who have something worth offering are uncomfortable with confrontation. But it doesn’t mean they avoid it. They realize that confrontation is a frontline skill-set for any leader. When you avoid confrontation, disease sets in to any organization no matter how long it’s been in business.

6. You’re not a leader if you hate change. Enough said.

7. You’re not a leader if you’re debilitated by criticism. I’ve heard it often said that praise and criticism is like chewing gum. It’s great to chew on it but you never swallow it. If you’re going to be a leader, you’re going to be criticized. Your motives, your practices, your policies are going to be held up for scrutiny. People are going to talk about you behind your back. And if that debilitates you, I didn’t say you have to like it; no one does. But if that debilitates you, you’re probably not a leader.

After reading these seven signs, one of the best things that you might do for yourself is to recognize that you’re not a leader. You need to go to the people you work with and tell them, “Give me a great task to do and I’ll do it better than anyone. But the leading thing is not for me.”

If you are a leader, lead! If you are not, then be the best follower you can be! It takes both~

What’s filling the void vision leaves behind?

I thought Tony Morgan’s post, The Void, hit the nail on the head:

  • Without vision, people will define their own vision and the loudest voice will prevail.Without strategy, people will do what they’re most passionate about whether or not it helps the organization fulfill its mission.Without clear communications, people will assume for themselves what’s most important.

    Without encouragement, people will gravitate to the first person who gives them attention when they need it.

    Without leadership, people will follow the leader they choose or assume they’re the leader.

    When there’s a void, it always gets filled.

Who Will You See Today?

If you’re like me, each and every day, countless numbers of people come in and out of your sight-path. I see lots of people. But today, stop and ask yourself this question: What do you see when you really see the people around you?

Do you see a husband who’s lost his wife to cancer, or a man deep in the throes of shame over an affair?

Do you see a young single mother struggling to raise her child on restaurant wages? Do you see that executive worried that his name will be the last one mentioned in the next round of lay-offs?

Do you see the guy at the cleaners, at the grocery, or where you get your car serviced? How about the woman at the phone store, who you know is never having a good day because all people do is complain? When was the last time you ever heard someone praise the phone company for great service? Even if we get it, we’ve come to expect it.abused-sad-child

Here’s one of the amazing things about Jesus. When Jesus saw people, he saw into them. He didn’t stop at the outward, he looked into their eyes. And while you aren’t Jesus and neither am I, you’d be amazed at what you can tell about a person if you look into their eyes, their facial expression. You can see people who are hurting, or wounded; who are tired and troubled on the inside. And today maybe it’s your turn to go just beyond what you see, down deep into what you really see – the hurt, or the pain. Maybe you’re the person to give a word of kindness and encouragement to lift that person up.

I am a Christian. And as a follower of Jesus, I am interested in this worldwide movement to turn the entire world into Jesus followers. But really, let’s be honest. God can do all that without us. He was doing fine before we got here, and He’ll be doing great when we’re gone.

The question is this: What am I supposed to be doing today that only I can do? Answer? Be in the moment and truly see into the hearts of those around you.

Tim Stevens perspective on leadership

Tim Stevens is the x-pastor @ Granger Community. He had this great perspective on how far this whole “leadership thing” should expend into your life.

I think that leadership translates beyond your professional career. A real leader pays attention to his/her marriage, gives time to his/her kids, and invests in relationships that matter. A real leader is also making wise decisions with money.

  • Save for retirement now. We started setting money aside the first year of our marriage. That first year (we were 23-years old) we could only afford $5/month–but knew that we needed to start the habit early. We’ve increased it every year since.
  • Don’t use a credit card for anything you can’t pay off right away. Use a credit card for convenience, but don’t ever pay interest. If you can’t control yourself, get rid of the cards.
  • Tithe–I really believe that God blesses those who tithe. I think he keeps the car running longer, the roof from leaking as soon as it would have, and He loves to sprinkle you with raises and added cash you didn’t expect.
  • Give generously. The tithe is the minimum. We began our first year of marriage giving 10% of our income and then increased it every year until we got to 20%. The first 10% goes to the general fund at our church. The other 10% we use to support missionaries, give to new building projects at our church, and bless people who come into our lives.
  • If you are married, don’t ever make a big purchase without talking to each other. Really, trust me on this.
  • No spontaneous purchases. Okay, buying a pair of shorts would be fine. But anything that would be a significant purchase can wait 24-hours. Avoid any vendor who says, “You have to decide now.” If the deal can’t wait a day, then decide to walk away.
  • Live by a budget.
  • Teach your kids to handle their money. They aren’t going to learn financial management at school. No one else is going to teach them to be generous. By the time they’ve been out of your house a week, they will have already received 14 credit card invitations. Teach them early.
  • Set aside money for fun. Fun with your spouse. Fun with your kids. Fun for yourself (for me, that means buying a geeky gadget on occasion).
  • When you can, start a Rainy Day fund. It was many years into our marriage before we could do this, but we began setting aside $25/paycheck. Some day the furnace is going to break or a tree will fall on the side of your house. Or your house will get hit by lightning like ours did earlier this year.
  • Put the stuff you want on a list and pray about it. Don’t buy it until you can pay for it with cash. This builds your faith, teaches you patience, and gives you a journal to record answers to prayer.

Don’t wait until you have more money to put wise financial management into practice in your life. Faith and I started this stuff when we had no money and we were living on beans and weenies. It just makes “cents.”

Dave Rave -10 Attributes of Leadership

leadershipLeadership is a mysterious thing. It’s hard to define, though easy to recognize. Many people call themselves leaders and yet we are in desperate need of leadership. One of the things we can do is try to know and recognize the qualities of leadership when we see them. So here are ten attributes of leadership.


1. Leadership provides the courage to begin.
Leadership is about action – taking action, moving the group toward the highest good, toward the goal, the mission. Nothing happens until someone takes action that requires leadership.


2. Leadership is about self-control.
While a leader can’t control circumstances and others, he certainly can control himself or herself. He can respond rather than react. He can do the next right thing rather than wallow in excuses for an activity.


3. Leadership has a keen sense of awareness in what is just.
This is the leader’s ability to gain respect of those who follow him. If they know the leader is always going to do the right thing, then it’s easy to follow him to the destination.


4. Leadership is about definiteness of direction.
Leadership is not about meaningless activity for activity’s sake. It is about direction. He or she knows where the group must go and guides them methodically, but purposefully toward that direction.


5. Leadership is about definiteness of plans.
You’ve heard the old saying that you must plan your work and work your plan. Leadership is not about guesswork. It’s about knowing what the next right step is. Leadership is like a rudder on a ship, guiding it where it should go along a predetermined path of intentionality.


6. Leadership is in the habit of doing more than it’s paid to do.
I’ve often heard it said that if you do more today than you are paid to do, you’ll be paid more for what you do in the future. It’s all about going the extra mile, not just quitting at 5:00 and walking away.


7. Leadership is about likeability.
Agree with it or not, the truth remains that people follow people they like. To be successful, people must know you, like you, and then trust you. Likeability is important; not just filling a role, mindlessly grunting your way through a day, or through meetings. Nothing can substitute for a smile, a handshake, eye-to-eye contact, and engaging people.


8. Leadership is about empathy.
Leaders understand their followers. They understand those for whom they are responsible. They don’t care because it’s their job, they make it their job to care. The genuine, caring, understanding people they know, those they work with, have other lives. And the complexity of their work lives, personal lives, and family lives have to be taken into account.


9. Leaders have the willingness to know more than anyone else.
Leaders are students. Leaders are learners. Leaders are readers. Leaders are constantly gaining knowledge about the subject at hand. If they don’t have the knowledge, they find someone who does, and bring them in to create a mastermind group for achieving the goal.


10. Leaders seek and gain cooperation.
Leaders understand that you don’t pay people to excel. You pay them to show up. You create an atmosphere of cooperation. A great leader understands and applies the principle of collaboration and alignment, and he sets the standards for those who follow him, and their teams.

Leadership is a mysterious thing, but an absolute must if we’re going to succeed. These are my ten attributes of a leader. There are many more. How many more can you add to the list?

Words remind us why we strive to stay alive

If you have the privilege and awesome responsibility to lead, then you know the power of words. They can elevate or devastate. Words can bring people together or tear them apart.

If you stand and speak anywhere, anytime, for any reason, weigh your words carefully. Be sure they lift and liberate people to aspire to high and noble achievements driven by the timeless motivators–truth, beauty, love, and honor.

Be done small words and small ideas. Choose words that motivate, never manipulate. Words matter for they have the power of creation in them.

When Do You Know It’s Time to Leave Your Church?

Since we’re still in the first few days of 2008, it’s always a good thing to assess where you are and what you’re doing. I was amazed to hear Mike Holmgren, coach of the Seattle Seahawks in an interview say that each and every year, no matter how well his team plays (and they’re still in the playoffs, by the way) he assesses whether or not he’s going to re-up for another year. This is not a bad thing for any of us to do, particularly if you’re a pastor of a church.

Just because you’ve been the pastor in 2007 doesn’t mean you need to stay there. Trust me, you don’t need the work. The same God that employed and brought you there can take care of you at the next assignment.

The question is, how do you know when it’s time to leave the church you’re serving, whether you’re a pastor, or leader, either paid or volunteer? Here are some suggestions.

It’s time to leave the church…

1. When you no longer love the people.
When you find yourself complaining about them more than praising them, it’s time to get out.

2. When you no longer love the city or the location you’re serving. The most sustaining factor any pastor has going for himself or herself is that they love where they’re serving – the town, the people. If you don’t love where you are serving, it’s time to find a place that you can.

3. If you find your speaking stale.
You’re finding it hard to be inspired about what to speak on. You have a great big Bible filled with 66 books and thousands of stories and illustrations, principles and applications that can be made. And yet with all that material, you feel dry and stuck.

4. When you find yourself wandering in your heart and mind about what might be out there for you.
We all do that some, but if you’re doing it almost exclusively, it’s time to launch out into the brave new world and see exactly what might be next.

5. If you stop believing in the people you’re serving alongside in leadership.
If you don’t believe in the people you’re serving alongside, they know it. You know it. And it’s time to make a change.

6. If the church you’re serving won’t take care of you financially
and your family is suffering over financial issues, it’s time to get out, even if you have to get a “real job.”

7. If you’re finding that you and your spouse are arguing more and more over the problems at the church
, rather than the joy of being a family, it’s time to get out of the boat.

Dave Rave – 10 Leadership Qualities You Need Illustrated

Maybe you’re like me. I’ve been in leadership so long and read so many books and articles, that I know what the basic leadership qualities are. But as you know, almost all these qualities are illustrated in the Scriptures with stories that are put there to help us learn about them from God’s perspective.

So here are ten leadership qualities that are illustrated by biblical characters. This might help you in your small group study, or your own reading, to know which characters illustrate clearly which qualities.

1. The leadership quality of faith is illustrated in the life of Abraham. Abraham was called the Father of Faith. The Scriptures say that against all hope, in hope Abraham believed. If you’re having a faith challenge, study his life.

2. The leadership quality of humility is demonstrated by the life of Moses. Moses is said to be the most humble person who ever lived. And yet I don’t think anyone would describe him as weak. Moses helps you discover that humility is not denying the power you have, but rather acknowledging that it comes through you, not from you.

3. The leadership quality of integrity is expressed in the life of Joseph. Joseph is a great example of leadership ability winning over adversity. He refused to compromise himself with his boss’s wife. That’s called integrity.

4. The leadership quality of courage is illustrated by Esther. While women have never fared too well in the light of religion, the Scriptures present them as strong, brave, and very courageous. When you’re looking for an illustration of courage from a woman’s perspective, look at Esther.

5. The leadership quality of decisiveness can be found in the life of Joshua. Joshua was a leader in training. His mentor was Moses. When Moses died, he was pushed to the front and he demonstrated decisiveness when he said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

6. The leadership quality of optimism is demonstrated in the life of David. We all know the story of David and Goliath. And yet few of us realize that David wasn’t going to be allowed to fight Goliath at all until he rehearsed the history and what he’d been able to achieve. He believed that past performance could predict future outcomes. He was certainly an optimist when he took a handful of stones and a sling-shot to face Goliath, armed with new technology.

7. The leadership quality of wisdom was illustrated in the life of Solomon.
God gave Solomon the choice of anything he wanted. Instead of a long life with money, he chose wisdom, the kind of wisdom he would need to lead the people. Leaders who need wisdom would do well to study the life and sayings of Solomon, both his successes and his many failures.

8. The leadership quality of enthusiasm was expressed in the life of the apostle Peter. Read 1st and 2nd Peter and even the language gives you some sense of the enthusiasm with which he lived his life. Enthusiasm is a great equalizer. Without it, great talent and even great plans can die.

9. The leadership quality of passion was demonstrated by the life of Paul.
The apostle Paul was a great man of passion. His passion was to know and love Jesus Christ and to live life in light of that. Leaders must have passion, the willingness to suffer for a cause that is all out of proportion to the responsibility of others. If you’re looking to get your passion pumped up, study the life of Paul.

10. The leadership quality of vision is exemplified in the life of John. The apostle John had a vision for the future; a future where there will be no more sorrow or tears, no more pain, or separation, or death. If you’re looking to cast a greater vision than what you can see at the moment, John would be a great study.

Lest you think the Scriptures are outdated and don’t relate to real life, remember, that all the great qualities are illustrated in the lives of these ordinary people who lived well during their times. It’s the same challenge you and I have as leaders; to live well where we are, in this moment.

Vision is probably not what you think

Every great company, great church, great endeavor has an engine at its core; something that drives it, sustains it, pushes it forward and then upward. It’s called a vision. It’s like an engine that sets the thermostat around which all the other systems and processes of an organization revolve.

A vision for a company is what gathers the workers, the capital, and calls for innovative ideas to create something that’s never been before.

The vision of the church of Jesus Christ is somewhat different. It’s not just a vision for building a great church, vision for taking a city, vision for building a facility or buying land, or vision of collecting a great staff, or vision for writing a book or having a conference. If that’s what you think vision is, you’re going to fail miserably, or probably be out of the race very soon.

Here’s what we mean when we talk about vision and the revolution of the gospel, and the advancing of the church in the world.

1. Our vision starts with God. It’s a vision not only of the holiness of God, His distance, His magnificence, His immensity, but also a vision for the imminence of God, the closeness of God, the compassion of God, and the grace of God. It’s an overwhelming, mind-blowing experience. And it’s always the engine that drives every expression of the church of Jesus Christ. What’s your vision of God? What is God like? What does He want? How does He operate? What does He bless? How does He want to be served and represented?

2. Second is the vision of who we are and what God wants us to be. While every church has as its primary mission, the gospel, each and every church no matter how large or small, has its own particular DNA. If you don’t have a vision of who you are and what God wants you to be, it’s going to be very difficult to face the hardships ahead. What I am really talking about here is your particular teachable point of view, as it were, your elevator speech. What is it that makes your gathering, your movement, your ministry different from all the others to choose from.

To be sure it starts with your vision for Who God is and how He wants to be expressed in the world. It will be completed in the second stage of who you are, what your gifts and strengths are, what your interests and abilities are. I’m amazed at the number of churches that try to pursue a mission for which they have no affection or vision. Because that vision is detached from who they are and how they’re gifted.

3. The third part f our vision is the vision of where we are and whom we’re to reach. Again we’re all in very different places. I live in a community called Franklin, Tennessee. It’s a part of the metro area of Nashville, Tennessee. Above us is Brentwood, above that is Nashville proper, to the east of us is Murfreesboro, to the west is Spring Hill and a burgeoning population all around. My ministry field – white suburbia; a growing number of people moving from all parts of the world, right in the heart of where Nissan North America is moving and many other companies are relocating their headquarters. So the vision I have for Franklin, Brentwood, Nashville, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill is going to be very different. So in this third part of your vision, what is your vision for where you are? Do you know who you are to reach? Do you have a love and affection for them? Are you connected to them with your heart? You cannot effectively reach people you don’t love!!!!!

So a vision is not what you think. It’s more than you think; a vision of Who God is, a vision of who you are, and vision of where you are and how you’re going to reach those people. That’s your mission. Think about it long and hard.

Build your sidewalks where people want to walk

This sign appeared at my YMCA the other day. It is a typical response to change. Instead of building the sidewalk for the convenience of the people who use it to get into the building, let’s put up a cheesy, hand made sign that chastises people for walking the shortest route from the parking lot into the building.

Lesson One: Build your sidewalks for the people who use them. Make it as easy as possible. Build them where they want to walk.

Lesson Two: When you start posting cheesy, handmade signs to scold people, you’ve lost your focus and it sends the wrong message to 98% of the people who don’t need the sign in the first place.

Think before you post!