Withholding

When you withhold something from someone which will cause them to improve, you are more interested in yourself than the other person. You are more concerned with your own comfort than their improvement. It’s not easy pointing out a blind spot in another person. Scripture even says for us to remove the log from our eye before we point out the splinter in another’s.

But when you are leading an organization and one of your staff, for example, is not exemplifying the values of your team, it’s not the time to withhold. You only preserve a false sense of internal peace while letting the person continue to operate in their self-destructive manner. You will see your inner “peace” melt away over time and what could have been addressed at a smaller stage will now be a much larger issue to deal with.

Confronting

Great leaders keep the well-being of their followers top of mind. For the most part, that mindset translates to behaviors such as encouragement and celebration for work well done. However, it sometimes requires confrontation. Improving those you lead isn’t always rosy and easy. Sometimes it requires courage.

But when you confront from the mindset of genuine improvement, you are much better off in the long run. If you’re all about making others better, and an opportunity to confront presents itself, it’s time to confront – not withhold.

How do you improve those you lead? Are you a Withholder or a Confronter?

photo credit: smileham via photopin cc

A collection of posts from last week on Serving Strong

• A Leader’s Trusted Friend
  I came across a paragraph that spoke volumes and I want to share it with you. To find peace when facing tough times, remember: “You aren’t alone; let someone special in when you’re in a dark place.  You know who this person is.  Don’t expect them to solve your problems; just allow them to face [...]

  

  

• Stretch Marks
  During She is in so much pain. It is unbelievable. With every contraction, she is thinking the world is coming to an end. It hurts so much. After She is so relieved. The baby is finally here and in her arms now. The joy is indescribable. With every movement of the baby’s little fingers, she [...]

  

  

• Serving Strong Content Is Out
  A collection of posts from last week on Serving Strong What Are You Looking For? He searched high. He searched low. He searched in the corners and the cracks and the crevices. “What are you looking for?” someone asked. He replied, “I don’t know.“ Now THAT’S crazy! Why search intently for something that you’re not [...]

  

  

Stay strong!

Digest powered by RSS Digest

I came across a paragraph that spoke volumes and I want to share it with you. To find peace when facing tough times, remember:

“You aren’t alone; let someone special in when you’re in a dark place.  You know who this person is.  Don’t expect them to solve your problems; just allow them to face your problems with you.  Give them permission to stand beside you.  They won’t necessarily be able to pull you out of the dark place you’re in, but the light that spills in when they enter will at least show you which way the door is.” (source)

Are you in a tough place right now in your leadership?

Who do you know that can sit with you in the darkness?

photo credit: h.koppdelaney via photopin cc

During

She is in so much pain. It is unbelievable. With every contraction, she is thinking the world is coming to an end. It hurts so much.

After

She is so relieved. The baby is finally here and in her arms now. The joy is indescribable. With every movement of the baby’s little fingers, she is thinking the world is an incredible place to live. It feels so great!

Are you in the middle of a stretching time in your leadership? The pain seems unbelievable. With every turn you’re thinking the world will certainly come to an end. It hurts to take any step further. But could this be the season that precedes indescribable joy? Could this be a season where you see God’s handiwork and one day praise Him for the incredible ministry to which God has called you?

Ask any proud mother. Sure, they would prefer not to have the stretch marks. But for all they gained, I bet they’d say it was all worth it.

A lot of leadership means dealing with uncertainty. There are seasons of great questions and the world seems to be revolving upside down. Here are a couple of scriptures that may help you as you journey your way to a new birth:

Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (John 16.32-33 MSG)

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4.6-7 MSG)

photo credit: salimfadhley via photopin cc

A collection of posts from last week on Serving Strong

• What Are You Looking For?
  He searched high. He searched low. He searched in the corners and the cracks and the crevices. “What are you looking for?” someone asked. He replied, “I don’t know.“ Now THAT’S crazy! Why search intently for something that you’re not sure what it is? You want to finish strong, right? You want to be as big [...]

  

  

• The Leader And Hill Work
  My daughter finished her first half marathon yesterday. Pittsburgh is not the easiest course with all its grueling hills. It was said that there is a section of the full marathon course known as “cardiac hill”, a steep incline that tests the best of runners. This year, I understand they had volunteers known as “hill [...]

  

  

• Serving Strong Content Is Out
  A collection of posts from last week on Serving Strong The Leader’s Warning Track You, like every other ministry leader, are vulnerable to hitting the wall. Some of you reading this may even know what hitting the wall looks like. I have. It’s not pretty. You and everyone around you feel the negative vibe that [...]

  

  

Stay strong!

Digest powered by RSS Digest

He searched high. He searched low. He searched in the corners and the cracks and the crevices.

“What are you looking for?” someone asked.

He replied, “I don’t know.“

Now THAT’S crazy! Why search intently for something that you’re not sure what it is?

You want to finish strong, right? You want to be as big an influence as God wants you to be, right?

It will require personal growth in your life. But what are you looking for in your personal growth? How do you know you’re growing?

Here’s an idea:

First, take a walk around your life and view it from all angles. Your marriage (if married), your parenthood (if you have kids), your finances, your spiritual life, your physical fitness….

Second, rate from 1 – 10 how satisfied you are in each of those areas (1 = poor, 10 = excellent)

Third, pick the one you sense is the highest priority to focus on right now in your season of life.

Fourth, ask yourself, “What must I do to bring it from the number it is now to the next highest number?“

Fifth, brainstorm (perhaps with your accountability partner) ideas of concrete activities you can start today that will get you to that number

That way, you’ll know better what you’re looking for.

photo credit: Jon McGovern via photopin cc