One of the things that I’ve found to be true in leadership is that leaders need to believe in people.
I think most people are willing to follow a leader when they know just how much that leader believes in them. As John Maxwell often says, “Leadership is influence.” I’ve found that I build influence with people when they are convinced that I believe in them.
Here are four things that I’ve discovered to be true in this area:
Have you ever had one of those weeks where God uses a dozen different avenues to grab your attention in one particular area? This week has been that way for me.
I’ve been reading Sabbath, by Dan Allender. It’s part of The Ancient Practices Series from Thomas Nelson. In this book, Allender takes a closer look at the “day of rest” that the Bible calls Sabbath. It seems that our society may have a few false notions about this biblical concept.
Allender contends that our view of Sabbath is one of forced quiet, when it should be a day of joy, delight for the body and soul. Rather than it being a day where we force ourselves to be still, Allender examines the idea that we should use the day as a festival that celebrates God’s creativity and redemption.
Allender defines four Sabbath Pillars: sensual glory, holy time, communal feast and play. When our Sabbath is balanced and viewed appropriately, the balance of our week falls into line as well, more often than not.
Part of the idea that Allender describes is what we might call “creating margin.” This isn’t just balancing our time. It’s not simply being more efficient with our lives.
I think it’s more like stewardship…
I often run across things that help me grow as a leader, as a minister, as a husband and father, or simply as a Christian. Often those things catch me by surprise, but more often, of late, I’ve been discovering them intentionally.
And so, on Fridays, I will post resources that I’ve found useful, from blogs to books to quotes, to products to software, and more. Many of them will be free. Some of them may not be. But all of them have one thing in common: they have helped me grow. And I want to pass that opportunity on.
This week, I want to direct your attention to a leadership blog that I follow. Ron Edmondson is one of the co-pastors of Grace Community Church in Clarksville, TN. His blog, www.ronedmondson.com, is full of great insights on leadership, church and culture.
One of the things I’ve never really understood are New Year’s resolutions. I never make them, because I never expect to keep them. In fact, I often joke that I’ve made only one resolution that I’ve ever managed to keep: Never make New Year’s resolutions!
But this year, I’m making a choice. I’m not making a resolution. I’ve decided to choose one word.
Not a resolution.
Just a word.
West Oversea is a fictional account based on Norse legends. It’s not a genre I read a lot of, but I rather enjoyed this one.
Father Aillil is an Irish priest who settled in Norway. West Oversea tells of his attempt to find his sister who has been sold into slavery, in Greenland, it seems. Father Aillil convinces Erling Skjalgsson to embark upon a journey to Leif Eriksson’s Greenland, searching for his sister.
In the process, Father Aillil is given a powerful talisman, a relic straight out of pagan Norse mythology, the Eye of Odin. The Eye has given the priest the gift of Second Sight. But the question is, can the Sight be trusted? It seems to be giving him bad information, drawing him astray, and towards death.
West Oversea details the journey of Father Aillil, Erling Skjalgsson, and a host of others as they journey toward Greenland, visiting Iceland, and the mainland of America in the process.
One of my blogging goals for 2011 is to refine JeffRandleman.com into a more specific writing platform. I’ve narrowed down my range of topics to four main categories that this blog will focus on, and removed a couple of topics to their own domain.
Family posts can now be seen at http://family.jeffrandleman.com. And my hobby of photography has been moved to http://photography.jeffrandleman.com.
Instead, JeffRandleman.com will focus more specifically on a few areas. One of these areas will be the topic of Youth Ministry. My goal, for now, is to write on this topic twice a month, on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. The frequency of posts about youth ministry may increase as I become used to a busier writing schedule this year.
I’m sitting here in a Starbucks, waiting for our fifth child to get here. The hospital told us they don’t need us there right now, but not to leave town. So Heather and I have been walking a lot, trying to get this delivery to progress.
In the meantime, we’re sitting in a Starbucks, and I’m reviewing the past twelve months, as well as looking ahead.
It’s been a crazy year. Heather’s pregnancy, Dad’s sickness, and a busy life with four kids, almost five.