When the budget needs to be cut, often we zero out the learning and development for our staff before anything else. Here is the problem. If your leaders are empty, if they are void of ideas, if they are uninspired or unmotivated or isolated or just exhausted -- then you aren't going to be able to move your mission forward.
Read MoreLast month I was on a flight to Seattle. I boarded early and made my way to seat 7F to settle in for the nearly four hour flight. Everyone was on board and in their seats when a flight attendant approached me and said, "Excuse me Mr. Stevens, the pilots would like to speak with you."
That was a first…
Read MoreI've long been a believer in pastors having side hustles well before I knew that's what they were called. The term "side hustle" has a long history that has changed over time but has emerged in the age of the internet and Uber and Etsy with a new meaning.
A side hustle, as defined by Entrepreneur.com, is "any type of employment undertaken in addition to one's full-time job. These are often freelance or piecework in nature, providing a supplemental income."
Read MoreMy worth, sometimes without thinking about it, can be wrapped up in what I do. Or how I’m perceived. Is this true for you? When that identity goes away, whether by choice or not, you can lose your balance in life. Identity will change several times over your life. When it changes, you will find out how much it mattered to you.
Read MoreEvery day on the news channels, we are told that the world is about to end if fill-in-the-blank gets elected as our next president. We are told the "other" party hates America. We are told what to think, how to think, what so-and-so meant when they said certain triggering words. We are told what to watch out for among our neighbors and communities and churches. We are taught that anyone who doesn't agree with us should not be trusted and is a socialist or a right-wing nut job.
Read MoreIt isn’t just “the internet” that diminishes and bullies and demeans others. Sometimes it is you. And me. And we do it without thinking. And it has consequences. We don’t just debate ideas. We crush the people who have views that don’t line up with ours. We establish our position, we “hang out” with people like us, and then we attack those who disagree. It is “us” versus “them” – and we find energy in establishing our position and destroying the people on the other side.
Read MoreIf you want to have an impact well into your 60's and 70's and 80's -- there is only one way to do this. Get around young leaders and pour yourself into them. Learn from them, acknowledge them, cheer them on, be available to them, ask them great questions, believe in them, support them, honor them, make room for them, open doors for them. That is how you leave a legacy.
Read MoreLeaders who don’t have control of their calendars will constantly feel out of control. Life will seem frantic and harried, yet it will be difficult to pinpoint what they are actually getting done. You will watch this person bounce around from one thing to another, always busy, yet often late and missing really important priorities.
Read MoreI’ve been thinking a lot about generosity recently. Maybe it’s because I’m so aware of the impact generous leaders have had in my own life. I’m not talking only about those who are generous with their money. Or even only about those generous with their time. I’m talking about a person who has a generous spirit. A non-selfish spirit may be another way to say it.
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