'Tis the season to be busy, am I right? I've been on the road all week, and while it can be tiring to travel so much this time of year, it pumps me up to visit and get to know really awesome church leaders around the country. In the past couple of weeks, I've met with leaders in Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, Mississippi, Indiana and California. I'm really encouraged with what God is doing through the Church today, and have especially enjoyed seeing how churches are creatively reaching their communities during the Christmas season.

I'm hoping these articles can help and encourage you this next week:

The Two Most Powerful Words For Reaching Your Goals by Michael Hyatt via MichaelHyatt.com

Every year, I keep my eye out for resources about New Years resolutions or goal-setting that aren't trite or something we've all heard many times. This insight from Michael Hyatt is certainly one of those gems. The two words he gives for creating and reaching your 2017 goals aren't what you would expect, but they make a lot of sense.

Are You A Good Boss? [Flowchart] by Amanda Zantal-Wiener via Hubspot

Since I know everyone is busy with their Christmas service planning (not to mention Christmas shopping or party planning), I thought I'd include a fun, quick read. Amanda Zantal-Wiener's flowchart is clever, with a lot of insightful hints to help you be a more self-aware, honest, and listening leader. Go through this and send it to your leadership team.

Ikea Is Giving All U.S. Employees Paid Parental Leave No Matter How Many Hours They Work by Claire Zillman via Fortune

Did you hear about this bold move made by Ikea recently? Their US workers will receive up to 4 months of paid maternity leave regardless of their number of hours worked. While I'm not giving any opinion about what your maternity/paternity leave policies should look like, I do think it's a subject that all church leaders should give a lot of thought to and re-evaluate often. What do you think of Ikea's decision? Let me know in the comments below!

3 Mistakes Pastors Make During The Holidays by Rusty Gates via Vanderbloemen Search Group

I've read a lot of blog posts that give leaders ideas for their Christmas service planning. But there aren't many resources that point out what leaders may be neglecting during this time of year. This wise article from my colleague Rusty has some great points about the mistakes we can make when we get too wrapped up in the season and everything we have to do for it. Give it a read.

What are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments below.