KINGDOM LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE BIBLE STORY OF GIDEON

KINGDOM LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE BIBLE STORY OF GIDEON

The Bible Story of Gideon from the book of Judges has leadership lessons for those who serve the Kingdom of God. It demonstrates God’s criteria in the leadership selection process. Which is much different than worldly standards. Here are three Kingdom leadership lessons the story teaches.

The Bible Story Of Gideon Teaches That God Cares More About Availability Than Ability

When God’s angel approached Gideon, he was busy threshing wheat in a winepress. Not on a threshing floor as normal. Why? Because the winepress let him maintain a low profile. If his enemies, the Midianites saw him, they might raid his home and take everything.

The angel announced that God had chosen Gideon to lead the nation of Israel. But Gideon didn’t believe it because he considered himself a nobody. And immediately pointed out his lack of qualifications.

  • Runt of his family…
  • That ranked on the bottom rung of social standing…
  • From a community last among the nation of Israel…

In other words. He had no particular skills. No accomplishments. Nothing to instill confidence in him as a leader. Why would anyone even follow him? And God’s answer: Because He would be with him.

But wait, you say. What about my Valedictorian college education? Superior skill set. Many leadership conferences I’ve attended? They aren’t important?

Yes. But the point is, God isn’t impressed with your abilities and credentials. He gave them to you. Can take them away. Or give them to a rock.

Regardless of your many qualifications or lack of them, God’s first and most penetrating question in Kingdom leadership is the same.

Are you available?

The Bible Story Of Gideon Teaches That Kingdom Leadership Requires Courage

God gave Gideon a specific first assignment. A big one. And it required courage. Tear down the community altar of Baal and the Asherah pole his fellow Israelites worshipped.

Of course, doing the right thing is seldom easy. Especially when you are the lone voice in the crowd. When doing the right thing in the eyes of God is the wrong thing in everyone else’s eyes. And invites their wrath.

So give Gideon credit. He summoned up the courage and tore them down. But maybe not full credit. Because he did it at night while everyone was asleep hoping he wouldn’t be discovered.

And yet, is there a modern parallel to this story? And a challenging question to Christ-followers today? As we see our communities reject God’s commands are we standing up for God or keeping a low profile? Because standing up is risky and might invite the wrath of our communities.

And what might an act of Godly courage look like?

Perhaps it wasn’t Gideon’s finest moment. His most brazen act of courage. But it was a start. And the turning point for both Gideon and the nation of Israel. As God empowered Gideon for Kingdom leadership.

The Bible Story Of Gideon Teaches That Kingdom Leadership Requires Obedience

Finally, Gideon demonstrates real leadership and successfully recruits a large army to take on the oppressing Midianites.

But God tells him it’s too large. And gives him the kookiest military engagement instructions of all times. Starting with orders to trim his fighting force down to 300 soldiers.

Seriously? Why?

God wanted to make it clear that Gideon’s success was only possible by God’s power. Because his human nature, like ours, tends to take credit for what belongs to God.

So following God’s instructions, Gideon arms his meager 300 soldiers with trumpets and torches. They surround the Midianites camp at night and at a given signal blow the trumpets and hold up lighted torches with a shout.

Then watch as their enemy, in confusion, turns on and kills one another.

The key was simple obedience to God. Simple to say that is. Hard to practice. Because obedience requires humility, trust and submission to God’s will. None of which come easily or naturally.

And yet, Kingdom leadership both demands it and demonstrates amazing works of God because of it.

About Chip Tudor:

Chip Tudor is a freelance copywriter, published author, playwright and pastor. He publishes drama at www.chiptudor.com, books on Amazon.com, and articles on his blog.

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When Business Is A Rat Race Don’t Outpace Yourself At Work

When Business Is A Rat Race Don’t Outpace Yourself At Work

Crowd of runners outpace yourself at work

Business can seem like a rat race. But don’t outpace yourself at work.

Instead, think of your life and leadership like a pace car. So you can ramp up to race speed quickly and safely, but regroup when faced with danger.

Some of us race ahead believing that victory comes to the swiftest, but forgetting that undisciplined speed kills.   Here are three helpful hints for leaders who want to pace themselves appropriately.

Don’t Outpace Yourself At Work By Assuming You’re The Smartest Person In the Room

You may, in fact, be the smartest person in the room. But for many leaders, especially young leaders, their IQ outpaces their EQ.   Effective leadership is not founded on brilliance alone. Leadership combines skills and character qualities that attract others to follow. Effective leaders often are not the smartest person in the room and the wisest ones are not only aware of this, but celebrate this fact. Ross Perot built a reputation and a fortune by surrounding himself with people who loved to win, many of whom knew more about the technical aspects of his business than he did. (If you want to read several interesting and inspiring quotes from Perot, click here.)

Relax. It’s great to be smart. It’s wiser to surround yourself with people who are inspired by your commitment to your mission, your love for your colleagues, and your drive to serve your customers. Develop your EQ. Combine a growing EQ with your inborn IQ and your influence will grow.  

Don’t Outpace Yourself At Work By Worrying About Trust

To the midlevel leader caught in the midst of warring superiors – “It’s not about you.” It feels like it’s about you, but it isn’t.

I’ve fallen for this more than once. When superiors give conflicting guidance and set inconsistent expectations. It feels like they don’t trust me. It feels like I’m the issue and I want to ask them directly, “What do I need to do to be allowed to operate as though I’m trusted?”  

The problem is that these leaders are fighting amongst themselves and I’m the pawn in their game. It’s not about me. Focus instead on providing a solution to these leaders. Lay out a path that allows each to share concerns while agreeing to a process enabling you to act. Focus on solving the log jam, not how it makes you feel. Slow down. It’s not about you.

Don’t Outpace Yourself At Work By Getting Carried Away By Enthusiasm

Some of us become enthusiastic when conversing with others. We get excited by ideas and opportunities and, if we are not careful, can express commitments in the moment that we are either unable or unwilling to fulfill.  

I suggest two solutions to this challenge.

First, recognize and acknowledge momentary enthusiasms. “Derek, this is incredibly exciting and I am drawn to what you’re describing. Before I commit, however, I need to take some time to think about how this fits within my current priorities. Let’s talk again next week and I’ll be in a better position to let you know my answer.”  

Second, don’t live in fear that you’re going to promise what you can’t deliver, but don’t promise when you don’t need to. In other words, don’t curb your enthusiasm to the point that you lose one of your attractive and influential qualities.

Take It Easy. What’s The Rush?

At the same time, don’t get ahead of yourself. Or give more than the situation asks for. Promise only when you are ready for your “yes” to be “yes.”  Broaden the base of your appeal by growing your EQ. Recognize the difference between situations that feel like they are about you and those that really are. Choose to give yourself space to make wise decisions. Find the pace that works for you. Not only will you avoid hitting the wall, but you will enjoy the journey that is your race.  

About Julian Consulting

Dr. Stephen Julian is President of Julian Consulting, a firm specializing in team health, effective communication, and leadership development. He has worked with leaders and their teams for nearly 30 years in a variety of settings – including Africa, South and Central America.

https://www.julianconsulting.org

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A Lesson From The AFL To Improve Your Business

A Lesson From The AFL To Improve Your Business

Athletes competing in a lesson from the AFL

I’ve learned a valuable lesson from the AFL. Well, actually four of them that will help improve your business.

You see, I’ve fallen in love with the Australian Football League (AFL). “Aussie rules” isn’t rugby and it isn’t new (the first game was in 1858). Here’s my truth – when you first watch Australian rules football it looks silly. The opening bounce, the short shorts and sleeveless tops, the waving of flags following a score, and the sideline throw-ins. They all create a sense it’s more spectacle than sport. But when you understand the objectives and strategies, you realize these are superb athletes suited to this particular contest. Players run between seven and 12 miles per game. Miles. A half-marathon while 18 opponents seek to tackle or otherwise harass them.

A lesson from the AFL is that your business makes sense to you because you are immersed in it every day.

New team members need to understand the objective and strategies of your business. Understand why its silliness has significant historical or cultural roots. Don’t assume it makes sense to the casual observer or your first-year intern. Like any sport, players in the AFL are slotted into particular roles based on different factors – kicking or handballing ability, speed, and size.

Mason Cox is an anomaly. A marginal D1 basketball player, he is an AFL star. His size and acumen for the game have made the Texan a celebrity in his adopted country. Even so, there are far more Australians in American football than Americans in the AFL.

A lesson from the AFL is that you should look for talent without succumbing to presumptions about personality types, education, or previous experience.

Each may contribute to a team member’s success, but shouldn’t be determinative when hiring. After onboarding, develop strategies for slotting talent into the right seats. And evaluate whether this was done successfully. The team member you think is the wrong person may just be in the wrong seat.  

When a player in the AFL scores a goal, team members run to rub the scorer’s head, hug him, high-five, or express another form of affirmation. Older players encourage young players and teams celebrate professional debuts (“day-boos”).

I don’t know if it is cultural, but I’ve never seen Americans quite as expressive in their support of one another. Certainly not at the professional level where the emphasis is often on individual performance and compensation. Despite well-rehearsed answers written by PR experts about the importance of team.  

Athletes competing in a lesson from the AFL

A lesson from the AFL is that you should develop HR-approved ways of expressing affirmation

People have different preferences for receiving praise that should be honored. But don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate as a team. Encourage seasoned team members to mentor newer team members. And recognize the excitement of a professional “day-boo.”  

The AFL is evolving. I’ve seen rule changes the brief time I’ve watched it and COVID impacted the 2020 season in significant ways. This year the “man on the mark rule” was changed, which enraged purists. Just Google “change to the man on the mark rule in Australian Rules Football.” And you’ll see many were not happy. But when the season began, most commentators agreed the game was faster and the scoring higher. Two keys to growing the sport’s audience.

A lesson is to remember that change is never-ceasing

Try to anticipate consequences from proposed changes (laws usually suffer from unintended consequences). And train team members on the why’s and how’s of new processes. Don’t refuse to evolve. And never lose sight of your customer or let purists prevent you from thriving as your industry changes. I don’t know that you’ll love “footy” like I do. But I hope you’ll gain insight from the lesson from the AFL that I’ve learned by watching it.

About Julian Consulting

Dr. Stephen Julian is President of Julian Consulting, a firm specializing in team health, effective communication, and leadership development. He has worked with leaders and their teams for nearly 30 years in a variety of settings – including Africa, South and Central America.

https://www.julianconsulting.org

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FOUR DO’S OF GET’ER DONE LEADERS

FOUR DO’S OF GET’ER DONE LEADERS

Get’er done leaders oversee teams that make things happen. They…

  • Perform tasks
  • Execute programs
  • Produce deliverables

And Get’er done leaders help them do so successfully and with excellence.

Of course there are other elements too. Setting the vision, establishing goals. Followed by strategic planning, training and ongoing development.

And you have to manage resources—both people and material. But it all moves to a natural conclusion. A product, a service, a result. And whatever that is, your job is to promote forward team progress. 

Here are four Do’s to help Get’er done leaders build successful Get’er done teams.

Get’er Done Leaders Do Support Team Member Initiatives

I see leaders take an administrative, hands-off, delegation approach in working with their team members. I’m the boss. You’re the subordinate. I tell you what to do and you do it.

Now perhaps you’re thinking this is how you treat team members as professionals. Give them a job and expect them to do it. In reality however, they often have questions and uncertainties, but don’t speak up for fear of looking incompetent.

Can I be honest? That makes absolutely no sense to me.

Creating Team Success

Your primary job as a Get’er done leader is team success. And that means making yourself available to support team members as needed.  

So don’t make assumptions. And don’t wait for them to come to you. Pursue them and offer your help. And don’t be above getting your hands dirty if that’s what it takes.

Therefore, your willingness to support team members—even in menial tasks—is huge. It tells them you are genuinely rooting for their success.

Get’er Done Leaders Do Affirm Team Members Regularly

I’ve had professionals tell me they wonder if they’re doing a good job because their boss never says anything affirming about their performance. And that makes me sad. Because I know they are professionals that care about what they do and work hard to do it well.

So be the Get’er done leader you want to work for and tell them. Catch them doing something right and let them know you appreciate it.

It takes very little effort on your part to affirm your team members. It has a more powerful affect than you know. And the effects are amazing.

But don’t be vague. Just, “Hey, you’re doing a good job.” Be specific. “I really liked the professional manner you demonstrated in handling that customer.” “Your attention to detail with this account is incredible.”

When you’re specific, it tells team members that you notice.

Get’er Done Leaders Do Clear A Path For Their Team Members

As a Get’er done leader you possess more knowledge and a better understanding of the organization. You see the big picture. And you can often access resources your team members can’t. Or at least more easily than they can.

So if you want them to succeed, learn where they are struggling and remove obstacles so they can move forward.

For example. I had a team member overseeing a children’s program at church. And she needed to recruit volunteer workers. But she was new and didn’t know that many people to ask. And even when she did, she lacked influence and struggled in her recruiting effort.

Since I had been around much longer, knew more people and had accumulated a degree of influence, I stepped in to personally recruit workers for her.

As a result, she took it from there and conducted a very successful program. Another team win!

Get’er Done Leaders Do Celebrate Team Wins

People like working on winning teams in a family-like environment. And success breeds success. So it’s important to celebrate team wins. The more you celebrate, the more the wins will stack up and you’ll build a winning culture that trickles down to every level of the team!

Also, it’s important for you, the Get’er done leader, to set this agenda. And to be equitable in your relationship with team members. In order to celebrate each team member, both individually and collectively.

So focus on building a team culture of mutual support. Where no one is a prima donna, but everyone has each other’s back. That’s when you build synergy. When average people produce extraordinary results. And you accomplish things together that are greater than what you accomplish individually.

Get’er done teams do things and Get’er done leaders support their efforts. And when everyone does their part and the team works together it’s a win for the team and the organization.

About Chip Tudor

Chip Tudor is a freelance copywriter, published author, playwright and pastor. He publishes drama at www.chiptudor.com, books on Amazon.com, and articles on his blog.

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THREE “BE’s” OF A GET’ER DONE LEADER

THREE “BE’s” OF A GET’ER DONE LEADER

I strive to be a Get’er Done Leader. Because I lead a team of young, smart and talented church professionals that get things done.

I one have advantage over my team—more accumulated years of experience. So like Thomas Edison, I’ve learned thousands of ways NOT to do things. And by pursuing a smaller selection of untried choices, the odds increase I might choose the right one.

Process of elimination.

Therefore, as a Get’er Done Leader, I improve the success of team members by navigating them through decisions and minimizing their number of mistakes.

Simple math.  

Here are three Be’s of Get’er Done Leaders, who lead people to get things done. I’m sure there are more.

A Get’er Done Leader Should Be Accessible

Sound obvious, I know, but are you? It begins with a real desire to help team members succeed. Because if your team members don’t feel like they can approach you, they won’t approach you.

Like…Duh!

And you’ll never know what problems they’re facing…and can possibly help solve.

You also won’t gain their trust. And trust is a big deal. When they trust you, they’ll also share the emotional struggles and drama around problems.  And might be integral to finding a solution.

But you won’t know if they don’t tell you. And they won’t tell you if they don’t trust you. Or guardedly, only partially share so you never fully understand the whole issue.

Of course, you need to get things done too. So if necessary, build structure around your availability. Team members will understand. Just be sure they know you will always make time for them when needed. 

A Get’er Done Leader Should Be A Team Player

Get’re Done Leaders are the greatest fans, cheerleaders and supporters for team members. And affirm them regularly.

This encourages them to take risks. And that’s when cool, unexpected things happen. When your team members know you understand that not all risks pay off, but you encourage them to try anyway.

When they know you aren’t threatened if their idea is better than yours. And you give them the credit for it.

In a church, add much prayer and it creates an environment where God shows up in amazing ways.

If team members feel you’re there to correct, criticize and point out mistakes, they won’t take chances. They will play it safe. Protect the posterior. And you’ll miss out on their creativity and imagination.

When your team sees you as one of them, they participate with more enthusiasm. Meetings invite fun, laughter and synergy, which produces innovation. And result in greater efficiency and productivity.

Most importantly, don’t present yourself as the one with all the answers. Because DUDE…YOU DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS!

But your team members might. So create an environment that fosters ideas and everyone is free to share. And you’ll discover more answers as a team.

A Get’er Done Leader Should Be Humble

Easy to say, but often hard to do. When you profess humility with your mouth, look down appropriately and shuffle your feet with fake sincerity, but your heart and soul doesn’t follow. No one is fooled. Except maybe you.

Pride is poison to Get’er Done leaders. Because it’s like a slow working, addictive drug that creates disharmony. The corrupting sense that you’re in charge…the big cheese…ultimate decision maker.

As team members defer to you, they keep their thoughts to themselves. Not good. Because their thoughts…ideas…creativity. That’s what you want. And you lose without them.

So don’t proclaim all the answers. Ask lots of questions. And encourage your team members to do the same.

Embrace these three “BE’s” of Get’er Done leadership and I believe that you and your team will get more things done…together.

About Chip Tudor

Chip Tudor is a freelance copywriter, published author, playwright and pastor. He publishes drama at www.chiptudor.com, books on Amazon.com, and articles on his blog.

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