October 23, 2009
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
John Maxwell
Chapter Twelve
The Law of Empowerment
You would think after 27 years as a law enforcement officer I would get this one the easiest. As a Deputy I was empowered from the day I took the oath to serve and protect (sounds kinda Dragnet huh?) that I was empowered by the state and more specifically the Sheriff to act on his behalf. That is the law of empowerment in its simplest terms. I carried a badge, the outward symbol of his authority and a gun the symbol of power. I acted as him in all matters relating within his scope of authority. He took a chance on me and many others like me to do what was right.
Now lets look at from the standpoint of team ministry. If I as a leader in this house do not release those around me to act like me in matters then what have I accomplished? We as leaders and me right now need to have the security to release others to do what they are called to do. Pastor Michael has empowered me on several occasions to act on his behalf. He has built me up, given me resources, responsibility and the authority to act. He has learned as we should all that if insecurity is running rampant in our lives then we will only hit the wall and stop, hard. It is never about us it’s about Him and His purposes for His church and us.
The greatest example we can see of this law is Jesus and the 12 disciples. Jesus poured into them all He could in 3 ½ years then gave them authority to act. 12 men empowered by Jesus that would impact the world. If we would implement this into our everyday life can you imagine what the world would be like?
What do you think?
October 5, 2009
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
John Maxwell
Chapter Eleven
The Law of the Inner Circle
It’s funny that there are 21 laws yet it’s also funny how they interact with each other. As such this law basically states that we can do nothing great by ourselves. So I see that it is vitally important to surround yourself with people that can make a difference, a difference that actually will compliment who you are. Let’s face it we all do not have it all. All of us lack something. So it’s important first and foremost to recognize that and to locate those with traits that we are weaker in and act accordingly.
When I first came to Christ, I felt that I was to do it all by myself. That I was to be like all those guys who seemed to have it all together. Little did I realize that they also put into practice the law of the inner circle. As time went on I finally realized that I could live up to the expectations that I had placed on myself. God had been trying to get me to see what team ministry was all about. I even received the Word of the Lord letting me know what true team ministry was about. In ministry as well as life in general there are no Lone Rangers. Lone Rangers in the real world will get hurt and hurt those around them if left unchecked. Hurt in ways that can scar individuals, families and churches for life. So each of us needs to invest some time in gathering to ourselves those who will make a good person a great team member.
In closing I want to list the primary trait that I would look for n a team member. I would look for someone who is motivated to invest in himself or herself. A person not willing to learn and better himself or herself will stunt not only your growth but also the teams. It’s not enough just to see potential. We would want to develop that potential into something of value first to the team and of course for His Kingdom.
September 23, 2009
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
John Maxwell
Chapter Ten
The Law of Connection
This law teaches me that as a leader I have to find a point where I can connect with someone. There is always at least one point where we can see eye to eye. Sometimes that connect point is obvious and sometimes it isn’t. However if we continue to probe we can find the common ground. That is one reason that I like to project to those that I meet that I am approachable. I feel that people need to know that you really do care about them. That I just don’t sit in an office or on the front row on Sunday mornings apart from everyone else. I am who I say that I am, a real person with desires, problems and sins just like they are.
As I was leading the Odyssey group on Sunday mornings I could see that men were connecting with me, They could see that I was not just a staff pastor but that I was someone really concerned about them, their families and their walk with Christ. As time went on bonds strengthened so that relationships were forged to the point where we could talk about anything. The interesting thing about getting to that point is that I believe that they knew that I was not judging them. I would never condone sin but that I would actually love them just as they were.
In closing here are the six keys to connection as I see them.
➢ Be real. People will always smell out a fake. Be who you are. Use the personality that God gave you for His Glory.
➢ Invest some time with others. Build a relationship but don’t go crazy and stalk them.
➢ Be approachable. Don’t think you are something when you are not. (First key!!)
➢ Have respect for where they are. They will respond in kind. If it is a closed handed issue show them love and the Word. If it’s an open handed issue love them.
➢ Believe in them. Faith is a powerful force. People will know if you have faith invested in them.
➢ Don’t be superficial. Really give people a reason to see why you have faith in them.
Show people you care about them as individuals not as a person in a seat and the end result will be individuals who will charge hell with a squirt gun along side of you.
That’s all for now.
Caio
September 16, 2009
These last couple of months have been very intense. A great deal has happened. Our church opened a PreSchool on Aug.3rd and God has been giving the increase. To only Him can we give praise. Thank you Lord!
Our church, Journey Church has undergone a transition from a place to a community. I mean a place of community where we are all learning to maximize our effectiveness to spread His Love, His Word so that people far far away from Christ can actually, I mean actually know Him. My pastor while on a sabbatical was given a revelation that we as a church body need to be healthy so we can do what God wants us to do. As related in last weeks message our soil is tainted. Tainted with so many things that it is no wonder our mustard seeds of faith can’t grow. We seem to continue to place ourselves in the mix. The mix doesn’t need us. We need Him period.
My own leadership continues to be tested as I have to step up or get out of the way. Things really are bigger than we think and we all have a part to play. Our level of maturity has to grow so that as examples we lead others to the desire for Him. Is it hard to “bump”? Yes, but it’s needed for all of us to be shaken out of our slumber or for some a drunken stupor to what He wants. I have always used John 3:30 but do I really mean it when I say I have to decrease so He can increase?
Do we really want to see His Kingdom come?
Do we really want Jesus to have His way?
Do we really want people to know Him?
I know this is hard but the fruit we bear doesn’t say that. I love the fact that the greatest sermon I will ever preach is the one I preach to myself as I pick up His Cross and walk the same road He walked. It really is about sacrifice. Can we step up our level of sacrifice just as Jesus our ultimate example did?
I know it was a ramble. I said that in the header. So just think and pray on these things.
Caio
September 10, 2009
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
John Maxwell
Chapter Nine
The Law of Magnetism
I have often wondered why some people click and some people don’t. The Law of Magnetism fully illustrates this principle. As we progress in our individual life visions we will naturally pull people to us that are like-minded. Like-minded in the sense that they seem to act, see, feel, speak and unfortunately even look like you. (One of us just got insulted Al!) Seriously though as a leader I will attract those to whom my gifts and call will build. For that matter I may be attracted to someone more gifted in areas than I am. It is almost a natural thing for us to want to fill the holes in our own leadership makeup. Now as a leader looking at it in the natural, positives and negatives do not normally attract. So if I have a negative attitude I will attract negative people and vice versa. Remember the old saying, “Attitude is Everything?” Well it is true. The same goes for other traits like background, values, and energy, giftedness and leadership. As John Maxwell said if you are not crazy about the people that you attract and think you are stuck, you aren’t. That is where the rest of the laws play. We can change some things about our skill level. We can read, listen, and interact so we can learn. It’s all about investing in us. It is never too late to better us. God has given us more opportunities to do so if we would just recognize it and act.
September 1, 2009
Moving right along here is Chapter eight.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
John Maxwell
Chapter Eight
The Law of Intuition
Intuition is a curious thing. As a cop for many years, intuition was something that was cherished. With it you could read almost any situation and act or react accordingly.
It was never enough to rely on just training to make decisions. It always had other variables intertwined to make each situation and decision unique. However each of the main ingredients need to be present to make a viable decision.
Intuition is the factor in my previous career that kept me safe and brought me home to my family at the end of a shift.
As a leader it is important to see things others don’t and to sometimes put them into practice without hesitation. In a leadership role you may not have the luxury to sit on an answer. That courage is what sets a leader apart from a follower. I have heard it said that leaders are readers and that is so true, but it is not just a printed page that needs to be read. We have to be able to read situations by recognizing the little things that others don’t see. It is important to always learn and enhance the learned skills. They may be able to help raise the bar for a mediocre leader to become a good one. Mediocre or poor leaders don’t see the importance of trends, knowing what resources are available for a task, what people are experiencing and who they are. I mean really knowing who they are. That is important because there are some “wanna-be” leaders that can’t see their own strengths and weaknesses even when slapped with them in the face. Let’s face it some get it naturally, some after some training will get it and some will never get it. As the process has unfolded in my life I have learned that I am one of those that need training to become a better leader. I have good instincts but as with us all skill has to come with experience. Experience will come with a faith walk that will take courage to literally jump out of the boat.
August 25, 2009
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
John Maxwell
Chapter Seven
The Law of Respect
The underlying main point of this chapter is that “People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves”. At my first glance I was alarmed because I thought to myself who would I attract? What kind of leader or person would gravitate to me? So I noticed in my relationship trails that people slide my way because of what I have to offer. I attract people that have a natural hunger for the Word and want to learn more. I have exhibited to them an ability to impart. They actually do respect that quality in me. As the respect grows toward me, I also know that I return that respect by not knocking them when they don’t at first get it. They follow not because it’s easy but because it’s mutual. I see that even when I take a risk to try something new the people around me exhibit the same courage and loyalty. Speaking of courage and loyalty I believe those traits will never go out of style. The bar gets raised when a leader plans out the trip and has its pros and cons outlined. Fear is never an option. Courage breeds courage. Loyalty is also developed out of the respect generated. People will follow you to hell with a squirt gun if you have their heart. Leaders that are respected also need to be quick to repent and quick to forgive. Quick to say I was wrong, what can I do to fix it? I pray that my heart always exhibits that I have their best interests in mind. I pray that I will always strive to lift them up to be all that God has in store for them.
August 5, 2009
Been a REAL LONG TIME but here is the next installment. As a sidebar our Preschool is up and running and our kids are at camp. God is good. I can’t wait to hear the testimonies.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
John Maxwell
Chapter Six
The Law of Solid Ground
When I first read the title of this chapter I could not see the significance between solid ground and trust. However I had my eyes opened to see that it truly is the foundation. You can’t build an organization, a network or a team without trust. I see that as the bond between a husband and a wife. The two embark on a journey through life with nothing but the fact that they pledged themselves to each other. It is that fact that keeps them going forward even when the road gets a little bumpy. As John Maxwell said it is the glue that holds it all together.
As such a leader and more importantly the key leader has to continually have the glue stick in his hand. It would appear that factors, external and internal would try to erode that cohesion away.
It takes a key leader to continually let his integrity, his life and his heart so to speak be exposed to scrutiny. That kind of openness can obviously open us up for severe wounds. Sadly we have seen cases where that has happened. Trust was not reciprocated.
We and I specifically as a leader has to have a character that is above reproach. Even Paul listed that as a qualification for elders in 1Tim 3:2. We as leaders will have to show not just speak what we preach. Being real I know and you know that people can spot a fake. Stay true to prayer, stay true to worship, stay true to study and stay true to the fact that we really are the visual expression of the Savior. That will also speak volumes to who you are and what you believe in. I believe that those around us will see that what we say actually has the possibility of happening. Then and only then will people respect us. They can know that when we fail we are quick to admit it and not try to cover it up. The volumes that are spoken will extend that trust foundation as far as God has given us vision for.
July 6, 2009
In keeping with my comments on John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable laws here are my comments on Chapter 5.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
by John Maxwell
Chapter Five
The Law of Addition
This law is all about others. It is about placing more value on someone else than us. The bible says in Eph. 6:8 basically “knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord”. It’s not about me it’s about whether I can impart what I have been given back into others.
From my earliest years I was taught to be strong, take what you can and claw your way to the top. Even team sports only talk about winning not on instilling good character traits like teamwork, integrity and fairness. The Sheriff’s Office philosophy is also based on that premise, do what you can do to get promoted.
I want to invest in others. I saw as a young Christian new to the faith one in whom a ministry call was evident what it was like for those in leadership to downplay or ignore my calling for their own promotion. Wasn’t it said in John 3:30 that we should decrease so He could increase?
So I must let others take preeminence so that they can be mentored or trained. It’s all about people. I am secure in knowing who I am in Christ. So I need to invest in those people by listening to them, valuing their opinions even when they differ from mine and watching how I say things. Words have more power than we realize. Death and life are the only results of the words we utter. They can never be retrieved. I will add value to others by being an encourager.
July 1, 2009
Chapter Four
The Law of Navigation
One of the lessons I learned while serving as a Deputy Sheriff was how to drive a car. It may seem strange but the point is that people don’t realize how much room it takes to turn a two ton piece of metal. As we drive these cars and try to maneuver them into tight places. I can see the correlation between it and ministry. Any trained monkey (or staff member!), can keep a vehicle heading in a straight line. However we need to keep a clear head when we hit a speed bump. One good bump and it could knock you way off. The same is true when we are leading a team. A good leader not only stays on course but will overcome the daily pitfalls that can cause a variance. I believe as a leader we should plan, not based on fear, but on some possibly unforeseen issues. That way we can adjust by being prepared.
How do we get prepared? I kind of thought I would remember it by thinking of the letters L.L.L. Look, listen and lead. Look, listen and lead. Look at the situation or the course in depth before making any decisions. Listen to what others have to have to say about it before proceeding but remembering that as a leader we are responsible ultimately. Lead based on faith and fact. Not just on one but both will have to go hand in hand in order for effective leading.
We live in an unstable world where we may not even know where we will be living on a daily basis. The people we lead will find security knowing that we know where we are going and how we are going to get there.
