I’m sure you’re aware of this, but I’m going to tell you anyway. This world is so selfish. We are a selfish people. We are all about me. I’m sure that if you’re real with yourself, you’ll admit that most times you love yourself more than God. It’s bad, it stinks, and it’s part of being human.
This is the world in which we are bringing up a new generation of leaders. I don’t have to tell you that these leaders will have to be more altruistic than any other generation before it to counter the rising tide of self-centeredness, but how do we do that? What is so counter-cultural and life-changing that it swings this generation against the tide and captures their imaginations strongly enough to hold them against the generation of self?
The gospel. That’s what. The life of Jesus is a study in selflessness. It sounds strange, but it’s selflessness that will trump selfishness.
The truth is that we are bringing up a generation that does truly care about others. With Bono as their guide, they have taken on problems such as Darfur, the environment, poverty, AIDS, and the list goes on. The elements of selflessness are in place, but you need a spark that keeps them there. That’s the gospel.
The rest of these causes are just that: causes. They don’t necessitate selflessness, just a bit of giving and advocacy. The true gospel demands a selflessness to be like Christ; To deny ourselves, and take up our cross. This isn’t easy, and it does take a lifetime (sanctification) to perfect, but there’s no time like the present to start.
How do we do this: practice. Believe it or not, this generation’s attitude won’t be changed overnight. Despite the sudden shift of concern for others, selfishness still has its hold on us. We can’t change this attitude overnight, but we can change behavior. Over time, God uses that change in behavior to change the heart. Bingo. End game. Selflessness
Here’s a few ways we can partner with God in this process
1. Focus on selflessness. Make sure our students know where it comes from (that’s from God, who alone is perfect). Play the broken record and study it extensively during devotional time.
2. Practice altruism often. Serve others at the expense of ourselves.
3. Pray for changed hearts in this generation. Pray for a changed heart for yourself.
We know that the perfect won’t come until the end, but in the meantime, let’s get as close to selflessness as we can. Our fallen world and the lost who live in it depend on it.
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Making a Leadership Team Personal
Leaders don’t learn the same, they don’t act the same, and they don’t lead the same. So why do we try to make cookie-cutter leadership teams? One of the greatest challenges of running a leadership team is trying to personalize it while still maintaining a team atmosphere.
Before you can personalize your team, you have to know how your students differ. Make sure you are utilizing leadership tests so that you and each of your students know how they are different from each other. Leadertreks has a fantastic set of leadership tests that will tell you everything from how each of your students lead to how they learn. This is very helpful information, and after you learn about your students, you can start to personalize your team.
Here are a couple of other ideas:
1. Make sure mentoring is part of your leadership team. One-on-One sessions with your students make sure that they get personal attention they need and that you can teach and coach with them individually.
2. Make sure your teaching includes activities that speak to different learning styles. Mix it up a bit.
3. Do activities that incorporate everyone’s areas of passion and strengths. Don’t do activities that only get you fired up.
4. Continue to sit down and learn about new things that are going on in the life of your students. Keep current with them individually and with the youth culture at large. Utilize this information to create catered leadership activities for your students.
5. Make sure you are balancing individual activities and group activities. Learning individually and learning how to play nice in a group are both very important.
Personalizing your team takes time and quite a bit of effort. Make sure that you’re not playing to your personality or one of the easier personalities on the team. Your students will notice, and they won’t grow as much as they could if you put forth the extra effort to personalize your teaching.
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
Before you can personalize your team, you have to know how your students differ. Make sure you are utilizing leadership tests so that you and each of your students know how they are different from each other. Leadertreks has a fantastic set of leadership tests that will tell you everything from how each of your students lead to how they learn. This is very helpful information, and after you learn about your students, you can start to personalize your team.
Here are a couple of other ideas:
1. Make sure mentoring is part of your leadership team. One-on-One sessions with your students make sure that they get personal attention they need and that you can teach and coach with them individually.
2. Make sure your teaching includes activities that speak to different learning styles. Mix it up a bit.
3. Do activities that incorporate everyone’s areas of passion and strengths. Don’t do activities that only get you fired up.
4. Continue to sit down and learn about new things that are going on in the life of your students. Keep current with them individually and with the youth culture at large. Utilize this information to create catered leadership activities for your students.
5. Make sure you are balancing individual activities and group activities. Learning individually and learning how to play nice in a group are both very important.
Personalizing your team takes time and quite a bit of effort. Make sure that you’re not playing to your personality or one of the easier personalities on the team. Your students will notice, and they won’t grow as much as they could if you put forth the extra effort to personalize your teaching.
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Learning Your Strengths
I’ve blogged here about Strengthsfinder 2.0. I love that book, and I love what it does for people, especially leaders. Well, I’ve just finished its sister book, Strengths Based Leadership, which I also loved. I will do a review of that at another time. What I really want to talk about is this: Gallup released some data in Strengths Based Leadership that I think we can all pay attention to. It’s not strictly related to Christian Leadership, but I think that the stats that I’m about to quote say it all.
Gallup reports that people experience a significant gain in self-confidence after taking a Strengthsfinder test and learning more about their strengths. I don’t think this should come as a surprise. Knowing what you’re good at and being freed up to do it are confidence boosting bits of information. But there’s more:
In 2008, University of Florida released a 25 year study about confidence and work. Here’s a few of the highlights.
People between the ages of 14 and 22 who had more self confidence were making about 3,500 dollars more than their peers in 1979.
These same people saw dramatic increases in their income each passing year.
Those people with higher self-confidence had fewer health problems in 2004 than in 1979 25 years later.
Gallup Polling that has been released suggests that having the opportunity to learn about your strengths has the same effect as the gain in self-confidence. People 15-23 who learned about their strengths were reporting “significantly higher” job satisfaction levels 25 years later.
So what does this mean for us? I don’t know. To my knowledge, there hasn’t been any longitudinal studies on Christian leaders and how Strengths Test and the resulting self-Confidence affects them. I have my guesses though.
I cannot imagine that it would be anything short of revolutionary in the life of a Christian young person to know what strengths God built into them. We are always testing for spiritual gifts, which is very important, so why don’t we test to know how God put us together in other ways?
Imagine the possibilities if we had a generation of Christian leaders who knew both their Spiritual Gifts and their God-given Strengths. What would they be capable of? What difference would it make in their personal lives? How much less burn-out would we have?
I can’t answer these questions (right now), but I am convinced, now more than ever, of the need to test and teach students about their strengths. In fact, I don’t know why every student in the world shouldn’t be taking a Strengths evaluation. I think it’s that important.
Question: What has your experience with Strengths testing been? How has it affected young people you know?
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
Gallup reports that people experience a significant gain in self-confidence after taking a Strengthsfinder test and learning more about their strengths. I don’t think this should come as a surprise. Knowing what you’re good at and being freed up to do it are confidence boosting bits of information. But there’s more:
In 2008, University of Florida released a 25 year study about confidence and work. Here’s a few of the highlights.
People between the ages of 14 and 22 who had more self confidence were making about 3,500 dollars more than their peers in 1979.
These same people saw dramatic increases in their income each passing year.
Those people with higher self-confidence had fewer health problems in 2004 than in 1979 25 years later.
Gallup Polling that has been released suggests that having the opportunity to learn about your strengths has the same effect as the gain in self-confidence. People 15-23 who learned about their strengths were reporting “significantly higher” job satisfaction levels 25 years later.
So what does this mean for us? I don’t know. To my knowledge, there hasn’t been any longitudinal studies on Christian leaders and how Strengths Test and the resulting self-Confidence affects them. I have my guesses though.
I cannot imagine that it would be anything short of revolutionary in the life of a Christian young person to know what strengths God built into them. We are always testing for spiritual gifts, which is very important, so why don’t we test to know how God put us together in other ways?
Imagine the possibilities if we had a generation of Christian leaders who knew both their Spiritual Gifts and their God-given Strengths. What would they be capable of? What difference would it make in their personal lives? How much less burn-out would we have?
I can’t answer these questions (right now), but I am convinced, now more than ever, of the need to test and teach students about their strengths. In fact, I don’t know why every student in the world shouldn’t be taking a Strengths evaluation. I think it’s that important.
Question: What has your experience with Strengths testing been? How has it affected young people you know?
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
Monday, February 15, 2010
Spiritual Gifts and Natural Strengths
The more I talk about books like “Strengthsfinder 2.0” the more I am asked, “how do strengths and spiritual gifts coincide?” The question has come up enough that I think I should address this.
These conversations come about because of my insistence that as we move forward with Next In Line, every student that can should take a battery of “tests” that will help them know themselves better. They will also help their teacher know more about them and help them set up a more personalized leadership development program (see the article “Explore” in the Next In Line Starter Kit).
I am finding that many leaders in the church are leery of secular tests that help pinpoint your strengths, as these are not your spiritual gifts. While it is true that we cannot confuse God-given talents with God-given spiritual gifts, I don’t see why we can’t be aware of both.
Some people started asking me which was more important, the Strengths Test, or the Spiritual Gifts test. I couldn’t exactly answer that question, because both are important. Here’s how I broke this down to them, and I hope this is helpful to you as well:
Spiritual Gifts are those supernaturally imparted gifts that God gives to us upon conversion that allow us to perform a certain ministry within the church, for the edification of the body (see Ephesians 4 or Romans 12 for a partial list of the gifts and their purpose). Notice a couple of things about Spiritual Gifts:
1. They are given by God
2. They are supernatural
3. They are for ministry
4. Given at conversion
Strengths (or talents) are also God-given. They are things that God wove into our personality and genetics. They are used for more than just ministry, but cannot be separated from it, as we are created for God. They aren’t exactly listed in the bible, but you know what I’m saying: some of us are better at math than others, and some can publicly speak better than others. Others of us have been given incredible wisdom, or inherently understand mechanical things. Notice a couple of things about Strengths:
1. They are given by God
2. They are not supernatural
3. They are for ministry (and other things)
4. Woven into our fabric as God’s creation
The big difference between the two is when they are given and their nature. Otherwise, they are very similar. Ultimately, they also serve the same purpose: the Missio Dei.
The reason that I insist on students finding out their strengths and their Spiritual Gift(s) is that God often uses both in their call to ministry. I love that God would equip us naturally to do certain things well and then complement that with a Spiritual Gift that brings all the glory from that activity to Him.
Our students are more than their spiritual gifts. They are (much) more than their talents and strengths. They are “fearfully and wonderfully made” for amazing purpose. Spiritual Gifts and natural talents are just two aspects of the same person that God has made for His work.
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
These conversations come about because of my insistence that as we move forward with Next In Line, every student that can should take a battery of “tests” that will help them know themselves better. They will also help their teacher know more about them and help them set up a more personalized leadership development program (see the article “Explore” in the Next In Line Starter Kit).
I am finding that many leaders in the church are leery of secular tests that help pinpoint your strengths, as these are not your spiritual gifts. While it is true that we cannot confuse God-given talents with God-given spiritual gifts, I don’t see why we can’t be aware of both.
Some people started asking me which was more important, the Strengths Test, or the Spiritual Gifts test. I couldn’t exactly answer that question, because both are important. Here’s how I broke this down to them, and I hope this is helpful to you as well:
Spiritual Gifts are those supernaturally imparted gifts that God gives to us upon conversion that allow us to perform a certain ministry within the church, for the edification of the body (see Ephesians 4 or Romans 12 for a partial list of the gifts and their purpose). Notice a couple of things about Spiritual Gifts:
1. They are given by God
2. They are supernatural
3. They are for ministry
4. Given at conversion
Strengths (or talents) are also God-given. They are things that God wove into our personality and genetics. They are used for more than just ministry, but cannot be separated from it, as we are created for God. They aren’t exactly listed in the bible, but you know what I’m saying: some of us are better at math than others, and some can publicly speak better than others. Others of us have been given incredible wisdom, or inherently understand mechanical things. Notice a couple of things about Strengths:
1. They are given by God
2. They are not supernatural
3. They are for ministry (and other things)
4. Woven into our fabric as God’s creation
The big difference between the two is when they are given and their nature. Otherwise, they are very similar. Ultimately, they also serve the same purpose: the Missio Dei.
The reason that I insist on students finding out their strengths and their Spiritual Gift(s) is that God often uses both in their call to ministry. I love that God would equip us naturally to do certain things well and then complement that with a Spiritual Gift that brings all the glory from that activity to Him.
Our students are more than their spiritual gifts. They are (much) more than their talents and strengths. They are “fearfully and wonderfully made” for amazing purpose. Spiritual Gifts and natural talents are just two aspects of the same person that God has made for His work.
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
Friday, February 12, 2010
Defining Success
How do you define success in leadership? How do your students define success in leadership?
One of the board members here at Next in Line was at a Christian Bookstore (which shall remain nameless) the other day and was perusing through leadership books. He was horrified to find that more than one of them qualified a successful leader as one who had a large following, was making lots of money, or was very successful(numbers) in his/her business or ministry. He immediately called me and asked me what was going on. I really didn’t have an answer for him.
I have a small problem with Christian leadership success being defined by numbers, followers, or dollars. I know that this defines earthly success, and don’t get me wrong they are not bad things. I just don’t think they are the things a Christian leader defines themselves by.
The Apostle Paul’s boast was never in numbers, but the kind of people that were being raised up under his leadership. Further, he would usually boast in the things of God, not of man. I don’t think Paul would have been considered very successful as a leader by the world’s standards. He was constantly run out of town, stoned, shipwrecked, having problem with the organizations that he started, etc. But he is probably one of the greatest Christian leaders of all times. Why? Because he did the things God called him to do no matter what the cost. He did the right thing, even if it meant upsetting his “followers” (which he would have rightly said didn’t belong to him anyways).
Maybe a better idea of Christian Leadership success should come from that of a successful steward. This is an example that Jesus would use when he told parables about Christian leadership. The steward does well with what is given to him. As Christian leaders, I think that should be our definition of success as well. It should also be what we are teaching our young people. Help them to understand the difference between a steward, who doesn’t own anything but is rather a caretaker of someone else’s things, and a “success”, who owns much and has much.
When the world begins to pollute how we see “success”, then we have lost the fight.
Question: What do You See as Success for a Christian Leader?
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
One of the board members here at Next in Line was at a Christian Bookstore (which shall remain nameless) the other day and was perusing through leadership books. He was horrified to find that more than one of them qualified a successful leader as one who had a large following, was making lots of money, or was very successful(numbers) in his/her business or ministry. He immediately called me and asked me what was going on. I really didn’t have an answer for him.
I have a small problem with Christian leadership success being defined by numbers, followers, or dollars. I know that this defines earthly success, and don’t get me wrong they are not bad things. I just don’t think they are the things a Christian leader defines themselves by.
The Apostle Paul’s boast was never in numbers, but the kind of people that were being raised up under his leadership. Further, he would usually boast in the things of God, not of man. I don’t think Paul would have been considered very successful as a leader by the world’s standards. He was constantly run out of town, stoned, shipwrecked, having problem with the organizations that he started, etc. But he is probably one of the greatest Christian leaders of all times. Why? Because he did the things God called him to do no matter what the cost. He did the right thing, even if it meant upsetting his “followers” (which he would have rightly said didn’t belong to him anyways).
Maybe a better idea of Christian Leadership success should come from that of a successful steward. This is an example that Jesus would use when he told parables about Christian leadership. The steward does well with what is given to him. As Christian leaders, I think that should be our definition of success as well. It should also be what we are teaching our young people. Help them to understand the difference between a steward, who doesn’t own anything but is rather a caretaker of someone else’s things, and a “success”, who owns much and has much.
When the world begins to pollute how we see “success”, then we have lost the fight.
Question: What do You See as Success for a Christian Leader?
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
Monday, February 8, 2010
Increase Your Wisdom
I was reading in Proverbs the other day and this little tidbit stuck out at me. “The wise man listens, and increases wisdom.” I love this.
In our world, to be “the man” we’re expected to talk. We’re expected to have all of the right answers, and know everything in our field (and a host of others).
The Bible sees wisdom in a different way. Take a close look at that verse. First of all, the person who listens is already wise. Second, when he listens, his wisdom increases.
The next time you are out with a group of friends, at a meeting with fellow professionals, or are just talking to another person at church or work, listen.
It’s amazing what you learn when you aren’t trying to insert your own opinion. Listening has two great side effects. First, as the Bible says, you gain in wisdom. Second, people like to be listened to. You’ll make somebody’s day if you actually listen to them.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to listen, especially if you disagree with the person you are listening to. Discipline yourself. Hear everyone out, no matter what their opinion. That’s how you learn. That’s how you grow.
Wisdom doesn’t figure much into today’s world. Unfortunately, to get ahead it seems that listening to others isn’t as important as telling them how it’s done. The wise leader listens before speaking, and they learn from what the other person is saying.
As we teach young people to be leaders, we should make sure that we are teaching them to listen. There are plenty of people all around them more than willing to tell them how they should be doing things. They can start practicing their listening skills right now.
What are some important things you have learned while listening to others?
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
In our world, to be “the man” we’re expected to talk. We’re expected to have all of the right answers, and know everything in our field (and a host of others).
The Bible sees wisdom in a different way. Take a close look at that verse. First of all, the person who listens is already wise. Second, when he listens, his wisdom increases.
The next time you are out with a group of friends, at a meeting with fellow professionals, or are just talking to another person at church or work, listen.
It’s amazing what you learn when you aren’t trying to insert your own opinion. Listening has two great side effects. First, as the Bible says, you gain in wisdom. Second, people like to be listened to. You’ll make somebody’s day if you actually listen to them.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to listen, especially if you disagree with the person you are listening to. Discipline yourself. Hear everyone out, no matter what their opinion. That’s how you learn. That’s how you grow.
Wisdom doesn’t figure much into today’s world. Unfortunately, to get ahead it seems that listening to others isn’t as important as telling them how it’s done. The wise leader listens before speaking, and they learn from what the other person is saying.
As we teach young people to be leaders, we should make sure that we are teaching them to listen. There are plenty of people all around them more than willing to tell them how they should be doing things. They can start practicing their listening skills right now.
What are some important things you have learned while listening to others?
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Book Review: "The Character of Leadership" by Jeff Iorg
We lead from who we are. This is true of leaders on the secular and Christian side of leadership. Who we are and how we acts determines whether we are a leader worth following. Jeff Iorg’s book, The Character of Leadership, explores what a leader should be in an easy-to-read book that is both insightful and convicting.
I have read quite a few books on leadership, but not one like The Character of Leadership. Jeff Iorg, who is president of Golden Gate Theological Seminary, explores nine characteristics that he believes a leader should posses in order to be successful as a leader. His book is biblical, reflective, heartfelt, and personal. Iorg’s extensive experience lends a personal note to the book that makes it at once engaging and practical to any leader.
Iorg explores the following nine areas of character with advice, definition, and anecdote:
Integrity
Security
Purity
Humility
Servanthood
Wisdom
Discipline
Courage
Passion
Far from being a rehash of old leadership principles, Iorg manages to challenge many long held beliefs about these nine characteristics and engage them in new ways. Iorg offers practical advice on how to practice each of these characteristics in your life, while being very real about his struggles and victories in each category.
Whether you have been a leader for many years or are just starting your leadership journey, you will find The Character of Leadership extremely helpful and practical for personal and ministry growth. You will find yourself identifying with Iorg’s heart for leadership and personal development, while engaging biblical leadership principles freshly in your own life.
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
I have read quite a few books on leadership, but not one like The Character of Leadership. Jeff Iorg, who is president of Golden Gate Theological Seminary, explores nine characteristics that he believes a leader should posses in order to be successful as a leader. His book is biblical, reflective, heartfelt, and personal. Iorg’s extensive experience lends a personal note to the book that makes it at once engaging and practical to any leader.
Iorg explores the following nine areas of character with advice, definition, and anecdote:
Integrity
Security
Purity
Humility
Servanthood
Wisdom
Discipline
Courage
Passion
Far from being a rehash of old leadership principles, Iorg manages to challenge many long held beliefs about these nine characteristics and engage them in new ways. Iorg offers practical advice on how to practice each of these characteristics in your life, while being very real about his struggles and victories in each category.
Whether you have been a leader for many years or are just starting your leadership journey, you will find The Character of Leadership extremely helpful and practical for personal and ministry growth. You will find yourself identifying with Iorg’s heart for leadership and personal development, while engaging biblical leadership principles freshly in your own life.
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,
Matt
Monday, February 1, 2010
My Winter Reading List
At this time of year, with the outdoors closed off to us, many of us pick up a good book to pass the time. If you're looking for a couple of good reads, here's my reading list for the winter. I've included a website where you can get more information about the book or the author with each entry. Hope it helps, and happy reading!
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by D. Martin Lloyd Jones
Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono
5 Minds for the Future by Howard Gardner
Mentoring Leaders by Carson Pue
Make Poverty Personal by Ash Barker
PNTC Commentary: The Letter of James by Douglas Moo
Moses by Chuck Swindoll
The Search to Belong by Joseph R Myers
Real Teens by George Barna
Master Leaders by George Barna
The Making of a Leader by Dr. J. Robert Clinton
Six Pixels of Seperation by Mitch Joel
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by D. Martin Lloyd Jones
Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono
5 Minds for the Future by Howard Gardner
Mentoring Leaders by Carson Pue
Make Poverty Personal by Ash Barker
PNTC Commentary: The Letter of James by Douglas Moo
Moses by Chuck Swindoll
The Search to Belong by Joseph R Myers
Real Teens by George Barna
Master Leaders by George Barna
The Making of a Leader by Dr. J. Robert Clinton
Six Pixels of Seperation by Mitch Joel
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