Are You Responsible For Anything?

Today's Scripture References Nehemiah Chapters 1-4   1 Corinthians 4:2

Today, when TV programs like The Apprentice are shaping today’s leaders, you must ask whether you have joined in the blame game or whether you take responsibility for the people you lead and the things you do.

How often do we make a specific effort to take responsibility for our
mistakes?

A few days ago my wife and I went to Bakers Square for dinner. The chili I received was so cold that I expressed to the waitress that I was amazed the kitchen sent it out that way. It was not very busy in the restaurant, and we already had some similar experiences in the past. The waitress apologized and returned to me a good hot dish. About ten minutes later she returned to tell me that it was not the kitchen’s fault it came out cold; it was hers. She just did not test it as she should have. Thus, she wanted me to know it was her responsibility. She came to our table to specifically tell us that she was responsible for the cold chili.

How many times does that happen in today’s culture? Not many. However, I saw a potential restaurant manager emerging in that young girl. While she still needed some growth in service, I gave her a good tip because of the responsibility she took. 

We Are Responsible for Those We Lead

Taking responsibility for yourself is one thing; taking responsibility for those you lead is another. Reflect for a moment on how Nehemiah began leading people toward the goal of rebuilding Jerusalem.

“O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God…let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses” (Nehemiah 1:6-7).

Nehemiah began by confessing what his future followers did in the past! Friends, it is not that he was responsible; it is because he was willing to be responsible, a critical first step of becoming a good leader. Additionally, a true leader is willing to take the bullet for the team he or she is leading. Jesus took on the risk and consequences for us. Likewise, we must be willing take on the risk for those we lead. This verse is underlined in my Bible, and I suggest you underline it in yours.

We Are Responsible For More Than We Think

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

About fourteen years ago this verse came alive when, as an experienced small group leader, I came to my small group meeting with a transparent heart. A couple hours before the meeting I had been stopped by a police man with such a rare and petty infraction that he took 10 minutes looking in his manual for the actual law I violated. My attitude did not help when, in the midst of his pettiness, I told him he was a jerk.

Hours later when I confessed this to my small group, I was caught totally off guard when an elderly woman in my group said with astonishment. “Ron, I cannot believe you did that...you are our teacher.”

She said it with such sadness and conviction that it was like  getting hit with a brick. That was the moment the verse in Corinthians jumped off the page and into my mind. I will never forget how I let that woman down. I was responsible for more than I thought. More than likely you are too.

Friends, not only do we need to be responsible, but we need to take on our responsibility! You will find the word “blame” used where there are weak leaders. They worry about getting the blame all the time. You will find strong leaders like Nehemiah in places where leaders lay their lives down for their people, and who, not only take on the responsibility for themselves, but also take that responsibility for others.

Reflect on who and what you are responsible for. Check the height of that bar, raise it a couple of feet higher, and then take it on!


Photo courtesy of Jen.

Is Manipulation Slowing You Down?

Psalm 32:2  Blessed is the man  whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Proverbs 1:19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.

In the last issue of TCL E-Leadership we focused on some reasons why it takes so long for godly vision to spread. We deferred the reference to vision that was impacted by bad behavior. In this issue we will explore one specific element of bad behavior, and that is manipulation. In fact, finding this element in leadership can mess up a lot more than the godly vision. It damages relationships and leaves a lasting impact. 

There are two distinct approaches in development and implementation of a vision. They are:

1. Godly strategic planning    

2. Manipulation 

Do you know the difference between the two approaches? The first one is hard to define, but almost everyone can affirm when it is taking place. When you leave meetings where Godly strategic planning has occurred, you are confident of the results of the meeting and have a general sense that the Holy Spirit was involved. When you leave meetings that have contained manipulation, you leave unsure of the outcome and without the confidence of others’ affirmations.

It is hard to define Godly strategic planning, but we know
when it happens, just like we know when God is moving
in other areas of our lives.

In my last two seminars I asked audience members to raise their hands if they had ever been manipulated, and, in both cases, the entire audience’s hands went up! I then asked how many of them knew they were being manipulated when it was occurring. Eighty percent of them raised their hands again!

I believe most of you that read this will agree. What is certainly amazing is that the people who use manipulation actually think that those they manipulate don’t know that they are being manipulated. However, it is possible that you may be manipulating others unintentionally and unknowingly.

Are You a Manipulator?

So how do you know if you are a user of manipulation? There are always two components present if you are manipulating.

1. A form of deceit

2. A benefit for you

Deceit comes in many fashions. Most of the time, you find deceit in the delivery of information. It is not a lie; it is just not the whole truth. It is not showing all of the expenses; it is hiding them in a bunch of pages. It is not telling a story about a person; it is holding back a portion of the story. 

Sometimes it may not be obvious to others that you are
benefiting from a manipulative action.

 The other element of manipulation is whether or not you are a significant benefactor of the vision or actions being considered. Sometimes how you benefit is overt and everyone can see it. But sometimes it is covert and only you know. Either way, the plans don’t feel right to the other members of the organization; it is hard to get any traction, and some wonder why.  There are always a few in the group that know exactly why, and that is because manipulation is taking place.

Now, please don’t be anxious, thinking that you cannot plan anything that you might benefit from because you might be accused of manipulation. A key requirement in manipulation is that deceit AND personal gain are BOTH present.

"Ask yourself if you are presenting the information in a complete and truthful light, and ask yourself if you are going to be a benefactor. If you find a potential problem with the information, just clean it up. If you are going to benefit from the action, then spell that out so everyone understands, and offer to talk about it openly."

The Manipulation Self-Test

To determine whether you are manipulating others, a simple self-test is all you need. Ask yourself if you are presenting the information in a complete and truthful light, and ask yourself if you are going to be a benefactor. If you find a potential problem with the information, just clean it up. If you are going to benefit from the action, then spell that out so everyone understands, and offer to talk about it openly.


Do you believe a righteous end justifies its means? A righteous end can really draw us into manipulating things. Friends, don’t do it. Over the long run it will always be what it was in the beginning—sin. Take note that every manipulator can deny being one. Deceit is so subtle, and motive is hidden in a person’s heart. But just because it cannot be proved does not make it any less of a reality, sinful and detrimental to the organization.

Try talking about this at your next meeting. Commit to eradicating the tool of manipulation from your methodology. You never know; it might speed things up!

When People Wonder About the Vision

Today's Scripture: Exodus 3&4   Numbers 20   Deuteronomy 1&2   Nehemiah 1-6   Acts 9-11

Are you sick of hearing about vision? Do you wonder if the thing is just a buzzword that has no Biblical support? Do you think that it may be only for 21st century leaders who need a contemporary term so that they seem up to date in their thinking and planning? Or are you just having a hard time getting your vision embraced and moving from where it has been parked for years? Actually, I’ve read so much about vision that I really don’t want to write about it. However, I trust that as I write I might give you a new idea. 

Vision isn't just a buzzword. If you operate within God's will, you can
make a big difference with your Godly vision.

Today I will assume most of you know the basics of vision, so I will get to today’s focus, which is, “Why does it sometimes take so long for vision to spread?” Today’s Biblical vision references are:

1.  The Promise Land Vision 
2. Jerusalem Walls Vision 
3. The Gentile Gospel Vision 

These visions represent three of the most significant visions that still have worldwide impact today. It is really not that hard for you to study these stories and apply them to your life. If you study Israel’s exit from Egypt, Nehemiah’s work in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and how God revealed to the early church that the Gospel was also for the Gentiles, then you learn some facts about big vision. Some of them are:

1. Bad behavior slows big vision down to a halt. 
2. Some big visions take time, but they will get done right before your eyes. 
3. Some of God’s vision spreads slowly, but it always spreads, and keeps spreading. 

Let’s assume for a moment that the vision you find yourself in IS a godly vision. Look at the evidence around you to determine what it is that is slowing things down. Do you see some bad behavior in yourself or others that could be the reason? For now, let’s assume you don’t readily see any significant behavior issues. Maybe things are getting done; however, they are being done so slowly that it is quenching the Spirit’s fire in you. 

What Happens When One Vision is Complete

Might we all admit that we would all love a vision like rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem?

This vision was big and exciting; lots of people worked alongside of each other, and everyone protected and looked out for everyone else. The best thing about this vision was that it was finally competed for everyone to see and take some godly pride in. It must have been very satisfying.

Your vision might be like building the walls of Jerusalem. It might be building a new church building, getting a new ministry up and running, or starting a new division in your company. However, there is a downside to this generally hopeful vision. When the short-term vision is accomplished and the adrenaline has subsided, what motivates us to the next vision? Can the gospel to the Gentile vision take us all to the next level? It should, but can we as humans stay motivated to a cause that never ends?

Here is where a leader should pause, think about the people that he or she is leading, and ask this question: “What short term vision will help those I lead reach their full potential?”

"One way to determine how to shape your next vision is to ask your followers about their needs and what they are passionate about. Listen closely and then ask other godly leaders to help you shape what you hear into a vision that can be embraced."

Find Vision in Your Followers

If you really believe God called you to be a leader, then look at your followers to find what God has in store for you next. When followers grow, then leaders grow. A leader cannot grow unless his or her followers grow. The key to a leader’s growth is in the needs of the followers. Nehemiah’s vision grew out of the protection needed and provided by the walls of Jerusalem. Your vision could come from a spiritual or a practical need. One way to determine how to shape your next vision is to ask your followers about their needs and what they are passionate about. Listen closely and then ask other godly leaders to help you shape what you hear into a vision that can be embraced.

Short-term vision is found in the practical needs of your people. Look into the people you lead and you will find a vision from God.

Then you won’t need to wonder about vision anymore.

Photo courtesy of DRB 62.

Changed Your Mind Lately

Isaiah 64:7-8 "No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. Yet you, Lord are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."

While sometimes change can be fun, other times it is very difficult.

If you are a leader and you want to be effective, you had better learn how to change your mind. Forgive me for being so blunt, but if you cannot change your mind, get out of leadership! You are in the wrong role!

Is change easy? Is it hard? I would suggest that it is both. You and I change our clothes, change our shoes, and eat something different every day. Even though there are some aspects of our lives that we do not change often, we will eventually change them. When the beef prices go up, we change to chicken; when our pants get too tight, we change into the new style of clothing. Change can be fun.

But change is also hard. Think about moving to another home. My wife and I have been thinking about moving for the last three years. It is so hard to give up the things we have where we live, but we both know that we will have to give them up if we move. How about changing churches, or changing jobs? We all know how hard that can be. Change can be so difficult!

While there are “things” we struggle with changing, there is also the matter of changing our minds. Some find it easy to change their minds. However, some are so dogmatic about what they believe; changing would cause them incredible stress. Still, the Bible Commands us to change our minds. Reflect on Romans 12:2 

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).

God Requires that We Change Our Minds

I begin many of my seminars with this statement: “If you cannot change your mind about something, you cannot spiritually grow.” Changing is easy when someone tells us when and how to do it. However, I believe that success from change will only last if we really embrace what was “renewed” in us. Additionally, this verse tells us that we will fail with God’s vision if something does not “renew” or change in our minds before we attempt to pursue that vision.

In short, lasting change in methodology is the result of real change of mind in philosophy and/or theology. In practice what does that look like? Are you and I not fully convinced already of what we believe? I see nothing wrong with holding strong convictions, do you?

We will fail with God's vision if something does not "renew" or
change our minds before we attempt to pursue it.

I once had a strong conviction that my infant baptism was sufficient for me as a Christian. (Hold on now, this article is NOT about baptism!) However, there came a time in my personal Bible study when I felt a sense of the Spirit causing a change of my mind. Over a period of years it came to the point where the change in my mind caused me to participate in the adult baptism of my body. Whether you believe in infant baptism or adult baptism makes no difference in this way. During the time my mind changed, on the day I was baptized, and in the days following, no one who knew me would deny that my life was being transformed in the likeness of Christ.

Changed Minds Bear the Likeness of Christ

Isn’t being transformed into the likeness of Christ what it is all about? While God’s word never changes, the road of sanctification sometimes looks different. My road is different from yours.

Does the change in my theology make me a better leader? You bet it does. However, it is not because I am now fully convinced of adult baptism. It is because I know that I am penetrable. I want Jesus, my potter, to shape this chunk of clay.

Please do not feel that I am encouraging frequent changes in your theology. I am not. I change my theology very slowly, but I do change. Nevertheless, you and I have plenty of less important convictions and beliefs that need to be changed. Which ones, you ask?

Try identifying the ones you are fully convinced of today. And be ready to change your mind about one of those tomorrow.



Photos courtesy of Klearchos Kapoutsis and Casey Serin.

Can I Trust You? You Trust Me?

Luke 16:10-12 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?"

Because God trusts us, we should trust others.

I don't know about you, but I can be pretty skeptical. Even though I did not grow up in Missouri, sometimes you just have to show me. Part of my skepticism certainly comes from managing hundreds of people in the last 30 years. When you have managed people that long, you have heard pretty much every excuse in the book: why your employees were late for work, why something did not get done in time, why the work they performed was not up to your standard.

 While I certainly have become use to a certain level of baloney and inaccuracies, my trust level definitely correlates with the amount of “baloney” I hear—the more baloney I hear the less I am inclined to trust. One person I employed got the best of me, and before I realized that he was a habitual liar, he stole $40,000 from me. If it were not for the fact he left the title to his $25,000 Harley Davidson bike in the company vehicle, I would have not gotten anything back. I found out later that no one, not even his wife, trusted him with anything.


God Trusts Us—Through His Grace

 I guess I wonder if God trusts me, the wretched sinner that I am. How in the world did I get the privilege of leading the followers I lead the way I am in his eyes? Friends, you and I "who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Cor. 4). So what came first—His trust or our faithfulness?

 Certainly this verse and in primary scripture for today’s lesson show that God is asking us to be faithful with the trust that He first gave us. But why would He do that? Oh that is right, only by His grace do I get the privilege of leading the followers I lead. It was by His grace He allowed me to start with the small stuff, with leading in a small way.

 He then continually combines His grace with some of my faithfulness and increases my leadership from time to time. It’s hard to imagine, but every time I turn around, there is His grace staring me in the face. The more you think about it, the more amazing it becomes. 

 "I try my best to begin our relationship trusting [people]. I only begin to mistrust them when they give me a reason to."

We Should Trust Others—By Starting with the Small Stuff

 Our scripture today tells us not only that trust came from God first but also how to identify who to trust. It tells us to start with the small stuff. Is that not the way we all began our leadership journey? Did not someone trust us enough to give us something little to lead?

 But what about the person we just met? Do we trust that person right off the bat? I may be skeptical, but when it comes to people, I try my best to begin our relationship trusting them. I only begin to mistrust them when they give me a reason to. I could not imagine the stress of mistrusting everyone till they proved themselves faithful!

 However, we also need be careful that we don’t give others a reason to mistrust us. True, some of us have moved on from the small aspects of leadership; we are now leading bigger stuff because God has entrusted us with bigger things. But how are we doing with the small stuff? I just attended a church conference, and I am fairly confident that a church leader there lied to me. Not a big lie, just a little one that he could use to cover himself. Friends, those of you who lead big stuff cannot forget to be faithful in the small stuff—all of time. After all, it’s through being faithful with the small stuff that you were entrusted with greater stuff.

 Let us eat our baloney for lunch, then, and not bring it into our lives.


Photo courtesy of genvessel.

Your Leadership Challenged Part III

Matthew 21:23  Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority? Numbers 14:2-4 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had  died in Egypt! ...Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" And they said to each other, "We should  choose a leader and go back to Egypt."

Today I will be finishing this series on authority. We will finish with a topic every leader will experience: Rebellious and Disobedient Dollowers (RDF's). 

When handling conflict, you can easily feel like you're acting all alone
with all eyes fixed on you, waiting to see what you will do.

Authority Part 1 and 2 were written to prepare you, to help you establish your mindset prior to handling RDFs. Why do you need this kind of preparation? When you reach the point of having to handle RDFs, everyone is waiting in the grandstands with their opinions of how you should perform. You cannot be ready for this phase of leadership if you have the wrong blend of positional authority and restraint. Remember, positional authority is something a leader must acquire. Christian leaders live by restraining the authority within while focusing on helping others. 

 (Need a refresher? Review parts One and Two)

Handling an RDF is Important to More than You and the RDF

 Why do I focus on the people in the grandstands and not the RDF at hand? If leadership is "the art and science of inspiring people,” what can be so inspiring about handling a rebellious person?

Friends, handling an RDF properly is one of the most inspiring things you can do—for everyone in the grandstands. There are a number of reasons why this is inspiring to people.

1. The rebellious person has probably impacted those in the grandstands with both his/her work and attitude, but the bystanders would rather not say anything because they don't want to deal with problem. Think I am wrong? Ask any organizational leader who loses an RDF, and he/she will tell you that you will find scores of people in the organization who affirm the benefits of the RDF’s departure only after he/she leaves.
2. The people in the grandstands are desperately hoping that you handle the problem well. Someday, they might be considered RDFs, and they want to see how fair the person they work for really is. 
3. People want to work for good leaders. Life is so much better when you enjoy your job and your leader. When your treatment of an RDF shows that you’re a good leader, your employees may feel more content with their positions.

An RDF is a Rebellious and Disobedient Follower

Handling Conflict

 So, how does knowing that your treatment of an RDF is inspiring to others help you actually deal with that RDF? You can start with remembering a simple truth: you’re being watched. Right now, the eyes of everyone in your organization are on you. What do you do next? Read our scripture verses above. What did Moses do? His situation was a very serious matter. Moses' followers wanted to replace him! How did Jesus respond to the challenge of His authority in the second scripture reference? Put in Jesus' circumstance, many of us would have liked to call down fire from heaven and say, "You guys got any other problem with me?"

 Along with a good written policy and process for disciplinary matters, you will find yourself dealing with each circumstance and each rebellious person differently. Maybe a few of you reading this are dealing with one right now. If you are, might I suggest that you review your written policy and align it with the following recommendations.

1. Be sure you have the positional authority to act. 
2. Review the blend of your leadership. Too much bossing around? Begin to focus on restraint. Pray for wisdom. 
3. Shape your response and actions in fair measurements, just as God did with Moses' RDF and just the way Jesus did through His response to those that questioned Him. 

 I hope I have delivered to you a perspective of handling conflict that can actually help you inspire those you lead. Treat your RDF's as an opportunity for their correction and for your growth as a leader!

Using Your Authority Part II

1 Corinthians  9:16  The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the  law.

Both good and bad leadership can emerge from
the same soil.

Part 1 of our series on authority was an exploration of how Christian leaders acquire authority. In short, we learned the importance of both receiving authority in the proper manner and defining the scope of one’s authority. Part 1 was also about positional authority. It was not about leadership per se. It was about a foundational requirement for the soil from which good and bad leadership emerges. Unfortunately, this soil is a requirement for good leadership, but it can also be the breeding ground for poor leadership.


When you find yourself standing in the soil of authority as a positional leader, you must then decide (consciously or unconsciously) what your leadership will look like—Jesus or the world. Here is where some of you will struggle. Theologically, all of you should agree that Jesus had every possible spiritual gift, which means He is our perfect leadership model. However, many of you will look at His life and draw the conclusion that it displayed more of his gifts of teaching and healing than his gift of leadership. Because of this, you will tend to defer to a contemporary leader who has demonstrated some enormous accomplishment, leaning toward imitating whatever that person did. While I admit that this might have some value (Paul even exhorted men to "imitate" him), we must filter our behavior and practices through the life of Christ first. 

Jesus’ Life as a Model of Leadership

You might say that Jesus' life does not speak loudly on the topic of leadership because there are not enough examples of Jesus as the successful leader. Friends, if you have come to this conclusion, it is because we all have the tendency to look for the wrong examples. Might I suggest that the absence of certain behaviors in Jesus' life should speak to us as loudly as those He displayed? Look at our scripture verse. While it appears that Jesus was demonstrating His teaching gift at this time, ponder with me what He is teaching us about positional authority.

"The absence of certain behaviors in Jesus' life should speak to us as loudly as those He displayed."

Would you agree that we might conclude the following from this scripture?

1.  While being granted authority over all the earth, Jesus did not display the fact that He outranked everyone. 
2. The ultimate reason His authority was recognized was because of the times he used his other gifts, namely His teaching. While He was helping people understand, people began to recognize this as authoritative. 
3. The power/authority that Jesus displayed was distinctively different from anything people had ever seen or heard from their own leaders. 

Applying Jesus’ Leadership Model to Our Own Lives

What application to the use of authority can we learn from Jesus’ treatment of his authority and leadership? Consider these:

1. Don't walk around telling everyone you are the boss. Don't lead by intimidation. 
2. Try helping those under your authority to better understand the goals you have set, and once you’ve given this your best effort, then you can assess that understanding as well as goal accomplishment.
3. Don't assume that contemporary leaders are the ones to imitate. While what you see in public can be worth imitating, much of what goes on behind the scenes is not. Be very careful. 

I have communicated this before, but it cannot be repeated too often: Jesus' life on this earth was more a demonstration of restraint than any one of His other attributes or behaviors.

Think about that for a moment. Even if you believe that statement halfheartedly, you are on your way to imitating the leadership of Christ.