We generally think of leaders as striking figures who inspire people to follow them. Leaders tend to stand out in a crowd. We see leaders persuading people with their words, their ideas, their larger-than-life personalities. A leader has a strong vision and guides people into working together toward shared goals. We think of a leader standing in front of a […]
Monastic Leadership Read More »
Some people believe they have earned the right to be leaders. Some are confident our experience or our education means we deserve to be leaders. Some of us think we have inherited leadership from our ancestors. Some people see themselves as having the personality or the ambition it takes to be a leader. Some of
Leadership Cultivates Our Hope Read More »
Every so often, we need to look behind things and give our leadership a thorough cleaning. There are boxes we need to open and move around, trying to remember why we have them. We may have received gifts, and have forgotten why we kept them. There may be things we have put away because, “you never know when
Leadership Spring Cleaning Read More »
People, especially people interested in leadership, like having a plan. Many people want to be able to understand everything, to have all their questions answered in advance. They want a predictable, easy to remember set of steps to turn themselves into great leaders. They do not ever want anything unexpected to surprise them. Some people ask me
Getting Ready for Leadership Read More »
Some people want to become leaders. They are looking for opportunities to lead. Some people have mixed feelings about leadership. They would like to assess their potential. Some people are not interested in leading other people. They just want to do their best. Almost all of us, though, know how it feels to run out of time to
Finding Time to Lead Read More »
We live in a culture that worships super heroes. Super heroes surround us on film, in books, on television, on our own phones. Even on the smallest screens, super heroes teach us lessons of life and leadership. We learn their stories and absorb their super heroic mythology. Super heroes are the leaders we seek to become. Super heroes sweep
Super Heroic Leadership Read More »
I belong to a liturgical church. We divide each year into liturgical seasons. This week we spend three days in transition from the season of Lent into the season of Easter. Today, the first of those three days, is called Maundy Thursday. Even people who know it is called Maundy Thursday do not necessarily know what that
What is Maundy Thursday? Read More »
The longer I am a leader, the more I realize I do not know. I used to believe leaders knew the right answers. Becoming a leader was about knowing the right things in front of the right people. When we finally knew enough things, we could become leaders. As I gained leadership experience, I learned something ironic.
Book Review: Out of the Question Read More »
What is your favorite flavor in the world? What is that one flavor you simply detest? We taste flavors through receptor cells, which are primarily on the surface of our tongues. Science tells us that all the flavors we can taste are combinations of five primary taste sensations. No matter what, our favorite tastes come from salty, sweet,
What Flavor is Your Leadership? Read More »
There are people who are convinced being a leader is all about knowing what to expect. We are told leadership is having a plan, and putting our plans into action. Leaders need to assess the resources, human and otherwise, they can put to work. Leadership is knowing what to expect and how to respond to every
Surprising Leadership Read More »
