Knowing what to leave behind

I love hiking. There is a freedom and a challenge in knowing that everything you need is on your back. It is a science knowing what to take and what to leave behind. When I went on a leadership challenge class through Biola University I had a ton of stuff I was carrying for myself and other hikers. As I was helping others with their stuff, I think what really got to me was someone had brought a Bible in a metal case. The thing was a brick! A little paperback Bible would have done the trick.

On another hiking trip someone brought their school textbooks. They were massive! We were already burdened with tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear, food, stoves, clothes and 16 pounds of water per person. There are some things that are better left behind.

In life the same things hold true. We have only so many choices we can make and only so much time. Sometimes we must choose to move forward and leave behind dreams and possibilities.

Today my wife was cutting back the roses. She was a little concerned with my taunts about taking the hedge trimmer to the hulking beasts. She painstakingly cut back the branches and trimmed all the growth. All the flowers and new foliage was gone.

I thought to myself how it would feel to be cut back. All the great stuff cut away and left with stubby stalks. No way.

And yet I know the growth that will happen for the rose bush. In a month it will be full of great flowers again and even better growth. One thing that is nice about living in San Diego is everything grows year round. The bigger problem is too much growth.

Jesus talks about pruning in John 15. He says that any branch that is connected to the vine will be pruned so that it will produce even more fruit.

I like fruit. It looks good and tastes good. I like growing my own tangerine, apples and figs. The figs are just at the end of the season here and they so juicy and sweet. As soon as the crop is done I will prune the whole tree back so that it will grow great fruit again next year.

In my life I am going through a preparation time. God is pruning me back in areas and showing me what to leave behind. It is hard though to know what is really important. I want to hold on to my stuff and my dreams.

An yet one word comes to mind. Simplify. It is the idea of leaving behind all that does not matter.

So I submit myself to the pruning shears, trusting that after all is said and done I will bear fruit.

The elements of leadership

I am puzzling over that question of what does it take to be a good leader.

How is it that some leaders can have power over millions and yet internally are morally bankrupt?

For example look at two presidents: Clinton and Carter. Clinton had great leadership ability and political savvy. He had the skills and the charisma to become reelected. However he was internally wanton as shown by his sex scandal in the White House. Carter is portrayed with a character of integrity. Yet in many ways was inept as a leader as seen by his foreign policy with Iran.

What does it take to be a good leader?

Billy Graham is an excellent example of a good leader. He has moral integrity that spans his lifetime. He has competence to lead that has created openings to speak to presidents. He has connection to influence the lives of billions.

Character

Competence

Connection

A person can lead when they have skills in one or two of these areas. However to lead well, all elements must come into play.

Solomon is known as a great leader in ancient times. He is known for having incredible wealth. In his nation silver was as available as rock! He also had incredible wisdom. Many of the world leaders came to him for advice. Some of his writings are widely read today! He had competence and connection but in the long run had no character. He used his power for selfish gain and built houses and amassed wealth for himself while he abused his people like slaves.

It showed up strongly in his son Rehoboam. Even though the book of proverbs was written for Solomon's children, Rehoboam had little wisdom. He cared more for his own self interests than those he led. Because of this he had the greatest uprising and had more than half of his people defect and form their own nation.

Without character a leader falls from within. Without competence a leader has no ability to lead. Without connection a leader has no followers.

I seek to live well with Character, Competence and Connection so that I can lead well.

Urgent and Important

I struggle with what is urgent and important. Sometimes I am driven by what someone else tells me is urgent and I do not look to see what is actually important. This reminds me of the story told by Stephen Covey.

The foreman is busily helping his crew cut down trees. He has trained the crew in the finest wood cutting techniques. The best technology is available to them and they are incredibly efficient. However, on another tree there is a ladder that is perched with the leader scanning the horizon. The leader says, "Stop! We are cutting down the wrong trees!" The manager replies coarsely, "Shut up! We're making progress!"

Efficiency is sometimes mistaken for effectiveness. What is efficient is done in the fastest possible means in order to accomplish the job. However, it may not be doing what is important. I may do a hundred things efficiently and not make one step towards my goal. Doing what is important is focusing on what effectively helps me to attain my priorities.

In leading my own life I must determine what is important or I will always cave in to what is urgent. It reminds me of Jesus' words in Matt 6:33:

"But seek for the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things will be added to you as well."

What is important is what lasts. And I choose to be focused on what lasts...Forever.

Integrity

As I muse through leadership topics integrity is one that is high on my list. Integrity is wholeness. It is where actions match motivations.

It is the ability to stay afloat even in hard times. I picture an old sailing ship that weathers a heavy storm. Even when the water comes in over the top she still stays afloat.

A person with integrity is one you can count on to be true to who they are. They keep their commitments even when it hurts. They are dependable and trustworthy.

The Bible gives an analogy to integrity in the word "righteous." Prov 10:25 puts it this way:

"When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever."

It is in the hard times when you see the true character of a person. When one is in the ring being beaten and bloodied, the true integrity of a person comes through.

You can also see it when individuals deal with people in a lower status then their position. How do they treat the waiter? How do they interact with their children? What happens when they blow it? Do they apologize or blame somebody else?

May you weather the storms with integrity.

Priorities

Our time is a limited resource. We have only so many minutes in every day and we are bound by this dimension. Therefore, every choice on how to use time becomes vitally important. If we are to live well and lead well we have to determine what is important to us.

Our priorities build from our deepest longings and needs. As we examine the core of who we are, we can then better determine how to use our time and resources.

Jesus told a story about a guy who was very successful agribusinessman. He crammed his barns full of his harvest and bragged to himself about the need for bigger barns. He thought he had bought his ticket to the good life. But the God came to him and said. "You fool. Your number is up and you die tonight. Who then will get all of your stuff?"

The one with the most toys when he dies... dies.

Jesus also says, "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."

This story reminds me of my need to stay focused on what is important. I ask myself the question, "What lasts forever?" and "What is it all going to matter in a hundred years?" This helps me to clarify my priorities. I believe that people lasts forever and I know God is eternal.

Relationships last forever. Good, bad or indifferent we make a mark on one another. My priority is to make that mark count in the lives of those I love.

Leading the whole person

We are very complex beings.

People are made of mental, emotional, physical and spiritual components that all interact seamlessly. When it comes to influencing people through leadership, every part of our make up needs to be addressed.

Sometimes the best thing I need in life to attain my goals is sleep. Other times it is solitude or to eat healthy.

Leading the whole person takes and open heart and a skilled touch. Why is this person acting in this way? What are his/her motivations? Is it a skill issue? Attitude? Knowledge? Relational problem?

Jesus summed up his perspective on holistic leadership in the following statements, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." and "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Our leadership flows from our whole being. It also flows from who we are following. My choice is to follow God as my Lord. From His leadership I will then be able to love and serve others.

The Shepherd Leader

One of the best pictures of leadership is a shepherd with his sheep. The shepherd guides and cares for the flock. Now this is dirty work. Being out in the fields with smelly sheep is not very glamorous. Every infection, disease, injury is yours to take care of. Sheep don't care what day it is, they need to be fed.

I used to work on a dairy with 1700 head of cattle. It was 24/7. I dreaded early morning phone calls because I knew something went wrong in the barn. One time at 2 am I answered the call and we had a cow stuck on top of a 6 foot fence! We had to get it off by tying a chain around it and lifting the poor animal with a tractor.

In the same way leadership can be ongoing and messy. In order to have great influence there needs to be a good relationship. The deeper the relationship the more possibility for influence. Also with close proximity there is the great possibility to step in something that is not pretty.

My example for being a shepherd leader is the Good Shepherd, Jesus. I know I always go back to the Jesus stuff but there is a reason. In His own words Jesus shares, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays his life down for the sheep." And Jesus did lay his life down for us by dying on the cross.

Leadership takes sacrifice. To influence others we must become intimately involved in others lives. We sometimes need to put aside our interests in order to help others attain their goals.

Finding the core

What is at the core of every person?

A longing for security, significance, and belonging.

In my life I sometimes find myself wandering and looking for something to make me feel "good." However, that which I need I already have in my relationship to God. Yes I am presumptuous enough to claim that God is my Father and no I am not a lunatic. God loved me so much that He died for me. It is not because I am that good or great. Quite the contrary. God chose me because He did. The cool thing is God give the same deal for all of us.

I have gone through an adult adoption. At 18 I chose my legal father. However, he chose me first. We had our day in court and legally I become his son. It is the same with my Heavenly Father. He chose me first and paid a price for my adoption. It was the cost of His own Son that paid for me to be a part of the family. The Apostle Paul, an ancient writer of the Christian faith, put it this way, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." I am not the only lucky one. All who choose to have faith in Jesus are chosen sons.

Now I'll stop preaching.

I say all this because I need to be reminded of who I am. Our identity is so important. It is the core of our being. Too much of the time I act like I don't know God. I need to daily center in on the one who chose me, bought me and died for me.

And so I guess I am centered. Now I just have to live like it.

The Actions of a Leader

What does a leader do?

Well the easy way out is to say the leader... leads.

However, there must be more to that.

I see it in the example of Jesus whose influence has profoundly affected the universe as we know it. Jesus ,when asked by two of his disciples if they could have the 2nd and 3rd highest positions in his kingdom, said "What can I do for you?" He loved them so much that he wanted to serve them. He ultimately answered them "The first will be last and the greatest will be servant of all."

Love.

Serve.

That is what a leader does.

The position really doesn't matter. Even a prisoner can lead. What matters is the heart and the actions.

Who would I follow?

Who would I follow?

As I work on my own leadership skills I ask myself the question. Who would I follow?

Someone who is kind and has vision is worth following. Someone who cares about who I am not just what I do or what I know. A person who is trustworthy is someone I trust. I look for passion in who they are and what they do. I follow someone who is going somewhere and not just standing there. One who looks to the interests of others and follows a higher purpose is one who I will look to for leadership.

Self Leadership

I think the hardest leadership ever to be done is leading myself.

It is the private victory that propels me to the public victory. I find most of my obstacles are made by me. I think it was Plato who said to "Know Thyself." I would add it takes more than just knowing. It takes doing.

As I seek to lead myself I ask the question what is the most important thing for me to do now?My list is simple but not easy.

Love God.
Love my wife.
Love others.

Thoughts on leadership

What is a leader? This question is on my mind tremendously. In some ways everyone is a leader. In others there is only a select few.

A leader has influence on those around them. Anyone who has somebody following them is leading. They may or may not have leadership "qualities."

Some people lead through weakness. I went on a backpacking trip through taking a class at Biola University called "leadership challenge." We had people with a wide range of athletic abilities.

One lady in particular did not want to be on the trip. She tired easily and needed several breaks. Our guides set the pace by her ability. In a sense she "led" our group through her weakness. She had influence on the way our entire group functioned.

Our goal as a group became to help her make it up the mountain. We cheered her on and even had another member take on her backpack to ensure she made it up the hill.

As we sat on the pinnacle of Mt San Jacinto enjoying the view, I reflected on how in weakness we were led to something more glorious than ourselves. Getting the team up the mountain became more important that anyone's skill or ability.