The U.S. Government Shutdown — Why the Government Shutdown is Good For You

For the first time since 1995, the U.S Government officially shutdown today due to the inability of Congress to approve a spending bill. The government shutdown will force about 800,000 government workers to take unpaid time off. While government shutdown might not be the best for your work life—if you are affected, it might be the best time to reflect on your life work.

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why — Mark Twain

If you are affected by the government shutdown, take this time to reflect on who you are, why you are born, and what you are here to contribute. Here are five ways you can make the government shutdown work for you:

Take advantage of the government shutdown to re-ignite your passion

If you are not very passionate about your job, the government shutdown might be your opportunity to really take some time to think about what you love, what you have keen interest in, and activities you know you can pursue with passionate obsession.

If your job does not get you excited, it might be an indication that you should be somewhere else doing something different. Are you enthusiastic on your job? Are you happy when you are carrying out the tasks and the activities on your job? If you are not very happy with your job, if you are making money but not making progress, and if you are not fulfilled even after giving more than 8 hours to your job, it’s time to look within you to really discover what you are passionate about... continue reading

The John Maxwell Leadership Assessment Tool

What is The John Maxwell Leadership Assessment Tool?

The John Maxwell Leadership Assessment Tool is an online based tool that offers a 360 degree view of your influence as a leader.

Critical in the development of any leader is receiving 360° feedback — David Hoyt

Max Dupree said "the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality." The John Maxwell Leadership assessment tool will help you to... continue reading

The 10 Commandments of Effective Leadership #9—Don’t Lead Without Listening

The 10 Commandments of Effective Leadership #9—Don’t Lead Without Listening
Don't lead without listening. This is the ninth of the ten commandments of effective leadership. You cannot lead without listening and you cannot listen when you are too busy. You can be so busy doing what you are called to do that you can’t hear who called you.

You Will Lead Without Listening If You Are Too Busy

If want to respect this commandment of effective leadership, you cannot take every engagement, and you cannot respond to everybody who wants you.

Talking makes you feel important. Listening to others makes them feel important — Dan Rockwell

Just because you are busy does not mean you are effective. Your busyness can be the enemy of your greatness. If you've been busy for the last three years and you don’t see any progress, you busyness is your enemy. Maybe you can go farther if you do less.

Leaders, listen to your leaders

Don’t put people in position if you don’t... continue reading

The 10 Commandments of Effective Leadership #5—Don't Overpromise and Underdeliver

I've been discussing the 10 commandments of effective leadership — based on T.D. Jakes' opening message at the Pastors and Leadership conference held earlier this year in Dallas, Texas.

The fifth of the 10 commandments of effective leadership says  "Thou shalt not overpromise and underdeliver."

Don't Overpromise and Underdeliver

Disappointment will kill relationships in your life if you bait and switch. Continue reading...

The 10 Commandments of Effective Leadership #4—Don’t Avoid Confrontation

The fourth of the 10 commandments of effective leadership says “Thou shalt not avoid confrontation.”

One of the challenges of leadership is that the qualities that makes you a very good leader—nice, kind, generous heart—can also make you ineffective.

Do not avoid confrontation

As a leader, people generally expect you to be nice, but you destroy your potential to lead effectively if you care so much about preserving your image of niceness. What makes you likable to the people can destroy your organization if, continue reading...

The Extras of Professional Coaching

The 10 Commandments of Effective Leadership

Look out from where you are

“No Church Left Behind.” That was the theme of the 2013 Pastors and Leaders Conference hosted by Bishop T.D. Jakes, the senior pastor of The Potters House located in Dallas, Texas.

Bishop Jakes opened the conference with his message on Ten Commandments of Effective Leadership. I will share each of the ten commandments with you over the next few weeks and I hope you will find something in the writing to equip, encourage, and empower you for God’s next move.

To lead effectively, you need to obey the Ten Commandments of Effective Leadership. You may be talented, educated, or highly skilled and not be a good leader. The fact that you can teach, preach or manage does not make you a leader. There are great leaders who doesn't teach very well and great teachers who doesn't lead very well.  To be an effective leader, here are the Ten Commandments you must live by:

Leadership Commandment #1 - Thou shalt not lead beyond your own exposure

As a leader, it is possible that you are intrinsically focused on what you are leading and not be exposed to anything beyond what you are leading. Your faithfulness and commitment to your vision could be the point of your frustration. Are you so busy working in the house that you never see beyond the house you are in?

The first thing God says to Abraham is, “look out from where you are.” You cannot lead further than your own exposure. How are you going to go to something you are not exposed to?

"You need to be exposed beyond the people that you lead or you forfeit your right to lead them."

The children of Israel were commanded to send spies to the Promised Land because the exposure to what is on the other side might give them the strength to march around the wall. Your level of exposure will determine your level of confidence.

Lead to the next level

Moses was very effective at leading the Israelites though the desert because he had been in the desert for forty years himself. He led the Israelites as far as his exposure. Moses knew how to survive in the desert because he had been there but he couldn't lead the Israelites to the Promised Land because he had not been there. So God needed somebody [Joshua] who had been exposed to the next level [The Promised Land] to lead to the next level.

"You cannot get people to go where you have not been yourself."

You cannot bring people into a theory. There are so many theoretical leaders today who are busy leading and teaching things they have not experienced, trying to build business on something they have not experienced. They understand it philosophically, they have a degree on it but they have never done it.

Theoretical vs. Empirical Information

There is a difference between theoretical information and empirical information. You don’t have to prove theoretical information but empirical information has to be proven. David chose not to fight the giant in his life with Saul’s [his boss] ammunition because he [David] was yet to prove them. David has not been exposed to it and he does not have the experience on how to use it.

It is better to take the less that you are exposed to and use it against the giant in your life than to take something that is not proven in your life and fight your giant with it. You are strongest on the level of your exposure.