Leadership Thought: Leadership Wisdom from One of the World’s Greatest Leaders

Dear Friends,

During my hip surgery recovery, I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time revisiting several books I had previously read  on the subject of leadership, What I share are some of the notes  I had taken from  The Leader's Greatest Return, by John Maxwell, a book I first read in 2022. I am indebted to John for his leadership wisdom, and most all of what I've written derives  from notes I had taken from the first chapter or John's bestselling book.

My hope is that you will find some nuggets of wisdom that will assist you in becoming a more effective leader.

You may be saying, "Tom, you don't know me. I am not a leader," but nothing could be further from the truth, for everyone is a leader. If leadership could be summed up in one word, and I think it can, it  would be the word influence. You are either a good influence or a bad influence, and the kind of leader you are- a good leader of a bad leader will depend on the kind of influence you exercise. 

“What are the qualities one looks for in searching for a leader?  I suggest you develop your own list. In doing so you might write down words like attitude, relatability, integrity, creativity, personality, intelligence, determination.......Half the battle in finding a good leader is knowing what you are looking for.”

“Recognize that everyone you invite to be a part of your team will do one of two things- make you better or worse, for people decisions cannot be hidden.” 

“Dale Carnegie states ‘Men are developed in the same way gold is mined... Several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold, but you don't go into the mine looking for dirt, you go into the mine looking for gold.”

“Great leaders have the ability to make others greater by helping increase the vision they have of themselves.”

“When you believe in your people, they begin to believe in themselves. When people believe in you, they will try harder to please you. Abraham Lincoln said, ‘I'm a  success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down.’" 

“People who believe in you will bring out the best in you”…When you think of high points in your life,  you often will think of some important person's  words of encouragement spoken to you during the course of your life, and those words were life changing. I personally will never forget the words of a former pastor friend Dick Armstrong who told me over the phone, "You are the man for the position," and those words instilled within me the  kind of confidence that assured me that I was capable of leading an inter racial inner city church in Philadelphia church in spite of having no previous experience in urban or inter racial ministry.

“Abraham Lincoln said 'I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me, and I didn't have the heart to let him down.’  It is true that people who believe in you bring out the best in you. Former politician Mark Sanborn said, “great leaders help people have a larger vision of themselves.”

“When hiring someone, there are four questions that are helpful to ask to determine if the person will be a good fit. “

“1. How did the culture at your last company empower or disempower you?

2. What are the character traits of the best boss you ever had?

3. Describe how you handle conflicts with one of your coworkers?

 4. What form of feedback do you expect to receive in this role and how often do you expect to receive it?”

“When you bring someone new onto your team, make sure they have clear expectations. Remind them that they are expected to keep growing, and that they must value other people, always take responsibility for their actions and never avoid tough conversations.”

“A former Delta Air executive, ‘ Says we hire for attitude, but we train for aptitude....... Good leaders want more for their people than they want for themselves. ……….Empathy is critical and combined with integrity, it drives trust and gives followers a sense that their interests are being looked after, and this creates positive energy. Followers who sense that a leader appreciates them are motivated to carry out their duties in a more committed way.’”

“It's important to know whether your workers enjoy work. Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, loves what he does so much that he says, ' I tap dance to work every day,' and Tommy Lasorda, former Los Angeles baseball  manager, when asked about his attitude, 'said the best day of my life is when I manage a winning game. The second-best day of my life is when I manage a losing game.'”

“Character is about managing your life so well that you can lead others well. The formation of your character produces predictability, dependability, and consistency, and these three qualities motivate people to place their confidence in you”. 

I hope some of the above leadership insights can assist you whether you are in formal or informal leadership positions or not.

And again ,I thank John Maxwell for his insights found in The Leaders Greatest Return

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought : An Important Theological Term You Might Not Know

Dear Friends,

One of my favorite pastors and Bible commentators is Jon Courson who has written a set of Old and New Testament commentaries that I find of great use when seeking to illustrate difficult biblical truth.

One such truth is the term propitiation; a word John, the apostle of love, uses to describe what Jesus did for us on the cross. 

In 1 John 2:1-2, John, writes: “My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father- Jesus Christ, the righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for those of the whole world."

In bringing to light the meaning of the theological word propitiation, he shares a wonderful illustration to reveal its significance.

Jon writes. “The tactic of our defense attorney is not to manipulate the evidence for us or to make excuses for our Sin. No, our advocate bases his entire case upon the fact that He is the propitiation for our sins. That is, He took upon himself, the righteous indignation of the Father that should have been hurled on us.  

“Think of it this way. While driving 80 miles an hour through downtown Medford, Oregon, I’m pulled over by an officer of the law and taken into a courtroom. But although I walk in with knees knocking and face perspiring, I am greatly relieved to discover that the presiding judge is my dad.

That is why there is a smile on my face even after the evidence against me is presented. After all, the judge is my dad, and he knows boys will be boys.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I hear his voice thunder, “Guilty. The fine is $5000 or five years in jail.”

“How can this be?” I cry. “You’re my dad.”

“Sir,” he answers, “in this courtroom I am your judge. And justice must be done.”

So, I opened my wallet to pay the fine, but all I found was a crumbled dollar bill and some change. And just as a bailiff is about to slap cuffs on my wrist and haul me to jail, the judge stands up, deliberately takes off his robe, and leaves the bench to stand beside me and to pay my fine.

Thus, justice is served because the price for my sin of speeding was paid – not by me, but by my father who paid a debt. I was completely unable to pay.

And that is exactly what happened when Jesus Christ became the propitiation, the payment for my sin.

And now you know the meaning of this significant theological word. God in his infinite love for you chose to appease and satisfy His righteous anger against sin through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. In doing so, He turns  away His divine wrath and makes reconciliation possible by satisfying His justice while still allowing Him to be just and merciful. Aren’t you glad He did?

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Faith and Fear, The Tale of Two Wolves

Dear Friends,

Recently I visited a friend who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. The news was a shock for her, and she was concerned about how she would address the fear that comes when one faces a life-threatening situation.

As we talked, I thought of a simple story I heard several years ago.

It’s an old Cherokee tale of two wolves. One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He said, “My son, “There is a battle going on inside us between two wolves. One wolf is faith, and the other wolf is fear.”

The grandchild thought about his words for a moment and asked, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

In this simple but profound little story, there is a wonderful lesson. Each of us has choices in life, and the choices we make will make us. They will shape our experience, for good or for bad.

One can face life’s challenges with faith or fear, and the choice is left to us. The wolves of fear and faith are constantly fighting to control our mind and our thoughts and the one that prevails will be the one which we feed. Feed fear and you will be fearful. Choose faith and you will be hopeful.

Faith and fear cannot exist together. Faith is described in Hebrews 11:1 one as “Being certain of what we do not see.” It is an absolute belief that God is constantly working behind the scenes in every area of our lives, even when there is no tangible evidence to support that fact. On the other hand, fear, simply stated, is unbelief or weak belief. As the “wolf” of unbelief gains the upper hand in our thoughts, fear takes hold of our emotions. But if we feed the wolf of faith, we find that hope and encouragement begin controlling our life.

 We need to understand that faith is not something that we can produce ourselves for faith is a gift produced in our lives by the Holy Spirit. The Christian’s faith is revealed in a confident assurance that the God who loves us, who knows our fears, and who cares about our deepest needs, will continue to provide and protect as we face whatever situation might confront us.

Our faith will continue to grow as we feed the ‘wolf of faith’ and learn of God’s many faith-filled promises as seen in the Bible. The more we learn about God’s faithfulness in trials (Read all of Hebrews 11), the more we will see Him working in our lives and the stronger our faith will become.

My closing comment to the person I was visiting was  to stay in God’s word and memorize it- “hide it in your heart”- and after returning home I sent her the following 10 verses to help feed her “wolf of faith.”

Hebrews 11:1-40, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 23:4, 2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:10, I Peter 5:7, Psalm 91:1-10, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:34-35, Psalm 56:3.

I hope that any of you who might be fighting the faith versus fear battle will cling to these verses and find the hope and victory that God promises you.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Dealing with the Pain of Loss During the Christmas Season

Dear Friend, 

I am sitting here at my desk this morning reflecting on what I might write for today's Leadership Thought. I confess that Christmas and other holidays are hard for me as these special days are generally a time when I am with my family, and there will always be that empty chair around the dinner table. 

It has been my third Christmas without Jean, and as I write I confess the thought of her not being with us on Christmas morning fills my heart with sadness. 

They say each year gets a little easier, but those who have lost loved ones know that this is not always the case. Sadness is often the uninvited guest who shows up unexpectedly as families gather to celebrate this special day.

One of the best antidotes for addressing the pain of one's sadness is forgetting oneself and serving and caring for others. Knowing this, I decided to spend  time making phone calls to some of my friends who had recently lost loved ones and who would be facing their first Christmas with that dreaded empty chair.

Noted pastor and author Chuck Swindoll understands the value of serving others. He invites us to be to be daily "gift givers" as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, and he lists some special gifts we can offer to others in an  article  titled "The Gift That Keeps on Giving."

·        Seek out a forgotten friend. ·        Dismiss suspicion. ·        Hug someone tightly and whisper, "I love you." ·        Forgive an enemy. ·        Be gentle and patient with an angry person. ·        Express appreciation. ·        Gladden the heart of a child. ·        Make or bake something for someone else. Anonymously. ·        Listen. ·        Speak kindly to a stranger. ·        Enter another's sorrow. ·        Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more. ·        Lessen your demands on others. ·        Apologize if you were wrong. ·        Talk together with the television off. ·        Do the dishes for the family. ·        Give a soft answer even though you feel strongly. ·        Encourage an older person. ·        Point out one thing you appreciate about someone. ·        Offer to babysit for a weary mother. This is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 Let's make Christmas one long, extended gift of ourselves to others-just like God's great gift of love to us- unselfishly and without announcement, obligation, or reservation, or hesitation. Now that's what I call Merry Christmas! Yours in faith and friendship, Tom

Leadership Thought: Whoever Said Pastors Should Never Become Too Close to Their People?

Dear Friends,

Years ago, I remember reading an article discouraging pastors from getting too close to their members. “Don’t make close friends with some of them or you will be accused of favoritism which will create issues for your ministry.” 

I can tell you after nearly 60 years of ministry I am so glad I ignored that writer's supposed ‘wisdom.’

I know Jean and I would never have survived the ministry if it had not been for those special friends who stood with us during difficult times. I am still involved in ministry today because of many of those wonderful friends that strengthened and encouraged me during those sometimes dark and discouraging days of ministry.

Six months ago, I began recalling some of those special friends who have made a significant difference in me and my family’s life. My list of people has now grown to 25, and it’s still growing. Next to each name, I have written a paragraph or two describing why I am thankful for their love and encouragement, and I plan on sharing my thankfulness with each one of them during the next several months. These people are all notable members in the Crenshaw’s Hall of Fame.

Christmas and other holidays can be rough for those who have lost loved ones.  One of those Hall of Famers must have known I needed love with Christmas just around the corner, and in my e-mail was the following note: “Tom, I have been meaning to reach out to you. Glad to hear you benefitted from your Grief Share group. I pray as you join your family for this third Christmas without Jean there will be great comfort and support around the table as you all continue to grieve. I pray that God’s grace will cover each of your family’s hearts as you continue to adjust to living without her.” 

“May God bless each of you in a very unique and personal way this ‘Christ’mas season.” 

“Love and miss you, ___.”

After reading that letter, I went back to my desk, physically and spiritually fortified by my friend’s kind and loving words.

For the next hour, I took time to recall a number of the blessings of the many wonderful friends whose love has made a difference in me and my family’s lives.  And as I did, how grateful I was that I had ignored that writer's exhortation to avoid getting too close to my congregation.

In 1985 it was the number one chart topper. In fact, it was the number one song of the year. It was sung by Dionne Warwick. and you probably can recite some of those words from “That’s What Friends Are For.”

"Keep smiling. Keep shining. knowing that you can always count on me for sure. That's what friends are for."

My mom used to remind me that, “The best way to have a friend was to be a friend,” and I hope that the many wonderful friendships that Jean and I enjoyed throughout our years of ministry are the result of our efforts to out my mom’s advice.

In one of my Bibles, I keep a stack of a growing number of love letters of encouragement that over the years I have received from dear friends who have been a part of my ministry.

Unquestionably, that Bible would be among one of the first things I would seek to retrieve should a fire ever consume our home. 

When the church at Philippi heard Paul was sick and in prison in Rome, they sent Epaphroditus on a 700-mile trip to visit him.

When it was time for Epaphroditus to return home, Paul was concerned that his friend would have to make the return trip alone.

There were a lot of acquaintances Paul could have asked to accompany Epaphroditus on his dangerous 700-mile desert travel home, but instead of turning to his acquaintances, he turned to his good friend Timothy, and he asked him to join Epaphroditus on his trip home,” but that’s what friends are for.”

I hope you all have those “forever friends”

Pastor and author Charles Stanley writes, “No matter what our position or status in life, we all need friends, especially those who are genuine, loyal, and lasting. If we have found a friend like this, we should be grateful, because he or she is a priceless possession.” (Charles Stanley, Sermon on Strong Friendships, part. 1)

 So, get writing, get calling, get visiting, and if you do, there is no telling how many treasured friends you might make and how. many lives you might bless, “for that’s what friends are for.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P. S. “If the world is cold, make it your business to build fires.” Horace Taubel

Leadership Thought: Lessons on Ministry Ideas I Shared with Church Leaders.

Dear Friends

A number of years ago when I was on staff at Calvary Chapel in  Old Bridge, N.J., I met with a group of men who aspired to be pastors and church leaders. During the course of one of our meetings, I was asked by one in the group to share any personal leadership lessons that I felt would be of value for anyone interested in church leadership.  

The question motivated me to develop a list of some of my own personal leadership lessons that had been important to me, and the following week I shared them with the class. 

I recently came across the list I developed, and hopefully some of the lessons I share might be of value to you.

Develop your active listening skills. Attend training opportunities where you can  learn how to be a better listener.

Guard your family life for your family is your ministry.

Teach your congregation about spiritual gifts and have them complete a spiritual gift inventory to assist them in discovering their spiritual gifts. Plug people into ministries where their gifts can be maximized. 

Equip your people to do ministry. Train individual members for ministry. Never do ministry alone but always take someone with you.

Stay in your strength zone. 80% of your time should be spent developing and leading in your areas of strength (giftedness) and 20% in your areas of weakness. 

Develop prayer ministries in your church. Teach your people to pray and provide opportunities for them to pray. "Prayer is striking the winning blow; service is gathering the results." 

Always be looking for opportunities to announce and celebrate  people's achievements within your congregation.

Develop small group ministry and be a part of a small group where you can both give and receive ministry.  

Recognize and teach that ministry takes place from the pulpit to the pew but also from the pew to the pulpit (people encourage and care for their leader) and from the pew to the pew (people minister to one another) Always remind your people that "every member is a minister."

Plan annual retreats with staff and always include plenty of time for fun and fellowship as well as training.

Have your leaders visit other churches and then report back on what they saw and learned. A lot of valuable lessons can be learned from watching how others do church.

Take care of your own physical body and be sure to include some form of exercise. 

Catch staff members doing exceptional ministry and publicly recognize them for their contribution.

Write personal letters of encouragement to your members. Set a goal of at least 5 a week.

Recognize birthdays with a birthday greeting or better yet, a personal phone call.

Always guard your integrity. People will always be watching you to see whether you are genuine.

Take personal time alone for ministry planning and spiritual renewal.

Get to know your staff and their families and spend time with them.

Take the Myers Briggs personality assessment or any other personal assessment to help you understand the personality traits of your staff/leadership team. In one church I served we had sweaters made for our leadership team with our Meyers Briggs personality identification. "I am an ISFP." 

Practice MBWA (management by walking around). Spend time with your staff. Have lunch together and let them know that you care about not only them but their families as well.

Visit the sick in the hospital. Don't leave all of the visiting to your deacons. There is no greater way I know of to develop close personal relationships with your people than visiting people when they are sick.

Emphasize the importance of the Fellowship Hour after church and do everything you can to encourage every member to participate. This is a time when people can care and minister to one another.

I would love to hear from you about any particular events or activities that you found of value in your spiritual development.

Yours in faith,

Tom

Leadership Thought: How’s Our Political System Working Out? Maybe It's Time for a Change?

Dear Friends,

I was recently gifted with John Maxwell's newest book High Road Leadership, and the first chapter really captured my attention. In a nutshell "High Road Leadership" is synonymous with the word "Others."  It’s a quality of leadership that respects the other person and seeks to add value to each and every relationship.

In these days of political name calling resulting in a bitter political divide, High Road Leadership seeks to bring people together by valuing each person and treating one another with dignity and respect.

Sounds like a good idea to me, and by the way such leadership might make a big difference in what might get done by our political leaders. 

And yes, isn't High Road Leadership consistent with the teaching of our Master who stressed the importance of "doing unto others as we would have them do unto us?" 

The first chapter of the book is titled "Bringing People Together" and in it Maxwell includes a number of thought-provoking quotes which serve to highlight some of the key points he seeks to make regarding High Road Leadership.

"Leadership rises when leaders possess good leadership skills and good values."

"Hate has caused a lot of problems in the world but has not solved one yet." Maya Angelou

"No matter what the circumstances, if we want to be good leaders, we must come to the table, sit in the middle without choosing a side, listen to others, and work to bring people together." 

"If you can't work with people who disagree with you, you will never become the leader you could be."

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Attributed to Mahatma Gandhi.

"Treating others better than they treat you, and with consistency and without judgmentalism, is the best way to bring people together."

"High Road Leaders don't focus on the chasm between people. They focus on the connection."

 "When you believe the best about people and give them your best, it brings out their best."

Such leadership principles are simplistic- just wishful thinking you might say.  They would never work in these turbulent and often chaotic times. But I would ask how's our present system working out?

Maybe it’s time for a radical change, and maybe Jesus was right when He taught us that "Every kingdom  divided against itself is brought to desolation and every city and house divided will not stand." (Matthew 12:22-28).  At least these principles provide us with something to think about!

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom