Links & Quotes

Shepherd leaders do know the voice of their sheep, and the sheep know the voice of their shepherd. Leaders, this is the value of regularly being around all the people on your team. Check out this full conversation Greg and I had on our leadership podcast. This idea is central to my book Shepherd Leadership.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

Alice Reynolds Flower (1890-1991), the wife of [Assembly of God] pioneer J. Roswell Flower, is a shining example of motherhood. Affectionately known as ‘Mother Flower,’ she preached, taught Sunday School, led prayer meetings, wrote articles, penned poetry, authored books, and lived a godly example in front of her six children and everyone she came in contact with. As Mother’s Day approaches, it is good to consider an article that Mother Flower wrote for the Pentecostal Evangel in May 1952.” Check out Alice Flowers’ article here.

Kenneth Blanchard discusses when it is and isn’t a good time for a leader to be a micromanager. He concludes this insightful post by saying, “The best leaders know how to continually adjust their leadership style to fit each situation, helping to develop individuals who will ultimately achieve each goal and perform well on each task with little direction or support.”

“The pre-Flood world had some truly massive dinosaurs, and the largest of them were in the group Sauropodomorpha. Within this group were titanosaurs, which include the gigantic Argentinosaurus that is estimated to have weighed over 100 tons.” Read more about titanosaurs here.

What is it about morality that points humans higher and higher to find the Source? J. Warner Wallace, in this video based on his book God’s Crime Scene, makes the case that objective, transcendent morality is good proof for God. This reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ similar argument: “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such a violent reaction against it?”

Pastors, listen to this call to revival from the pen of Jonathan Edwards. Let us seek in prayer for a revival in our day! “The Scripture gives us great reason to think, that when once there comes to appear much of a spirit of prayer in the church of God for this mercy, then it will soon be accomplished…Spiritual waters and rivers are explained by the apostle John, to be the Holy Spirit…It is now a time of scarcity of these spiritual waters; there are, as it were, none. If God’s people, in this time of great drought, were but made sensitive of this calamity, and their own emptiness and necessity, and brought earnestly to thirst and cry for needed supplies, God would, doubtless, soon fulfill this blessed promise.”

The Craig And Greg Show: Goals Instead Of Gossip

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

When you are in a leadership role it is unavoidable that you will occasionally have to talk about people. Perhaps it’s gathering more information or discussing an incident with a fellow leader. However, we have to be very careful that these discussions don’t cross the line into gossip. Gossip is toxic for your organization, and left unchecked can lead to disastrous results. Check out this episode where Greg and I discuss how to make your conversations about goals instead of gossip.

  • [0:31] Leaders have to have lots of conversations on different levels—how do they do this without gossiping about their teammates? 
  • [1:32] Leaders need to have a goal for each of their conversations.
  • [3:39] What holds leaders back from having the productive (but difficult) conversations?
  • [6:02] Leaders need to be careful of the diabolic nature of gossip.
  • [8:58] We need to try to make all of our conversations constructive for us, our teammates, and the entire organization.
  • [11:01] Productive, healthy conversations must become a part of your organization’s culture.
  • [13:09] Do your teammates totally trust that you, as their leader, have their best in mind?
  • [16:51] Leaders need to prioritize transparency at all levels of the organization.
  • [18:36] Leaders can empower their teammates to make healthy changes.
  • [22:33] With the privilege of leadership come responsibility. Greg and I can help you raise your leadership impact through our coaching services.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Talk To Difficult Peers

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When we have a difficult coworker or team member, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of talking about them to others and avoid talking directly to them. 

Check out this portion of the conversation Greg and I had on our leadership podcast called The Craig and Greg Show. This is from an episode called “Leading difficult peers.”

Getting counsel from others about this difficult person is important, but then we must use those insights to have a productive conversation directly with that team member. If we don’t talk directly to them, we’re ultimately gossiping about them, which is never productive. In fact, that gossiping will actually make the situation worse. 

You can check out the full Craig and Greg Show episode on this topic here.

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The Craig And Greg Show: Thinking About The End

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Have you thought about what you’d like said at your funeral? Stick with me here, this isn’t an episode about contemplating your death. In this episode, Greg and I want to encourage you to begin with the end in mind, and live as the type of leader that you picture yourself being remembered as.

  • [0:15] Hang with us on this one: We’d like you to take a moment to think about your funeral. 
  • [3:15] We could think of our own epitaph like we’re building a house.
  • [4:14] Greg asks me what I would like on my epitaph.
  • [6:00] We aren’t talking about planning our funeral, but about doing lasting and beneficial things with “the dash” between our birth date and our death date.
  • [9:20] There is a leadership caution when we’re thinking about this topic.
  • [10:21] Greg has been thinking about one word that could sum up his life.
  • [13:31] Here’s what we need to live for today.
  • [15:41] I give an example of someone whose character and reputation didn’t align.
  • [18:09] I brag on something special Greg does for others.
  • [20:54] How do leaders get beyond themselves?
  • [24:05] We need to be living our leadership story every single day.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

The Standard Of The Leader

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Good leaders hold themselves—at a minimum—to the same standard for the rest of their team. But the best leaders hold themselves to an even higher standard.

Check out this humorous story that makes this point so clear.

Check out this full conversation Greg and I had on an episode of The Craig and Greg Show called “Be honest with yourself.” 

In Proverbs 19, wise King Solomon shares a whole list of blessings for those who live with integrity. And on the flip side, you may want to check out my post Don’t putrefy your leadership.

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The Craig And Greg Show: Be Honest With Yourself

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Honesty is a vital part of a successful organization, something that every good leader is well aware of. However, when was the last time you asked the question, “Am I being honest with myself?” In this episode, Greg and I unpack how honest self-reflection is a powerful tool to help improve your leadership.

  • [0:14] A challenging quote to kick off this episode. 
  • [1:14] My breakthrough moment regarding my own self-assessment.
  • [3:37] What’s the difference between who I think I am and who I really am?
  • [6:00] We all operate with certain assumptions about ourselves.
  • [7:37] We share some good and bad experiences with interactions we have observed from other leaders.
  • [10:27] Leaders need to hold themselves to the same standards as the rest of their team.
  • [13:47] Why do leaders hesitate to self-evaluate?
  • [15:19] How do leaders create a safe environment to self-evaluate?
  • [18:45] Greg sends us down a rabbit trail!
  • [19:53] What does leadership integrity look like?
  • [22:17] Leaders need to know what their tendencies are.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

The Craig And Greg Show: Skill And Will

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When every quality is distilled down, the two things a leader is looking for in a teammate are skill and will. Which one should come first, and what happens if you identify a deficiency in yourself or others in one of these areas? Greg and I tackle these questions, and much more, in this episode of The Craig and Greg Show.

  • [0:25] What goes into the hiring decision? We think there are two important categories. 
  • [1:14] What are some key leadership skills?
  • [3:53] Which comes first—skill or the will to use the skill?
  • [4:49] Some skills are innate and some are learned.
  • [6:17] Willpower makes the skills go farther and work more effectively.
  • [8:44] Leaders love to coach those with hustle.
  • [11:03] Is there a trigger for someone’s willpower to kick in?
  • [13:18] Leaders sometimes need to adopt a no-matter-what willpower.
  • [13:59] Top skills that emerging leaders should cultivate.
  • [17:00] Positivity is an attractive quality.
  • [18:21] Leaders can help their teammates learn skills and willpower.
  • [19:52] We need to help people overcome the pull to quit too soon.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Links & Quotes

Don’t let fear keep you standing still. Take a swing and give yourself or your coach something to tweak. Check out this full conversation hereI have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“Our human minds cannot comprehend the immensity of [Christ’s] task and His sacrifice. We simply know that it was to save us, and that Jesus’ suffering is the most blessed influence the world has ever known.” —Dr. Henry Halley, Halley’s Study Bible 

The Hill, though high, I covet to ascend,
The Difficulty will not me offend;
For I perceive the Way to life lies here.
Come, pluck up Heart, let’s neither faint nor fear;
Better, though difficult, the Right Way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the End is Woe. —Christian in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress 

“Nearly half the Law of God is devoted to directing God’s people in how to worship Him. And while the specific practices of that portion of God’s Law have been replaced (Hebrews 7:11-18), the emphasis on worship and the idea that worship and life are related remains. The more faithful we are in worshiping the Lord the more we will love our neighbors with the justice His Law prescribes.” —T.M. Moore

The deaths of Nadab and Abihu is a tragic story, but I think there are some important leadership insights to be gleaned from it. I shared an exclusive video with my Patreon supporters. Will you prayerfully consider joining?

The Craig And Greg Show: Planning Vs. Spontaneity

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Are you a person that likes to meticulously plan every detail, or are you more comfortable planning as you go? In this episode, Greg and I say leaders should strive for both! Join us as we discuss the art and science of balancing planning and spontaneity to hit the golden mean of the two.

  • [0:25] Most leaders haven’t thought through the balance between planning and spontaneity. 
  • [1:46] This balance is usually more art than science.
  • [3:27] For some people, planning and spontaneity can be like trying to mix oil and water.
  • [5:43] Leaders need to work on flexibility in every situation.
  • [6:36] We need to know the temperament of our teammates so that we can keep everyone appropriately engaged.
  • [9:13] Regardless of whether you tend more toward planning or being spontaneous, you can supplement the others who are opposite of you.
  • [11:32] We can use the diversity on our teams to do amazing things for everyone.
  • [13:00] Debriefing with our teams after a spontaneous event can help prepare everyone for the next opportunity.
  • [13:45] Leaders need to learn how to read their teammates and the setting.
  • [16:08] Leaders need to earn trust with our teammates. One huge component in earning trusting is openness to input.
  • [18:05] Do we know what our teammates think of our leadership style? Are we willing to address this and make changes?
  • [22:00] Some important leadership takeaways.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Influencers Give Away Their Power

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If God has given you influence as a leader, it is never to further your agenda but to help others grow. Leadership is about servanthood. If we try to make leadership about others serving us, we will quickly get ourselves in trouble. 

Check out this full conversation Greg and I had on an episode of The Craig and Greg Show called “The responsibility of power.” 

I unpack this idea of servant-leadership in my book Shepherd Leadership: The metrics that really matter.

A related blog post I reference in this clip is Live like a star.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎