Links & Quotes

The apostle Paul lists three indispensable qualities of a godly leader. Remove even one of those qualities, and you no longer have a godly leader. I dive deep on these qualities (and more) in my book Shepherd Leadership.

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

T.M. Moore wrote, “We are God’s poems, as Paul says in Ephesians 2:10, where the Greek word for ‘workmanship’ is ποίημα, poiema—poem. Perhaps this is why we find it pleasurable when others take an interest in us and want to get to know us better. They’re asking us to ‘read’ our ‘poem’ to them. What fun! And God wants us to know, love, enjoy, and serve Him by all the things He has freely given to us and which He seeks to ‘read’ to us day by day.”

“Saints” is always plural in the Bible. That means we always need to be looking out for our brothers and sisters in Christ. I love the words James uses to close his letter to the saints.
✅ Gather frequently to encourage others
✅ Reach out to those who are absent
✅ Speak the truth in love
✅ Exhort and encourage
✅ Forgive and ask for forgiveness
✅ Restore quickly and gently

Anthony Kidd warns about something I address in my book When Sheep Bite. “Inherent to our calling as shepherds is the task of looking out for the flock of God and protecting it from savage wolves and false shepherds. However, Paul emphasizes here that one of the greatest threats to the church can emerge from within its own leadership ranks, making self-awareness a critical aspect of pastoral leadership.” Read this full article about the earning signs of diseased leadership.

More amazing findings that show the incredible beauty and wisdom of our Creator! The ICR reports, “Insects, such as the winged insects in the order Lepidoptera, continue to reveal incredible abilities with some facets that zoologists thought were reserved only for vertebrates.”

The Craig And Greg Show: Help Your Teammates Thrive During The Holidays

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

It’s no secret that the holiday season becomes extremely busy for us at work and in our personal lives. If we are too busy, we can miss out on the joy of this season. On this episode, Greg and I discuss ways that leaders can help their teammates not just survive but thrive during the holidays.

  • [0:36] Leaders help their teammates find and set healthy boundaries. 
  • [2:49] A good starting point is simply acknowledging the stress that we or others are feeling.
  • [4:01] Can we intentionally scale-back some things at work during busy seasons?
  • [5:06] Leaders also need to talk with their teammates about their personal responsibilities.
  • [8:43] Leaders need to make sure they are modeling all that they are telling our teams.
  • [11:02] Stephen Covey had some wise words for us about priorities.
  • [14:07] Be proactive about some of the strong emotions some of your teammates may be experiencing.
  • [18:01] Leadership has to be about the people!
  • [20:33] Here are your 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.

A Grateful Leader Is A Great Leader

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 

Gratitude is a great separator for leaders—it gives them a better vantage point from which to lead people and increases their effectiveness as a catalyst for organizational change. 

In short, a grateful leader is a great leader. 

Check out the full conversation Greg and I had on The Craig and Greg podcast episode We are Grateful. 

And you may be interested in a whole series of posts and video where I talked about the psychological, physiological, emotional, and relational benefits of making gratitude our focus. The series was called Be Thankful. 

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Faithful Service

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 

I couldn’t say it any better than the apostle Paul said it—

   We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 

   We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. 

   We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. (2 Corinthians 6:3-10 NLT) 

A mark of a godly leader is one who faithfully serves God whether people treat him well or not.

We don’t minister faithfully so we can receive human applause, because cheers can quickly turn to jeers. Just ask Jesus who heard everyone speaking well of Him in one moment, and then in the next moment saw that same group ready to throw Him off a cliff. 

Instead, we minister faithfully so that we can hear applause from nail-scarred Hands, and hear His voice saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” 

In my book Shepherd Leadership, I talk about these metrics of success. And in my book When Sheep Bite, I talk about how we can respond to the slanders and slings that come our way.

This is part 80 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.

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

Use Your Spiritual Gifts Well

However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith; if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching; or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:6-8)

As God has gifted you…

  • Prophesy faithfully
  • Serve wholeheartedly 
  • Teach skillfully 
  • Exhort encouragingly 
  • Give generously 
  • Lead diligently 
  • Restore cheerfully 

I taught a series of classes on these motivational gifts. Check out the videos and downloadable materials here.

Links & Quotes

Shepherd leaders cannot allow past hurts to negatively impact their current situations. Don’t give in to the natural fight-or-flight response, but ask God to help you response with supernatural faithfulness. I unpack this idea in greater depth in my book When Sheep Bite.

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

In responding to an evolutionary biologist’s claims that the material world is all that matters, John Stonestreet invokes the timely wisdom of G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis. One of my favorite quotes from Lewis appears in this post: “A theory which explained everything else in the whole universe but which made it impossible to believe that our thinking was valid, would be utterly out of court… It would be an argument which proved that no argument was sound—a proof that there are no such things as proofs—which is nonsense.”

“Good leaders love leading the people they lead more than they love leading people.” —John Maxwell 

Gerrit Scott Dawson writes about how the Bible helps us see ourselves more clearly. “The truth-telling mirror of Scripture exposes and composes us. Imagine a mirror that would make you as appealing as you could hope to be. Imagine a well of clear water that not only reflected but washed you clean of dirt and blemishes. When we read Scripture with open hearts and in reliance on the Spirit, that’s what happens.”

“Twice in the book of Hebrews we are urged to ‘consider Jesus.’ In Hebrews 3:1, the writer exhorts us to consider Jesus (κατανοήσατε) so that we will continue believing in and confessing Him throughout our lives. This word means to pay attention to something through direct observation, with the implication of also thinking about it, meditating on it, and returning to it often, just as one might carefully observe an object in creation or a work of art. … In Hebrews 12:3, the writer calls us again to consider Jesus, but this time as a work of rational analysis (ἀναλογίσασθε), a theological analysis, as opposed to an aesthetical contemplation. This suggests the need to study, read, think deeply, meditate, talk with others, and know Jesus in terms appropriate to His uniqueness and mission.” —T.M. Moore 

“Be silent, if you choose; but when it is necessary, speak—and speak in such a way that people will remember it.” —Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

What Do We Do With Really Bad Leaders?

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 

How are Christians supposed to respond to really, really bad guys, especially those in positions of leadership?  

Check out this episode of The Podcast. 

The Scriptures that I reference in this video are Acts 12:1-17; 1 Peter 2:17; Acts 4:24; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; Acts 26.

I have shared a couple of other posts about our interactions with leaders. Check out:

Get more information on When Sheep Bite here. 

Check out the family tree of King Herod the Great:

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

The Craig And Greg Show: We Are Grateful

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

We are grateful for you! Greg and I love talking about leadership, and it’s a great joy that you tune in to listen. In this episode we discuss why an attitude of gratefulness is so important for leaders year-round, not just around the holidays.

  • [0:17] We are so grateful for you! 
  • [1:25] What is it about gratitude that make someone a great leader?
  • [4:28] Grateful leaders have greater influence with people around them.
  • [8:14] It’s easier to build consensus on our teams when we have a thankful paradigm.
  • [10:52] Thankful correlates with graceful. This is such an attractive quality for leaders.
  • [14:10] Greg asks me elaborate on how gratitude ties into my book Shepherd Leadership.
  • [16:09] How does a grateful mindset help us get through the tough times?
  • [18:56] Happiness is not the same as joy. Joy is much deeper and serves us as leaders much better because happiness can be gone really quickly.
  • [23:16] We give you some “homework” that will help you grow your gratitude.

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

I shared this video last week with my Patreon supporters. When we’re unclear about all that God has asked us to do, the first step is to obey the part that is clear to us. Check out my blog post Clearing up the Confusion for more insight on how Peter handled this.

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

T.M. Moore calls on Christians to recognize the God-given authority our leaders have. Not just recognize, but submit to that authority: “We show that we believe the Lord and trust in His Word, and we demonstrate the evidence of that faith when we submit to our church leaders as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24). Submitting to proper authorities is an integral component of full faith. If we want to gain the benefit God intends for us from those appointed to lead, we’re going to have to learn to submit.”

“Talent is never enough. With few exceptions the best players are the hardest workers.” —Earvin Magic Johnson

“Take your job seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.” —Alex Trebek

The American Bible Society reports that Gen Z is engaged with Scripture less than any other generation. But here is a sad outcome: “Scripture Engagement is associated with significantly lower anxiety levels among all Americans, but especially among Generation Z. The anxiety score for Bible Engaged Gen Z respondents (3.4) is less than half that of the anxiety score for Bible Disengaged Gen Z respondents (7.1).”

What if the qualifications in Acts 6:3 were the only qualifications we used for selecting folks for ministry assignments: (a) good reputation, (b) full of the Holy Spirit, and (c) full of wisdom?

The Craig And Greg Show: The Business Baton

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

One of my friend Greg’s passions is helping business owners with the final step of their journey—succession of the organization. It was this passion that drove him to write his new book The Business Baton. In today’s episode Greg and I discuss the new book, and Greg lays out his philosophy for a smooth succession process.

  • [0:15] Greg has written a new book called The Business Baton.
  • [0:53] Greg opened his book with a chapter that surprised me.
  • [1:51] What makes a person ill-prepared to hand off the baton in their organization?
  • [3:26] The questions Greg asks to make sure a business is really ready to hand off the baton.
  • [6:34] Greg’s book has a lot of statistics and case studies to help guide readers who are considering handing off the baton.
  • [8:18] In Greg’s new book he continued a trend he started in his previous book Sage Advice.
  • [10:07] Sometimes a succession navigator has to push for some emotional choices to help you get your business across the finish line.
  • [12:21] Greg discusses the readiness, formation, increase, selection, and succession steps needed to get to a place where a business is ready to sell.
  • [17:02] I really appreciated the voices of other business leaders that Greg included in the book.
  • [17:31] The end of The Business Baton reminds exiting leaders to lead well. 
  • [19:45] Greg gives his final thoughts on writing this book and the role of a succession navigator in the process.
  • [24:03] Visit Maximize Leadership to learn more about how Greg can help you as a succession navigator.

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.