Self discipline as discussed in a previous post is a must. The underlying most important ingredient to self discipline is love. 2 Thessalonians 3:15 says, "Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer." John 10:4 states "When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." It takes the self discipline to maintain a loving relationship whether it is inside the church or in the workplace.
The 5 Guidelines for Discipline
1. Review the situation without bias 2. Consider the benefits of the action 3. Do everything with love in your heart 4. Always check in on the offender's well being 5. Pray it through
Seeing the big picture is necessary before you are able to lead a group of people. David was a prime example of this as a young shepherd. David needed to be aware of anything that could have possibly happened to his flock. David had to have the awareness of dangers whether it is predators, poachers or the desert environment when it came to taking care of his sheep. Seeing the big picture is a very difficult thing to accomplish. It takes dedication, education and time. This is not to say that taking risks is frowned upon, but calculated risks are necessary. You should always try to calculate how certain actions or risks may turn out to affect what you are trying to accomplish.
Chapter 17 - The Test of Leadership
With everything in life we are constantly tempted by something. These temptations help us discover who we are as a person. I'm a big fan of NBC's The Biggest Loser. As with all the contestants, I myself is also a big guy. The temptation to go towards comfort foods is massive to those who are trying to lose or maintain weight. The one thing I have learned is to be healthy requires money. The healthy food is expensive, which is why many resort to fast food because it is just so much cheaper. My thoughts are why pay $6.00 for a salad when I can get more bang for my buck with a $5 pizza from Little Caesars. It is this type of temptation that throws many lives and dreams awry.
How do we overcome temptation, compromise! It is not that we have to give up everything that we enjoy, we just have to have the self discipline to slowly make small changes until we have reached our goal. Leaders have to face these challenges everyday. By working together with team members on the difficult tasks brings a sense of accomplishment and cohesively draw the team closer together. Not everyone can succeed on difficult tasks and must be willing to take the loss. Failure is not the end, it is only the beginning. It is the starting point for a learning experience.
Keep this in mind, God will defend the leaders he has chosen. He will honor, defend and vindicate them.
Chapter 18 & 19 - The Art of Delegation & Replacing Leaders - Pre-Reading Questions
1. How do you know that you have communicated instructions clearly enough? How can this come back and haunt you?
2. What do you do or where do you go to renew yourself from fatigue?
3. What changes have been difficult for you the past year? At home? Church? In what ways are the difficulties related to your leadership?
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