Nearly 20 years ago I went to my first John Maxwell leadership conference.  As I  listened to him teach, a hunger to grow as a leader swelled up within me.  At the end of the first day he promoted a special on 100 of his Leadership audio tapes,  12 of his favorite leadership books and a  daily leadership devotional all packaged together in a Personal Growth Kit for $500. As he described this offer I started to salivate.  But here’s the part that really got me… He said, “I guarantee if you buy this resource and work your way through it over the next year you will not be the same!”   As I listened I knew it wasn’t a sales pitch, it was a leader who had a heart to see other leaders grow.

I was  just starting out in ministry and didn’t have $500 but I wanted those resources more than anything.  That evening  I told Cindy about the special deal and her immediate response was,  “You’ve got to get it.”  I laughed reminding her we didn’t  have $500.  But she continued to persuade me.  On the second day of the conference I went back and sat through another round of leadership training and walked away resisting the urge to make the purchase.  But again that evening Cindy urged me saying, “Mac, if you’re going to lead you have to invest in yourself.”

The next day I purchased the Personal leadership growth kit.  To this day I consider that one of the best investments in my entire life.  I listened to all 100 tapes and read all the books within 6 months.  As soon as I finished I started re-listening and re-reading.  Over the years I wore those leadership tapes out. I thank God for that Personal Growth Kit and also for a wife who was wise enough to encourage me to invest in myself.

We are five weeks away from a new year.  What are you going to do to invest in your own leadership development in 2010?

Because of the nature of my position I frequently have people come to me and tell me they’re called to full-time vocational ministry.  I believe some have truly experienced a calling, while others seem to merely have an infatuation. There’s a huge difference between calling and infatuation.

Please understand that every believer has a calling from God.  A calling is a God inspired assignment which aligns your unique gifts with His specific purpose.  Finding your calling is one of the most fulfilling things you will experience in life. For some this calling will find its expression in full-time vocational ministry, while others will find its expression in the marketplace, home or community.  Regardless of where your calling is, it is important that you identify God’s unique assignment for you.

Here are four signs that commonly accompany a calling:

1. There is a confirmation I don’t solicit.  Our calling is typically confirmed by others around us.  For Jehu it came in the form of a young prophet sent from Elisha to inform him that God wanted to anoint him as the next King of Israel (2 Kings 9).  It’s not a confirmation from just anyone but typically from a credible individual. 
2. There is a pull I can’t resist.  With each calling I have experienced in my life (three different occasions) I have had a sense of “I cannot not do this”.  Abraham felt this way  in Genesis 12 when he was compelled by God to leave his homeland and journey to a place God would eventually show him.
3. There is a passion I don’t manufacture.  If you have to manufacture passion to do what you’re doing then you need to take a long hard look at why you are doing it.  Paul is the perfect example of a man who was passionate about his calling.  In Colossians 1:28-29 he wrote, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”
4. There is a sense I can’t do this. It seems when God calls a man, the man never feels ready, prepared or adequate. In Exodus 3-4 Moses debated with God giving him every  excuse why he had the wrong guy. Don’t let the sense of inadequacy scare you away, let it draw you to a closer dependence on God.

Are there other signs you would add to this list?

There are days leadership can be very lonely.  I didn’t realize that until I became a church planter back in 1997.  Shortly after planting Carolina Forest Community Church I began to feel a pressure I had never felt before.  I sensed that while my team loved me, they really didn’t understand what I was going through as the leader.  Senior leaders face unique pressures that others simply cannot understand until they are in that role themselves. 

As the senior leader of the Hebrew people Moses had to feel the pressure of “It’s all on me”. No one else in the nation would understand what it was like to be responsible for millions of people or face criticism from huge crowds or lead in the face of seemingly impossible situations. These pressures could create unbearable loneliness without the right support.  So what did he do, how did he handle it? 

I think we get a clue in Exodus 33:7,11, “Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting…The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” 

Notice Moses pitched the tent OUTSIDE the camp some distance away.  He got away from the center of activity. That’s difficult for me as a leader because I love the activity, I’m drawn to it, and admittedly I’m addicted to it.  But the truth is while leadership can be lonely it also demands loneliness.  It’s in the aloneness we hear the voice of God, find the comfort of God, receive the wisdom God and experience the friendship of God.  It’s in the aloneness God alleviates the pain of the leaders loneliness.

I searched the phrase, “The Lord spoke to Moses”and discovered that it’s used 138 times. In other words, it was characteristic for Moses to hear from God. That’s because he sought aloneness with God and frequently discovered the friendship of God. 

When was the last time you sought aloneness away from the center of activity in order to find the friendship of God?

Here are a few of the leadeship thoughts I’ve tweeted throughout September.

• 2:02 PM Sep 28 Disciplined organizations will drive succession planning beyond the level of senior leadership
• 12:02 PM Sep 25 Work with people to shape their ideas instead of shut down their ideas
• 4:48 PM Sep 23 Reactionary giving patterns develop when we only emphasize giving in times of need
• 11:13 AM Sep 22 When you leave, leave well so you will always be welcomed back
• 9:47 AM Sep 20th  Leaders who put their own needs above the needs of those they serve may gain affluence but they lose influence. Jer 22:14-17
• 7:47 PM Sep 18 The more you can build a common language in your culture the more you can avoid misunderstanding and miscommunication
• 10:10 AM Sep 18 When doing succession planning we must focus not only on the new leader but also the new culture that comes with that new leader
• 1:23 PM Sept 15 The reputation of our leadership will be determined by the wisdom of our decisions
• 8:54 AM Sept 14 if we focus only on building leaders instead of building a leadership development culture our leadership development efforts won’t last
• 11:04 AM Sep 13 – One of the primary goals of leadership development is to produce leaders that reproduce leaders
• 8:21 AM Sep 12 – There will always be signs of life in our life as we stay close to the source of life. Jeremiah 17:7-8
• 9:20 AM Sep 9th - Recruit for tomorrows growth, not just today’s need
• 2:04 PM Sep 8th – Sometimes we get so busy doing the work of the ministry that we neglect the work of equipping others to do the work of the ministry
• 12:45 PM Sep 8th – If you leave leadership development to chance then odds are you won’t be successful in the long term replication of leaders
• 9:19 AM Sep 8th – When poor performance is ignored it not only hurts the organization but keeps an individual from reaching their fullest potential
• 3:34 PM Sep 4th – Trust is one of the most critical requirements for effective leadership
• 10:54 AM Sep 4th – Giving people specific praisings is one of the most neglected tools in many leaders toolbox
• 9:40 AM Sep 3rd – Just read this… “Make goals big enough to matter, small enough to win.”
• 9:57 AM Sep 2nd – Too often we focus only on an employee’s contribution and ignore their development
• 10:01 AM Sep 1 – Continual Growth requires continual risk

Warning…I am writing this post while heavily medicated and therefore cannot be held responsible for what I am about to write.  

A little over a week ago I started seeing little black spots in my left eye.  Like any good man would do when something like this happens I ignored it hoping it would go away.  But when the little black spots turned into a blind spot in the bottom of my left eye I started to get a little concerned. So on this Wednesday I went to see my eye doctor.  When he finished the examination he told me I had a detached retina and had I not come in when I did I would have lost the eye site in my left eye.  He called the surgeon right away and scheduled surgery for the next morning.  The surgery went great and despite looking like I took a mean right hook from Joe Frazier, he told me my sight should be fine.

The whole ordeal once again showed me the power of the Social Networking tools we have available to us as believers.  Thursday morning, just before leaving for the hospital, I Twittered that I was having emergency surgery.  Literally within seconds I started getting replies from around the world people telling me they were praying for me.  It was a stunning reminder of how quickly the church can be mobilized through social networking. 

A few hours later as Cindy and I sat nervously in pre-op awaiting the surgery my blackberry kept making that little ringing noise that notifies you when you have a direct message from Twitter.  I would open it up and read an individual’s Tweet asking what was going on, giving a word of encouragement or telling me they were praying for me.  It was sort of like virtual hospital visitation…the next best thing to being there.  With every Tweet I gained spiritual strength and encouragement. 

It’s amazing to me that there are people out there I have never met in person, but have interacted with on a regular basis through Twitter, Facebook or Ning and I consider them to be a friend.  And in this time of need they expressed their love and concern for me.  So I want to thank all my “Real in person friends” and all my “Virtual real friends” for your prayers and your support. 

How can you show the love and compassion of Christ through social networking today?

Have you seen God lately?  How about last week? Yesterday? Today?  When I see God show up it does something to me as a leader, I’m amazed, overwhelmed and inspired. Every time I see God come through my faith is renewed, my dependence increased, my confidence enlarged.  When I see God move I’m humbled and encouraged.  When I see God at work my passion intensifies, my courage soars and my vision is emboldened.

In those seasons I don’t see God it’s not because He’s not there, it’s because I’m not looking. So if seeing God is so beneficial why do I sometimes stop looking for Him?  I don’t know if it’s busyness, sinfulness or a combination of both but I do know there are times I don’t see God,.

Those are dangerous times. Dangerous because it indicates the eyes of my heart have gone astray.  Dangerous because the results of my leadership are only as good as “I can” produce.  Dangerous because those who follow me may stop looking for God as well.

This was the problem in Israel during Jeremiah’s day. When Israel had grown spiritually cold God directed his accusation against the leaders in Jeremiah 2:9 when he said, “The priests quit asking: Where is the Lord?”  Wow, the spiritual leaders of the day stopped looking for God.  They no longer lived or lead with a sense of  anticipation and as a result they were no longer witnessing the power of God on their behalf.   

When we stop looking for God we start leaning on ourselves and that’s spiritually destructive not only for us but for those who follow us. 

Leaders what are you looking for God to do?  Where are you looking for God to show up?  How are you asking Him to work?  Are you leading with a sense of anticipation?  Where do you expect to see God today?

“Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be… disciplined.” Titus 1:7-8

Discipline is built in the simple, small moments of our lives.  An undisciplined leader demonstrates a lack of respect for the small moments of obedience, weakens his willpower and sets himself up for a potential crisis of character.  I’ve always  told my children discipline is saying no to the thing I “want” to do so I can be the person God wants me to be.    

Discipline is…

• Getting up instead of pushing the snooze
• Writing down your priorities for the day (and actually following through)
• Packing a brown bag instead of eating out
• Saying “No” to dessert instead of “just a little” dessert
• Choosing to be positive in conversations rather than negative
• Pushing hard the last 10 seconds of a one minute sprint
• Doing a fourth set
• Turning off the computer and going home on time to be with your family
• Opening up a book instead of turning on a television

It’s discipline in the small moments that build a big character.

What does discipline look like for you this today?

Frustrated with your career?  If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

Unhappy with your marriage?  If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

Dissatisfied with your physical condition?  If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

Stuck and can’t move a project forward?  If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

Discontent with your walk with God?  If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

Perhaps it’s time for a change.

“Do your best to come to me quickly.”  2 Timothy 4:9

When he said these words to Timothy, Paul was facing one of the most difficult seasons of his life.

• He was stuck.  He was near the end of his life and was confined to a Roman prison. (1:8; 4:6)
• He was lonely.  The first time he was being held in prison (Acts 28) he had many visitors, but this time no one was coming to his side. (4:16)
• He was hurt.  A long term friend and ministry partner, Demas, had abandoned him. (4:10)

It’s interesting, when Paul was hurting he asked for Timothy to get to him as soon as possible. In Greek that phrase, “Do your best”, means to move with a sense of urgency.    Every one of us will face painful seasons in our leadership.  In these times we must be willing to ask for help.

Leaders are accustomed to asking people to follow a vision, sign up for a cause or sacrifice for a mission, but asking someone to help you personally is difficult for most leaders to do.  We want to be strong and self-sufficient.  But a wise leader will ask for the support he needs to stay spiritually and emotionally healthy. 

How’s your spiritual health?  How’s your emotional health?  Is it time to ask a trusted friend for some help?  What keeps you from asking for support when you are struggling?

One of the biggest challenges young leaders have is establishing their credibility.  They want to be respected, listened to and followed but sometimes they hurt themselves by making foolish decisions, demonstrating a lack of discipline or failing to follow through on commitments. If you want influence you must have credibility and if you want credibility you must be a person of character. 

I started thinking about what I look for in a young leader that enables them to earn credibility in my eyes. My thoughts went immediately to Joshua.  What was it about Joshua that enabled him to earn credibility with Moses?

A passionate hunger for God – Exodus 33:7-11
When Moses would go to the Tent of Meeting to meet with God, Joshua would go along and stay long after Moses left.  Exodus 33:11 “When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.”

A faith-driven willingness to take risk – Numbers 14
When Moses sent Joshua with eleven others to spy out the promise land only he and Caleb had the faith to say conquering a powerful enemy was a possibility.  In Numbers 14:7-8 Joshua said, “If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us.”

A proven competence to lead – Exodus 17:8-16
When Amalek came to fight Israel Moses delegated the leadership of that battle to Joshua. Joshua proved his leadership ability in this battle. Exodus 17:13  “Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.”

A High Degree of Integrity – Numbers 32
Joshua and Caleb were the only two from their generation to enter the promise land because “they followed the Lord fully.”  Numbers 32:11-12.

A Healthy sense of Inadequacy- Joshua 1
 After being chosen as Moses successor God spoke to Joshua encouraging him and telling him not to be afraid.   Joshua 1:8 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”

What do you need to do to increase your level of credibility with your followers?