[Ok I’m going to be honest upfront: This article is mainly for me! Understanding my weaknesses and challenges in leadership has caused me to study, think and apply what is written below. I hope it may help you!]
My biggest realization of late is that as leaders, we really need to be intentional. If we don’t lead intentionally, we end up playing catch up, or just succumbing to the most urgent request or the loudest voice. Living intentionally helps us be true to our call, gifting and God’s purposes.
But living intentionally often comes with its challenges. Often we want to change from living in reaction mode to living intentionally, but struggle to make this change. I read an article by Mark Driscoll once which really helped me with this change.
Driscoll argues there are 4 Ways to change your life:
1. Heart change – conviction that you want to change. This is often a deep realization that there is a better way (and probably inspired by the Holy Spirit).
2. Study – research and fact-finding for how to change your life, which includes reading the Bible and other books, watching and listening to talks, downloading podcasts, speaking with people you know and respect who have wisdom in that particular area, finding and working with a mentor etc. A great tool to help with this is a journal. Always keep a journal like this nearby to jot notes, thoughts, and convictions in.
3. Plan – ongoing, detailed, and prayerful life organization. Take the ideas in your journal and prayerfully and carefully add to and consider them.
4. Action – working your plan and making changes as life requires. Make sure you take the ideas and action points from your plan and put them on the calendar. Without being officially planned, nothing ever gets done to completion.
I find I’m often good at only one or two of these steps. I may have a heart change and do my homework but fail to make a plan and take action to change my life. I’ve seen friends who have plans and action but are religiously just doing duties because they have not experienced heart change. Others may move from heart change to action without research and a plan, they mean well but make their life (e.g., health, finances, relationships) worse.
My major realization was that I have to be intentional about all four. I know I need to take some time and be honest with myself, listing each of these steps in order from the one I’m strongest at to the one I’m weakest at. This awareness helps me maximize on my strengths while minimizing my weaknesses.
How about you? Are you living intentionally? Where is your life getting stuck and what can you do to grow where you are weak? Who do you need to talk to and learn from?
I’ve found that after understanding the above I’ve become intentional about being intentional. Try it, it works.
__________
Don Muller has spent the last 4 years working into corporate and church leadership development and training both locally and internationally. He has a passion for and works towards seeing individuals live out their strengths and calling daily.