Hello, consumed readers. I have long abandoned you, and I am penitent. I have been lost in the pleasurable waters of spring break and have not been able to post. I have emerged, however, and now I am ready and excited about the newest series to occupy four minutes of your daily reading time: “Unapologetic Manhood.” In this series, I’m going to give a few aspects of manhood that I embrace and feel no need to apologize for. It’s a... Read more

I want to give a quick book recommendation on leadership. Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in California wrote a solid book called The Book on Leadership that takes readers through Paul’s final missionary journey and extrapolates twenty-six leadership principles along the way. Several of the qualities I’ve listed in my study can be found in the book, along with a number of other sound principles of leadership. If you are looking to disciple a young leader, or to... Read more

I think I’ve given a decent summary of what good leadership looks like. I’m sure that there are other qualities one can think of that factor into good leadership. I haven’t attempted to come up with the single definitive list on the subkject, but to merely offer an introductory look at the subject. It would be a joy to go deeper into this subject (read: a book of essays on good leadership), but who knows if that will ever happen.... Read more

Good leadership does not see leadership as an end in itself. Instead, it finds its mission, its reason for existence, in people. Far from seeing leadership as an opportunity to wield the heavy instrument of authority, good leaders see it as a chance to better those who they lead. The leader’s tool is a shepherd’s staff, not a despot’s cudgel. How does this quality manifest itself? There are many ways one could think of. One that stands out to me... Read more

The very essence of worldly leadership is arrogance. Those who are in charge are proud of it. So many in the world see their position of leadership as something they attained, something they achieved, and which their reputation depends upon. Instead of viewing leadership as a privilege, a gift, many of the world see it as a right and an entitlement. Even the castle cannot contain the king’s ego. This trait of worldly leaders is far removed from the biblical... Read more

Good leadership should move people. One doesn’t lead for the sake of doing so. We lead people to better people, to bring change, to engage what has fallen victim to inertia. Leaders are by definition those who motivate others to action. This seems obvious, and it suppose it’s not the most subtle of insights regarding leadership, but it’s amazing how so many who occupy leadership positions possess such little ability to move and motivate other people. Think of sports. Many... Read more

Yesterday I covered the idea that good leadership is thoughtful. I covered the idea that thoughtfulness is two-sided. It is able to both plan for the future and react well in the moment. This balance is not easily achieved, but the more one works toward it, the more life improves. The man who can lead with a combination of wise planning and reaction positions himself to lead his family, church, and coworkers well. Yet this is not all a good... Read more

Good leadership mixes together a combination of qualities. Do not be fooled into thinking that it depends upon the exercise of one trait or another. It is not simply courage. It is not simply truth-driven. It is a blending of many different traits, such that it may plan for a variety of situations and handle them with grace. That last sentence contained a bit of foreshadowing for today’s blog. It included the idea of planning. Good leadership necessarily involves planning,... Read more

The first two parts of this series touched on two attributes that guys are generally quick to claim: ethical/moral belief and courage. Though they erode in the current day, these values are still prized by many men. It strikes me, though, that there are many who think that good leadership is neatly situated in these two qualities alone. That is to say, so long as one holds true beliefs, and lives a virtuous life according to their design, and leads... Read more

A quick interruption in the series on leadership. That will resume tomorrow morning. Those of you who are huge NCAA Tournament fans should be aware of an incredible offering from CBS Sports. If you go to the NCAA sports website here, you can complete a brief sign-up that will allow you to watch all the NCAA tournament games on your computer FOR FREE. This is the first year that CBS and the NCAA have offered such a deal, and I... Read more