4 Ways to Strengthen Your Leadership and Grow Yourself
Recently I had the opportunity to attend a catalyst one-day conference. Chris Hodges was one of the speakers at the event. He shared some incredible wisdom about how to strengthen your leadership and grow yourself. I learned a lot from what Chris shared and applied the following 4 points listed below. This post is my take on what Chris shared and how I've used it to take my ministry and life to the next level.
Listen to the Good Christian Podcast episode about this post:"How to Grow Yourself and Strengthen Your Leadership"
Whether you're in the business world or church ministry, if you want to grow and go further while learning to lead others to do the same, this post is for you.I’ve been volunteering at my local church, Celebration Church, for over 10 years. I work in the business world. But, I know that I can still help the ministry grow stronger from where I sit. You have this same ability. Never forget that each of us has a unique influence on our surroundings. You can make a difference in a church even if you're not staff. (Side note there, but always important to clarify!)
4 Ways to Strengthen Your Leadership and Grow Yourself:
1. Focus on continuous improvement.
Almost every company listed as a fortune 500 company builds processes and structures around continuously improving in the following areas:
- Quality product, defect-free.
- Delivered in a timely fashion.
- The people or automation tools that 'deliver' to the customer must deliver a delightful experience. (Most important)
What are your main areas of focus? Get better at them! Build everything around improving in these areas, even if they are already great. Never stop growing and developing.
When you stop growing and developing, you start dying.
I know, I know... That's a harsh reality!
2. Keep promoting life-giving culture.
You, the leader, are your culture. Be what you want the culture of your life, organization, and (or) surroundings to become. Stay passionate; keep the main thing the main thing.Everything rises and falls on leadership. You have to be the culture. People will follow the way you lead.
Related Post: A True Leader Is One Who Knows the Way Goes the Way and Shows the Way
If you’re not the “leader,” remember you still have influence, and the life you lead matters to someone else. Whether you know it or not, someone is following your example.
3. Identify and implement strong values.
I’m going to use healthy churches as an example. Most people don’t know this, but a healthy church is one of the most successful types of business. Churches that are growing have these things in common:
- Passionately in love with Jesus
- Create ministry around people’s gifts (They discover the right people to become part of what they are doing.)
- Empower leadership
- Have fun
- Focus on reaching people
- Make every experience a breath of fresh air
What does this look like in your life or ministry? Do you know? Your job is to figure it out then implement them as quickly as possible. Also, don’t be afraid to change your values. Over time they will change. As long as the vision stays the same, this is healthy and part of evolving.Here are more examples of what strong culture looks like.
4. Keep winning the war in the spiritual.
If you want to strengthen your leadership and grow yourself, never underestimate how powerful the spiritual is. God and the devil are both at work. Anything that will be used to glorify God and grow His kingdom in any way at all will have resistance.Three ways to win the spiritual battle:
- Get your prayer life stronger. Spend time with God. Get free from sin.
- Encourage those that you lead to pray. Keep prayer at the center.
- Maintain a prayer shield. Get people praying for you! Cover everything in prayer.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. - Ephesians 6:12
Remember, the spiritual affects everything. Most Christians working outside of ministry don’t believe their need to pray for their jobs and themselves at their jobs. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Devil doesn’t care if you work for a church or work for a car dealership. He wants you dead regardless. Remember that, win the war in the spiritual!
Conclusion
Continuously improve all areas of your leadership, organization, and life, even if they are already strong. Be the best of the best at what you do.Increase your passion for what you do. Carry yourself in a way that people can see the culture through you.Get your values out in front of the people. Talk about them. Hold people accountable to them. Never have them hidden; go public!Always remember that there is a spiritual realm. It’s more powerful than most people know. I’m not over-spiritualizing this. If you are winning in the spiritual, the physical will follow.Now you may be saying, "Alex, I'm not in charge of anything or leading anyone." Here's the deal, that won't always be the case. Plus, right now, you are leading yourself. When you're faithful with that, God will bless you with more. And remember that you have influence in your job and at your church. Your job is to be part of the solution, not the problem.These 4 ways to strengthen your leadership and grow yourself will be what takes you further into the calling that a God has on your life. Begin applying these principles today!