Welcome to Season 2 of the Essential Godly Leadership Blog! We believe that, as leaders, our goal is to pursue Godly Leadership, not just worldly leadership! We define Essential Godly Leadership as, “Leading your life, your family, your work, your relationships, and your world in a way that is seeking wisdom from, and pleasing to, the Lord Jesus.” I look forward to being on this Essential Godly Leadership journey with you in 2023!
Raise your hand if your New Year’s resolutions are still intact! 🖐️ Good for you! We’re over two weeks into the new year – that’s a great start! If you didn’t make any resolutions or goals about leadership for the new year, it’s not too late.
Great leaders always have two or three new goals or aspirations that they are pursuing in regard to their Godly leadership. Here are three ways (that are certainly not mentioned nearly enough) to be the best Godly leader you can be in 2023!
#1 – Work on Growing, not Climbing. In 2022, it seemed to be all about the success or promotion ladder. You hear all of the time: What are my opportunities for growth? My reply is, “With God, they are endless!” Great Godly Leaders aren’t worried about their climb, they’re focused on pleasing God and doing the next thing that He has for them to do. When I was a youth pastor, people would always ask me, “When you are going to be promoted to senior pastor?” I would say, “You mean, demoted – haha!” God has a plan for your life, and His pathway probably isn’t the world’s pathway. I had a friend named Charlie who told me one time after leaving a huge company as their Vice President, “I just spent my whole career climbing the ladder of success only to realize my ladder was up against the wrong wall.” Jesus modeled this for us by simply growing in wisdom. Luke 2:52 (NLT) tells us, Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. Godly Leader, it’s essential that we follow Jesus’s lead on this!
#2 – Work on Listening, not Talking. It’s been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Just see what God’s Word has to say about less talking for all of us – and it’s even more essential for the Godly leader.
Proverbs 10:19 (NLT) Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
Proverbs 18:2 (ESV) A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Proverbs 13:3 (NIV) Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.
James 1:19 (ESV) Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.
James 1:26 (NLT) If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
1 Thessalonians 4:11 (NLT) Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business.
Proverbs 21:23 (NASB) He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles.
I don’t think much more needs to be said. Pick two or three of these verses out to memorize in 2023.
#3 – Work on Inventing Solutions, not Presenting Problems. Leadership guru Carey Nieuwhof recently wrote, Great leaders realize you can’t build yourself up by tearing other people down. That is so true. It’s never been easier to criticize and publicize on a Yahoo or Google review board, in a neighborhood Facebook page, or to your co-workers or friends. Sometimes, it feels that people think they’re smarter and better leaders if 79.65% of what comes out of their mouths is criticism. That’s not the case ever, but it is especially not the case for a leader whose goal is to be Godly.
One of the core values of our Rolling Hills Community Church staff is Invent Solutions. We just gave out employee of the month awards to two employees who were voted on by their peers. We need to celebrate leaders that invent solutions and not coddle to so-called leaders that always present problems. Top Godly leaders rarely spend time criticizing others. They don’t go there. They use their evaluation to compare to God’s Word and God’s plan, and they invent solutions to the problems they see. Yes, see the problems. Yes, find solutions. Yes, be good stewards. Yes, don’t be a pushover. But, above all, yes, don’t be harsh and personal.
No one likes it when they are criticized harshly, so, Godly Leader, simply apply the Golden Rule in Matthew 7:12 (NIV): Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
We could talk a lot more on this topic, but we’ll leave it there for now. What are your thoughts or questions? Leave them in the comments. If you found this blog helpful or thought-provoking, please subscribe below to receive a new weekly blog in your email on Tuesday morning. Also, if you think this blog would be helpful for others, please share it on social media or tell a few friends about it!
Love being on this Essential Godly Leadership journey with you!
Essential Godly Leadership: “Leading your life, your family, your work, your relationships, and your world in a way that is seeking wisdom from, and pleasing to, the Lord Jesus.”