The Blog

What’s Your Vision?

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If you’re anything like me, you’ve heard it said a thousand times: “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” I guess it’s understandable since this verse seems to be a pretty harsh warning for leaders who don’t take the time to cast a vision for their team. Let’s face it; perishing is not something most of us have on our 2012 to-do list. And, since almost every leadership guru, life coach, pastor, and consultant seems to agree on the importance of vision in leadership it must be a key element to success…or is it?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 41 years on this earth it’s to be leery of the masses. In other words, do your own research, along side of prayer and soul searching to find truth. This doesn’t mean we should discount the wisdom of others, it simply means we should confirm that it is, in fact, wisdom from TRUTH! To do this, it’s best to begin at the source, in this case, Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keeps the law, happy is he.

So what’s Solomon really saying about vision? To determine this we must understand what the word vision means in its’ context and not simply in the modern sense of the term.

Why Do YOU Exist…What’s Your Real Purpose?

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In my last update I wrote about the importance of checking our motives by asking ourselves why we do what we do – especially before embarking upon any leadership journey. I also challenged you to make certain that why you do what you do aligns with the more important why question – WHY are you here on this earth? This is the question that truly lies at the heart of hearts of your leadership and is where you will ultimately find the answer to what it means to be your BEST in leadership and in life.

So why are you here on this earth? Although countless books and articles attempt to go deep into the philosophy, physiology, psychology, and even theology of the reason for our existence, I much prefer the simple approach of seeking the truth of the matter from the very source of our existence – God. So why are you here?

  • God created you in His image and for His glory (Gen. 1:27) (He does have that right, by the way).
  • Relationship is central to His image (Gen 2:15, John 3:16, John 14) (He loves you and wants you to love him).
  • We bring glory to Him by following what His son clarified and simplified for us as the greatest commandment: LOVE GOD and OTHERS as YOURSELF (Mark 12:29-31, John 15:9-17).

WHY Do I Do What I Do?

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I firmly believe that this is the most important question a leader should ask before embarking upon any journey. So, in following my own advice, I asked myself, WHY write a LFGS newsletter? What are my true motives? Well, of course, one reason is to stay connected with LFGS fans in order to encourage them to encourage others to keep sharing the message of the book. However, for me there truly is another motive – a motive that I should add, aligns with the foundation of my purpose. That motive: To encourage you in your own journey toward LEADING…for God’s Sake!

In our culture almost everything we do we risk doing out of selfish ambition. When we take the time to really think about the deepest motives of our hearts - and ask God to help us see them accurately – it can be very revealing, and in some cases very ugly. That’s why it’s essential to not only ask the question why do I do what I do…but even more importantly, why am I here on this earth? When we come to an understanding of this second part of the why question (more on this in the next newsletter) and learn to align all of our motives with it, we can rest assured that “…all things truly will work together for the good of those who love God…”