Quotes About Leadership

The mentoring model for discipleship and leadership training is primarily focused on one-on-one relationships. It envisions every Christian having a mentor and mentoring someone else down the line.

In contrast, an educational approach is heavily front-loaded. It expects people to work through a curriculum or set of experiences to be certified as spiritually mature or ready for leadership.

The final question to ask before launching a new or revamped small group ministry is, "Who already does what we want to do well—and does it in a church we would go to if we lived in the area?

Asking for volunteers always surfaces a number of folks who love God but don't have the relational skills needed to lead a group. That's because when it comes to self-awareness, socially challenged people don't have any. Most think they're pretty good at getting along with others. Couple that with their high need for attention and affirmation, and you have a bunch of people who are quick to volunteer and hard to turn away.

And if I, as pastor, have failed to do my part to train my leaders to lead, what right do I have to complain about the way they do their job or make their decisions?

Specialists who can't become trainers or who aren't willing to become trainers will eventually put a ceiling on the growth of your church or bust your budget.

Leadership boards and staff members who fill executive roles tend to make two mistakes when it comes to policy: (1) they have too many policies, and (2) they treat every policy as if it were a law from God himself.

Once people get a taste of frontline ministry, they don't let it go easily. Once the church has been let loose, it's hard to put it back in the box.

Empowerment without a platform is like responsibility without authority. In too many of our churches, we offer discipleship training and leadership training without providing any significant platform for people to do the things they've been trained to do.

Serial innovators don't fall into the tinkering trap. They don't try to fix everything that's broken or improve things that aren't running perfectly. Instead, they focus on fixing the things that will make the biggest difference.

Being a press secretary is like learning to type: You're hunting and pecking for a while and then you find yourself doing the touch system and don't realize it. You're speaking for the president without ever having to go to him.

Clean up your own backyard. Change by example. Just be the way you want others to be and hope they pay attention.

The world, and therefore the workplace, is full of idiots. And the reality of life is that when you get rid of one idiot, another will show up to take his place. It's the curse of humanity.

We have to remember not to tell them, each of them, that they are our new leader. It would only frighten them off, W. says. No one should ever know he or she is our leader, we agree. Only we should know. And we should follow them in secret.

In the Social Democratic jargon of the time, the term 'propaganda' had connotations that were very different from those it later acquired. It did not mean simplistic messages used to bombard passive targets, but rather an intensive and wide-ranging education that was initiated by the workers. 'Propagandized worker' was therefore a title of honour, an indication of potential leader status.

Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks.

Democracy is a system that gives people a chance to elect rascals of their own choice.

If I ruled supreme, there would be big problems.

I motivate players through communication, being honest with them, having them respect and appreciate your ability and your help.

When you're not playing up to your capability, you gotta try everything, to motivate, to get them going. All of them have to be on the same end of the rope to pull together. It's playing for the name on the front of the shirt, not the back. Individualism gets you trophies and plaques. Play for the front, that wins championships. I try to remind them of that.

I managed the Dodgers for 20 years. It's hard to believe that there are only four guys in the history of baseball who managed the same team for 20 years or more. One was owner of the team, Connie Mack. Another was part owner of the team, John McGraw. Then there was my predecessor, Walter Alston, and me. It's amazing. In the 20 years I managed the Dodgers, 210 managers were fired.

I believe managing is like holding a dove in your hand. If you hold it too tightly you kill it, but if you hold it too loosely, you lose it.

What tho' the clouds are o'er us? They cannot quench the flame That burns in freemen's bosoms-- 'Tis deathless as his name; Another year, and brightly Shall shine our clouded sun, No shadow o'er our country, The land of Washington.

Love is a kind of military service.