In our series on leadership attributes, we now look at decision making. Good leaders take responsibility and know that when those important and difficult decisions have to be made, “the buck stops here”. They gather all information that is needed to make an informed decision, and they lead with sound judgment. But not all leaders are good at making decisions when it counts the most. Sadly, we saw how poor decision making on our country’s evacuation of Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of thirteen Americans.
Leaders must demonstrate courage in making difficult choices. They should surround themselves with talented team members who can provide them input into those areas where decisions must be made. John Maxwell states that no matter how good of a leader you are, you will always miss some details when making decisions. As a result, you should partner with people who see what you don’t. Leaders should be humble in listening to these advisors, and be willing to change their minds when provided with information. Where I worked, we used to refer to leadership courage. This is where leaders make the difficult decisions, even those that will not be popular but which need to be made. Continue reading
Category Archives: Faith and Work
FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday
Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles
- Writing Music for God’s People: A Conversation with Matt Papa, Songwriter. On this episode of the Working with Dan Doriani podcast, Dan and Matt Papa discuss the reasoning behind writing hymns for worship, the inspiration for writing “His Mercy is More,” and the ability that songs like “I Set My Hope (Hymn for a Deconstructing Friend)” have to connect with us emotionally.
- Work Well with All Types of People. In this podcast, Melissa Kruger and Courtney Doctor talk with their colleague Ann Westrate about how understanding each other’s gifts has enhanced their work as a team. They discuss how much the Working Genius assessment helped them understand why what might be easy for one of them is hard for someone else. Understanding what different gifts are represented in a team can enhance morale and strengthen relationships. We all have gifts, but none of us has all the gifts.
- Loving God the Most: Working for God Instead of Work as God. Wes White writes “One of the greatest blessings that humans can enjoy in this world is to be able to do work that blesses oneself and others and glorifies God.”
- Called to Lead. My book Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in the Workplace is available in both a paperback and Kindle edition. Read a free sample (Introduction through Chapter 2).
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- More links to interesting articles
- The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
- Faith and Work Book Review ~ When Work Hurts: Building Resilience When You’re Beat Up or Burnt Out by Meryl Herr
- Quotes from the book Working Blessedly Forever, Volume 1: The Shape of Marketplace Theology by R. Paul Stevens
FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday
Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles
- When the Paychecks Stop: Spiritual Care for the Unemployed. Joe Carter writes “The church that responds to unemployment with theological depth and practical compassion bears witness to a different kingdom, where worth isn’t earned through production but freely given through grace.”
- What To Do When You Are Passed Over. Glenn Brooke writes “You want to lead, to serve in a specific area, to use your skills and abilities, to be recognized. Being passed over doesn’t feel good. We hear the sincere and polite words and feel insulted. It’s easy to become discouraged, resentful, angry. So, what’s the godly approach to this situation?”
- When Work Hurts: Building Resilience When You’re Beat Up or Burnt Out with Meryl Herr. What do you do when work isn’t just difficult—it’s downright painful? In this episode of the Faith and Work Podcast, Jeff Hoffmeyer sits down with author Meryl Herr to tackle the raw realities of workplace hurt. From crushing disappointment to full-blown devastation, Meryl unpacks why work wounds us so deeply—and how we can find a way forward.
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- More links to interesting articles
- The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
- Faith and Work Book Review ~ Leadership and Emotional Sabotage: Resisting the Anxiety That Will Wreck Your Family, Destroy Your Church, and Ruin the World by Joe Rigney
- Quotes from the book Working Blessedly Forever, Volume 1: The Shape of Marketplace Theology by R. Paul Stevens
FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday
Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles
- Should You Retire or Not? Try Asking a Different Question. Judy Allen writes “The three-stage life, consisting of education, work, and retirement, is changing to a multiple stage life.”
- Three Marks of a Mentor Leader. Nathan Whitaker shares three invaluable lessons that every leader—whether in business, sports, or life—can apply.
- Called to Lead. My book Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in the Workplace is available in both a paperback and Kindle edition. Read a free sample (Introduction through Chapter 2).
- Fatal Flaws of a Leader. Dave Kraft writes “Are there certain kinds of flaws that Christian leaders may develop which could spell the end of their leadership effectiveness, their leadership altogether or, worse yet, the downward spiral of their walk with Jesus? I believe there are.”
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- The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
- Faith and Work Book Review ~ Leadership in the Church by R.C. Sproul
- Quotes from the book Working Blessedly Forever, Volume 1: The Shape of Marketplace Theology by R. Paul Stevens
FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday
Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles
- Mere Christians: Denise Daniels. On this episode of the Mere Christians podcast, Jordan Raynor visits with Dr. Denise Daniels, author of Religion in a Changing Workplace, about hard data showing how to talk about faith at work.
- Mere Christians: Shannon Doss. On this episode of the Mere Christians podcast, Jordan Raynor visits with social worker Shannon Doss about how obedience in the “little things” is non-verbal evangelism to the lost.
- Mere Christians: Mark Shrime. On this episode of the Mere Christians podcast, Jordan Raynor visits with Dr. Mark Shrime, Chief Medical Officer for Mercy Ships, about avocations, career discernment, and working for the least of these.
- A Leader Worth Following. My new book A Leader Work Following: 40 Key Leadership Attributes and Applications to Masteris available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. Read a sample of the book (found under the book cover in the above link).
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- The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
- Faith and Work Book Review ~ Every Moment Holy Volume III: The Work of the People by Douglas McKelvey and Ned Bustard (Illustrator)
- Quotes from the book Working Blessedly Forever, Volume 1: The Shape of Marketplace Theology by R. Paul Stevens
FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday
Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles
- Why am I Still Working? Russ Gehrlein writes “Let me reflect on this loaded question for a few minutes and expand on what I could have said in more detail. Perhaps it may be of value to others like me who are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
- Entrepreneurial Leadership: A Conversation with Tom Gibbs, President of Covenant Theological Seminary. On this episode of the WORKING with Dan Doriani podcast, Thomas Gibbs joins Dan to talk about leading new ministry ventures from the very beginning.
- News with Eternal Perspective: A conversation with Kathleen Wadkins, The Pour Over. For those who have ever felt discouraged by the relentless feed of news, The Pour Over delivers news to your inbox with an eternal perspective. Kathleen Wadkins, Head of Content, joins Dan on this episode of WORKING with Dan Doriani to talk about how faith in Jesus informs her and her organization as they read and communicate world news to their readers.
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- The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
- Faith and Work Book Review ~ Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry by Paul Tripp
- Quotes from the book Working Blessedly Forever, Volume 1: The Shape of Marketplace Theology by R. Paul Stevens
FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday
Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles
- Business That Gives Back: A Conversation with Alan Barnhardt, CEO. On this episode of the WORKING with Dan Doriani podcast, Dan visits with Alan Barnhardt about how generosity as a business benefits employees and communities, all for God’s glory.
- How to Press on After an Unsuccessful Season of Job Seeking. Russ Gehrlein writes “God is still faithful. Just because it is not God’s will now, does not mean it is not his will in the future.”
- Teachability: The Prince of Character Traits. Dave Kraft writes that teachability is one indispensable quality that he would put at the top of all of the lists when it comes to leaders.
- Called to Lead. My book Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in the Workplace is available in both a paperback and Kindle edition. Read a free sample (Introduction through Chapter 2).
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- More links to interesting articles
- The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
- Faith and Work Book Review ~ Why Business Matters to God (And What Still Needs to Be Fixed) by Jeff Van Duzer
- Quotes from the book Working Blessedly Forever, Volume 1: The Shape of Marketplace Theology by R. Paul Stevens
Leadership Attributes: Leaders Add Value
John Maxwell is well known for stating that he wants to “add value” to those he leads and mentors. Maxwell’s “Law of Addition”, from his classic book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, states that leaders add value by serving others. That law, which is what I believe servant leadership is all about, is my favorite law from what is one of my favorite leadership books. Leaders are there to serve their followers, not the other way around. Maxwell tells us that when you serve others, their success becomes your success. But what does it actually mean to “add value” to others? Continue reading
Leadership Attributes: Adaptability
In our series on leadership attributes, we now look at adaptability. Being adaptable is essential for leaders. If you are not adaptable, you are not going to be a successful leader. Our world, and certainly our work world, is constantly changing, and not just in the technology we are required to learn. Leaders have to be adaptable in order to meet the changing needs of customers and their own organizations. Continue reading
FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday
Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles
- Six Ways to Practice Sabbath. Tim Keller writes “I suggest that you should be sure to get six kinds of Sabbath rest. All of these represent different kinds of breaks from ordinary work that can refresh and enrich.”
- Mentoring in the Third Third of Life. Mark D. Roberts writes “Mentoring isn’t the same as training, teaching, or supervising. It’s not just passing on skills, knowledge, or even wisdom. Rather, mentoring involves a deep relationship, one in which shared experience and mutual learning are key.”
- Women & Work Podcast: Courtney Doctor. On this episode of the Women & Work Podcast, Courtney Doctor, Director of Women’s Initiatives for The Gospel Coalition, answers questions from Courtney Moore and Missie Branch.
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- More links to interesting articles
- The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
- Faith and Work Book Review ~ Working in the Presence of God: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Work by Denise Daniels and Shannon Vandewarker
- Quotes from the book Working Blessedly Forever, Volume 1: The Shape of Marketplace Theology by R. Paul Stevens