Monthly Archives: June 2013

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How To Stay Motivated As A Leader

Great leaders know they need to stay motivated. They need to have their head in the game and be willing to go to the front.

And yet there are times when we lack motivation. We want to give in and quit.

Image by Kenny Louie

Image by Kenny Louie

I’ve seen this time and again as a youth leader. We’ll bring new staff members on board only to see them slip away and drop out of their leadership position.

This dropping away happens from a lack of motivation. They’re no longer seeing what they once enjoyed and brought happiness to their lives.

Instead it’s become dull and drab. A burden to carry or toss away. It’s up to them but we see them giving up.

In The Importance of Discovering The Proper Motivation, I wrote that the proper motivation should be to help others become better. I still believe this.  Read more...

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Learning From Local Leaders

With the advent of the internet, it’s never been easier to connect with big-name leaders. Guys like Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, or Guy Kawasaki are a website away.

But with this in mind, don’t forget about your local leaders. Those doing wonderful things in your local community. There are just as many great leaders in your town as there are in any other.

The great thing about these leaders? You can normally sit down and converse with them in person. I won’t lie, there’s nothing like connecting in person.

Sometimes I forget how many great leaders there are locally too. So don’t worry if you have this problem. It happens, especially with all the glitz and glamor you see associated with the big names.

That’s why I was excited to see the Muskegon Chamber of Commerce honor 15 young and upcoming leaders in my city with the new Future 15 award.  Read more...

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5 Reasons Why Simple Leadership Rocks

I think we’ve been sold a lie. That leadership has to be difficult and complicated. But a recent blog post about unconventional ways to lead brought out that many leaders have learned the truth.

Simple leadership rocks and more leaders need to hop onto the train.

While I’m a fan of simple leadership, it got me thinking about the reason why. I believe it deserves a deeper look.

After thinking through the reasons why our leadership needs to be simple, I came up with 5 reasons to lead with simplicity.

1. Simple leadership allows for clear communication: When leaders are leading with simplicity, they’re much more apt to speak and communicate with a simpler message. This allows the leader to give directions in ways their team members will understand. It also helps prevent misunderstandings.  Read more...

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Putting People In Their Place

One of the things that I learned from a talk I heard from a great leader named Sam Chand was “proper people placement prevents problems!”

What a true statement. One of the most frustrating places to be in is the wrong position. I have learned you can save yourself a lot of personnel issues and money by having the right people in the right place.

There was a point in my career where I was promoted to a job I had no skills, no passion, and no desire for, but at the time I had to do it because I needed the money. I could do the job, I was good at it, but I didn’t like it. I was grateful to have it and it eventually opened the door for me to be promoted to a position I was better suited for.  Read more...

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Get People To Volunteer

What’s the hardest thing to do as a leader? If you’re like me, it’s finding people to buy in and give their all. There’s many times where we place people into positions thinking they’re a good fit. Only to find out they’re not.

Part of the problem is we assign people to tasks. They’re handpicked by us. We want them for the position.

But are they right for the position?

Instead of choosing people to a job position, begin seeking out volunteers for the position.

Now, this doesn’t mean we don’t pay them. This means we’re seeking out people who are looking to expand their influence and take on greater responsibilities.

Why would we want to seek out volunteers instead of appointing someone to a new position?

Something unique happens when we begin adding volunteers to the team. Our teams start to flourish.  Read more...