http://www.gatewaysministries.com/index.htmlHot News!enjim@gatewaysministries.comCopyright 2011 Jim Inkster2011-04-16T22:03:46+01:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:24:16 +0100jim@gatewaysministries.comleadership leadingbible teachingequipping2011-04-16T22:03:46+01:00http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/798477be22866d2d3d478ae0a9ebf0fe-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/798477be22866d2d3d478ae0a9ebf0fe-11.html#unique-entry-id-11
In the world system the route to leadership in any organization is pretty straightforward. You begin with a junior position and work your way up the ranks. This is a very common approach whether in the military or in a Fortune 500 company. Your competence and desire determine your upward mobility. In some cases some people are so aggressive in their determination to climb the corporate ladder they will do almost anything to get ahead. The consensus is your progress is solely upon your shoulders. Companies will even take advantage of the fact that there is so much competition to get that plum job. They will hold the carrot out in front of the crowd and say its there for those who put in the hours. If you want promotion, you have to pay the price. It is a self-perpetuating system, as the boss who had to go through the hoops will put others through the same rigmarole because he or she had too. The Peter Principle states that "in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence", meaning that employees tend to be promoted until they reach a position at which they cannot work competently.

The Kingdom of God does not work the same way. It is not age related or self-determined by our own personal effort. You have Timothy being exhorted by Paul in 1 Timothy 4:12 “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Then you have Moses becoming the leader of Israel when he was 80. He had tried at the age of 40 to defend them and had to flee to the wilderness to save his life. The corporate world of today would not promote an 80-year-old man to CEO. But God did!

God’s route to leadership is very different from what any of us would expect. The route to promotion in God’s Kingdom seems to be in exactly the opposite direction from where you would expect to go. Look at Joseph. He was his father’s favourite son, given a richly ornamented robe, which spoke of his authority within the family. He had dreams of his promotion over his brothers and the whole family. The envy and hatred of his brothers was palpable. They almost killed him but his oldest brother, Rubin, convinced them to sell him into slavery and thereby spare his life. From Canaan he was taken to Egypt where Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guards purchased him. He was promoted within the household but was still a slave. After being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife of impropriety, he was sent to prison. In prison he worked faithfully and was given a high level of responsibility but was still a prisoner/slave. When the time was right, God promoted him. He went from prison to second in command of all Egypt, the equivalent of being promoted to vice president of the US in this day.

Joseph did not have a sterling cv. He had not attended the right colleges, worked in government or even come from the right family. He was a Hebrew slave in prison when he was promoted. The route he took was one like Moses’ that reflected Christ’s route of promotion. Philippians 2 says: “3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

This route is one that exhibits humility. It is important because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Pride does not reflect the character of God. It was the source of Satan’s downfall. It can be a stumbling block to leadership. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 3 verse 6 that one of the qualifications for a leader is: “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.” Conceited, arrogant, proud leaders are hard taskmasters.

I have shared the importance of influence as the bedrock that defines leadership. There are ways to increase that leadership. But ultimately God determines our promotion into positions of leadership. His qualification is based upon our character as believers who are reflective of Christ.

]]>jim@gatewaysministries.comleadershipleadingbible teachinginfluence2011-03-26T16:18:47+00:00http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/a7bc1975c4d52291aa654d53f31fc741-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/a7bc1975c4d52291aa654d53f31fc741-10.html#unique-entry-id-10
Having said that ‘why are we falling short as leaders?’ The church is often the worst place for leadership simply because it is a spiritual atmosphere where the enemy of our souls is busy stirring things up. It is easier there than anywhere else for the misunderstandings to occur as people generally have high expectations for the church. This is the family of God. They expect the church people are going to be loving and perfect as He is. Unfortunately they aren’t. They are righteous by their standing in Christ but that righteousness is a transforming process happening hopefully over their lifetime.

As leaders we need to understand that through Christ we are seated in heavenly places with Him. We are new creations, born again through believing in what He has done for us. The Holy Spirit is given as His guarantee of eternal life that seals us securely until the coming of His Kingdom in its fullness. But we are in a process. Romans 12:2 states: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Ephesians 4:22 – 24 states: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Our thought patterns need to be changed. That’s why repentance from dead works is one of the six basic foundations of our Christian faith. Repentance means we change our minds and as a result our direction of travel in life. The process we are engaged with is one of transforming the way we think and subsequently act. Our thinking has been shaped by our experiences: good, bad and ugly. We are a product of not only our genetics but also our family of origin, our culture and our personal experiences. We often react out of these stored up subconscious factors. This is normal. I knew a woman whose father committed suicide when she was in her early teens. She thought this was normal for everyone until as an adult her interaction with others revealed this experience was not the norm.

Some in the church take the stand that when we are in Christ old things have passed away, that all things have been made new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) In the context of the passage it is in reference to sin, separation from God and reconciliation back to Him. We are not to think of Christ as the carpenter but as the Son of God. We are not to hold people to what they used to be but to accept them as new creations in Christ with a hope and a future. This is absolutely true but does not negate the fact that our past will have an effect on our life now.

Philippians 2:12 - 13 says: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Paul who also wrote the Corinthian passage is telling us to work out our salvation. How can this be if I am a new creation and the old has past away? It is only possible if you understand that you are a three part being: spirit, soul and body. Our redemption in Christ started with our spirit being born again. Our soul is in process and our body will be redeemed at the appearing of Christ in the sky when He returns, mortal will put on immortal then. In the meantime we work out our salvation by cooperating with what God is doing in our life.
Our natural inclination is to deny issues that are not pleasing to God. Just like Adam who hid when God came looking for him our pride wants us to hide what God wants to reveal. He does not have a problem with our failings; it is us that don’t want them exposed. Christian leaders need to deal with their inner life under the leading of God’s Holy Spirit. Our wholeness and humility to receive healing will create world-changing leaders. We will not lord it over people but will have a serving heart attitude. This attitude, reflective of Christ’s, changes everything.
]]>jim@gatewaysministries.comleadershipleadingbible teaching2011-03-17T16:51:52+00:00http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/23f4c309a65d487f528f657a088cdc99-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/23f4c309a65d487f528f657a088cdc99-9.html#unique-entry-id-9
Why is there no difference? This has nothing to do with standing up on a desk in the midst of the office and declaring that you are a Christian, or saying if they don’t turn they’ll burn. That kind of thing would absolutely drop you to the bottom of the heap in terms of effective leadership. We aren’t talking about preaching the gospel to people. We are talking about living the gospel with people. In the work place with people whose lives you are involved with it isn’t a matter of declaring as much as it is earning there respect first. Once you have that, it is easy to share the reason for your hope in life, the reason why you are different.

The bible says: “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:12,13) Kindness means having a generous, warm, compassionate nature and subsequently expressing that nature. It is fascinating that kindness used to be understood at one time as being ‘full of love’. The scripture states that we clothe ourselves with these qualities.

Then it says to ‘bear’ with each other. Bear is an interesting word too. It means to be able to endure something without great distress or annoyance. This meaning to endure gives a different perspective to the scripture. (I tend to read words thinking I truly understand what they mean but simply looking at a dictionary brings incredible light to the intent of the scripture.) If ‘endure’ is substituted for ‘bear’, it would say, “endure each other without being annoyed or distressed”. In the midst of your enduring if you get offended then forgive what has grieved you. The Lord reminds you that if you are having difficulty with this to remember that He has forgiven you. Extend to others what has been extended to you.

People skills of this quality will make a huge difference in any environment. It is not ignoring the irritations and grievances that come with working with people. The bible is asking you to come in a different spirit or attitude than the rest of the world does. Dare to be different! You have a choice with Christ living in you. Obviously you can do what everyone does and get the same result or you can do it God’s way and get a different result.

In leadership people are the resource we are working with. How we value them will determine our effectiveness in leading. Are we willing to let go of our rights and create an atmosphere that people would give anything to work in? This does not mean you will be perfect and flawless in all your dealings with those following you. It means that if you lose it, or make a mistake, you take responsibility for it and seek to rectify it through reconciliation. People know when you’ve blown it. Trying to act like you haven’t will only undermine their respect for you. If you lose their respect, you lose your ability to lead.
]]>jim@gatewaysministries.comleadershipleadinginfluencetraining2011-03-07T15:19:35+00:00http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/c05ffcb64534f8b4f9efdd6bb8dd9cce-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/c05ffcb64534f8b4f9efdd6bb8dd9cce-7.html#unique-entry-id-7
The second method to increasing your influence is mastering the art of invitation. Most people lead a pretty mundane life. They go to work, return home, eat, watch TV and go to bed. There are very few people who think of things to do outside of the daily grind. Be one of those people and then invite other people along. Their initial reaction will be shock, and then, can we really do this in the middle of the week? Have fun with them. Go out for a drink, a movie, a snack, sports, a walk in the park. Be the initiator by inviting them to join you. You’ll find that they very quickly get the hang of it and will come up with all kinds of ideas you never would have thought of. But they will look to you to approve or disapprove of the idea and to set the date.

If you are thinking of a movie and they aren’t keen on your choice, then be flexible and go with their choice. The point is to spend some quality time with people, and again, by that showing them you care. With each invite your influence level increases. If you are fun to be with, then they are more willing to get involved in whatever vision and plan you have. They will want to help you be successful.

Influence can be increased as long as you remember that leadership is ultimately about people and what is good for them. So if you are not motivated to see life better for everyone, then don’t bother trying to increase your influence. You won’t be able to keep up the front of care when you really don’t and this lack will very quickly deflate all the influence you have gained. But if you have a sense of purpose and vision to see people fulfilling God’s purposes for them, then you can increase your influence and your leadership with a little effort.

]]>jim@gatewaysministries.comleadershipleadingPersonal improvement2011-03-01T23:49:16+00:00http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/6515fcc50b7dbd56d0ec3efb17fd4cf8-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/6515fcc50b7dbd56d0ec3efb17fd4cf8-6.html#unique-entry-id-6Is there any possibility of increasing your ability to influence people? Of course there is. Your ability to influence is to a large degree up to you. There are two steps that you can implement to increase your influence.

The first is exhibit genuine care and concern for people. People are not interested in how much you know until they know how much you care. If you can’t remember their names or any details of their lives then you are not going to have much influence upon them. Leaders need to genuinely care for people.

Names are so important in increasing your influence. If you want to see the effect a name has on someone, simply address a retail clerk or the check out cashier with his or hers the next time you are in the store. Their immediate reaction is shock that you know their name and is written all over their faces. They will immediately warm up to you and suddenly lose that stony aloofness and seeming lack of concern for anyone.

You need to re-focus. It’s not about your goals and your achievements. It’s not all about you. They want to know you care about them. Start by getting to know them. Memorize the details. Apparently Napoleon was incredibly effective because he knew so many of his soldiers by name. Ask them questions. If you need a memory aid, write the details down after the conversation. Be attentive and a good listener. By that I mean look at them when they are talking to you. Don’t play a game or fiddle with an app on your phone while listening. You may be more than able to do both but the impression you give is one of disinterest rather than brilliance. Make eye contact, answer with more than one syllable words, and stay relaxed.

Find out what they are really interested in and then ask them about that. People will always agree that you are a great conversationalist when they have done all the talking about what is important to them. Everyone has something that is their passion and all you have to do to become wonderful in their eyes is find it.

When they know you are interested in them, they are open to listening to what you have to say too. You will find your level of influence has increased immensely by caring about people beyond the superficial level of contact.


]]>jim@gatewaysministries.comleadingleadershipfaithfamilyParentingtraining2011-02-21T17:35:57+00:00http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/eddd24a7ea7af9e84f00ee0893110f58-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.gatewaysministries.com/page1/files/eddd24a7ea7af9e84f00ee0893110f58-5.html#unique-entry-id-5We could be torpedoing ourselves by repelling people due to our aloofness and reserve. We could be abusing them by forgetting who is serving whom. If we think it is all about the people serving us, then we have a rude awakening coming.

When looking to define leadership further there are seven elements that create effective leadership. The first is influence. Without influence you are not leading. If you suggest something to do and no one responds, then you have no influence in that group. A simple way to check your level of influence within a group is to take the opportunity at a restaurant or coffee shop to say, ‘I’m going now’. If everyone else joins you, then you know without a doubt that you have influence and are exercising some level of leadership over that group of people. Someone once said if you think you are leading but look behind you and no one is following, you are simply out for a walk.

Influence and hence, leadership can vary for each individual depending on the makeup of the group involved. If you are a parent, then you have leadership in your family and should be exercising it. (Nothing worse than a child leading the family!) Within organisations there usually exists a chain of command, which should be respected if you are from outside the group or employed within the organisation. But does the title or position ensure leadership? Not necessarily! Although the authority is conferred, it doesn’t mean that the one given the position exercises it.

Leadership is influence. You can lead without the title. Your attitude and your willingness to serve can change the atmosphere of a company or any gathering of people. As long as you know what you stand for and are willing to live it out people will respect you and follow. Books will tell you that the people who do this are opinion shapers within the organisation. They don’t have the responsibility of the one with the title but they often have the influence. The advice is to get these people on your side if you are leading the group. This is wise. To ignore them is to your peril as a leader. But even more effective is for you to be the kind of person that does the right thing, suggests the right course and is willing to take responsibility for your actions and then you will find yourself leading.
]]>