What Every Leader Needs #6: Time Management

*A blog series on what every leader needs to be effective in serving Christ.* Time is passing away every second of every day. The reality is that leaders are to make the most of the time that God has provided. One of the most important principles of leadership is to excel in time management. What is most important? One of the ways I prioritize my time every week through writing down important goals to accomplish. It is important to begin this way because if a leader does not prioritize their time, someone else will do it for them. I have learned that unless I have a goal in mind, it is easy to waste time on projects and plans and end up stressing due to last-minute decisions. Let's be honest. We all have the same amount of time (7 days, 24 hours, 60 minutes). One of the best ways to find out how you are using your time is to evaluate it. I have had to do this during my seminary class and at my ministry job. It is a hard discipline but it will quickly reveal where all of the time is being spent. We have to be willing to remove whatever time-wasting actions. The personal life of a leader is more important than the public ministry due to the fact that character and health is developed in small decisions on a daily basis. Restoring margin to a busy and overloaded life begins with an honest assessment of priorities and a clear decision to make changes to have a clear vision for health and strong leadership.

I have learned to say “no” to good things in order to be able to lead great things. Through my ministry I have learned to delegate responsibilities in order to accomplish a goal faster and more effectively. When a leader rallies the people behind the vision, it becomes shared responsibility and takes less time to accomplish. The goal is to balance time between marriage, ministry, relationships and health. Once time has passed it cannot be refunded, we need to make the most of the time we are given by God.

Effective leaders do not allow the culture to dictate decisions. Find the time wasting decisions and cut it out. Replace it with a goal driven approach so that we manage time instead of letting it manage us! The main goal is to use handle time as precious because eternity is at stake!

What Every Leader Needs #5: Details Matter

*A blog series on what every leader needs to be effective in serving Christ*

The details matter, especially in leadership. I remember forgetting a small detail on a youth trip once that eventually ended up being a big problem! I forgot one of the student's medical release forms and we were 8 hours away from home at registration. What was once a small detail quickly became a bigger problem that was resolved but only after me floundering to find a way to get it sent to us. Not all of us are gifted in the area of details but every leader must learn how to handle the details effectively!

The spiritual gift of administration is a God-given ability to give direction and encouragement to fulfilling the goals of the Great Commission/Great Commandment. A leader who is gifted in this area (although all leaders should learn) will make effective decisions that will complete all ministry tasks quickly and efficiently (2 Corinthians 12:27-28). God is detailed as well! (Psalm 139).

Administration is the art of organizing people, situations, plans, documents with detail. People who are gifted in this area have a keen sense of focusing on details that will smooth out the overall big picture vision. A leader who does not have administration will be slowed down due to the daily tasks being overlooked and inaccurately completed. On every staff or team, there needs to be an administrator that is wise in the details and knows how to handle each small step so that the entire team completes the task with clarity.

Jesus organized by having his disciples with him and was able to use their gifts and abilities in ministry. Usually a leader that is gifted in administration can solve problems and think critically about problems in a systematic way. This spiritual gift is needed and useful for ministry. Not only will they handle the details, but be a strong foundation for the vision to become reality.

The Man Trip

Tomorrow we leave for the annual man trip. This trip is with my good friend Evan, his Dad and a few others. We try to go to big pine key, florida each labor day weekend to fish, dive for lobster and have a blast! If you are like me and serve in ministry, we need to take breaks. We need to rest and relax our minds at times so we can be alert and rested to serve God. I'm thankful for a time to spend with friends and to have a break. I always miss my wife Cassidy when I'm gone but I'm grateful she encourages me to go.

We are praying the hurricanes stay away! Have a great labor day weekend!

Here are a few pictures from the past few years!