Congregational Integrity
We rightfully expect personal integrity in our leaders. Should we not also ask whether our congregation has integrity? The behavior of organizations is as important…
Browsing: Lessons for Leaders
Articles
A Spiritual Recovery
Today, we are faced with a terrifying financial crisis in both domestic and global financial markets. The economy is in dire straits according to leading…
Outliers: The Story of Success
Have you ever wondered why some people are extraordinarily successful? How do some people overcome insurmountable odds and reach an elite level in their fields?…
It’s In the Mind
Most people know that it was Roger Bannister who first ran the mile in less than four minutes. It was on May 6, 1954, in…
Jesus as Transformational Leader
A leader’s continual presence among followers is integral to transformational leadership. It creates teachable moments, fosters relationship, and allows for targeted and personalized interactions. Transformational…
Diversity Leadership in the Church
As church leaders attempt to address the challenges presented by the expanding diversity of local congregations and American culture at large, a new energizing vision…
Speaking the Truth in Love to a Longtime Member
During my third year as pastor of the Austin Church in north-central Pennsylvania, I faced a leadership crisis that threatened the effectiveness of my ministry…
Jesus Asked the Right Questions
Marc Brown explores how Jesus defines the reality of God’s kingdom and his own identity by asking the right questions. In the ninth chapter of…
Leadership Lessons from a Dairy Queen
Adam Hamilton says ensuring a quality experience and pursuing excellence demonstrates that we care about people and desire a relationship with them. One evening, my…
Doing Things Well
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., advises that churches set high standards, pay attention to details, and do things with quality, rather than doing just enough to…
Becoming a Spiritual Leader
Bishop John Schol writes about the spiritual qualities of leadership: deep faith, discipleship, and the heart and mind of Christ, and the fruits of leadership.…
Lead Now
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., writes clergy must focus clearly and passionately on those they are serving now, rather than hoping for something better in the…
No Solitary Leaders
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., reveals that Paul Revere was not a lone actor, but an organizer, connector, and motivator involving about 60 others in his…
Leaders Stay Connected
Margaret Marcuson discusses the tension between individuality and togetherness for church leaders using the metaphor of a string quartet. Leaders straddle the tension between togetherness…
“Who is the Greatest?” – The Perennially Wrong Leadership Question
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., writes that authority is not about status; it is about what God’s will is for each of us and how faithful…
Knowing the Pathways of Congregational Life
Margaret Marcuson advises pastors to learn the history and familiar ways of a church before introducing change because the patterns of the past will have…
Lovett Weems Recommends Books by Peter Drucker
The Effective Executive, originally published 1967 and still available in many editions The forerunner of countless management books, The Effective Executive is the best-known and…
Important Lessons My Congregation Helped Me Learn
Richard Hunter shares lessons learned about how his style in addressing a problem could divide or unify the church in a common goal. Several years…
A Leading Ideas Interview with Adam Hamilton
Lewis Center Director Lovett Weems interviews Adam Hamilton to glean insights for other churches in the Church of the Resurrection’s success. The Rev. Adam Hamilton…
What I Learned from a Group of Unruly Youth
Will Rowan, a youth minister in Alberta, Canada, learns from an unexpected outcome in a prayer workshop for high school students. During the spring of 2003,…
Basketball Coaching and Leadership
Douglass Lewis finds five insights on leadership in Phil Jackson’s book about coaching the L.A. Lakers. Last Christmas I received a copy of Phil Jackson’s…
Stages in Leadership
Lovett Weems reflects on stages of leadership through the experience of making a difficult journey. A few years ago, I was scheduled to preach on…
Leadership Lessons from Peter F. Drucker (1919-2005)
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., writes about the influence of Peter Drucker. Weems has found that many of Drucker’s ideas apply to pastoral ministry. Peter Drucker,…
I Hope They Will Know I Believed in Them
Lovett Weems notes the prevalence of a “we-they” attitude of clergy toward their members while lifting up examples of leaders who affirm laity. One study…
Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge
Lovett Weems reviews Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge, the leadership book that Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner wrote in collaboration with religious leaders. For more than…
Leadership in the Wesleyan Spirit
The purpose of this book is simple — to reclaim a vision for church leadership from the great spiritual awakening known as the Wesleyan movement.…
John Wesley’s Message Today
With its plain, easy-to-understand language, this Pocket Guide will help you understand the major aspects of John Wesley’s theology. You will discover what Wesley believed…