5 Fears All Good Leaders Have

We all have them, or at least we should.

Good leaders want to hit the mark. They want to make a difference. They want to be worthy of following. Good leaders want to help others toward achieving clear goals and helping them get there in the best way possible.

That being said – here are five fears all good leaders have.

  1. Fear of missing the mark.
  2. Fear of being status quo.
  3. Fear of leading people in the wrong direction, or maybe just not the best direction.
  4. Fear of nebulous targets.
  5. Fear of a floundering pathway.

These healthy “fears” should fuel good leaders toward good leadership!

Yet most of us have probably had experiences where the goals were not inspiring and action steps were not actually clear. Sometimes, it seems we need to go back to a document or email to remember where we were going or what we supposed to be doing.

Good Coach Training will clear up these concerns and alleviate these fears once and for all!

Before understanding the coaching...

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How NOT To Gamble With Your Destiny!

Do you know what an acorn grows up to be?

How about a kitten? Or maybe a tadpole?

Knowing what is “seeded” within you changes everything! And yet, many people don’t know what they are made of, or what they are meant to become.

When we aren’t sure of what’s in us, we run the risk of gambling with God’s intended destiny for our lives.

Psalm 139:13 says God knit us together in our mother’s womb. He’s the one who decided how tall you would be, what color eyes you would have, whether your hair would be curly or straight and so much more.

These external DNA markers make each of us unique, but wait - there’s more.

So much more.

We have an internal DNA that sets us apart from each other even more than how we look.

Our internal DNA consists of things like:

  • Personality type
  • Motivational gifts
  • Strengths and weaknesses
  • Five-fold ministry gifting
  • 7 Mountains calling
  • Personal passions and unique interest arenas

And the list could go on.

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3 Common Ministry Mistakes Well-Meaning Leaders Make

We don’t mean to, but it happens...

We set out to help people, but sometimes we end up not being effective at best, and possibly even hurting at worst.

Here are 3 mistakes well-meaning leaders make:

1. We tell people what to do.

In the long run, this approach can backfire one of two ways. One, if we are right, we have taught people they need to come to us in order to move forward. This puts a cap on our leadership potential to however many people we can meet within a day or week. Two, if we are wrong, it’s even worse. They can become bitter toward us or even toward God.

What if instead of telling people what to do we taught them how to discern for themselves?

2. We have the same conversations over and over.

Have you ever seen a person’s name pop up on your phone and had a little groan pop up in your heart? Be honest. Sometimes, we have the same conversations over and over with people who are stuck in some sort of way.

What if you were able to direct...

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What Is Coach Training? Here's How to Make Engaged Disciples

When I got my master’s degree I did these coaching “labs” on the side. Turns out they were optional, but I’m so glad I didn’t know that!

Let me explain.

The coaching “labs” were actually coach training and the education I received through them changed my life!

Coaching does not come naturally to most so when I was going through my coach training I really wanted a few things, so I really got seeped in the paradigm.

  • I wanted to be coached, and experience what that felt like. I wanted to see if it really worked.
  • I wanted to see others being coached so I could observe it being done well.
  • I wanted someone to watch me coach and tell me if I was doing it right or wrong if need be. (To be honest, I was a little nervous about that, but I also wanted the affirmation enough to do it.)
  • I wanted to have plenty of time to talk through the concepts with a certified coach and know I was heading in the right direction.

The training I took left me...

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7 Ways Coaching Promotes God's Plan For Spiritual Growth

So, what EXACTLY is Coaching?

I get this question a lot! Usually whispered under someone’s breath, but I get it - the reason they aren’t sure is that there are a few definitions out there and it’s not clear what’s what.

The word coaching originates with the concept of a stagecoach or a Cinderella-type coach, which takes people from one place to another.

ALL coaching does that –- takes people from one place to another.

Sports coaches take a team from the beginning of the season to the championship.

Consultants take a company from where they are to where they want to go.

Personal Trainers help people move from their current weight to an ideal one.

The big difference is HOW!

All the above may consider themselves coaches and they truly are taking people from one place or space to something new. The difference between this coaching and the kind we are talking about is that they do so by telling people what to do. They are experts and they are in charge of...

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Ten Features Zoom Has That Live Meetings Donā€™t

I can honestly say there are a number of reasons I like Zoom better than live!

Here are some of my favorite Zoom features.

1) Simultaneous Response.

When in a Zoom room every single participant can respond at the same time. I love the level up of engagement. Try questions like these:

  • Choosing from a list. “Of the items mentioned which one stands out to you and why?” The list could be anything, but people have to review the topic to share their responses.
  • “On a scale of 1 – 10 with 1 being a little and 10 being a lot where would you rank yourself?” Again, everyone has to think through, apply the concept to their own life, and choose where they fit.
  • Making a list together. Ask for ideas of how to apply the principle, or ways people deal with the issue poorly or well. Concurrent engagement is powerfully connecting.
  • Picking one option. Of the three types mentioned which one resonates for you.

Each of these opportunities allows for multiple people to...

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How To Deal With All The Feels!

Hi, Natalie here. I am Cindy Scott’s third daughter.

She gave me the privilege of writing a guest blog for her. I promise to be brief but I have to brag on my mom a little first.

She and I have only 1 letter that matches in Myers Briggs, N. When I was growing up, she could’ve shut me down for all my feelings, instincts and impulses. Instead, she championed my different personality and helped me understand that who I am is a gift.

I know she has done that for a lot of people reading this blog and if she has, you should drop her a thank you because she doesn’t get enough of those! 

I am done bragging now.

I am a Feeler and I am learning to be proud of that.

For those of you out there who are also feelers, sometimes it can feel like you are a slave to your emotions. Today my goal is to help you see your emotions as tools instead of feeling like a slave to them.

Feelings can be triggered by lots of things.

When they are happy, you feel like the crab Rangoon...

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4 Key Steps to Moving Forward (and they rhyme so theyā€™re easy to remember)

People can get stuck… some get stuck in a mood and feel depressed or just sad, some get stuck in an attitude and feel angry or confused. Others get in a rut and think there is no way out. Still others mess up somehow and believe there is no way to move on.

It’s not new.

Over and over we see Biblical characters getting stuck.

  • Noah let his guard down and embarrassed himself and his family.
  • Elijah felt alone and depressed right after he was involved in two major miracles.
  • David got distracted and totally messed up when he wasn’t focused.
  • Thomas doubted.
  • Peter denied.

And the list could go on and on…

But thanks be to God – He always offers us a way out! 

So, whether it’s you yourself that needs an assist out of a pit, or you need tools to offer that assist to someone you are working with, here’s 4 key steps to moving forward.

The first one sounds religious, but hear me out!

Repent – It’s kind of a church word isn’t it....

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Soul Care Personal Retreat - Special Offer!

 

How are you doing? I mean really - how are you doing?

Eric and I have been trying to take stock of our soul's well being each day in all of this by asking each other for three feeling words. 

They are usually a mix.

Confused, overwhelmed, and helpless get in there sometimes, but so do committed, overcoming, and hopeful.

Can I just be honest? In our lifetimes there has never been anything like this. So, we have the opportunity of a lifetime to lean into God like never before.

I promise He is there for us!!

John 16:33b says, "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

The #1 need people have is Soul Care!

If your heart is at peace, you can get through anything, so if you are right with God then what's happening externally has less impact on you than what's happening internally.

Eric came home from a walk the other day and said he thought people would really benefit from the Soul Care retreat...

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Ten Quick Tips for Leading Groups Online (#7 is a game changer!)

If you’ve never led a group online these tips can help! (Many work for live groups as well.)

1) Pray for your group as you prepare. Even if you are preparing on the fly, shoot up a breathe prayer for God to guide.

2) Open up with a greeting and give a quick overview of what is going to happen. 

For us at Worship Center - that’s easy! We walk through the pathway provided just after the message notes in the app. (Here's an example.)

3) Inform, or remind, people of a couple best practices.

  • How to mute your mic and when that is important - like if there is any background noise at all: children, animals, traffic, etc.
  • Where to find the gallery view or speaker view.
  • Highlight the chat option, if your online service offers that.

(I LOVE the chat option for online groups. It provides an opportunity for everyone to participate at the same time. Try using it with a question like: “Of the three things mentioned, which one stands out to you and why?” Everyone can...

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