Leaders can find themselves losing patience when team members invariably act like the humans they are. The Old Testament book of Exodus reminds leaders that God hears our frustrations and gives us the strength to be patient.  The Israelite’s grumbling for water pushed Moses to the brink, and he expressed his frustration to God.  “Then ...

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The Theology of Work Bible Commentary describes how the Old Testament book of Exodus highlights work. The book opens with the Israelites working for the Egyptians, then chronicles how God frees the Israelites to do a new kind of work under his care. The book’s leadership lessons can guide us today.  God paints a picture ...

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Praying for the teams we lead might not be a leadership tactic in many secular management books. But it is an important leadership responsibility that Moses demonstrates in chapter 34 of the Old Testament book of Exodus.  After the Israelites demonstrated their disobedience, Moses recognized that the people needed God’s forgiveness.   “Moses bowed to the ...

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In chapter 18 of the Old Testament book of Exodus, Moses’ father-in-law Jethro delivers a powerful leadership lesson as he watches Moses act as the sole judge for the people.   “Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good... The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” Exodus 18:17-18   Jethro tells Moses ...

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During my final Graduate School of Banking summer, I was a new Christian. My midwestern peers noticed a difference and seemed determined to draw me back into drunkenness and debauchery.   One evening, my peers decided to visit a strip club. It suddenly became their mission to ridicule and pressure me to join them. I locked ...

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As someone who has hired hundreds of speakers, I take seriously the responsibility of hiring someone to speak God’s truths to our network. I’ve experienced the awe of watching Henry Blackaby speak a powerful message from God during the 2008 stock market collapse.   But I’ve also experienced the horror of a speaker offending our audience ...

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My friend and former police officer, Steve, once told me, “I never had a problem chasing a man that I suspected had a gun. But if I had to stand before a large audience and speak like you do, I would be petrified.”  God didn’t design Steve for public speaking, and He didn’t design me ...

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When someone feels compelled to tell you they are ethical, it’s likely they aren’t. Years ago, I met a business owner who kept telling me that he was a person of high integrity.   While touring his business, one of his employees stopped me to say, “Don’t believe anything he says. My boss is a crook ...

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In this series, we’re discussing the art of delegation. The fourth step is establishing an effective organizational structure and then, begin delegating.  Bill was the President over five branches. He had the bank divided between retail and commercial. I led the commercial side.   Every Monday, Bill assigned me a stack of files and required me ...

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In this series, we’re identifying four steps to help you delegate some of your work to others. The second step is to teach your team members your guiding principles and expectations.  Bill was a bank president known for his clean loan portfolio. He prided himself on having almost zero past due loans. If a loan ...

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