True men that lead, do so with character, honor and values that are visible.  Whether they be a visionary that sits on a board of a non-profit, a minister or priest leading a local church, a small business owner leading a few, a father or husband leading his family.  Whatever your role is you must take charge and lead with compassion as well as courage. Many of us I am sure have had the experience working for or with people who lack moral character and the ability to lead.  Those people who may have the title of manager, supervisor, or even father yet are paralyzed by fear and could not make a decision if their own lives depended upon it. They may not be the obvious responsibility shirking weasels we all know so well.  They can also come in the form of unorganized mutterers that rely on other people to force them into a decision.  They can be the guy down the street that talks about all the things he wants to do to improve the neighborhood yet always is away on business on beautification day.  Or the guy at church that talks about how things need to change but is never willing to give up watching Football to help out at church. In a world that is faced with morality issues that cannot depend upon the people who are currently leading the charge, we need men that will step up.  Men that have morals, values, are God-fearing, and wife loving men. Men that will […]

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As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. – Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron is a common phrase when looked at in the natural sense can be misleading.  Iron as it exists cannot truly sharpen other iron as they are of the same consistency and strength. Before you all stop reading and run me out on a rail let me continue… When iron is of the same density, just like any other substance it will not wear down or sharpen its counterpart.  Therefore, and as is intended in the scripture, there would need to be differing levels of density,strength and texture for iron to sharpen iron. The same is in the case of men, we can sharpen each other in these ways: Mentoring Spiritual guidance Sharing experience Learning from mistakes Being a sounding board Trust confidant All of these and more can be accomplished without diminishing our character or causing one to be superior or inferior to the other.  As men, if we are strong enough to admit our own shortcomings, we provide ourselves with the opportunity to learn and grow with others. The challenges we face today is that many men were raised with the idea of asking for help is just not what we do.  The men that gave us this advice however were of a different generation. This generation was already unknowingly sharpening each others character in the form of things like the military, all boys schools, discipline in the home and at school, church communities, rotary and other men […]

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Whether you are a manager of many, and entrepreneur leading a few, or father leading a family the basics remain true.  There is a fine line between being overbearing and one that leads by tough love in a faithful manner. In a world that has become soft and would rather focus on work-life balance rather than the bottom-line.  The demanding, sometimes abrasive and rude boss that requires structure and demands perfection is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. However, if you can find the proper balance of Tough and Love you may find yourself leading a team willing to follow you rather than run. “When you build a relationship on trust, then the majority of people are OK with tough love,” says Christine Porath, a professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. – INC TRUST is key to a leader’s success. As long as they lead their team with truth and faith the team will follow in trust. Whether it is a local congregation or a Fortune 500 company without trust, a leader you will never be. The heart of a leader needs to be at the core of their decision-making. Even when the leader demands long hours and may have what could be considered unreasonable expectations. As long as their heart is in the right place and are leading with love, it is OK to hurt a little. The tightrope though is maintaining the demanding nature while also maintaining the nurturing respect that the team they serve has grown to expect. A […]

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