Category: Self Surrendered Leadership

Do you ever say, ‘I will be happy when…?’

Posted on by stephe

‘My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things. And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.’ James 1:2-4 Read more about Do you ever say, ‘I will be happy when…?’[…]

Am I successful?

Posted on by stephe

Defining success proves challenging, as its meaning varies among individuals. Commonly, it is perceived as achieving goals or fulfilling potential, yet the nature of these goals differs widely. In Western traditions, success is often tied to wealth, power, and position. Ruth Haley Barton recently wrote an article on re-thinking success. She quotes a pastor sharing his experience: “I retired a year ago from one of several consecutive positions as associate or senior pastor.  I retired Read more about Am I successful?[…]

Do you set goals for personal growth?

Posted on by stephe

Happy new year to you. I am a self-confessed goal setter. I have had this habit for many years and as I look back over my journey, I have seen many goals reached. But I am also aware of the failures in the process. Failure is part of growth, and we need to build resilience to push through the failures and press on to see the development we long for. Any research scientist will tell Read more about Do you set goals for personal growth?[…]

How easy is it for me to forgive?

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After a long shift at the fire department, Matt Swatzell fell asleep while driving and crashed into another vehicle, taking the life of pregnant mother June Fitzgerald and injuring her 19-month-old daughter. According to ‘Today magazine’, Fitzgerald’s husband, a full-time pastor, asked for the man’s diminished sentence—and began meeting with Swatzell for coffee and conversation. Many years later, the two men remain close. “You forgive as you’ve been forgiven,” Fitzgerald told Today. So, how do we Read more about How easy is it for me to forgive?[…]

Is Integrity really that important for a leader?

Posted on by stephe

Growing up in London, I used to love going on holiday to the seaside resorts in the UK and they all had ‘sticks of rock’ – candy for the Americans reading this. The name of the resort was all through the stick, no matter where you broke it. It might have been easier to just put a label on the end of the stick of rock but no, it’s there throughout the length of the Read more about Is Integrity really that important for a leader?[…]

Are you in your element?

Posted on by stephe

I have just read ‘the element’ by Ken Robinson and found it stimulating and enlightening. I have précised some of his key points in this article – here’s what the back cover of the book shares: A teenage boy goes through school, and nobody thinks he has any particular musical talent. He goes on to be one of the most famous musicians in the world. A nine-year-old girl is thought to have a learning disorder. Read more about Are you in your element?[…]

Are you a lifelong learner?

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Definition: Lifelong learning is the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. What Does it Mean to Be a Lifelong Learner: The book, ‘The three boxes of Life’ throws away the idea of learning, working and leisure as the three developmental phases that we all experience. Instead of graduating high school, getting a university degree and moving on to a lifetime of work before retiring, we are to learn, work Read more about Are you a lifelong learner?[…]

Are you ready for unexpected disruption?

Posted on by stephe

Happy new year! Rite and I have just enjoyed a wonderful advent season, the first in Calgary, our new home. During an advent message at church, we focused on Mary the mother of Jesus who is at the centre of the Christmas story. She was on a predictable journey in her simple life living in Nazareth as a teenage girl, preparing for marriage with Joseph. That simple life however, was suddenly disrupted by a visit Read more about Are you ready for unexpected disruption?[…]

What strategies do we employ for overcoming our anxiety?

Posted on by stephe

1 peter 5:7 encourages us to ‘Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.’ Sounds easy, doesn’t it? So why are we in an epidemic of people struggling with anxiety in all walks of life and especially in the younger generations.  We are all aware that the COVID season has developed widespread mental health issues among the whole population but perhaps there’s more to it. It has been suggested that Millennials and Read more about What strategies do we employ for overcoming our anxiety?[…]

What can we learn about leadership from the late great Queen Elizabeth ll?

Posted on by stephe

Crowds lined the streets to honour this amazing Queen who has been in office for the last seventy years. So much has been said, so many affirmations given, so much respect; I want to add thoughts of leadership lessons I’ve read from the many who have loved, admired and been inspired by her. We cherish the memory of this truly great leader. Maintain calmness in the midst of change: The past seventy years have involved Read more about What can we learn about leadership from the late great Queen Elizabeth ll?[…]

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