Going Steady

Going steady in the context of leadership is not about getting a date, it's about getting progress.

What great leaders have in common with one another is the fact that they have a clear direction and an understanding of how they will get where they are going. One of the worst things you can do as a leader is to flip flop on your vision or values.

Every leader has a true core set of values or principles which guide them. Whether you write them down or not, you will live by them. Some things are of utmost importance and others don't matter as much. It's natural. Get over it.

IN CHURCHES I've seen so many small/medium sized churches get the 'Conference Cravings'. This is similar to uncontrolled eating. The conference cravings have you craving to be like that last church and conference you attended. I've seen churches 'want to be' 12 different styles and types of churches because at each of their conferences, the host church shared a great story of how God used certain methods to expand that ministry.

What's interesting to me about each of these conferences is that I've yet to attend one where they said "Here's the conference... we stole it all from ____________. Thanks for coming!"
I've also never heard them say "We change our vision and values like underwear!"

The basic premise for each of these great ministries is that they understand the context of their culture and they've created a ministry to reach that context. They also have leaders who have shared a compelling vision and have remained true to that vision from jump street. Did they learn along the way? Sure! Did they try a few methods along the way? Yes! Did they change their fundamentals every 6 months? NOPE.

So go to conferences but take home principles to apply in your context. Adapt the concepts to your context and go steady! Hey, it's easier than asking a girl out for the first time!