Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1521627
On May 2nd at The Gathering, BSHDFC held its first Certified Mentor training. These 127 men and women have been empowered to utilize authentic relationship with appropriate invitation and healthy challenge to those who look to join the flock. They have been charged with protecting the standard of our witness, character, integrity and faithfulness. We believe that these changes will ensure that our ministry will grow not just in numbers, but in strength, wisdom and purpose for years to come. 8 Habits Great Leaders Have in Common - Laz Alba (article by Greg Groeschel). What sets apart great leaders? Great leaders are fanatically consistent with a few strategic habits. Below are the first four habits many great leaders have in common. If you want to grow in your leadership, start mastering these habits. The best leaders aren't always the smartest, hardest working, or best- connected people. The best leaders intentionally commit to strategic habits that produce their desired results. 1. The Habit of No Snooze How do you get out of bed each morning? (a) Do you wake up naturally (with no alarm) ready to attack the day? (b ) Do you get up after your first alarm? (c) Do you wake up to your alarm, hit snooze, wake up again, hit snooze again, and so on? According to a study done by the University of Notre Dame, 57% of people fit in that third category. This cycle of hitting snooze can cause a chemical and psychological cascade of torment—your amygdala lights up and adrenaline races through your body every time your alarm goes off. This jarring experience every morning can have negative effects on your health and can even lead to heart problems. When you wake up at the right time (with your first alarm or without it), you're telling yourself that the first part of your day matters. "Start early, and if you can't start early, start strong." Pro tip: If you want to sleep better, plan out your day the night before. Going to bed with the next day's lunch, outfits, or meetings already planned will allow your brain to fully rest, leading to higher-quality sleep. 2. The Habit of Pre-Deciding The basic principle of the habit of pre-deciding is this: Any time you can make a decision ahead of time, make it. And, any time you can automate a decision, automate it. Decision fatigue is a very real thing. The more decisions you make in a day, the lower the quality of your decision- making ability So, as often as possible make a decision ahead of time. You will accomplish so much more as a leader when you pre-decide to prioritize what matters most. One easy way to do this is by blocking off regular time on your calendar for your most important tasks. When you make that decision ahead of time, you're making it easy to become the leader you need to become. 3. The Habit of Doing the Hard-Right In your leadership, you're always going to face challenges and obstacles. When you face these challenges, you'll often have two options. The easy-wrong or the hard-right choice. You'll always be tempted to take the easy way out. Don't. Many leaders ask, "What's easy?" The best leaders ask, "What's right?" Many leaders avoid the Hard-Right because it will make a difficult situation even more difficult in the short term. "The difference between where you are and where you want to be might be the pain you're unwilling to endure." You aren't working toward what makes tomorrow easier. You are working toward what makes your team better. Apply the habit of the Hard-Right to every area of your life. Apologize, confess sin, take the long way, invest, instruct, and forgive, even when you don't have to. You'll never regret doing what's right, but you'll often regret doing what's easy. 4. The Habit of You-First Leadership The natural trajectory of leadership is towards self. I speak first and last in meetings, I get the credit when things are going well, and I shift the blame when things are going poorly. As you rise in influence, the habit of You-First Leadership will help you intentionally fight this inclination. As Simon Sinek teaches, "The leaders who get the most out of their people are those who care most about their people." It really matters that you actually care about people. And that care has to start in your heart before your people feel it in the office. If you want to start living with the habit of You-First Leadership, start every interaction with the other person in mind.