10 Best Decisions a Leader Can Make

Bill Farrel

Description

In his engaging and personable new book, bestselling author Bill Farrel reveals ten time-tested truths that show what every leader must know, the questions they must be prepared to answer, and the real-world issues they will likely face.Effective leaders make strategic decisions that enable others to succeed. They provide guidance, encouragement, and confidence that allow others to fully develop and employ their talents and energy. This book will help anyone who desires to leadidentify the decisions that increase their influenceincrease their ability to focus on personal goalsraise their confidence levelcreate opportunities for others to succeedclarify what they really care aboutWhile other books focus on leadership methods, this book focuses on characteristics that are at the core of successful leadership. The result is a book that shows readers how to become more influential, respected, and successful in the decisions they make when leading others.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
• Date de parution: 01 avril 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9780736945417
• Langue: English

Extrait

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Cover design by Left Coast Design, Portland, Oregon
Cover photo Shutterstock / pixelfabrik
The author is represented by the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. www.alivecommunications.com .
THE 10 BEST DECISIONS A LEADER CAN MAKE
Copyright 2013 by Bill Farrel
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Farrel, Bill, 1959-
The 10 best decisions a leader can make / Bill Farrel.
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-7369-4540-0 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-4541-7 (eBook)
1. Leadership-Religious aspects-Christianity. I. Title. II. Title: Ten best decisions a leader can make.
BV4597.53.L43F37 2013
253-dc23
2012041087
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
This book is dedicated to Rick Verkerk and the faithful men who oversee the ministry of Promise Keepers, Canada.
It has been an awesome privilege working with you to see men s lives transformed. Your contagious leadership and dedication to the principles that make a real difference in men s lives has obviously been honored by our Savior .
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION Leadership Is You
CHAPTER 1 Decide to Be a Leader
CHAPTER 2 Decide to Pursue Your Personal Vision
CHAPTER 3 Decide to Be Ready
CHAPTER 4 Decide to Be Real
CHAPTER 5 Decide to Team Up
CHAPTER 6 Decide to Major in Motivation
CHAPTER 7 Decide to Be Relational
CHAPTER 8 Decide to Identify the Influencers
CHAPTER 9 Decide to Rally to Risk
CHAPTER 10 Decide to Seek Supernatural Support
CONCLUSION Pursue Your Dream
Notes
About the Author
About the Publisher
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T his book has grown out of a desire that has been developing in my heart since I was in high school. I was the starting quarterback and the point guard on the basketball team, and I was often asked to run for student body offices. Within two months of beginning a personal relationship with Jesus at the age of sixteen, I was leading a Bible study with my brother. I was drawn to leadership, but I didn t know how to be a leader.
A series of faithful people, however, have helped me learn how to lead and then how to get the leadership principles on paper in a simple enough form for others to apply. My brother Jim was the first catalyst. Jim, you will never know how much confidence I gained when you told me in high school that it was exciting to play when I was the quarterback. You will also probably never fully appreciate the way leading a Bible study with you set the course for the rest of my life in ministry.
Meeting Pam at a college ministry conference was a better leadership move than I could ever have realized. Pam, you are one of the most effective and relentless leaders I have ever met. Your constant example of investing in others and leading the charge to help people grow is a constant source of inspiration to me.
Jack Peacock and the leadership group at Calvary Bible Church in Bakersfield, California, saw potential in me early on. Thank you men for investing in a young, idealistic pastor who made his share of mistakes as he figured out what it meant to lead with accountability.
I am forever indebted to the investment Jim Conway made in my life. Jim, I am still not sure what you saw in me that made you willing to spend time every week for four years investing in my growth, but I am extremely grateful. I learned how to apply skills, attitudes, and decision-making techniques I had read about from you. I can t imagine what my life would have been like without your input.
I want to thank Bob Hawkins and the entire staff at Harvest House Publishers. Bob, I love laughing with you as we dream about how to make a real difference in our world. Your staff is a refreshing collection of dedicated, mature professionals who have not lost the idealism that comes with faith in a big God.
Special thanks need to be extended to Rod Morris, who did an expert job editing the manuscript. Rod, thank you for clarifying my words, eliminating stories that were interesting but not relevant, and maintaining the integrity of the message. This book will help many more people because of your input. You have also won me over to being a Kansas State fan. One day we will watch them play for a national championship.
Finally, I want to say thank you to my Savior, Jesus Christ. You found me when I was sixteen in the padded seat of a movie theater and have taken me on a thrill ride ever since. It is humbly exhilarating to be in this remarkably unequal partnership.
INTRODUCTION
Leadership Is You
I was talking with a young man recently who reminded me of the importance of leadership. He played football at the same school as one of my sons. I asked him how he decided on this particular school.
When I first visited the school it was all about football, but then the coaches lives got my attention. I was really impressed with the way they treated their wives and talked about their kids. I wanted to know if these men were for real.
It still amazes me that the defensive coordinator invites us over to his house on Sundays to spend time with him and his family. He has a good marriage and a great relationship with his kids. He lives in a nice house. He has a good life, and I have seen in him what I want in my life.
It was one more example of the reason God calls us to lead. This young man came from a broken home. He respects his hardworking mom and has a loyal connection with his sister, but his dad is not in the picture. He wants to have a solid career, satisfying marriage, and successful family, but he didn t have a consistent male role model to pattern his life after. It is for people like him that the Bible challenges us to set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity (1 Timothy 4:12). He found inspiration and confidence in the leaders who helped along his journey.
My List
We can all describe the journey of our lives by the leaders who have impacted us.
In third grade, Mrs. Svoboda taught me that math could be fun. She was energetic about math concepts and instituted a number of competitive games to help those of us with natural aptitude excel in our development. It was the first time in my life that learning captured the same sense of adventure as athletic competition. Her influence lingered all the way to college when I decided math would be a viable and enjoyable degree for me to pursue.
In fifth grade, I was assigned to Mr. Foladare s class. His body was mildly deformed from a childhood malady, but it never stopped him from doing what was on his heart. He taught with focus and enthusiasm that made me want to learn. He pitched for both teams during softball at recess. Even though he was only five foot six, he coached an elite club basketball team that consistently played in tournament championships. He was tough-minded, energetic, and determined that obstacles would not hold him back. He loved literature, which he read to us with gestures, animated voices, and enthusiasm. Through his influence, I began to think that books were more than just words on paper, and that eventually planted in me a desire for writing.
I entered my freshman year in high school with anticipation and hesitation. Coach Pitts started basketball practice that year with the statement, You are going to be the toughest, hardest working team in our league. You may end up liking me or hating me by the end of the season, but you will be the most determined basketball players around. I wasn t even sure at the time why it got my attention. I do know, however, that my time with Coach Pitts better prepared me for the realities of life. When things don t work out the way I had hoped, I can hear his voice, You can give just a little more. When I am exhausted by the responsibilities of life, I can hear his voice, You are strong. You can do this. When the aches and pains of aging tempt me to give in, I can hear his voice, Pain doesn t stop those who want to do their best.
Coach Howell was a high-school football coach in the mold of Paul Bear Bryant. He wasn t the most personable man I have ever met, but he knew how to win. He taught me that success is not just about talent. It s about maintaining discipline in the midst of adversity. It s about adjusting to challenges with a clear view of your goal and cultivating a mindset of believing you will succeed despite the forces trying to keep you from it.
Pastor Jack Peacock taught me the power of building authentic networks. He had an uncanny ability to connect with rugged men. Policemen had natural respect for him. Firemen called him a friend. Hunters and business owners alike were comfortable around him. He wasn t the most talented organizer and attending leadership conferences raised his stress level. He could, however, relate to real men in the midst of their real lives. He was also one of the most talented preachers when it came to altar calls. Every message he delivered ended with a call to commitment that motivated hundreds of people every year to trust in Christ as their Savior.
Bob Bell was a corporate leader I watched from a distance. He was extremely busy with his career and family so he didn t have much time to give, but the way he handled his life and business was attractive to me. An associate of his told me one day, Bob was in charge of investigating safety reports in our