Leadership Changes Things - Biblical Leadership Suggestions for 2018

Leadership Changes Things

“Everything will get worse naturally over time. Positive change only occurs when someone decides to make positive changes.”

Examples:  Run down houses can be restored to beautiful homes. – HGTV

Our bodies, we gain weight and get unhealthy effortlessly but lose weight and get in good shape only with extreme work

Our Brains – Use it or Lose it.  Think algebra skills you had in HS but that have seemingly disappeared now.

Our Relationships will break down easily, it takes work to maintain them.  Marriage, Family and Friendships.

NFL Examples of Leadership Making a Huge Difference:

1.)    Sean McVay – New Coach of LA RAMS. Completely turned the team around (4-12 last season and 7 wins as best season in 5+ years).  This year they are currently 11-4.  He instituted a Culture of Accountability.  Started fining players for being even 1 second late to meetings, practices, etc. No excuses allowed! His leadership has made a huge difference for this team.

2.)    Tom Coughlin – Former Coach of NY Giants.  Led team to 2 Super Bowls. Let go 2 seasons ago.  Now is an advisor to Jacksonville Jaguars.  Jaguars are now poised to make the playoffs for the first time in 10+ years and the Giants are an utter disaster since he left. Culture of an Experienced Winner.

3.)    Jimmy Garoppolo – Tom Brady’s (New England Patriots) Back-up Quarterback for several seasons.  Gets Traded to 49er’s in the middle of this season.  The 49’ers were 1-10 before he started playing QB for them.  He has won his first 4 games and the team is now 5-10. Culture of Learning and Winning.

Leadership Changes Things!

Some Suggestions on How to Lead Biblically in 2018

1.)    Be Humble- Admit you Don’t Know Everything.  Humility gives God room to bless us.  Psalms 138:6, James 4:6

2.)    Be a Servant- Serve your family, your boss, your co-workers and your spouse.  Servant Leadership Says “What can I do for you?” instead of “What can you do for me?”  “You will either use  your people to build your position or use your position to build people.” Nehemiah 5:14-16

3.)    Be Present – Be Where You Should Be – 2 Samuel 11:1 – Make time with those you lead a key part of your life.

4.)    Be Consistent – Allow those you lead the luxury of knowing what to expect day in and day out.  There is great comfort and security in knowing that the one you follow is consistent.  Don’t make your family, team, co-workers or followers guess what type of mood you are in.  Nothing is more frustrating to followers than not knowing what to expect.  Ephesians 6:4

5.)    Be a Vision Caster – Have a Vision of a preferred future for your family, your organization, whatever you lead.  Have a plan to make people’s lives better, more fulfilled and be able to implement that plan.  “Where there is no vision there is no hope” George Washington Carver. Proverbs 29:18

6.)    Be a Teacher – Everyone loves a person who can teach them something new.  Teachers (not in the strict, professional sense of the word, but to include anyone who can teach us something) are an extremely valuable and much loved person in any society.  Be a person who can teach others things and you will greatly bless anyone who follows you.  Particularly teach your children how to live for Jesus Christ.  Provide opportunities for them to see how God has blessed your family and will continue to bless you in the future.  Proverbs 22:6, Joshua 4:1-9

7.)    Be a Lover -  Love Your Followers. Love Your Family.  Love Like Jesus Loved and Love Those Jesus Loved.  I John 4:7-11

Does Sports Participation Build Character???

I had the opportunity to attend a 3D Coaching Clinic this weekend sponsored by Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  The entire clinic was a blessing and a great learning opportunity.  I am thankful for the chance I had to go and learn.  The presenter was a man by the name of Kerry O'Neil and the following thoughts come from him and his organization with a few of my thoughts sprinkled in.

One of the many questions he asked was:  "Does Participating in Sports Build Character?"  Since the room was filled with 40 or so coaches the overwhelming response was "Yes, Absolutely, sports build character."  Mr. O'Neil's next question of course was "What character traits do sports build."  Typically, the answers provided (one came from me) were Dedication, Teamwork, Sacrifice, Time-Management, Organization, etc.  You could probably add a few others to the list but that is the basic idea and all the coaches in the room agreed.  Mr. O'Neil then rocked my world.  He said "Do you know who also possesses those qualities in very high amounts other than athletes?  Terrorists and most master criminals."  Terrorists are highly organized, work in teams, manage time well and make tremendous sacrifices to further their cause.  You could hear a pin drop.

Mr. O'Neil explained that the above character traits are "social traits" and while good, they are not ideally what we should be teaching our athletes.  He claimed that as coaches we must be teaching our athletes "moral traits."  For those of us in Christianity we must be teaching the next generation "christian values."  Coaches who only teach, model and require social characteristics are not doing much at all.  He states that to be an effective coach and leader we must be teaching "moral/Christian" character qualities.  Those qualities include empathy, integrity, trust, value of human life.

Mr. O'Neil claims that a 20 year study that involved 70,000 athletes, coaches, parents and and former athletes shows scientifically that participation in sports actually lowers an athletes attainment of "moral values."  That is shocking but looking back over my close to 18 years in coaching I can see how it may be true.  Sports participation is not necessarily valuable in building the "important" values in young people.  Basically, it all comes down to who is coaching and how they are coaching.  We as coaches must be teaching, modeling and requiring our athletes to gain moral/christian values if we are to be effective.