CCL Network Blog

One of the great relational gifts we possess is the ability to listen to others carefully. Listening is an art and requires focus, mental investment and emotional presence. The power of listening is awesome! When we listen to others well, we impart to them a significant gift. A relational treasure. Most of us have the ability to exercise this gift with great effectiveness. The problem is that we don’t utilize this skill as often as we should. Leaders are at times, poor listeners. Why? Because we are trained to talk!

It only takes a few minutes to drive through a fast-food restaurant, but it takes hours to prepare a Thanksgiving feast. It takes six months to cure a fine Virginia ham and several weeks to age a fine cheese. If you’re physically fit, you can easily run a mile; but if you want to run a marathon, you’ll need several weeks to prepare. Perseverance isn’t flashy, but it’s effective, and it’s an overlooked secret of church growth.

As Christian leaders, all too often we are pressured to define ourselves by what we do, rather than who we are. More relevant than what we do as Christian leaders is who we become in Christ. Irrespective of my measurable accomplishments, or lack thereof, “Who am I in Christ? Perhaps our next spiritual self-evaluation should shift from what you and I are doing for the Lord to who you and I are becoming in the Lord.

Building a great team doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intentionality and emotional intelligence that can spot complimentary skills while at the same time recognizing it takes different personalities and ways of analyzing a problem to make the best decisions.

Christian leaders influence others to see the wonder of Christ and his glorious salvation. Christian leaders influence others to see their personal value to God, their unique qualities and giftedness.