How do you reach your full potential? - Part Two: Priorities

With any business, ministry, organization, marriage... well, in life in general, there are priorities that we innately or purposefully put into our lives.

For me, priorities guide us to be truly effective in everyday life. It reveals areas of improvement, strengths, and maintains stragetic balance. In ministry, I have 5 priorities:

• Self-Leadership - this is the art of leading yourself and leading yourself well. It includes time management, being redeemptive in conflict, leadership plans, etc. It is the art of growing as a leader (Romans 12:8). How are you growing as a leader?
• Administration - this is a fact. Whether you like it or not, administration is part of life... either you lead the charge OR administration will lead you. We see this in the life of Moses as he tried to govern every situation, crisis, conflict, issue with two million people! Imagine having a congregation of two million people and dealing with every petty issues... that would kill me! In fact, Moses' father-in-law told him that this focus in leadership was not good (Exodus 18:1-20:23). Jethro suggested that he needed to give balance to his priorities... as most of it was spent in administration.
• Relationships - leadership, at its very core, is ALL about relationships. If you are not leading people to a bigger cause than yourself and your agenda, then your leadership is limiting. Key relationships help broaden and deepen leadership, and moves the organization forward. The deeper the relationships, the higher the impact in your leadership. Do you have a stragety in building your leadership context by leading people? 
• Outreach - In saying that, it is important to know the culture you are living in. 21st Century leadership is about context. It is about leading "where you are", "bloom where you are planted". In other words, don't carbon copy other leaders or even methods... Look at your context and bloom. Are you making a difference?
• Core vs. Chore - bloom in your giftings! This is a high priority to me in leadership. Know yourself - your strengths, growth areas, and gifts - this is your core. Chore activites are doing things that drain you. Core activities renew you. Knowing yourself is a daily journey that requires self - awareness, good people to speak into your life... not critices. Critics are people who complain but do nothing about it. Who do you listen to in your life? Critics or those who speak INTO your life? Do you have a leadership plan to bloom in your core? Or are you just doing chores?

Let me know your thoughts.

Have a great weekend.