I am more of an outdoor exercise person, but in the winter, I frequent the gym. I belong to the gym on our local university campus, so I’m usually one of the old guys. It has made me more aware of my surroundings. I sometimes feel uncomfortable, like everyone is thinking “Who’s the old guy?”.

Recently I started observing the different type of people who come to the gym.

Here are 7 types of people I’ve found at the gym:

Stalkers – They scope out one person and always seem to use the equipment next to them. They are at the gym to make connections, for one reason or another.

Walkers – These people belong to the gym only to walk around a small track. It seems to work for them, but they could just as easily be mall walkers.

Gawkers – They are just here to stare and they do it well.

Talkers – The gym is their social place. They do more socializing the exercising.

Balkers – Balkers are still not sure they’re into this gym thing. They move from machine to machine quickly, never landing on one they actually want to use. They may or may not be back.

Clockers – These gym people are just doing their time. They may or may not want to, but they know they need the exercise. They do their business and they’re gone.

Bulkers – These are the ones who seem to be at the gym every time you go, regardless of the time of day. They are serious and they seem to look at their muscles a lot too.

Which are you? Any others you’d add to my list?

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A youth pastor emailed me recently. He’s frustrated that his pastor continually caves into pressures of a few leaders in the church. They are not supportive of the youth ministry, even though it’s the fastest growing area of the church.

The complaint they have? The ministry is costing far more than it brings into the church. Young people are coming to the church in growing numbers, but without their parents. Young people don’t usually contribute to the church, so it’s causing an issue with some of the deacons. The pastor was involved and supportive in the expansion of youth ministries and the church is financially sound, but a few deacons consider it an “unprofitable” ministry.

The pastor’s solution? Cut back on the youth ministry expenditures to keep the deacons happy.

I’d love to tell you this is an isolated issue, but I’ve written about these type situations before. Obviously, I don’t have all the facts, but based on what I do know, it sounds like the pastor is a weak leader.

Have you ever known a weak leader? They’re usually easy to spot.

Here are 7 signs of a weak leader:

Runs from conflict

Hides all flaws

Never admits a mistake

Quick to pass blame

Pretends to be in control

Shies away from difficult decisions

Appeases critics and complainers

What would you suggest this youth leader do?

Have you ever worked for a weak leader? Do you have any to add?

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To succeed as a leader you need to succeed at character, commitment and competence.

Character – Character is who you are when no one is looking. It’s your level of honesty and integrity, and the way you deal with pride and humility. Character admits personal failure, isn’t fake, and has genuine concern for others. Character determines who will trust you enough to follow you.

Commitment – Commitment is what keeps you going when everyone else is quitting. That’s what leaders do. Leaders spur momentum in times of trepidation. Leaders take people where there know they need to go but are afraid to do so or don’t know how. All leaders will sometimes slip and fall, but a committed leader gets back up, searches for the light at the end of the tunnel, and moves forward again. People follow leadership with commitment.

Competence – Competence is the wisdom to know when to say what needs to be said and when to do what needs to be done. A competent leader is always learning, whether through books, conferences, or other people. It’s being willing to learn even from those one is supposed to be leading. It’s not knowing all the answers, but knowing the importance of bringing the right people to the table of decision. Competence is gained by experience, over time, where the leader can exude confidence others are willing to follow.

Recently I tweeted the subject of this post: To succeed as a leader you need to succeed at character, commitment and competence.

I instantly had a great reply from one of my Twitter friends:

@RonEdmondson David failed in character, Peter failed in commitment and Moses failed in competence. God shows Himself strong in our weakness.

My answer:

Great point. But all of them succeeded in their area of weakness too…in the end. David recognized his failure, Peter renewed his faith, and Moses delivered on his calling. With God all things are possible.

To succeed as a leader you need to succeed at character, commitment and competence.

Can you add a “C” to my list? What makes a great leader?

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It’s simple…but oh so important to remember…

It’s a principle true in leadership and life

People don’t know what they don’t know

It’s hard to hold an employee accountable for something they never knew

You can’t expect your spouse to remember things you never told him or her

It’s hard to be disappointed no one comforted you in your pain if they didn’t know you were hurting

Your child can’t live up to a standard you never set

People don’t know what they don’t know

If you want them to know…don’t assume they do…tell them

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This is a guest post by Ben Lichtenwalner. Ben is a technology executive with a passion for servant leadership. His blog, ModernServantLeader.com, is a platform for spreading servant leadership awareness, adoption and action. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @BLichtenwalner.

Here are Top 5 Business Professional Confessions:

Pastor, I am a businessman and have confessions to make. I also want you to know that, while I do not pretend to speak for all peers, I suspect many business professionals have similar struggles. So please, listen carefully. While you may have heard these before, they are relevant to many in your flock.

Confessions of a Business Professional

I confess that…

I Fail as a Steward:

I routinely call it, “MY team”, “MY budget” and “MY success”. I know all we have is granted by God and we’re put in each role for His purposes. Yet I think too highly myself, believing I, alone, am accountable for the success. I need your sermons on stewardship to go beyond tithing and speak of what stewardship also means in the workplace.

Titles Matter More Than They Should:

I know it should not matter, but it matters to me what my peers think. As soon as I made “Manager” I wanted “Director”. Now I am Director and want “Vice President”. Not because I want to serve the organization more, but because I want to impress others. I need you to remind me the only title that matters is “child of God”.

I Miss Opportunities to Share the Good News:

Working in a secular field, I forget my role as lay minister. Worse, I let our lawsuit-happy culture scare me from sharing my faith. I could use practical advice like responding to “How are you?” With “Blessed” and finding unique ways to share my beliefs while being reminded of the call to share Good news.

I Don’t Practice Sunday’s Lesson on Monday:

Sunday is great and your sermons I love. By Monday morning though, I no longer remember the lesson. Worse, when I do remember it, I may forget the applicability in the office. I need tools and tips to remind and reinforce your lesson throughout the week.

I Fail to Treat Colleagues as Children of God:

Corporate politics and vanity cause me to forget that colleagues are brothers and sisters in Christ. I often perceive colleagues as competition for the next promotion or industry recognition. Instead of collaborating, I find myself second-guessing the motives of others and placing myself in a defensive position. I need lessons on dealing with difficult people as Christ would have us love them.

I know my colleagues and I have many more confessions. However, I am definitely a repeat offender of these top five and see the same in others. Thank you for listening to me. Please pray for me and my peers. I look forward to your next sermon.

Question: What common business professional confessions did I miss?

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I found this video from CBS News and, as a counselor, agreed with much of what the two “experts” were saying. I still haven’t answered the question for myself. Watch the video then tell me what you think.

(The video will start after a short commercial.)

Share your thoughts

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This is an encouragement to those who are limping in leadership.

The truth is, the best leaders I know have a limp of some nature. It may not be a literal, physical limp, or even visible, but if you are around them long, they will display remnants of a previous injury.

They may have had a failure that crippled them for a season. They may have messed up. They may have made a mistake. They may have lost their way. They may have even been tempted to quit, but they pushed forward, never to be the same again.

With that in mind…

Here are 7 ways to lead well with a limp:

Don’t hide it – There is most likely a younger leader around you who feels they’ve lost their way…or will some day. They need your guidance. They need your encouragement. They need to see by example they can get up again and move forward.

Don’t be a martyr – No one enjoys a complainer or someone who is always making excuses. You suffered a failure. You had a setback. You made a mistake. Don’t wallow in your misery forever. It’s not an attractive characteristic in leadership.

Allow it to strengthen you – Allow your limp to make you a better person and leader. Let you limp strengthen your leadership abilities, even if it’s learning what not to do next time.

Be empathetic – Always remember others are limping too. If not now, they will be. They’re finding their way, just as you did.

Learn valuable lessons – Most of us learn more in the hard times than the easy times. Most likely, you will also.

Remain humble – Rahab of the Bible never lost her title as a harlot, even in the faith chapter (Hebrews 11). It reminds me that the past is my past. A great leader never forgets where he or she came from.

Limp to victory – Don’t give up. Great leader proudly limp across the finish line.

Are you leading with a limp? How has it shaped your leadership?

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I have a hard time saying something is my “favorite” of anything, but perhaps especially a Bible verse. There are so many.

What about you?

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

What if we shared some of our favorites with each other? It could be an encouragement.

I’ll go first. As I said, not sure I can land on just one, but here is certainly one of my favorites:

There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1

Now your turn.

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The trees of the Lord flourish…

I was reading the sixteenth verse in Psalm 104 recently and this phrase appeared to jump off the page at me.

The trees of the Lord flourish…

I was reminded:

Whatever the Lord touches…

Whatever God decides to do…

Wherever God places His stamp of approval…

Whatever God chooses to bless…

Whatever God builds…

Wherever God dwells…

Whatever God plants…

F L O U R I S H E S

God is God and there is no other.

Are you looking for success in life? Are you chasing a dream?

The trees of the Lord flourish…

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3

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