“Genius begins great works; labor alone finishes them.” – Joseph Joubert, French Moralist & Essayist (1754-1824)

The world is full of people who are good starters. What we need is more good finishers.

The student leadership year is much more fun when you finish strong. You get to end the year with celebration, a sense of accomplishment, and the satisfaction of a job well done. When you end your year wrong, it just ends.

As you plan your exit strategy from your student leadership position (and I recommend you create one), here are some of the reasons you should aim for a strong finish. Continue Reading…

Every student leader gets one year and then they leave their position. Every student leadership position comes to an end. Outgoing student leaders pass the baton to the incoming student leaders. But just like many relay races, the passing of the baton can be a tricky thing. Some student leaders may leave before their year is over. They may find the task and position too difficult. Or the excitement wore off. They simply set the baton down and walk away.

Some student leaders leave better than others. Finishing strong means you see your student leader year through. You work right up until the end and place the baton in the hand of the incoming student leader. You walk away from your student leadership position and on to the next thing in your life with confidence and no regrets. You gave it your all. You finished your chapter in the story with a terrific conclusion. You leave having learned some things, accomplished some things, and worked to make it the best year ever. Continue Reading…

As I came off the stage, one of the people in the audience pulled me aside. I could see they were eager to tell me something.

“I loved what you had to say. Unfortunately, you took that one quote completely out of context. But overall you made some great points.”

It was the classic “sandwich” technique. Say something nice, insert constructive comment or criticism, end with a positive. I’ve used it and I’ve had it used on me. What’s interesting is how quickly we forget the bread and remember the meat.

Perhaps this is just human nature. We don’t like criticism. We don’t like to be wrong. We don’t want to mess up. Continue Reading…

I just returned from Boston. I spent four days there with my newly elected and selected student leadership team. It was a fantastic trip.

We made the journey from Boise to Boston to attend a Leadership Conference. What we ended up with was an incredible time of group bonding, tremendous experiences, great sight-seeing, unbelievable food, and a lot of memories. What we didn’t get was very much leadership training.

Don’t get me wrong…I had a blast. We built friendships and captured a lot of pictures. We simply didn’t get much in the way of leadership development. In the midst of all of the fun, that part kind of bugs me.

Fortunately, I make my living at developing student leaders. Our group will be just fine. But I keep thinking about the investment of time and money that went into this trip. I keep wondering what my students took from the experience that equips them to be better leaders. Continue Reading…

I’ve often said that a person can be a leader and possess bad character…just not for very long. Over time, the neglect of one’s inner life will show itself in one form or another on the outside.

A longstanding leadership principle states that you cannot give what you do not have. In the real world, we call any attempt to do this – faking it. You can probably fake it for a short period of time. But sooner or later, you have to ask yourself: am I going to be a leader or an actor?

My mission in life isn’t to simply raise up and grow leaders for the moment. It’s to inspire others to embrace a leadership perspective and posture for life – I want to develop lifelong leaders.

Lifelong leadership doesn’t happen without taking the time to nurture and care for one’s own soul. To be a leader who lasts, consider the following principles of soul leadership. Continue Reading…

Peter Drucker passed away on November 11, 2005. He left a wealth of knowledge and keen insight in the areas of management and leadership. In fact, some might say that Peter Drucker and management are synonymous. Long recognized as the “father of modern management,” Forbes once called him the most perceptive observer of the American scene since Alexis de Tocqueville. Drucker’s wisdom has shaped the mission and strategy of countless organizations.

Here are ten of the most profound lessons that I’ve learned from Drucker:

1. The mission comes first. The mission of nonprofits (including churches) is changed lives. Continue Reading…

Influence is intentional. You have to do something (even if you’re only serving as a bad example).

One of the things that separates the influential from the influenced is one’s willingness to take ownership. Ownership is closely tied to responsibility. Those around you may be hesitant to step in and step up to the many responsibilities that are available to them. When you take ownership, both for yourself and the situation, you intentionally move toward influence.

Taking ownership is all about taking responsibility, working toward outcomes, and striving for excellence.

If you’ve got a minute, then hit play to find out this week’s tip to increase your influence.

Got A Minute? #8 – Taking Ownership

Got A Minute #8 from tim milburn on Vimeo.

Want more? Check out the Got A Minute? Video Series page.