Making a Decision Contrary to Popular Opinion
British writer and playwright G. K. Chesterton said, “I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.” In the same vein, my mentor, Pastor Peter Rahme, said: “Don’t let someone else’s inability to see clearly what’s ahead of you dictate the vision […]
What Does Micro-Messaging Reveal About You?
A few months ago, a person close to me got on my case—and for good reason. In meetings with her, I often arrive five to ten minutes late. I was so grateful for her feedback that I have now remedied my tardiness. What does a leader communicate in one or two instances of being late? […]
The Magical Trio of Leadership
Regardless of the team you have or the organization you lead, strive to reach a stage of clarity about your vision that includes these three focuses: Aiming for excellence People are growing The world is impacted Spend your time and effort to create such an organization, hiring people and expecting the following from them: “If […]
Leading Someone from an Honor/Shame Culture
In 1990 at the age of 14, I emigrated with my family to the US from Lebanon. I came from Beirut to Mobile, Alabama—quite a difference in culture to say the least. As I learned the customs of the United States, I noticed a difference in the perception of family between cultures. The family unit […]
Three Wrecking Balls That Impact Unity
I was born at home in Beirut, Lebanon in 1976 because war was raging on the first day of my life. It was the beginning of a 15-year civil war that killed about 6% of the Lebanese population. To say Lebanon was divided would be an understatement. The country was ripped apart by regional geopolitical […]
Real Reasons Unity is a Must
In yesterday’s article, I encouraged you to rate the level of unity in different spheres of your life, and that is the first step. Before you can devote yourself to maximum unity in any area of importance, you must be willing to do the hard work of any leader to create and protect unity. Below, […]
Rate Your Team’s Unity
If on one side of the spectrum is extreme unity and the other is complete division, how would you rate the level of unity in the following areas of your life? Your marriage Your family Your work team Your church Other non-profit/ministry work Give each group a score from 1 to 5 according to the […]
Even If You Know 10,000 Leadership Principles: Stay Humble
Recently, I was adamant with a few team members that I was right regarding a situation that had caused some drama behind the scenes. I was even taking the moral high ground. Then after a leader confronted me with another perspective, I realized it was me who was wrong. Shocking? No. I am a human. […]
Am I Accepted by the People I Lead?
One of the great leaders of the Bible is King David. Here are a few leadership lessons from his life that I have extracted and been meditating on. Beginning with 1 Samuel 18:5, “So David went out wherever Saul sent him and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he […]
Wise Words from Uncle John
I am an uncle. I have seven beautiful nieces and nephews ranging in age from 3 to 14. I am learning what a?brief opportunity we have to make a lasting impact?on the children in our lives. It?is a?powerful lesson about family leadership I gleaned?from an amazing man I just met, Uncle John. If you have […]