THE Leadership Question

The right question, at the right moment can convict, empower, transform.
The opening question from a recent blog post of Dave Kraft made a beeline for my heart.
Run Hard. Rest Well. is experiencing a tremendous rate of growth. At times it leaves me feeling scattered.
Pulled in many directions, internal chaos mounts. Wheels spin. Productivity declines.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a mom or a CEO, it’s not a place we want to stall.
Dave’s post was a gift to me today.
I pray it is a gift to you, as well. We share it now with his permission.

What Is The Most Important Thing I Should Be Working On Right Now?

What are the most important things I should be working on . . .

• This day
• This week
• This month

Not what is . . .

• The easiest thing
• The urgent thing
• The most fun thing
• The coolest thing
• The what-I-most-feel-like-doing thing
• The keep-people-off-my-back thing
• The keeps-nipping-at-my-heels thing
• The what-will-make-me-popular thing

But what is . . . The Most Important Thing?
The most important thing as it relates to your mission, your purpose, your vision, your gifts, your calling, your capacity, your job description and your deadlines.

It was Peter Drucker who said, “Efficiency is doing things right, but effectiveness is doing the right things.” As a leader you want to be more about “effective” than “efficient.” You can be extremely efficient at things that really don’t matter in the long run. Many leaders are proactive rather than strategic in how they make their decisions and use their time.

• Ask yourself at the beginning of a week: What are the 5-10 most important things that you need to accomplish this week?
• Ask yourself at the beginning of a day: What are the 3-5 most important things that you need to accomplish this day?

Then, stick to those identified items. Don’t distract yourself with things of lesser value and importance, and don’t allow others to pull you off mission, unless what they are asking is truly of greater value than what you had originally planned to do.

This is one of the most helpful, practical things I have learned in my 45 years of pastoral ministry.

Don’t let the winds of other people’s demands and your own inner compulsions drive you onto a reef of frustration. Paraphrased from: “Tyranny Of The Urgent” by Charles E. Hummel.

Do all of this in total dependence on Jesus as you seek to be led by him, empowered by him and honor him.

Learn more about Dave’s ministry.

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