John Stanko

"You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy" - Hebrews 1:9.

It is interesting that Jesus was anointed with oil, not of power or goodness or miracles, but of joy. It was joy that motivated and directed Him to activities where He was most productive. An anointing produces noticeable, even spectacular or supernatural results. Leaders are called upon to do many things, but they must and should focus as much as possible on whatever it is they do best, and that 'best' is often related to their joy—whether it is people, marketing, fundraising, innovation or team building. When leaders do this, they can then release others to do the same, thus building strong teams that all function in their strengths, producing good if not exceptional results.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Are you in touch with your joy? Your step today is to carry a notebook with you to keep track of what gives you joy throughout the day. It may be your staff meeting, a press conference, an interview, or an interaction with an employee or team member. When you have a few days of 'joys' collected, study the list to see what you learn and then determine how you can do more of what it is you truly enjoy doing and how that can help your organization.