John Stanko

"In the eleventh year in the month of Bul,
the eighth month, the temple was finished
in all its details according to its specifications.
He had spent seven years building it" - 1 Kings 6:38.

Solomon built the Temple of the Lord as his father David had directed him to do. When reading the verses before this one, one sees how detailed the plans for this Temple were. When leaders set out to do something significant or great, those things don't just happen. They require the use of goals, plans, faith, flexibility, teamwork and vision to make it all happen. What's more, this job wasn't finished in a day, but took seven years!  That's certainly a long-term goal but shows the time-tested value of goals and visions when leaders employ them in their work.

LEADERSHIP STEP: What are your long-term goals for your organization? Where will you be organizationally or personally in five years? Ten years? Your assignment today is to do some dreaming, alone or with your family or team, and write the vision down. Then spend 15 minutes setting some goals and developing plans to go with those dreams. Don't try to make it all 'perfect,' just let it flow for now. Later you can go back and fill in the gaps and tidy it up a bit.