John Stanko

"Then I will give you shepherds after
my own heart, who will lead you with
knowledge and understanding" - Jeremiah 3:15.

This verse points out several interesting things about leadership. First, God works through leaders. When the shepherds of Israel failed, God did not do away with leadership - He replaced the bad leaders with good ones. Second, good leaders are a gift from God for he 'gave' shepherds to Israel. Third, there are some leaders who have God's heart when they lead and others who don't. Fourth, God expects leaders to lead and not simply maintain or manage. And finally, leaders' most important tools are knowledge and understanding - of the people they lead, of the organization they lead and its mission, of the skill of leadeship and of the particular work the organization was established to do.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Today's Step is to meditate on the five points from this verse as they pertain to your relationships with those in your organization. It is assumed that a coach is going to help the organization win and the people to reach their full potential. Do you have the knowledge and understanding you need to coach the people and the organization forward? Are you truly leading, or are you playing it safe by maintaining things as they are and have been?