How do you handle adversity?
How do you handle unexpected adversity? I mean the kind of adversity that totally knocks you upside the head — because you just never saw it coming?
In the face of that kind of adversity — how do you lead?
These are a few of the questions I’m asking myself as I watch the quarterback situation unfolding in San Francisco.
Have you heard about the “Kaepernick Factor?”
I’m going to guess “No” — in part, because I may have just made it up.
Colin Kaepernick is the new starting quarterback of the surging San Francisco 49ers.
As a 24-year old who has been thrust to the forefront of a Super Bowl contender, he has won his first two NFL starts — leading his team to big wins over the Saints and Bears in back-to-back weeks.
Kaepernick got his big break when Alex Smith, the overall #1 pick from the 2005 draft, got injured during the 49ers win over the St. Louis Rams on Nov. 11th.
Although Smith has been cleared to play, Kaepernick continues to look like the Niners new leading man.
And before this starts to sound too much like a guest post for ESPN, let me tell you what I think any of this matters to you — and the young, aspiring leaders you serve…
WOW — it’s November!
We’ve turned a corner and can now see Thanksgiving break off in the distance — and so can our students.
It’s been another good month here at FaithONCampus.com. Thanks to all who participated in The Art of Self-Leadership Blogathon. This month’s Top 10 includes a number of great guest posts from this event.
When you’re done checking out these posts, I begin to think more intentionally about the remaining weeks of the fall term, I’d encourage you to check out Ideas for November.
Now, on to this month’s Top 10 most viewed posts at FaithONCampus.com!
Happy Labor Day!
For most of us — a new academic year is now well underway.
For some of us — it’s just about to begin.
Either way — I hope that this extended weekend serves as a great chance for you to refuel and recharge as we prepare to push on into a fall of ministry with college students.
Below are the Top 10 most viewed posts from the month of August!
It’s one of the biggest messages are student leaders need to hear this year:
Failure is NOT fatal; Perfection NOT a requirement.
Because the truth is that — for fear of failure — many of our students will struggle to really give themselves fully to their leadership roles this year.
Of course, this sounds counter-intuitive at first — but when we give less than our best, less than 100%, we’ve then got an excuse for when things don’t go well.
Yesterday was our day of campus-wide leadership training.
It’s a time when we bring together all of the students leaders of varying student groups across campus for some shared training and team building.
For the day, we set aside the planning and preparation for our specific areas to recognize that we — as leaders — are not alone on campus. There are others who aspire to similar heights, and face many of the same challenges that we do.
From year to year it’s never quite the same — and I think this year might have been one of our best efforts!
Personally, I had the chance to co-present to our student leadership population of 350+ about the lies many leaders believe. Many of these lies were identified by different student leaders who have seen them — in some shape or fashion — played on within the student leadership culture on our campus.
Strong ministry leadership is foundational to success.
Informed, well-trained, and intentionally supported student leadership is essential to magnifying the power of, and exponentially expanding the reach of, your ministry on campus.
Student leadership isn’t just important for your ministry, but it’s an incredible opportunity for students to develop their gifts, explore their passions, and serve Christ in their campus community.
But good student leaders, and good student leadership, don’t just happen.
Try as she might, my mother never could quite replicate my grandmother’s oyster casserole. The wisdom of fine tuning and perfecting her shellfish delicacy passed from this world when my grandmother left us. Like so many families in similar situations, we’ve asked the anguished, hungry question “Why didn’t she write that stinkin’ recipe down?!?!”
Not that a written recipe would have guaranteed success but we would have at least had a head start, something to use as a guide. It certainly would have spared my family some of mom’s less than stellar attempts at reproducing grandma’s special dish. And who knows how many countless Pinterest users might be pinning her recipe right now if we had it to put out there and share with the world?
I’m excited to announce the launch of my newest eResource:
The College Ministry Year is a quick read, offering ideas for ministry, leadership development, investing in student leaders, self-care and more!
Do you have standards for your leaders?
You know, those people who mean so much to your ministry efforts — the ones who serve as extensions of you and the ministry you oversee. Those people that multiply your reach and effectiveness exponentially. Those individuals that magnify the effectiveness of your ministry because of the unique gifts, passions, and talents the bring to the table.
You know, those folks…
Do you have standards that might qualify (or disqualify) them for leadership within your ministry?