8 Actions of a Confident Leader in the Face of Conflict

by: Chris Rivers

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Balancing conflict is inevitable.

Most of the time, I find that I am either coming out of conflict, in the midst of it, or heading back into the storm of a new one. Conflict has the power to derail focus, upset strategy, and erode confidence. Every day a leader has the opportunity to move past the obstacles of life with confidence.

When I think about people in the Bible who had confidence in the midst of conflict- Joseph always comes to mind. From Genesis 37-41 we watch Joseph ride a conflict roller-coaster. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, wrongfully accused of raping his boss’s wife, thrown into prison, and forgotten by someone who could have helped him. When the time comes for him to be brought before Pharaoh, instead of seeing it as an opportunity to prove himself or a moment to escape his circumstances, he stands in confidence. When asked by Pharaoh if he could interpret dreams, Joseph’s response is: “I can’t, but God can.” Joseph found confidence in God’s abilities, not his own. He realized that God was orchestrating all his circumstances, which included conflict.

In the face of conflict a confident leader:

• responds in faith
• accuses no one
• accepts his/her circumstances
• is patient with others
• doesn’t complain
• is not afraid of the outcome
• has focus
• embraces unknown seasons because he/she knows who makes the seasons in the first place

It’s not what I know, but who I know that helps me move from conflict to confidence.

In the midst of circumstances full of conflict, there is a prime opportunity to take our eyes off the immediate trouble surrounding us and place them on the one in whom we can have full confidence. In John 16:33, Jesus says,

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, because I have overcome the world!”

Conflict should always accompany confidence, because we have the help of the one who knows the end of the story.

Take a next step, or as I like to call a test drive, and discover what confidence looks like in the eyes of those closest to you.

Email two close friends and ask them two questions. 

It’s important that these people are close because you are going to ask them for feedback into your life. If they don’t really know you then this exercise won’t create the impact that you’re looking for. This email is meant to sharpen you in your own personal leadership journey. Once you determine who those people will be, I want you to ask them two questions.

Download this email template with instructions and content. Simply copy, paste, and send as a test drive.

> Read more from Chris.

Tags: Chris Rivers, Confidence, Conflict

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4 Actions Pastors Need in Leading Their Church to Financial Breakthrough

by: Todd McMichen

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 I’ve had the privilege of founding two non-profit organizations, one for-profit company, and spent time as an employee of several multi-million dollar organizations. I also run the finances for my family. As I ebbed and flowed through these different financial environments I began to recognize patterns about how money grows and is invested, or on the flip side, how it quickly becomes wasted via expenses. While each of these environments may have shared the common goal of year-end profitability, the mindset, perspective, and specific objectives varied greatly.

Here are four key gleanings about financial health that apply specifically to the local church and Senior Pastors in particular.

1. Senior Pastors need the PRIORITY that is often modeled by the President of a Non-Profit Organization

The NPO leader has two very clear objectives every day, keep the vision clear and develop resources. No one can develop large amounts of resources for an NPO like the senior leader. The truth is that most employees would never have it cross their minds to help with this effort. They are too busy executing their department tasks. Whenever I find a Senior Pastor that is both the lead giver and the lead developer of gifts I find a church that is experiencing financial break thru.

2. Senior Pastors Need the FOCUS of a For-Profit Company Founder

The founder and owner of a for-profit company wakes up each week with two objectives in mind, keep the vision laser focused and produce more revenue than expenses. As the owner of a company you measure success by happy clients and positive cash flow. Every single expense is seen as either an investment that the owner is willing to take, perhaps even in exchange for a temporary pay reduction, or it is seen as wasted money. I know the success of the church is not measured by dollars, but discipleship. However, I also know it is sin to mismanage God’s resources. Being a wise steward, which is the call of God, involves both discipling generosity and being tenaciously obedient with the resources. Senior leaders do you know the eternal value of each dollar your organization raises and expends? Whenever I see a church with this kind of laser focused perspective, I find a church that is experiencing financial break thru.

3. Senior Pastors need the PASSION that comes from being the provider in the home.

This is where the message can get serious. Most men wake up driven to succeed financially, provide well for their families, and enjoy the fruit of their labors. Great men care greatly for the provision and protection of their families. As a matter of fact it is intuitively engrained in the DNA of men. Unfortunately, it is common for me to find Senior Pastors who feel this way about their church, but do not connect the dots with the personal involvement in the financial management and leadership of the church. Many pastors have a general knowledge of financial matters, but not a passion for the financial success of the organization they lead. We would never allow our families to live in financial weakness without working towards a concrete solution. Example, most families would not raise their annual family budget 5-10% and ask their family to have vision and pray for growth. Yet, the average church practices this kind of principle every year.

4. Senior Pastors need the generosity CONFIDENCE that comes from Scripture.

God’s Word is very practical, specific, inspiring, and replete with financial wisdom. I find that break thru financial churches are led by a senior pastor that has a high view and breadth of knowledge regarding the Bible’s principles of stewardship and generosity. Even if they lack the highest level of accounting and financial business practices, knowing and trusting Scripture allows them to experience overflow. This is why I put together a simple guide to help pastors gain confidence, a practical tool to lead their staff, and pathway to develop the spiritual discipline of generosity in the disciples you lead. Leading a generous church is totally possible and it has nothing to do with church size, location, income earning, or style. It has everything to do with priority, focus, passion, and confidence.

For additional reading, here are a couple of real life case studies:

• Harvest Church, Billings, Montana
• Main Street Church, Toledo,Ohio

For more practical tips and inspiration, check out my book, Leading a Generous Church.

> Read more from Todd.

Tags: Confidence, Financial Breakthrough, Focus, Passion, Todd McMichen, priority

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