Firm Foundation

Leadership is just like building a house. We have to put the planning and effort into building a firm foundation or the whole house is doomed. Without a firm foundation, a house can become a nightmare, a money pit or even worse, it can eventually crumble.
So it is with leadership.
Here’s what I think are some key components to a solid leadership foundation:


Get the right plan


Meet with the Master Builder of your life. Talk about His dreams and design for you as a leader. Discover the design and commit to the building process.
There are no short cuts.
Great builders use great precision and planning, the right skills and supplies to create a quality product. It’s good to remember that it may take a while before the plan becomes solid and clear. This is not wasted time, but a necessary investment.
Know how you are created. Ask God to reveal your unique design and purpose to you.
Who are you as a leader?
Who is God calling you to be?
What is your foundational calling, your values, goals? Keep to this. Don’t mix in anything extra.

Dig out the land


Do what it takes.  Spend the time with God, the Kind Excavator.
Sometimes there are big “rocks” that God needs to clear from your heart. Don’t be afraid of that removal process. Invest the energy and effort it takes to get the land of your heart cleared free from obstacles and debris so that it is ready for God to lay the foundation for your leadership future. Healthy leaders spend time to grow in their emotional intelligence and pursue excellence from the inside out.

Set the footings and forms in place


It is impossible to form a foundation without these. Otherwise the cement has no shape, no purpose. It would just be blobs of hard rock.
What are the support structures you need in place to pour a really good foundation for you as a leader?
Create healthy habits by surrounding yourself with good counsel as the Master Builder sets these forms in place. It’s being accountable to His plan for your life.
How can you learn from other leadership lessons?
What are “must have” support structures for you as you establish this life-long foundation?
Prepare for greatness.

Pour the cement and let it set 


It’s important to get the ingredients right. We need the right amount of concrete (solid word, truth, purpose, and determination), the right amount of water (word, spiritual formation, and soul care), the right mixing tools (training, skills, etc.)  And of course, timing is everything! Leadership isn’t learned in a day, it’s a commitment to life-long learning. God’s timing is perfect. Often we are in a rush to graduate to a new stage of leadership, when He knows that we would be more solid if we let ourselves “sit a while” in the current stage.

Wherever you are in your leadership process and development – be encouraged.
God, the Master Builder and Planner are with you, constructing a magnificent masterpiece.