Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast

As we face the beginning of 2022, we are staring at irrelevance in all 8 streams of Influence in every society and nation on the planet. That is a huge statement to be making. However, if we simply focus on the current trends over the last 20 months, it is not hard to see irrelevance […]

A Crisis on The Horizon YES we have moved from 3-n-10 to 2-n-5 pastors are giving serious consideration of leaving the ministry completely. This is a vocational exodus! When you consider there are approximately 350,000 protestant churches in America  with 38% considering leaving, this will become a crisis of spiritual leadership within our nation. This is 133,000 […]

Napoleon Bonaparte stated that Leaders are dealers in hope. So how do we inspire those who need to inspire? Inspiration is more than words on a wall. We begin by reconnecting people around the purpose of the organization. PURPOSE is timeless! VISION is time balanced/seasonal!  2022 must be a year that we as leader embrace […]

The Law of Legacy is about your Life Sentence.” When you figure this out, this will become you're the north star for your life. You now have direction that determines the legacy that you will leave behind. All of the success that you have obtained up to this point will mean absolutely nothing if you do […]

The Enron scandal of the early 2000's awakened a great need for business ethics. What came out of that awakening was a realization there is no such thing as business ethics. There is only ethics!. So what is the foundation of ethics? Could it be that the Golden Rule is the foundation of all ethics? […]

The Enron scandal of the early 2000's awakened a great need for business ethics. What came out of that awakening was a realization there is no such thing as business ethics. There is only ethics!. So what is the foundation of ethics? Could it be that the Golden Rule is the foundation of all ethics? […]

To start this discussion, there is a fundamental desire in each person to be part of something that is bigger than themselves. People desire to leave a positive legacy for others to learn and follow. Even our English word, Religion comes from the Latin word “ligare” means to link our lives with something that is […]

In tough times all great leaders stretch in the direction of a challenge. On the other hand, followers shrink from or in the opposite direction of a challenge. Realize this truth, you are not made in a crisis, you are revealed by it. When squeezed oranges and lemons reveal their nature. Human beings when squeezed […]

In tough times all great leaders stretch in the direction of a challenge. On the other hand, followers shrink from or in the opposite direction of a challenge. Realize this truth, you are not made in a crisis, you are revealed by it. When squeezed oranges and lemons reveal their nature. Human beings when squeezed […]

In 2019, Signa Health conducted a global survey with over 20,000 participants. Here is a quick snapshot of what they learned. Half of all surveyed reported that either always or sometimes they felt alone. Only one-half of those surveyed have meaningful social interaction daily The Gen-Z's (18 somethings) are the loneliest generation. They are claiming […]

It goes without saying, but saying it is important – One is too small a number to achieve greatness. Individually, we can make a change in our world. But if that work increases, you will need others to keep the momentum moving. That is when transformation begins. Entrepreneur and LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman states, No matter […]

When it comes to changing our world, the first person transformed is the change agent and then it expands. This does not happen unless it starts within an individual. Let's examine 4 key truths on becoming a change agent for such a time as this! Change Begins with Caring: I Want To Make A Difference […]

In a crisis, there are 4 things that Leaders must do. Do The Right Thing – When faced with a crisis just do the right thing. Crisis never leaves us the same – a crisis always moves us in one direction or the other. The real question is, Is this crisis moving me forward or backward? […]

I want to begin by stating that as spiritual leaders in America, the message of the cross has been entrusted to you for such a time as this. With all of our human failures and mistakes, God has chosen you to play the long game. Rest, vacation, sabbatical or whatever you need to do – stay in […]

There are 4 basic needs that your team needs to hear you express I Value You These three words are words that enlarge us. Show and Tell people that you value them – make people feel BIGGER! Kevin Myers has stated that we should desire more FOR our people than what we expect FROM them. […]

Do you remember as a child that has a sense of “I can't wait for…?” That sense of anticipation, excitement, and urgency is off the charts for a child. What about we adults – what are we anticipating? What is urgent in our lives? Let's examine some aspects of urgency  and how it works in us. […]

Question: Why is it so difficult to reproduce quality leaders? Could it be there are insecurities in current leaders. If they raise up quality leaders, they might take our place, They will become better than me.  Leaders reproduce who they are, not what they want. Are we inadvertently reproducing leaders that have a fortress mentality? […]

Before we get into these 7 actions, we need to consider what a sustained successful leader looks like. Here is a quick hit list of thoughts. •Sustained Successful Leaders are attractional – you are drawn in •The more that I see, the more I want to see •Other people think more of them than they […]

It has been said that we must travel on the inside first before we travel on the outside. Why? The journey of growth and success is first an internal one.  The person you lead is yourself! Can we really lead effectively without self-discipline. This podcast will examine national Israel's inability to possess a promised land according […]

When your value system is clear, it is not hard to make life decisions. A clear and concise value system brings an alignment to your living. The hypocrisy currently on display is why there is an agreement that good leadership is absent. When you live out good values, you elevate the value of others. Genuine […]

Hope is the antidote to fear. It gives us enough belief that good things can happen in the future. Hope can help us get through tough times and lead us to a more fulfilling life. Hope is much more than an emotion. It is actually a resourceful tool that is available and abundant. We just need to learn […]

Hope is like oxygen it is a requirement for living! You cannot live without HOPE! Author Dr. Shane Lopez writes; I have convincing evidence that hopeful thoughts and behavior propel us toward well-being and success; hope underlies purpose driven action. It shows up in everything from going to school to leading an organization and communities. It […]

There has been much written about post-pandemic leadership models, effective post-pandemic leadership strategies, and post-pandemic efforts to return to pre-pandemic days. Little to nothing is being said about those who follow our leadership. What do they need? How do we keep our workforce engaged? John Maxwell has masterfully taught that leaders should never ask for […]

Napoleon Bonaparte once stated that “Leaders are dealers in HOPE!” If you are a leader, how do you inspire hope in a chaotic world? Better yet, If you are a person that Trains the Trainer, how do you inspire those who need to inspire?  Mark Cibort, President of Reaktor, North America wrote in INC Magazine an […]

The old adage is true; “What got you here, will not get you there!” You must maintain a sense of Hunger for personal growth; Live out true humility in front of your team; demonstrate what servant leadership looks – that requires a different intelligence. In order to set up the most dangerous thought a leader […]

Not all leadership is great leadership! There are certain qualities that true leaders cannot afford to go without. Here are some of those qualities. HUMMILITY – C S Lewis accurately describes humility when he said that humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. Recognize God's giftedness in you and God's calling […]

Jesus' words in John 5:19 is our beginning point to understand a biblical cadence. Note his words; “…..the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does…the Son does likewise…” The key take away from this passage is that God is active and […]

Let's pause for just a minute. If 4-in-5 Spiritual Leaders are stating it is difficult to invest in spiritual development and if running on fumes is the new normal; what is the person seated in the auditorium receiving for their spiritual development? As if the opening statement is not bad enough, 39% of Pastor's are […]

Currently 44% of Americans state that Churches should be the center of counseling within the community. 74% of nonpracticing Christians 3 out of 4 people stated they would reengage the church if they offered sermon teaching content and mental tools and resources Statistics are strongly suggesting that people do not want to engage Faith that […]

I suppose it goes without saying, but 2020 has proven to be very difficult in non-profit enterprises. The isolation, social distancing, and learning to speak into a camera, Questioning if anyone would return to church, have all served to be an extraordinary year filled with pressure. Tim Keller in a recent interview with Barna Research […]

The key question that demands an answer is how do we  captivate people’s heart? There are three things that I would offer to answer this question. Be Authentic – Pay The Price – It will be significant – Give Value to others. Leadership is not about being in charge. It is more about caring for those […]

We are going to examine 3 Beliefs that will make a difference in your leadership ability. Perspective, specifically, how to have a belief perspective.  Consider some ways to win with people.•Do for others what they cannot do for themselves•Encourage other peoples dreams•Give people a reputation to uphold•Compliment others in front of their peers•Let people know […]

It is hard to believe on one hand that one year has passed since our COVID lock-down and social distancing lifestyle started. On the other hand, it has felt like 2020 would never end. So, what has changed in this unforgettable year? There are several data points to examine and some questions to ask ourselves […]

If you have not read any of Tim Keller’s work, you are missing out on some of the deepest reflective writing ever published. Pastor Keller started Redeemer Presbyterian in New York with just a hand full of people and it grew into 5,000 adult worshippers weekly. He retired from his position 3 years ago. During […]

It is painfully obvious that every person has something in their life that is causing grief in this COVID journey. Stop for a moment to think of all the ways that people have lost something in the past year.  Graduations Birth shared with family & friends Death Vacations that never took place Daily workflow Loss […]

Why is it important to find a place of Peaceful Presence in the face of a Chaotic World? Because we live in a world of “quick-fix leadership.” There is a need for  decisiveness and clarity while living in a world that inhibits decisiveness  and clarity. Peaceful Presence is needed for anyone who has questioned data over maturity, […]

The Barna Group has been quite involved in data collection during the pandemic shut-down. They has gathered data in real time from over 10,000 pastors and congregations over the last year. We are going to examine 3 key data sets of information to give a snapshot of one year later of our COVID journey. The […]

The ultimate communication skill is the ability to INSPIRE others! – Jim Rohm Lead by example, this is how leaders make vision and values tangible. This is how they provide evidence they are personally committed. This is what people look for and are willing to follow. – Kouzes & Posner The are 4 key questions […]

Successful People Think Big Picture It is one thing to think big picture thinking is important. It’s another to actually think BIG! When you get into the presence of a big picture thinker, they will not belittle you for your small thoughts. They will make you a bigger thinker! A great book suggestion is David Schwartz; The Magic of […]

Before we get into the 5 aspects of taking your leadership decision making to the next level, I want to review what I believe are 5 Decisions that every Leader must make. 1.Personal Decision – I will intentionally grow every day 2.Ministry Decision – I will attempt things so big that if accomplished only God will get […]

When the culture of your Team is weak, you must bring in an abundance of heavy, precise rules, processes and systems. But a strong culture allows autonomy, empowerment, and development among your people. A strong culture equals TRUST. A weak culture equals DISTRUST! The ultimate question is “How do we build a strong culture in […]

In order to live a life that is all in you need to think like a winner! One of the key differences between people who win in life and those who whine in life is those who win are all in! Those who whine in life are not committed. Understand this leadership fact; “Everything worthwhile […]

Are You an Expander or Container? So, what is an Expander and Container? EXPANDER – They love action, thrive in chaos, and are out their 100% of the time. CONTAINERS – They are detailed oriented, Like to keep on top of things, they do not like chaos, they love to create systems. As a Leader, […]

What Can The Apostle Paul Teach Us? While leading the church at Thessalonica, Paul gives us 4 Metaphors that can be used to gain a clearer perspective of what Leadership should look like and its impact upon the Leadership vacuum that is exists.  STEWARD – 1 Thessalonians 2:4; “But just as we have been approvedby God to […]

Barna Group is a premier research company that has been involved in studying trends in the faith community for many years. They have been able to add the prior 20 years of research to the impact of our COVID journey to give us a powerful image of trends. Understand that data trends in your location […]

One of the HUGE AH-HA moments of 2020 was facing the reality that our COVID shut-down caused everyone to become a “Start-Up”, even if it was momentary. We were jolted by the prospect of doing business in a cultural environment that did not exist any longer. Simply to use the word SHOCKING is a true understatement. As […]

Regrets are a part of our life. We can’t live without regrets, but we can learn through them. Understand that it is never too late to take a step in the right direction. There are 4 key regrets that I want to remove from my life. Spending Too Little Time With The Right People Nothing […]

Details of The Nativity Look At The Star – It Says, “God Wants Me To Find Him” – Matthew 2:9-10 “ After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold the star that they had seen when it rose went before them and came to rest over the place where the child […]

God’s Entrance Into History Through Christ Deep Change That Required New Ways of Behaving – Luke 2:1-20 This whole Christmas story is one that forces us to behave in different ways. Society then and society now was ingrained in certain religious patterns and ways of performing. Then God sends Jesus to work not only within […]

Angelic Visitation INTRO: What would your reaction be to an angelic visitation? Would it be like Mary’s who offered six lessons on praise? Scripture: Luke 1:46-56 The Testimony – Mary gives thanks to God for six things – 1:46-56 God’s Condescension – God Took Notice of Her – vv.46-48 The reality of God noticing and bestowing favor […]

Have you given any thought about writing you life sentence. This is a legacy exercise that summarizes your life work that you want to leave behind. In the words of that great theologian Tim McGraw; “I went sky diving; I went rocky mountain climbing; I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fumanchu. […]