I’m a country boy. I grew up working at a grain elevator and farming during the summers. We had land with cows and horses for a time as well. You learn a lot about life when you work with your hands. One lesson I learned years ago – every problem should be dealt with differently.

Let me paint a picture for you. Sometimes people don’t know how to deal with conflict. They think everything has to be handled immediately, swiftly, and decisively. And don’t get me wrong, it’s important to handle problems the right way. But I don’t think steamrolling someone every time there’s the slightest problem is the only way to go.

So, let me use an analogy for you that might make some sense. Every cow leaves behind some traces. You know what I mean, right? If you walk through a pasture, you’re going to run into a bunch of cow patties. Don’t put a stick of dynamite under every cow patty. You’ll end up getting poop everywhere and everyone ends up stinking.

Sometimes you just need to leave the cow mess alone and let it go away. The smell will disappear and before you know it, the cow patty is gone. Now, I’m not saying that you should never deal with conflict. This is where the analogy breaks down. In real life, I’ve never put a stick of dynamite under a cow patty – and I’ve never wanted to!

But I think this is an important point to make. Real leaders know the difference between important issues that need to be addressed head-on and minor issues that will go away with time. How can you tell? Ask yourself a few questions. Continue reading →

This past Sunday I had a chance to preach at the church I used to pastor.  It was great to see folks, hang out with friends, and worship with my former church family. The neatest thing to me was knowing that this was a place I used to pastor – before God called me away – and they were willing to have me back!

I know it sounds really simple. But that doesn’t happen very often. Many times, pastors leave under duress. Or they leave the church with so many problems. And the church just isn’t interested in seeing the pastor again until they all get to heaven. (Can you tell I tried to say that in the nicest way possible?) So, for me, it was an incredible honor and privilege to be invited back to preach.

I’m reminded of what my dad has always told me. “Son, the true test of leadership is not what happens when you’re there, but what happens after you’re gone.” Don’t get me wrong, what happens when you’re there is really important. But what about after you ride off into the sunset – or you’re six feet under? What then? Continue reading →