“The truth is that challenge is the crucible for greatness. The study of leadership is the study of how men and women guide people through uncertainty, hardship, disruption, transformation, transition, recovery, new beginnings, and other significant challenges. It’s also the study of how men and women, in times of constancy and complacency, actively seek to disturb the status quo, awaken new possibilities, and pursue opportunities.”~ Kouzes and Posner, The Truth About Leadership, Jossey-Bass 2010, p. 93

Have you heard the story of the two caterpillars? Two caterpillars are inching their way along when they see a beautiful butterfly fly over them. One caterpillar turns to the other and declares, “You’ll never get me into one of those things.”

You may have a somewhat similar response to coaching, your leadership role, even your continual need for development. That’s why leadership growth takes curiosity, courage and commitment.

Think about it: a caterpillar cannot become a butterfly. The caterpillar can only become a brown, gooey, sticky mess. The mess becomes a butterfly. Call it growing pains, confusion, ambiguity, chaos or the like, but there will be a messy stage between the goodness in you now and the greatness of the Design for Glorious Living God has planned for you. (No wonder the word chrysalis comes from the Greek word khrusos, meaning gold!) Enduring Ministry is living through the mess to produce gold!

Call it growing pains, confusion, ambiguity, chaos or the like, but there will be a messy stage between the goodness in you now and the greatness of the Design for Glorious Living God has planned for you.

Courage grows from a growing desire to become the kind of person you want to become, to have the kind of life God wants with you, and to be the effective leader you were meant to be. Whether you follow the path to mediocrity or success is a matter of your own free choice.

It is time to make that choice. Are you curious about the kind of Christlike leader you are still capable of becoming? Are you excited about the new results others might produce in response to your inspiration? Are you courageous enough to continue on this journey? Are you committed enough to make it count? Are you willing to go through the gooey mess of transformation? The choice is yours.

Accepting the invitation to show up in life is about moving from the bleachers to the field. It’s moving from developing opinions to developing options. It’s about having things matter to us enough that we stop just thinking about those things and actually do something about them.  ~ Bob Goff, in Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World

Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

~ Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NLT)

When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice.

~ William James

• What is your cause or message? Where are you going? What are your goals?
• Are you ready to become more authentic in your communication and relationships with others?
• What are your core values?
• What is your purpose — in your role and more grandly, in your life?
• Are you on a mission? What is it? Is it written down? What is the desired timeline for achievement?
• What is your vision for your life, your family, your ministry, your career?