I want to encourage you all with something from Good To Great: People first -Strategy Second. Author Jim Collins expectation was that great leaders would start with the vision and the strategy. Instead, they attended to the people first, strategy second. They got the right people on the bus, moved the wrong people off, ushered the right people to the right seats and then they figured out where to drive it.

Here are a few things we need to focus on as leaders:

1. People are the most appreciable assets.

As leaders we need to always focus on finding the right leaders. We need to focus on discovering and unleashing God-given ability in others. Have the courage to remove the wrong people and put the right people in the right seats. All of us are most valuable for the Kingdom where we add the most value.

2. Balance Facts and Faith

As leaders our greatest responsibility is to define reality. The thing that we have that guarantees successful conclusions to where we are headed is our faith that God is leading at the beginning of the journey. Our God specializes in the impossible. If the reality that we choose to define does not require faith, then it would not be a God-sized vision or reality.

Facts are so important for us as a foundation to build on, faith is the wings for us to fly to new heights. We need to use facts for evaluating people and their potential, we use our faith to encourage them to unleash their potential and be all that God created them to be. Facts can be seen by anyone, but only leaders motivate through faith.

3. We need to remain relentless.

Breakthrough comes through relentlessly pushing in one direction, not overnight but with consistent effort. In Good To Great Collins talks about the temptation of good companies were to ease up on breakthrough, while those who became great were relentless to build up their leadership and team for breakthrough. We are relentless when it comes to meeting needs.

4. Choose simple over the complex

We need to remember the Hedgehog concept. The fox knows a little about many things but the hedgehog knows only one big thing very well. The fox is complex the hedgehog is simple. More importunate, the hedgehog wins! From this concept we need to remember what we do best, eliminate what we are not good at and concentrate on what we are great at.

5. Lean Into strategic use of technology.

In Good To Great the companies avoided jumping on the band wagon of the latest and greatest technology and yet they were pioneers with the application of technology making bold future investments in those that were directly linked to their hedgehog concept.

6. Last – Discipline.

All of the Good To Great companies had disciplined people, disciplined thought, and were disciplined in action. It’s important that we continue to think forward right now and always and that we think the right thoughts – kingdom thoughts.

Transforming from Good in many areas to Great. Our part as leaders is to continue to transform in our leadership from Good to Great. How can you start transforming yourself from Good to Great, today?