Dare Great Things For Christ

DGT Episode 186 - Flourishing Leaders - Leadership Lessons From Aquinas 2 - Part 1

People of faith in leadership positions find themselves in a quandary: “How do I live my faith when my job is vowed to be in a secular situation?”  After living that way for many years sometimes we can feel that faith does not actually have a place in the workplace after all.  The roots of Catholic leadership go very deep.  St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica lays a surprisingly relevant foundation for Catholic principles.  I can’t wait to unpack them with you in this series of six talks delivered for the St. John Leadership Network. 

DGT Episode 185 - Christian Communion - The Difference Christ Makes Part 6

The power of a leader is as much about your connection with your people as it is about your vision and your drive.  People follow those who trust them and they trust those who show the character and the drive necessary not only to succeed but to succeed at doing what’s right.  This is the difference that Christ makes.  In this sixth and final episode of our six part series on The Difference Christ Makes we look at the unique impact Jesus gives to his followers in their connectivity with others and how that applies to our businesses.

DGT Episode 184 - Christian Consistency - The Difference Christ Makes Part 5

Leaders are people of action.  They are those who have the vision to know what they want to do, the intelligence to choose how to do it, and the dedication to carry the job through.  It’s this last part that is a challenge for many.  As soon as we begin the process of change, challenges will arise from every side.  How do we form the heart and the drive sufficient to carry our actions through to success.  In these circumstances the Christian faith shines beautifully and gives Christian leaders and advantage. 

DGT Episode 183 - Christian Courage - The Difference Christ Makes Part 4

There are many aspects about the Christian faith which we could find surprising.  Not everything that God does is immediately self evident to us.  But something that never ceases to amaze me is that God insists that we take action.  Not only does he say, “Do not be afraid,” but He doesn’t let us off the hook.  Leaders have to make decisions constantly and engage themselves in operations that can sometimes be risky.  Why does God do this?  And where can we find the courage to embrace the risk and still dare the deed?

DGT Episode 182 - Christian Clarity - The Different Christ Makes Part 3

Making decisions is one of the most important aspects of leadership.  Our people count on us to make decisions and to make them well.  And the decisions of a leader can jeopardize or bless the entire organization.  But making choices is not something that comes easy.  How do we know which of the many possible good things to choose from is the right one?  For a Christian, Christ comes to bring us clarity.  But what does this clarity look like?  How are we supposed to know what God’s will is and what we are supposed to do.   

DGT Episode 181 - Christian Creativity - The Difference Christ Makes Part 2

We all know that Christ makes a difference.  But what difference does he make in leadership?  Is there anything distinctively difference about the way Christians approach leadership with the way seculars approach leadership?  What difference does Christ make?  In this second of a six part series we examine the impact of Christ upon our creative energies.  Our ability to think outside the box and to create a whole new context for our ideas.  Surprisingly this is something we have done throughout the history of the Church and something we will keep doing today.

DGT Episode 180 - A Different Kind Of Spirit - The Difference Christ Makes Part 1

While the demands of leadership are the same in every context, the way we approach leadership can be different.  A Christian leader leads differently than his secular counterpart.  From visioning an idea to implementing a strategy, through carrying out and executing a plan, a Christian leader simply leads, frankly, differently.  In this first of a six part series I examine the difference that the Christian spirit demonstrates in leadership.  I attempt to answer the question, “What difference does it make if I believe?”

DGT Episode 179 - Feeling Forlorn - Why We Fail Part 5-

Daring great things is where leadership begins but leadership ends in the hearts of those that follow us.  Its not enough just to be doing things or doing them well, we have to do them in a way that other people can associate with and make it their own.  How do I make my great accomplishments a legacy that other people can benefit from?  We have to learn how to make our spirit come alive in the hearts of others.  Ironically, has to be concerned about his followers.

DGT Episode 178 - Fatigue Along The Way - Why We Fail Part 4

Before we do anything it is important to stop and plan how we are going to do it.  Afterall, failing to plan is planning to fail.  Part of this planning includes looking at where we could actually falter along the way.  And understanding the reasons we fail can become a big reason why we succeed.  In this fourth talk of the series we look at one of the biggest reasons we fail: fatigue, burnout, and being frustrated along the way. 

 

DGT Episode 177 - Fear And Risk - Why We Fail Part 3

One of the most common struggles that people have is passing from planning into action.  We all know what we should be doing, but actually doing it can seem an insurmountable hurdle.  How do we pass from having good intentions to actually having good actions?  Every leader has to do this.  St. Thomas Aquinas gives us the key.  He says the fear of risk can be overcome by love and by the knowledge of what is right.  Putting this into practice can be the difference between failure and success.