What does it take to be the kind of leader people choose to follow—the kind of leader people follow just because they want to? Authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner have conducted extensive research to answer this question. In their book, The Truth About Leadership, they reveal the answer. It might surprise you. Turns out, we look for four traits in our leaders: honest, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent. These are the most-desired traits across all cultural, ethnic, g

“Why is no one else seeing her?” thinks someone in your Tribe. “She clearly feels left out. She’s just sitting there, not saying a word, but our leader keeps forgetting to ask her opinion! If someone doesn’t say something to her in three seconds, I’m gonna lose it.” Ding-ding-ding! Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve just been privy to the internal monologue of Joanna, an Includer. Does it make you crazy when someone’s not invited or repeatedly overlooked? Are you constantly trying t

Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in a rut. We want to grow more in our relationship with God, but we just feel stuck. Maybe you find yourself regularly ignoring your Bible reading, or having weeks go by without a single prayer. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, there are practical steps you can take today to strengthen your relationship with God. Ready? Let’s go! Set a prayer reminder. I set reminders all the time to talk to people. If I need to call my mom or a fr

I’m up against a chain-link fence trying to find the perfect balance between standing on the balls of my feet to look taller, and plastering my shoulders back to look stronger. The only thing tenser than my abdomen is my brain as it tries to mind-control the two cool, athletic kids who stand five feet of playground concrete in front of me. The line of kickball players has been thinned to just the kid who’s yet to actually kick a ball past the pitcher, and me. Despite all my b

“Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the overhead area. Please place the mask over your own mouth and nose before assisting others.” If you’ve ever flown on a commercial flight, you’ve heard this phrase. The flight attendants repeat it each and every time, without fail. Why? Because they know you’re worthless to help the person next to you if you can’t breathe. It’s really pretty simple. I love this analogy because it translates so well to the way we s

You’ve probably been in a group setting where someone says something like, “We need to pray for Jenny. She and her husband are separated because he doesn’t want to be married anymore.” Then, the questions begin flying by group members who don’t really care for the outcome of Jenny and her husband but instead just want to know what’s going on with Jenny. But that doesn’t work for mentors. Mentors don’t share and tell. The kind of protection I want to call you to is protection

We’ve all been here. A couple in Tribe is blatantly fighting or—worse—passive-aggressively flinging invisible stones from opposite sides of the couch. It’s not pretty. Throw pillows are in danger. As Tribe leaders, what do we do when a marriage in our group is struggling? Let’s first acknowledge that no one is immune from a hurting marriage. That’s why—as Pastor Craig wrote in his book From This Day Forward—we must continually seek God, fight fair, have fun, stay pure, and ne

Conflict is an inevitable part of life and Tribes. It’s not easy, but it’s a sign your group is full of live human beings. An important part of your growth as a leader will be learning how to healthily address conflict and proactively prevent unnecessary conflict. Here are seven conflict quick tips. Address issues quickly. If you have an issue with someone, go quickly and talk to them rather than allowing the issue to grow. Use “I feel” statements. When talking about what you

Indiana Jones modeled the concept of faith when he took a step onto an invisible bridge in The Last Crusade. His newfound footing confirmed the bridge was there all along. Martin Luther King Jr. is known for living this out in real life and for saying, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Thousands of years earlier, David, still a teen, showed uncommon bravery when in 1 Samuel 17:46 NIV he told the nearly 10-foot Goliath, “This day the

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13 NIV We live in a world that’s less than encouraging. A world where one bad break or a hard childhood turns dreams into nightmares. As a Tribe leader or mentor, the people you lead will face disappointments, setbacks, and frustrations so dark they can’t seem to locate the fortitude to press on. So many people are like little Lucy in C.S. Le