Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Dr. Jay Strack is the president and founder of Student Leadership University and has inspired over 15 million students on middle school, high school, and university campuses. Acclaimed by leaders in the business world, religious affiliations, and education realms as a dynamic speaker, he speaks and writes with compelling communication.

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LEADERSHIP ROCKS

Thomas Nelson

Contents

INTRODUCTION.....................................................5KEY..............................................................61. LEADER: The Total Package.....................................92. FUELED: Live with Intention...................................253. EXECUTION: The Art of Getting Things Done.....................414. VISION: A 360 View...........................................555. OPTIMISM: A Countercultural Mind-Set..........................696. RESPONSIBILITY: The Ability to Respond........................857. CONSISTENCY: The Right to Influence...........................998. TENACITY: Unstoppable Force...................................113NOTES............................................................126ABOUT THE AUTHOR.................................................129

Chapter One

KEY SCRIPTURE

So he shepherded [led] them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. -Psalm 78:72

COULD THIS BE YOU?

I remember vividly the night I made a deal with God: "If you get me out of this detention center, I'll go to a Bible study." I also remember the first time I heard the good news from a man who said, "God loves you just like you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way."

For most of my life, my heart had been dark with pain and hurt; but when I heard the good news of God's grace, a floodlight suddenly came into my soul. I prayed, "God, if you are real, come into my life and change me." I went home, flushed my drugs down the toilet, picked up a Bible, and began to live a new life.

I had been a powerless and out-of-control teen, but that day, the power of Christ transformed me. When I reached out to God, He gave me ...

* power of salvation for a changed heart and eternal life,

* power to stand against temptation,

* power to keep going when discouragement tried to take over,

* power to accept responsibility and correct mistakes, and

* power to forgive the abusers in my life who had hurt me so deeply.

And He didn't leave me there. As a student making Ds and Fs in high school, I couldn't find a college that would take me. I was discouraged, but God was faithful to carry me through. Charleston Southern University took a chance on me, and I graduated cum laude in just two years. I went on to receive a master's degree and to earn a doctorate.

Later, when I married and then became a father, God taught me how to love more deeply than I ever imagined possible. He gave me a second chance and called me to preach the good news to others. He has been faithful to stand by me every moment as I have had the privilege of speaking to more than fifteen million people face to face and many more through television and radio.

Ever since I asked God to come into my life, He has been with me in whatever area I needed it. He has given me not only power over the past but power in the present. And every day, He continues to give me power for opportunities in the future.

I tell everyone the powerful truth that I have personally experienced: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).

WHY KNOW IT?

* 51 percent of church members feel that the leadership in their congregation makes them enthusiastic about the future.

* 74 percent of high school students have no interest in running for a national or local government office in the future.

transfuse (trans FYOOZ): to cause to pass from one to another; transmit

If you watch a cable news channel today, you will likely see reports about casualties in the Middle East, a terrorist act or two, violent crime in the U.S., storms battering some part of the planet, famine across the world, AIDS epidemics, and so on. Bombarded daily with this negative information, how does a young leader keep his or her thoughts positive? How do we prevent emotion from being the lead dog in our minds? How do we stay strong to the finish?

Fortunately, the Scriptures show us a plan to help us process bad days and to go through life with joy. The framework given to the nation of Israel in exile is the same timeless, powerful framework for a young leader today. * * *

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says the Lord, "thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." -Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah 29:11 is a popular Bible verse that has made it to the prime time-it can be found on posters, plaques, T-shirts, bumper stickers, and more. But many people do not know the context of this often-quoted promise.

In this verse, God declared His faithfulness to the people of Israel as their captors paraded them around in shackles through the ruins of a ransacked Jerusalem. God's chosen people had been reduced to stumbling, shamed, and defeated captives. Imagine being conquered by your enemies and then forced to walk past the smoldering rubble that once was your home. The walls that once protected your hometown of Jerusalem are now broken down and burning; and even the temple, the holy place of worship, is in flames.

In the midst of this destruction, God reassured the Israelites of His faithfulness and backed up His words with action. His promise to you today is no less faithful than the one that brought great comfort and hope to the Hebrews during this time. Their journey to captivity in Babylon seemed like a dead end, but God brought them through and eventually enabled them to return to their homeland.

infuse (in FYOOZ): to cause to be permeated with something (as a principle or quality) that alters usually for the better

The Hebrews learned through violence what we can know in peace. Through our study of Scripture, we can understand that the Creator has given us all that we require to process the many different events and emotions that we experience, whether in the high tide or low tide of life. In our time of need, God's words to us are always tender, timeless, and teaching.

How does a leader experience the daily stresses of life, yet walk confidently into the future? This is possible when we focus on the facts that God gives us in His Word. It is imperative to have ownership of these facts before you can move forward into a life of leadership and successful living as a Christian.

FOCUS ON THE FACTS

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says the Lord ...

Fact 1: The God of the Bible is on your side.

Fact 2: He is compassionately concerned about you.

Fact 3: You are on His mind and heart.

... thoughts of peace and not of evil ...

Fact 4: He thinks good thoughts, great thoughts, even amazing thoughts about you.

Fact 5: His plans are peaceful and for your good.

... to give you a future and a hope ...

Fact 6: He has a unique future planned for you.

Fact 7: God's plan for your future is a sure thing, an expected end.

Get this: What God thinks of you IS NOT dependent upon your actions or on your thoughts of Him!

GROUP DISCUSSION

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