Whether the CEO, the accountant, the mechanic, the pastor or the janitor – or any other job title, for that matter – in our masterpiece work, we have the privilege of connecting the world to God’s presence by being who He created us, living out our true identity.

Leadership is a crucible of self-awareness. As a leader, you’re out front, visible; that’s a key part of being a leader. If others can’t see you, they can’t possibly follow you. That visibility can be a benefit and a curse.

We are not machines!  We are human beings and we cannot keep a pace of perpetual motion if we expect to make our best contribution to our work, our family, our community.

Alignment is a word that’s become part of my vocabulary recently. Thanks to some ergonomic issues in my office, I’ve been forced to focus on alignment and the body. It’s not just our physical body that requires alignment in our workplace. Our mind and spirit also benefit from alignment in our work.

Leaders often assume when hiring or promoting a team member that their previous experience means they don’t need any on-boarding in their new role. This is counter-productive.

Early this summer, my daughter decided she would help out in the garden by weeding. It was much needed – the weeds were taking over the area where we’d planted a pumpkin seedling and several kinds of flowers.

As a leader, knowing where you are going and sharing this with your team is critical to your success. This process provides focus, sets priorities, and saves time and energy as you measure all the actions of the organization against the vision you share.

Recently I had the privilege of spending the morning with a group amazing young leaders at WAM House. These young people spend a year intentionally honing their leadership skills as they step into the marketplace.

This month, we are focusing on lessons from my favorite children’s books. Today’s book is one I saw for the first time when our oldest granddaughter was born.