Nick Chellsen's Blog, page 3

What is Resilience?

As a leader, there will be times when you want to quit. This is why resilience is important. Resilience, simply put, is seeing something through to the end. 

When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see He saw things through to the end. An example of this is at the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46). 

In this story, Jesus was preparing to go to the cross. Jesus’ purpose was to reconcile humanity’s relationship with God. To fulfill that purpose, Jes...

What is Servant Leadership?

Similar to how Jesus used parables to teach spiritual principles, author Patrick Lencioni uses fables to teach leadership principles. In his leadership fable, The Motive (2020), Lencioni explains that there are two different kinds of leaders. The first kind of leader sees their leadership as a reward for all of their hard work. The second kind of leader sees their leadership as a responsibility to work hard for those in their organization. The first kind of leader is a self-centered leader. ...

Jesus’ Example: Managing Anger as a Leader

As a leader, you will get angry at times. In fact, you should get angry. I don’t mean when your team makes mistakes. After all, mistakes help people learn and grow. I mean you should get angry when you see people take advantage of the vulnerable. 

Because of this, the question is not whether a leader should get angry. Rather, how a leader should respond when they are angry. Psalm 4:4 reads, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you” (NLT). Meaning, it is your responsibility to control your ...

Should Leaders Get Angry?

As a leader, you will get angry at times. In fact, you should get angry. I don’t mean when your team makes mistakes. After all, mistakes help people learn and grow. I mean you should get angry when you see people take advantage of the vulnerable. 

Because of this, the question is not whether a leader should get angry. Rather, how a leader should respond when they are angry. Psalm 4:4 reads, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you” (NLT). Meaning, it is your responsibility to control your ...

What are Boundaries? // What are Priorities?

Henry Cloud and John Townsend have written extensively about boundaries. In their titular book on the topic, they wrote, “We need to set mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual boundaries for our lives to help us distinguish what is our responsibility and what isn’t.” Essentially, boundaries are the things we say no to. 

Boundaries also help us say yes to what is really important. When we set boundaries, we can also set priorities. Priorities are what you say yes to. 

There are four...

Why Metrics Are Important

As a leader, it’s one thing to have a purpose, it’s quite another to know if you are fulfilling it. This is why metrics are important. 

Metrics, simply put, are what you measure. In a work setting, you might measure sales, profits, and customer service. In a church setting, you might measure attendance, new salvations, and tithing. Whatever metrics you choose to measure, they need to help you and your team evaluate whether you are fulfilling your shared purpose.  

When we look at the l...

Book Summary: THE WAR OF ART

Have you ever experienced procrastination, writer’s block, or imposter syndrome? If you answered “yes” to any one of those, then you need to add The War of Art1 by Steven Pressfield to your TBR (to be read) list. 

The book is divided into three parts:

Resistance: Defining the Enemy. Pressfield defines anything that prevents us from doing creative work as “Resistance.” In this section, Pressfield writes, “(Resistance’s) aim is to shove us away, distract us, (and) prevent us from doing ...

Why Honor is Important

Honor is when you show public appreciation for someone else. If you don’t take the time to honor your team and their work, then they have no way of knowing whether you appreciate them. This is why honor is important. 

When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see He honored people. There are many examples of this throughout Scripture:

Mary for prioritizing His presence (Luke 10:38-42). The widow who gave two small coins (Luke 21:1-4; Mark 12:41-44). The Canaanite woman for h...

Why Christian Leaders Should Read THE 48 LAWS OF POWER

Article Summary

While many leadership books describe ideal leadership qualities, The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene shows how some people actually lead through manipulation. By understanding these tactics, Christian leaders can grow in discernment and better protect themselves and others.

Full Article

There are a lot of books that discuss how people should lead.

In How To Win Friends And Influence People, Dale Carnegie writes that leaders should give praise and show appreciat...

Galactic Wisdom: 47 Leadership Quotes From Star Wars

Happy Star Wars Day!

To celebrate 47 years of Star Wars, I’m sharing 47 quotes from the movies and TV series as well as the leadership principles we can learn from them. 

A New Hope (1977)“May the Force be with you.” — Han Solo, et alPrinciple: The most well known quote in all of Star Wars (if not all of film). This quote highlights the importance of believing in something bigger than yourself. “Who’s the more foolish: the fool or the fool who follows him? — Obi-Wan Ke...