Nick Chellsen's Blog, page 7

How to Resolve Conflict

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Conflict is inevitable. As a leader, you have the choice to either avoid it or address it. In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus gave His disciples a three-step template for addressing conflict. 

Step 1: One-on-One — The first step in addressing conflict is to go to the person one-on-one. Matthew 18:15 reads, “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back” (NLT). Meaning, the first...

How to Resist Temptation

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You have likely heard the John Maxwell quote, “Leadership is influence.” However, influence goes both ways. Just as you could have influence over someone else, someone else could also influence you. 

As leaders, we not only need to be aware of who we have influence over, but we also need to be aware of what influences us. Whatever we let influence us, is what we let lead us. 

When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see He was influenced by Scripture. An example of this ...

What is Feedback?

Feedback is empowering your team to ask questions, make suggestions, raise concerns, and/or challenge ideas.

When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see He allowed people to ask questions, make suggestions, raise concerns, and challenge ideas. An example of this is in the miracle of the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 7:1–10).

In Matthew’s account of this story, a centurion came to see Jesus  to ask Him to heal his paralyzed servant. Jesus offered to go to the centurion’s...

What is Empowerment? // What is Micromanagement

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Have you ever worked with a leader who micromanaged others? Perhaps he didn’t trust his team to do a good job. Or perhaps she didn’t want to give power to her team. Micromanagement happens when you keep power to yourself. Empowerment is when you give power to your team. 

When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see He empowered His team. An example of this is when Jesus sent out His disciples (Matthew 10:1-20; Luke 10:1-20). 

Matthew 10:1 reads, “Jesus called his twelve ...

How did Jesus practice self-care?

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Self-care, simply put, is taking care of yourself. It’s giving yourself time to rest and recharge. When you go long periods of time without self-care, it will not only affect your energy but also your effectiveness as a leader. 

It is important to note that self-care is not selfish. In his book, Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer wrote, “Self-care is never a selfish act–it is simply good stewardship… we do it not only for ourselves but for the many others whose lives we touch....

What is Integrity?

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Have you ever worked with a leader whose words and actions weren’t congruent? Perhaps this leader had a distinct set of rules for himself than he did for his followers. Or perhaps she had a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude. There is a word for leaders like this: hypocrites.

Jesus warned His followers about these kinds of leaders in Matthew 23:1-12. Verse 3 reads, “You must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what t...

Lead By Example

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Very little is written in the Bible about Jesus’ youth. Luke 2:41-52 is the only account. In this story, He was at the temple in Jerusalem with the religious leaders and teachers. Because Jesus would have been viewed as a child, He would have been a student in this setting. While He should have been the one learning, He was actually the one teaching. Verse 47 reads, “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” 

Think about the meetings you have as ...

Leaders Change Lives

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Leaders have the power to change people’s lives. Sometimes that change is positive. Sometimes that change is negative. This is why transformation is important. Transformation is a positive life change. It can be physical and spiritual.

When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see He positively changed people’s lives. Examples of this are His healing and resurrection miracles. While it is easy to focus on the physical transformation that took place, it is...

What is Innovation?

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Innovation is related to creativity. Creativity is making original work. Innovation is adapting an existing work. It’s when you use something old to make something new. You can think about creativity and innovation as you would think about a house. Creativity is building a house. Innovation is renovating that house. 

As a Christian leader, sometimes you will need to make something original. Other times you will need to adapt something that exists. 

Think about it: Would you...

What is Creativity?

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Would you consider yourself to be a creative person? You might not make art, music, or stories. However, that does not mean you aren’t creative. The creation story (Genesis 1:1-31 to Genesis:2:1-3) shows that God is an inherently creative being. Because we are made in His image (Genesis 1:27), we are also creative beings. Creativity, simply put, is making original work. When you make something, you’re being creative. 

It is important to note that creativity is not limited to a...