Brad Flurry

Leadership Minute: Resource Management

Posted on July 15, 2015

This is the first in a continuation of what I am calling Leadership Minutes….basically a quick read to provide some food for thought on certain areas and aspects of leadership.  

“Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all our possessions.”

When we think of all the resources we manage (money, facilities, staff, volunteers, etc….) how many of us realize OUR time is probably the most precious of them all.

Here are a few ideas to help you better manage your day.

Just Say No. When is the last time you truly evaluated your schedule. What are you doing that you no longer need to do. In his book, Spiritual Leadership, Henry Blackaby states that many leaders are generally susceptible to the “messiah complex.” They can easily come to believe that their involvement is the only guarantee of success for an activity. On the other hand, healthy leaders graciously, yet regularly, say no to many opportunities presented to them.

Delegate.  The quantity of work you can accomplish is in direct proportion to your ability to delegate. When you refuse to delegate, you limit the success and productivity of your team to the level of your own physical stamina, your own creativity, and your own intelligence. (Remember the lesson from Moses: Exod 18:13-26).  Delegation not only helps you focus on your priorities it is a necessary tool for the leadership development of your team.

Set a routine.  Is your day to day practice set?  Has it devolved to a point where you are at the mercy of everything around you – everything but your goals and priorities?  As a newly promoted Captain, I remember one of my senior Sergeants telling me, “Sir, if you do not make a plan for your time, someone else will.”

As many of you may be enjoying a brief break during the summer, now is the time to take a hard look at your upcoming fall schedule…it will be here before you know it.  To quote Blackaby again:  “God does not give people more than they can handle, but people regularly assume responsibilities for things they should not be doing.”