Solomon told us that for everything there is a season. There are times that we need comforting, times that we need to comfort others, and times for growth when we are called to step out of our comfort zones. Kris describes what this means and the blessings God has in store for us when we do.

One of the critical elements of successful leader development is identification of the right ones to build. Jesus took this very seriously – He spent the entire night in prayer before calling the Twelve! We may have a perfectly designed training program but if we’re building the wrong people it won’t work. Here is a simple but robust model that will help to identify emerging leaders with high potential.

Bernard Baily said, “When science discovers the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to find they are not it.” Leaders can lose sight of how much others contribute to the whole scheme of things tending to allow pride to lead. Dionna highlights the necessity of keeping self in perspective through humbleness. She reminds us that everyone needs a dose of meekness to keep the balance in our lives.

Shalom is the biblical aspect of harmony within diversity. Frank’s startling insights describe community development as stemming from this biblical perspective. Typically an observer is drawn to the quality of the environment where people are. From a transformation perspective it is more important to wonder about how they relate to each other as they work; why they are doing this work; what consequences they envision for the way they do the work. He applies the definition of community development as loving God and neighbors, the first and second greatest commandments.

Researchers have caught elephants in the act of empathetic actions. They console each other when grieving, they help each other when in trouble, and the leader always knows when leaving a severely wounded elephant behind is best for the tribe to survive. But she still grieves over the one left behind. Practicing empathy is essential to the growth and well-being of those who report to the servant-leader as well as for the entire organization.

Learn how to turn a difficult situation into an empowering one through collaborative leading. Who says you should feel drained and defeated by the people you work with?

Dogs are exuberant in their joy. They exhibit it when they see you coming. It never matters how long – it could be ten minutes or ten hours – their joy is just as exultant. They know their purpose is to share that joy with you. However, it’s easy to get to a place in life where you forget the joy that you first found in your role. To rediscover that joy, leaders may only need to take a step back, and find the purpose and vision that God designed in what we are doing. We can have exultant joy.

One burning candle can dispel darkness, while many candles can brighten a large place. This case study outlines some of the challenges Steve and his team faced when creating resources to assist China’s church to brighten her future by raising up her own writers and teachers. Steve shares some of the ups and downs they experienced before producing highly effective tools.

Sweet apple blossoms in due time bear succulent fruit, just as sage advice from experienced leaders and emerging leaders bears much fruit in due time when taken to heart and applied. Time does not automatically develop leaders but leader development always takes time. There are no short cuts. Here, Malcolm has gathered some of the wisest and best advice from participants in LDC 2013.

Last week I had two meetings in as many days regarding two proposed leadership training efforts aimed at Christians in China. Both were well thought through and grew out of decades of China experience. As we looked at the various offerings already available to church leaders in China, the question that emerged in both cases was, “Is this really needed?”

An analysis of results from a survey conducted at LDC 2013 where leaders from around the world were asked about trends in Christian leadership. Original answers to questions about leader development, process of development, areas of concern, and some general observations are listed.

How can having a major stroke and suffering a coma be a stroke of grace? Bill describes Dieter Zander’s story: “Dieter’s stage was gone. The applause he thrived on was gone. The opportunity to use his talents and earn a living were gone. Gone. It seemed everything was all gone…”

Bats and owls have the best hearing in the animal kingdom. They can hear, but if they are not listening and paying attention they will go to bed without their dinner. Listening is deciding that the other person is important, and what that important person is saying is more important than what you are doing. Listening, coupled with periods of reflection, is essential to the growth and well-being of the servant-leader as well as the organization.