Spirit of Leadership

PRIORITIES Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. EVALUATE YOUR CURRENT PRIORITIES What purposes do you need to “take hold of”—personally, professionally, and spiritually? How do your current priorities line up with them? Take time this week to think through your present priorities. Perhaps you haven’t really established any priorities and are living in crisis mode: Whatever seems most pressing at the time gets your attention. Are you aware of your purpose and actively working toward it? Before setting your goals, as outlined in the following chapter, make sure that you discover your purpose and decide how to align your life and your priorities so that you will be able to fulfill your particular leadership mandate in the domain that you have been given. T HE ART OF PRIORITY IS DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THE IMPORTANT AND THE URGENT . To become the leader that you were created to be, you must cultivate the art of priority—choosing and distin guishing between what is important versus what is urgent. Leadership means knowing the difference between busy ness and effectiveness. True leaders make a distinction

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