A Leader's Time Chapter 9

Take Control Of Time

Effective leaders control their own time and do not allow others to control their time.

Leader’s Follow God’s Will

There are many demands and schedules that leaders are faced with. They have the board of directors, family, clients, friends, and employees all wanting your time. They all have different schedules and most of the time they will conflict with the leaders. Scheduling can be a monumental task with all the responsibilities of a leader.

An effective leader recognizes that they cannot accommodate everyone, but they can do what God desires. When a leader becomes overwhelmed with not enough time, typically they are operating on their own agenda and not God’s. God does not put more on you than He gives you strength and time to accomplish it .

15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Eph. 5:15-17

An effective leader knows the Lord’s will and appropriates His time to accomplish what the Lord desires and not what everybody else wants.

Leaders Say No

Leaders understand what is important and either delegate or say no to the less important things. Unfortunately many leaders feel the busier they are the more indispensable they feel. This is a fallacy of many leaders. The reality is that if you are not their to do it, they will have someone in place to do it.

Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda Leaders Say No

Healthy leaders, on the other hand, graciously, yet regularly, say no to many opportunities presented to them. They say no far more often than they say yes. By declining to become involved in a project, these leaders are not belittling the activity, as if it were beneath them to participate. Saying no is simply the leaders’ way of acknowledging that they are human beings, with human limitations, and thus they must make choices with their time. Leaders who are deluged by their schedules are leaders who have failed to say no when they should have. It’s that simple. God does not give people more than they can handle, but people regularly assume responsibility for things they should not be doing.

Leaders Maintain Healthy Routines

Routines afford leaders to remain on pace to accomplish what the Lord desires for them to do. Without a healthy routine, leaders tend to spend time on the things they enjoy doing and avoid the things that are necessary that they don’t enjoy doing. Having a routine helps balance this.

Routines are simply a budget of a leaders time. They are able to know how they are spending their time when they have a healthy routine. They can also, assess where they need to make adjustments.

Leaders Delegate

Leaders cannot do it all. They have limitations that keep them from being able to do everything. When a leader delegates work to others they are able to increase the amount of things that can get done. If they fail to delegate then they will only be able to accomplish what they can do.

Moses had to learn this lesson when he was judging the nation of Israel. Jethro, Moses father-in-law, encouraged Moses to delegate the judging to others based on their matter of importance.

13 It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. 14 Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, 20 then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21 Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 22 Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

24 So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 26 They judged the people at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge. Ex.18:13-26

Many leaders fail to delegate because they are perfectionist by nature. They don’t believe anyone can do the job as well as they can. As a result they end up doing it themselves and become overwhelmed with things to do. If they would delegate it would open up more time to focus on the important aspects of leading the organization.

Leaders have focused concentration.

A good leader has extended uninterrupted times to concentrate on the critical aspects of the organization. Unfortunately, because their is so much responsibility for the leader they focus more on what needs to get done than the longevity of the firm.

The difference between a manager and a leader is that the manager focuses on the day-to-day tasks of the organization where the leader focuses on the more broader issues such as the future of the organization.

4 Important Things A Leader Must Spend Time Doing

Unhurried Time With God

A leader must spend as much time as necessary with God. An leader cannot expect to do the things of God if they only have a 15 minute devotional and look for a spiritual thought to help them for the day. A leader must wait on God and allow Him to speak when He is ready. A leader must not hurry God for answers. They must demonstrate patience and discernment. Saul failed to do this and the results were catastrophic for Him.

5 Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. 7 Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. 11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12 therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” 13 Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 1 Sam 13:5-14

Saul would win the battle for the day, but would ultimately loose His kingship.

A Good Leader Spends Time with His Family

Often times the people that pay the price for the success of a leader is their family. Because the leader is catering to the demands of the organization, they neglect the time that is needed to spend with their family.

A good leader recognizes that family is more important than the organization. They must spend the necessary time with the family to help them develop.

Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda Leaders Schedule Regular, Quality Time with Their Family

Astute leaders schedule regular, quality time with their families. They are intentional about planning dates with their spouse. They calendar their children’s special events well in advance so they can attend, and these remain sacrosanct. They guard the privacy of their home, and they avoid bringing work home with them if at all possible. Wise leaders strive to be home at mealtimes with their family and refuse to submit to the tyranny of the telephone during occasions when they are spending quality time with their family. A ringing telephone does not take precedence over family time.

Leaders Manage time for their health

Spiritual, mental, and physical health are of utmost important for a leader. An unhealthy leader leads to an unhealthy organization. When a leader is not healthy physically, they just cannot do as much as a person that is healthy. If they are not well mentally they will not be able to make good decisions for the organization. If they are not healthy spiritually, they will not accomplish what God desires for them to accomplish.

Leaders must put on their calendars time to improve these areas of their life.

Leaders Schedule Time for People

A good leader will surround them self with the right people. This is key. Many leaders find themselves investing in people that have no desire to accomplish the mission set forth for the organization. All they want is what can benefit them. A leader may be tempted to try to coach someone that has no interest to get them to perform. If they do this then they take time away from those who really want to support the mission of the organization.

Most organizations have the 80/20 rule. This means that 20% of the people do 80% of the work. A wise leader recognizes the 20% and invests their time in them.