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Mike Jordahl grew up in Oregon, Texas, California, Guam, Georgia, Illinois, Germany, and Spain—where he became a Christian at age 17. Mike attended Illinois State University, where Navigators helped him get into God’s Word and grow as a follower of Christ. He joined The Navigators in 1981. Since then his roles have included campus ministry at the University of Kansas, Northeast Regional Leader, and for more than five years U.S. Collegiate director. Here Mike lists leadership lessons he learned along the way, found true in his own experience, and offers for your consideration in everyday life.

• I am sustained by walking closely with God in His Word, listening to His voice, seeking His face, resting in Him (Psalm 63:1–3).
• I need people around and with me who will strongly point me to Jesus and encourage me to follow His leading—regardless of their own strong opinions or desire to campaign for their way.
• I need to learn how to “guard my heart” in such a way that the demands of my job don’t consume me (Proverbs 4:23).
• Most people can be loved, inspired, instructed, and helped into doing great things and fulfilling great dreams.
• It is easier to lead others when I have won their hearts.
• Small acts of love with choice, honest words of affirmation help win people’s hearts.
• Allowing someone to complain to me about someone he or she has not directly complained to is not helpful, right, or scriptural (Matthew 5:23; 18:15).
• Don’t let personal capacity limit growth and forward progress.
• Building a plan around the available players is better than building a perfect plan and then hoping for the needed players to eventually show up.
• Leaders need to pursue and recruit the most gifted and talented; with them the success of the future is often built.
• Leaders needn’t be intimidated by the success of the most gifted, talented, and fruitful. Of all people, they must be challenged, helped, instructed, and rebuked—as well as loved, celebrated, and encouraged.
• My first response is not my best response.
• My idea is often not the best idea.
• The most persistent, eloquent, personally convinced person is sometimes right.
• My place “at the table” is always a gift, never a right.
• Having women “at the table” is a good thing—because we need their gifting, perspective, and contribution.
• A leader looks for the gifting in others—and looks for ways to use his or her own gifting.
• “Practicing curiosity” is always a good idea (e.g., “I wonder why . . . that bothers me; that bothers him or her; you think that; this matters so much; I am angry”).
• Others don’t need what I need right now; they need what I needed when I was like them.
• It is the leader’s job to keep on top of “change.” Discover, adapt to, and communicate both the change around me and the change I create.
• Ask questions and listen. It is more important for me to understand you than it is for you to understand me.
• The team I am on is as important as the team I lead.
• The sooner I let others help shape the plan, the more likely they are to embrace the plan.
• Lead and live with “my life for you,” not “your life for me.”
• I can play the “authority card” but should only do so when really needed.
• Knowing and being able to verbalize the “elevator pitch” (i.e., said as quickly as if in an elevator) is essential in recruitment, mobilization, growth, and effectual change.
• It is a good thing when my good friend—or my “Timothy”—becomes your good friend or your mentoree.
• My friend—or my “Timothy”—may not be the best one for the job.
• A secure leader makes room for and honors other leaders (Nehemiah 12:36).

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You may e-mail Mike Jordahl at Mike.Jordahl@navigators.org.