I used to see my leadership as a sacrifice, even to the point where I failed to exercise or eat well. After God made me wake up and realize what I was doing, (taking years off of my life) I sought His help to change that. I simply decreased my portion sizes, watched what kind of foods I was eating (especially the ingredients of prepared foods), and created a daily exercise program. I now feel much better and through the process have learned to manage my time so that I can continue this program.

As leaders, we need to make the time to make these kinds of changes. You will have more energy, be more creative, have a healthier heart, and maybe lose some weight.

(Of course, check with your doctor before starting any exercise program and change in diet)

As I’ve mentioned before, it is easy for me to slip into the role of a workaholic. During those times, I often neglect my family, preferring to spend time with my work and side projects than I do with them. Sad, but true.

The thing that I’ve realized most is that I never choose to neglect my family. It just happens over time. As with all selfishness and sin, we tend to let it slip in a little at a time. We spend an extra hour here or there, “just to wrap things up” or “get ahead.” By the end of it, we are fully neglecting our family.

Men, it is your responsibility to lead your family through serving them. I didn’t make up this rule – God did. Your family is looking to you for servant leadership. Your wife is looking for a partner and your children are looking to you as a godly example. If you are neglecting them by leading outside the home first, you are failing in your Godly role.

Don’t let your leadership role at work and church cause you to lose sight of your leadership at home. If you do, all of your leadership roles will suffer.

Here are 5 steps on how to break down the work you or your team need to accomplish without causing everyone to freeze up:

Step 1: Paint the Big Picture

It is hard for you and your team to get where you are going if you don’t know where it is. Identify the goals that you need to achieve. Make sure they are easily understood and easily measurable so that everyone knows when you get there.

Step 2: Create Milestones

Working backwards from where you are going, determine what major milestones will get you there. These milestones may be date-driven or achievement-driven. Whatever they are, make sure everyone knows the purpose of each milestone and the intended outcomes. Often, a milestone will be made up of a summary, list of key things to accomplish, and a deadline.

Hint: Keep your milestones manageable. The bigger the milestone, the longer you will go between major team success. Milestones that are too big or complicated will often discourage rather than encourage.

Step 3: Break Down the First Milestone

Identify the tasks that need to be accomplished to complete your first milestone. Break out the tasks into small units of work. You may want to determine the skills required to work on each task.

Step 4: Track Your Progress Often

As you are working through your milestone, track the tasks assigned, when they get completed, and what each person may require to complete the task. If you don’t track progress, your milestone will never get accomplished.

Don’t micromanage people unless you know they prefer that style of management. Instead, designate a time when a team meeting can be used to assess status, issues that need to be resolved, and next steps.

Step 5: Celebrate Team Accomplishments

When your team hits a milestone, celebrate! Even better, celebrate the more difficult or key tasks within a milestone. This keeps team morale high and helps everyone see the success toward the big picture in the midst of a busy schedule.