Quotes from Andy Stanley

This goes right to the heart of leadership. Leaders instill courage in the hearts of those who follow. This rarely happens through words alone. It generally requires action. It goes back to what we said earlier: Somebody has to go first. By going first, the leader furnishes confidence to those who follow. In this way, leaders give permission.

As Paul Naeger reminds us in his excellent article Red Flag Decision Making, Emotions serve a purpose, informing us what to do. If our brain comes across something and categorizes it as a "red flag," we will be notified through thoughts and feelings created by emotion. This "red flag" alerts us to pay attention. Our emotions act as a cueing system notifying us to pay attention and take action.

Courage in a strategic moment can change the playing field dramatically.

We almost always involve unbelievers in our small groups. And we give them opportunities to lead the discussion.

God had called and equipped David to lead. But it took an act of courage for that call to be recognized by the public.

I don't know about you, but there have been plenty of times when I have driven home from a hospital visit wondering why they let me be the pastor.

As a next generation leader you already possess the talent and intuition necessary to lead. But chances are it is your courage that will establish you as a leader in the minds of others. To put it in perspective, try to identify a leader worth following who didn't pop up on the public radar screen as a result of a decision or action that required courage.

Most of us want to be proven right more than we want to know what's true. We aren't on truth quests. We're on confirmation quests.

But David felt something else as well. A tension. A hesitation. Something wasn't exactly right about all of this. But that inner hesitation made no sense in light of the circumstances in which he and his loyal men found themselves.

As you develop your list, a little voice inside you will whisper, "It will take more than courage to pursue these ideas; it will take capital." At that point you may be tempted to put down your pen and retreat to the safety and comfort of how things have always been done. But before you retreat to your tent, let me remind you of two things: Capital follows courage, and what always precedes how.

The courage to dream always precedes the capital needed to finance the dream.

Nothing has stolen more dreams, dashed more hopes, broken up more families, and messed up more people psychologically than our propensity to disregard God's commands regarding sexual purity. Most of the major social ills in America are caused by, or fueled by, the misuse of our sexuality.