Eric Geiger – Eric Geiger, Author and Senior Pastor, Mariners Church

When I was a young man serving on staff at a church, an older guy in the church asked me if I had a day off. I could tell by how he was asking that he likely did not want me to have a day off. I told him I did, that I was taking Friday off each week. He responded, “Son, the devil doesn’t take a day off,” as if to say, “You are fighting him and so you should not take a day off...

Many leaders use some version of the 4Cs when hiring or bringing a new person on the team. Character, Competence, Chemistry, and Capacity to grow. Wise leaders know that character must be at the top of the list. But there is some disagreement on what comes next: chemistry or competence. Is chemistry with the team based on shared values more important than competence to do the...

Back in the day, I posted a saying on social media from one of my mentors, Brad Waggoner: “If you want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader. Go sell ice cream.” People now attribute the quote to Steve Jobs or to Nick Saban, but I promise it was from Brad. The post went viral because it resonates so deeply with leaders. There are high expectations and different expectatio...

“Who should I consider for this important role?” When someone asks me that question, I often respond with my own question: “Who do you see excelling in lateral leadership that you can promote?” At which point I have often scribbled this compass for them on my dry-erase board.

Many people only think of the direction of leading downward, of influencing people you...

Steve Graves was my executive coach when I was serving in the marketplace in publishing, and we met once a month for several hours. As I was wrestling with a strategic decision one day, he said to me, “You can decide to go against best practice, but if you do, you should have a very compelling reason.”

His challenge has resonated with me for years. Yes, there are decis...