
Welcome to Igniting Influence! Before you get going, below is a brief outline of how to experience each session:
Each of the 12 lessons contains the following components:
1. Reading assignment followed by a Q&A which should be done BEFORE your group session. Be prepared to discuss one takeaway from the reading assignment when your group meets.
2. A 3-5 min inspirational video to be watched & discussed right after your reading assignment group discussion.
3. Biblical Foundation built on our 4H framework: Heart, Head, Hand, Habits where you will gain understanding of Jesus' model of leadership.
4. Case Studies that provide a way for you to apply biblical principles to today's realities.
5. Self-Evaluation to help you identify gaps and build a plan for growing as an influence and a leader.
6. Practical Application to be done individually during the week to help you take practical steps and acquire tangible skills necessary to grow and succeed as a leader.
This Week's Video: 10 min
You're about to watch a video about the value and importance of leadership.
As you watch the video, pay special attention to the following, and discuss with your group:
Q: Is leadership really as important as Wes suggests? Explain your position.
Q: Wes argues that every problem in the world has been directly caused by leadership or could have been prevented by it. What's your take on this statement?
Q: Since our doing always comes from our being, how does this impact the process of leading and influencing others? Share some positive and negative examples.
*Ue your journal to jot down answers to these questions
*Use your journal to answer the questions included in the reading assignment.
Read Leadership Matters reading assignment before your group session, and answer the following questions with brutal honesty. If you're part of a group study, be prepared to discuss at least one of your answers with the group.
This Week's Video: 10 min
You're about to watch a video about the importance of who or what you follow.
As you watch the video, pay special attention to the following and discuss with your group:
Q: Discuss this statement: In the moment of leadership decision, what you choose is largely going to be informed by what or whom you are following.
Q: Very often we make decisions by inertia, rather than by deliberation or conscious effort. Why can this type of decision making be dangerous?
Q: We can't lead like Jesus unless we first follow Him. How does this play out in our day-to-day interactions?
*Use your journal to jot down answers to these questions
*Use your journal to answer the questions included in the reading assignment.
Read Who Do You Follow reading assignment before your group session, and answer the following questions with brutal honesty. If you're part of a group study, be prepared to discuss at least one of your answers with the group.
This Week's Video: 10 min
You're about to watch a video that questions the cliché way of thinking about character and integrity. It challenges us to dig deep and evaluate ourselves, whether we have what it takes to withstand the pressures that come at us from all directions.
As you watch the video, pay attention to the following and, if applicable, discuss with your group:
Q: In light of the cliché definition of character and integrity, why do you think we focus so much of our attention on building outward perceptions and not enough time on who we are inwardly?
Q: Atlanta educators got away with cheating for over 10 years before they got caught. Is there something in your life you've been “getting away with” for a season because you've never been caught or exposed? How about cheating? Winging it instead of giving your best? Or maintaining two separate lives: home vs. church life, school vs. friends life or reality vs. social media life? How would your life change if you were exposed?
Q: What character traits helped Jesus to stand firm in the face of temptation? How can you apply those in your own life?
*Use your journal to jot down answers to these questions*Use your journal to answer the questions included in the reading assignment.
Read Integrity and Character reading assignment before your group study, and answer the following questions with brutal honesty. If you're part of a group study, be prepared to discuss at least one of your answers with the group.
This Week's Video: 10 min
You're about to watch a video that challenges us to evaluate ourselves and whether we, for the most part, are selfish or selfless.
As you watch the video, pay attention to the following and, if applicable, discuss with your group:
Q: What did you think about Connor's story?
Q: Social media has become our second nature. What do you think about Wes' observation that our posts and tweets often reveal a selfish or self-centered part of ourselves?
Q: How often do you ask yourself this question: “Is what I'm doing/saying bringing glory to God and others, or is it just bringing glory and attention to me?” How would asking this question change you and your day-to-day life?
*Use your journal to jot down answers to these questions
*Use your journal to answer the questions included in the reading assignment.
Read Selfish or Selfless? reading assignment prior to your group sessions, and answer the following questions with brutal honesty. If you're part of a group study, be prepared to discuss at least one of your answers with the group.
This Week's Video: 10 min
You're about to watch a video about security, namely what or who drives our sense of security. As you watch the video, pay attention to the following and if applicable, discuss with your group:
Q: Do you (consciously or subconsciously) place much importance on your physical appearance? How does your appearance influence your sense of security?
Q: What was your biggest takeaway from the Kodak story? Have you ever experienced a similar situation in your own life?
Q: Why do you think seasoned leaders like Joshua are at a high risk of building their security on the wrong foundation? What's the biggest takeaway from Joshua's story?
*Ue your journal to jot down answers to these questions
*Use your journal to answer the questions included in the reading assignment.
Read Our Need for Security reading assignment prior to your group session, and answer the following questions with brutal honesty. If you're part of a group study, be prepared to discuss at least one of your answers with the group.
This Week's Video: 10 min
You're about to watch a video about self-worth and how peer pressure can negatively affect and distort God's view of us and of what He says we are worth.
As you watch the video, pay attention to the following and if applicable discuss with your group:
Q: Wes says that pressure to conform to social norms and to the “status quo” is a huge influencer of everyone. Discuss his statement in light of your own experiences.
Q: Pressure to be accepted is everywhere, whether it's at home, school, work or even church. How do you personally deal with this pressure? What would you say to someone who is struggling to constantly please others?
Q: Why are our efforts to please others disproportionate to our efforts to please God?
*Use your journal to jot down answers to these questions
*Use your journal to answer the questions included in the reading assignment.
Read The underrated value of self-worth reading assignment prior to your group session, and answer the following questions with brutal honesty. If you're part of a group study, be prepared to discuss at least one of your answers with the group.
*Use your journal to jot down answers to these questions
This Week's Video: 10 min
You're about to watch a video that illustrates pride and how it alienates and destroys relationships.
As you watch the video, pay attention to the following and if applicable discuss with your group:
Q: False pride is a misattribution of credit. Think of a last time you took credit for something you didn't deserve and share the experience with the group.
Q: Why do you think we have a tendency to take more than our fair share of credit?
Q: Prideful leaders don't acknowledge God's work in their life. Discuss this statement with the group.
Q: How did Jesus, according to Philippians 2:5-7, resist falling into the trap of pride?
*Use your journal to answer the questions included in the reading assignment.
Read Pride and Leadership reading assignment prior to your group session, and answer the following questions with brutal honesty. If you're part of a group study, be prepared to discuss at least one of your answers with the group.
*Use your journal to jot down answers to these questions
This Week's Video: 10 min
You're about to watch a video that speaks to the issue of fear, something that affects literally every person who has ever lived and can be extremely destructive to us personally and those around us.
After you watch the video, answer the following questions. If you're part of a group study, discuss your answers with your group:
Q: Has fear ever stopped you from doing what's right? Share the experience and what it taught you.
Q: Wes says that fear can only freeze us up when we are in an anti-God state of mind, when we remove God from His rightful place and start trusting in external factors. What are your thoughts about that statement?
Q: The world tells us that we are not safe doing things God's way and that we will miss out on something better. Can you think of few examples where God's counsel is in total contrast to popular opinion?
*Use your journal to answer the questions included in the reading assignment.
Read Is Fear Stopping You reading assignment prior to your group session, and answer the following questions with brutal honesty. If you're part of a group study, be prepared to discuss at least one of your answers with the group.
* Use your journal to jot down answers to the questions.
This Week’s Video: 10 min
You’re about to watch a video that speaks to the issue of humility, something that affects leadership in a great way, but unfortunately is mostly ignored by traditional leadership resources.
As you watch the video, pay attention to the following and, if applicable, discuss with your group:
Q: Why do you think that leaders downplay the importance of humility?
Q: According to the University of Washington research, some of the most effective leaders are the humble ones. Why do you think that is?
Q: Do you agree that someone who is humble enough to invite their followers to give them feedback and even criticism has a tremendous amount of inner strength? How so?
*Use your journal to answer the questions included in the reading assignment.
Read Rethinking Humility reading assignment prior to your group session, and answer the following questions with brutal honesty. If you're part of a group study, be prepared to discuss at least one of your answers with the group.
*Use your journal to jot down answers to these questions
This Week’s Video: 10 min
You’re about to watch a video about the value of God-grounded confidence.
As you watch the video, pay special attention to the following and discuss with your group:
Q: In what ways did R. G. LeTourneau demonstrate God-grounded confidence?
Q: Do you believe that God is Who He says He is? And if so, how do you demonstrate that belief in your day-to-day living?
Q: How can circumstances shake our confidence in God? Share one of your moments of “doubt” that was sparked by unfavorable circumstances. What did you learn from it?
*Use your journal to answer the questions included in the reading assignment.
Read God-Grounded Confidence reading assignment prior to your group session, and answer the following questions with brutal honesty. If you're part of a group study, be prepared to discuss at least one of your answers with the group.
According to a recent Barna study, 90% of Americans believe we are facing a crisis of leadership. To bring it a little closer to home, almost 60% of surveyed Christians consider themselves as “leaders," yet 82% of them agree that we are facing a leadership crisis. Did you know that 38% of new chief executives fail in their first 18 month on the job? Surprisingly, their failures don't occur because they lack education, experience, skills or competencies. No, their failures come from more insidious issues like pride, ego and weak character. So what's the problem here? Exactly what is missing from the leadership development experience that makes it so vulnerable and failure prone?
We believe that the primary reason behind our current leadership crisis is the that leadership training most often is focused on changing tactics and management techniques rather than on the most important aspects of leadership, the actual leader, and his or her heart, character and integrity.
In these 12 leadership development lessons developed for young leaders we tackle issues like purpose, confidence, self-worth, pride, fear, purpose and building strong relationships. We nurture leadership growth by teaching the importance of integrity and character, confidence, intermingled with accountability. We teach practical lessons dealing with change, peer pressure, and much more.
Participants will not only walk away with a strong understanding of the leadership principles derived from the greatest leader of all time, jesus, but they will also be able to apply those principles in real-life scenarios and through weekly application.
Since 12 out of America's 20 Most Promising Companies have CEOs younger than 35, our desire is to build confident and credible young men and women today so they can make a positive and lasting impact in the future.
Each of the 12 lessons contains the following components:
1. Reading assignment followed by a Q&A which should be done BEFORE your group session. Be prepared to discuss one takeaway from the reading assignment when your group meets.
2. A 3-5 min inspirational video to be watched & discussed right after your reading assignment group discussion.
3. Biblical Foundation built on our 4H framework: Heart, Head, Hand, Habits where you will gain understanding of Jesus' model of leadership.
4. Case Studies that provide a way for you to apply biblical principles to today's realities.
5. Self-Evaluation to help you identify gaps and build a plan for growing as an influence and a leader.
6. Practical Application to be done individually during the week to help you take practical steps and acquire tangible skills necessary to grow and succeed as a leader.
* If you're going through this course as a group, pick a group facilitator for each week whose job will be to read out loud questions, Scripture references and case studies, as well as make sure that everyone gets a chance to participate. At the end of each session ask for a volunteer facilitator for the following week.
Weekly lesson flow: