Embracing High Road Leadership for Personal Growth

Devotional

Day 1: Valuing Diversity in People**

Description:
Valuing all people is a fundamental aspect of high road leadership. It means recognizing the worth and potential in everyone, not just those who share our backgrounds or beliefs. This principle encourages us to cross social and theological barriers, enriching our lives by learning from diverse perspectives. By valuing different temperaments and backgrounds, we can broaden our horizons and foster a more inclusive community. This approach not only benefits us personally but also strengthens the bonds within our community, making it more resilient and compassionate. [09:05]

Bible Passage:
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12, ESV)

Reflection:
Think of someone in your life who is different from you in background or beliefs. How can you take a step today to learn from them and value their perspective?

---

**

Day 2: Embracing Our Humanness**

Description:
Acknowledging our humanness is crucial for high road leadership. We all have strengths and weaknesses, moments of soaring like an eagle and times of wallowing like a hippopotamus. Recognizing this duality allows us to be more compassionate and forgiving towards others. It puts us on common ground with everyone else, making us more relatable and understanding. By embracing our own imperfections, we can create a more supportive and empathetic environment for those around us. This humility fosters deeper connections and a more authentic community. [19:16]

Bible Passage:
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

Reflection:
Reflect on a recent failure or weakness you have experienced. How can acknowledging this humanness help you be more compassionate towards others today?

---

**

Day 3: The Power of Accountability**

Description:
Accountability is a powerful tool for personal and communal growth. Being accountable to someone provides perspective, feedback, and responsibility, helping us close the gap between our intentions and actions. It helps us see our blind spots and keeps us on the right path. Accountability is not about mistrust but about recognizing our human nature and the need for guidance. By embracing accountability, we can improve our lives more quickly and effectively, fostering a culture of mutual support and growth within our community. [27:30]

Bible Passage:
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16, ESV)

Reflection:
Who is someone you can be accountable to in your life? How can you take a step today to establish or strengthen this accountability relationship?

---

**

Day 4: High Road Communication**

Description:
Effective communication is a cornerstone of high road leadership. It involves making people see their possibilities, know their value, feel empowered, and apply what they learn. High road communication gets high road responses, fostering a positive and encouraging environment. By communicating in a way that uplifts and empowers others, we can inspire them to reach their full potential. This approach not only benefits the individuals we communicate with but also strengthens the overall community, creating a culture of mutual respect and support. [14:26]

Bible Passage:
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29, ESV)

Reflection:
Think of a recent conversation where you could have communicated more effectively. How can you apply high road communication principles to your interactions today?

---

**

Day 5: High Road Prayer**

Description:
As we grow older, it's important to focus on qualities that truly matter, such as availability, compassion, contentment, generosity, gentleness, listening, love, reliability, sacrifice, self-control, and thoughtfulness. This high road prayer serves as a guiding light for living a life that values others and adds value to them. By embodying these qualities, we can lead by example and inspire others to do the same. This approach not only enriches our own lives but also creates a more loving and supportive community. [31:48]

Bible Passage:
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3:12-13, ESV)

Reflection:
Which quality from the high road prayer do you feel you need to focus on the most? How can you take a practical step today to embody this quality in your life?

---

This 5-day devotional aims to guide you through the principles of high road leadership, helping you to grow personally and spiritually while fostering a more inclusive and supportive community.

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Welcome, everyone. Today, I want to talk about high road leadership and how it has shaped my life and can shape yours too. I want to start by saying that what I teach today and who I was when I was young are not the same. I had to learn these practices through mentors who came alongside me and taught me. I wasn't born with these skills, and I didn't always have high road ideas or actions. So, if you see me today and think I'm better than I really am, just know that I'm a product of the people who have poured into my life.

One of the first lessons I learned was to value all people. When I was young, I only valued people who were like me. But then I read a book by Florence Littauer called "Personality Plus," which opened my eyes to the value of different temperaments. This led me to cross over theological and social barriers, meeting people from various backgrounds and learning from them. For example, I had monthly lunches with African-American leaders in Atlanta, which enriched my life and broadened my perspective.

Another crucial lesson is to acknowledge your humanness. We all have an eagle within us that wants to soar, but we also have a hippopotamus that wallows in the mud. Recognizing our failures and weaknesses allows us to be kind, forgiving, and non-judgmental towards others. This humanness puts us on common ground with everyone else, making us more relatable and compassionate.

Accountability is another key aspect of high road leadership. Being accountable to someone helps us improve our lives quicker than anything else. It provides perspective, feedback, and responsibility, closing the gap between our intentions and actions. I had a mentor who didn't trust me, and he didn't trust himself either. This lack of trust was not a negative thing; it was a recognition of our human nature and the need for accountability to keep us on the right path.

Communication is also vital. When I teach, I want you to see your possibilities, know your value, feel empowered, and apply what you learn. High road communication gets high road responses. For instance, after a session in Dubai, someone left a note thanking me for seeing their possibilities and valuing them. This is the power of high road communication.

Lastly, I want to share a high road prayer that has become a guiding light for me. It goes like this: "Lord, as I grow older, I would like to be known as available rather than a hard worker, compassionate more than competent, content not driven, generous instead of rich, gentle over being powerful, a listener more than a great communicator, loving versus quick or bright, reliable not famous, sacrificial instead of successful, self-controlled rather than being exciting, thoughtful more than gifted."

###

Key Takeaways

1. American leaders in Atlanta. [09:05]
2. Acknowledge Your Humanness: Recognizing our own failures and weaknesses allows us to be more compassionate and forgiving towards others. We all have an eagle that wants to soar and a hippopotamus that wallows in the mud. This duality makes us human and relatable, putting us on common ground with everyone else.

3. The Power of Accountability: Being accountable to someone helps us improve our lives quicker than anything else. It provides perspective, feedback, and responsibility, closing the gap between our intentions and actions. Accountability is crucial because it helps us see our blind spots and keeps us on the right path.

4. High Road Communication: Effective communication involves making people see their possibilities, know their value, feel empowered, and apply what they learn. High road communication gets high road responses, as evidenced by the note I received in Dubai thanking me for seeing someone's possibilities and valuing them.

5. High Road Prayer: As we grow older, it's important to focus on qualities like availability, compassion, contentment, generosity, gentleness, listening, love, reliability, sacrifice, self-control, and thoughtfulness. This high road prayer serves as a guiding light for living a life that values others and adds value to them.

### [09:05]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:48] - Introduction to High Road Leadership
[07:30] - Everything is Within Your Reach
[09:05] - Value All People
[10:28] - Crossing Theological and Social Barriers
[11:40] - Valuing People Without Knowing Them
[13:10] - The 16 Laws of Communication
[14:26] - High Road Communication
[15:59] - What I Want You to See, Know, Feel, and Do
[17:14] - High Road Communication Gets High Road Response
[19:16] - Acknowledge Your Humanness
[21:01] - Mentorship and Personal Growth
[22:51] - Separating Giftedness from Self
[24:31] - Seeing People as Valuable
[26:07] - Common Ground Through Humanness
[27:30] - The Importance of Accountability
[28:53] - Good Intentions vs. Good Actions
[30:24] - The Need for Accountability
[31:48] - High Road Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to the sermon, what was the first lesson the speaker learned about high road leadership? [[09:05]]
How did the speaker describe the duality of human nature using the eagle and the hippopotamus analogy? [[19:16]]
What role did mentors play in the speaker's journey towards high road leadership? [[01:48]]
What is the significance of accountability in high road leadership as described in the sermon? [[27:30]]

Interpretation Questions

How does valuing all people, as mentioned in Philippians 2:3-4, align with the speaker's experience of meeting African-American leaders in Atlanta? [[10:28]]
In what ways does acknowledging our humanness, as discussed in the sermon, help us to be more compassionate and forgiving towards others? [[19:16]]
How does the concept of high road communication, as described in Ephesians 4:29, relate to the speaker's experience of receiving a note in Dubai? [[17:14]]
How does James 5:16's emphasis on confession and prayer relate to the speaker's discussion on the importance of accountability? [[27:30]]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you valued someone who was different from you. How did that experience enrich your life? How can you make a habit of valuing all people in your daily interactions? [[09:05]]
Think about a recent failure or weakness you have experienced. How can acknowledging this humanness help you to be more compassionate towards others who are struggling? [[19:16]]
Who in your life can you be accountable to? How can you establish a system of accountability to help you close the gap between your intentions and actions? [[27:30]]
How can you improve your communication to make others feel valued and empowered? Can you think of a specific person you can practice high road communication with this week? [[14:26]]
Reflect on the high road prayer shared in the sermon. Which quality mentioned in the prayer do you feel you need to focus on the most? How can you start incorporating that quality into your life today? [[31:48]]
How can you apply the lesson of seeing people as valuable rather than just helping or fixing them? Think of a specific relationship where you can change your approach. [[24:31]]
What steps can you take to ensure that your good intentions turn into good actions? How can accountability play a role in this process? [[28:53]]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "When I teach, what do I want you to see? I want you to see your possibilities. I want you to see that you can do better, go further than you've ever done or you've ever gone. I am a possibility communicator. I'm a lid lifter. Are you with me? I lift the lid. I want you to see wherever you are, you can go higher. I want you to see your possibilities." [14:26](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

2. "Accountability helps us to improve our life quicker than anything else. I do better when people help me do better. And it's just huge. And why is accountability so effectively? Well, accountability helps me because I'm blindsided in some various things I don't see. Well, if I'm not accountable to anybody, nobody could ever call me on it. And if you're blindsided, you're blindsided. What's that mean? You'll never see it." [27:30](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

3. "Everything that I'm going to give you now on high road is within your reach. It's within my reach. So look at the person you're seated beside and just say to them, you can live this life. I want you to tell them that right now. You can live this life. You can live this life. In fact, after you just said you could live this life, look at him and say, we all hope that you do. Hey, we're all pulling for you. You know what I mean? Come on. We're all pulling for you." [07:30](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

4. "When the other person takes a long time, he's slow. When I take a long time, I'm thorough. When the other person doesn't do it, he's lazy. When I don't do it, well, I'm very busy. When the other person doesn't follow the rules, he's rude. When I don't follow the rules, I'm original. When the other person gets ahead, he's getting all the breaks. When I manage to get ahead, well, I'm just smart. And it's just because I work hard." [26:07](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "I have an eagle in me. But can I also tell you something? The eagle in me says, I believe I can fly, but can I tell you something else? I have a hippopotamus in me to wallow in the mud. The eagle in me makes me look down at others. The hippopotamus in me reminds me how much I'm like others. You show me a person that does not acknowledge their failures, their weaknesses, their humanness, their sins, their issues. And I'll show you a person that's hard to live with." [19:16](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

2. "I want to be that eagle that soars, but sometimes I'm that hippo wallows. But when I understand that, then I will look at you entirely differently. I will not look at you as somehow I'm better than you or bigger than you or smarter than you or got more money than you or more successful than you. I'll get rid of all that crap because it's crap. It's wood, it's hay, it's stubble. And I'll look at you and I'll say, I'm not going to look at you. I'm not going to look at you." [24:31](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

3. "The moment that I see you as valuable, I serve you. I change positions with you. And no longer am I above you, not trying to fix you, not trying to teach you a lesson, not going, oh my gosh, did you, no, no, I'm, now, now I'm serving you. And as I, as I travel the high road, my humanness helps me, helps me to see my shortcomings so I can understand your shortcomings. It helps me to see my failures so I can say, well, yeah, I've, I've done that too." [26:07](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

4. "Good intention is the most overrated phrase in the world. I'm telling you, good intentions, your good intentions are worthless. Worthless. Did you understand what I said? Worthless. No one has ever benefited by anybody's good intentions unless they became good actions. And what happens is this. We judge others by their actions, and we judge ourselves by our intentions." [28:53](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

5. "I had a mentor one time. This is so good. He was looking at me, and he said, John, he said, I just want to help you here. He said, I'll be honest with you, I don't trust you. I said, okay. Oh, that's kind of hard. You're my friend, you're my mentor, and you don't trust yourself? I don't trust you. said, okay. Then he smiled real big. He said, it's okay. I don't trust me either. He said, I don't trust anyone that has a human nature of sin in them unless they have some accountability." [30:24](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?