“The Cost and Expectation of Leadership Leviticus 7:33–35 Aaron, like many leaders throughout history, received a divine calling. God chose Aaron and his sons to serve as Israel’s priests and charged them with carrying out rituals and sacrifices on behalf of all Israelites. Scripture gives meticulous detail to their ordination and calling. Their conduct was to be beyond reproach—and God made it crystal clear that failure to uphold His established guidelines would result in death. Numerous accounts in the Book of Leviticus demonstrate the high cost and expectation that goes with a holy calling to leadership positions. As the high priest, Aaron was the only one authorized to enter the Most Holy Place and appear before the very presence of God. The Lord set Aaron apart for his holy work. Despite his high calling, Aaron struggled with his authority and later caved in to the depraved wishes of the people. He failed at a crucial juncture and led Israel in a pagan worship service, an abomination that led to the deaths of many Israelites. Aaron had been set apart for God’s service, but he chose to live and lead otherwise. The failure of a leader usually results in consequences far more grave than the fall of a non-leader. On the day Aaron failed, “about three thousand men of the people fell [died]” (Ex. 32:28). When leaders fail, followers pay the price.”

“No one can produce great things who is not thoroughly sincere in dealing with himself.”

“When we’re more interested in telling people what to do than in listening to what they are presently doing, we are off balance.”

“You lose the respect of the best when you don’t deal properly with the worst.”

“People can be in the same place sharing the same experience at the same time, but they can walk away from it having seen very different things.”

“You never really know something until you teach it to someone else.”

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like and do what you'd rather not.”

“I’ve learned that if you want people to be impressed, you can talk about your successes; but if you want people to identify with you, it’s better to talk about your failures.”

“How do you identify someone who needs encouragement? That person is breathing.

“As people gain more authority, they often develop a lack of patience in listening to those under them. A deaf ear is the first indication of a closed mind.”

“«Los sueños se realizan cuando mantenemos nuestro compromiso con ellos».”

“I may not be able to change the world I see around me, but I can change what I see within me.”

“«Ayude a muchas personas a tener éxito, y usted también lo tendrá».”

“«Cuando uno hace que las personas se sientan seguras, importantes y apreciadas, no necesitan menospreciar a los demás para aparentar que ellas son mejores».”

“Whom to Invite to Your Table As you bring people to your table to share ideas, be selective about whom you pick. Choose people who Understand the value of questions Desire the success of others Add value to others’ thoughts Are not threatened by others’ strengths Can emotionally handle quick changes in the conversation Understand their place of value at the table Bring out the best thinking in the people around them Have experienced success in the area under discussion Leave the table with a “we” attitude, not a “me” attitude”