Author: Anthony Delaney

I speak, I write, I lead.

Who Is Shaping Your Life? Build The Right Influences

Leaders may like to think we’re independent thinkers and actors, but really we’re not. You are being formed every day – by who you spend time with, who you listen to, and what you give your attention to. Some people stretch you, strengthen and sharpen you, others dilute, distract, drain or may even be out to destroy you! Here’s a simple diagnostic to establish the truth about who is shaping your life: Nobody is a Stand-Alone Leader Leaders form communities, and we cannot be formed in isolation. We are shaped as we shape, in community – whether intentional or accidental. The question therefore is not if you are being shaped, it’s who is shaping you? And I think we need to be aware and intentional about that now, more than ever as that shaping includes: In a world of ‘influencers’ – some of the most influential “people” in your life may include some you’ve never actually met. Two Circles Every Leader Lives In We inhabit two communities: 1. Public Community These are the people who: This circle determines your influence. They are important. […]

Spirit First Leadership: Finding and Developing Leaders God’s Way

Scripture reminds us that secular skills are not the primary qualification for spiritual leadership.

The first question is not: What expertise do they bring?

The first question is: What spirit do they carry?

Are they people who love God’s presence?
Are they humble servants?
Are they people of faith when others are fearful?
Are they known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom?

How to Play the Second Half of Life

For a long time the imposter (or accuser’s?) voice in my head said: ‘You’re too young.’
Too inexperienced.
Too early.
Not ready yet.
And then, almost without warning, that voice changed.
Suddenly it was saying:
‘You’re too old.’
It struck me one day that the enemy seems quite happy to use the same tactic in different ways, to get you out of the game – being a spectator instead.

The Questions Leaders Must Ask In Each Decade Of Life

Leadership questions change across the decades. The challenges of your 20s are not the same as your 50s or 70s. Each stage of life brings a different question that shapes who we become and how we lead. Understanding them helps us build a life – not just a ministry.

Dangerous Ground: When Leaders Start Living Off Giftedness Instead of Character

Most leaders don’t burn out because they lack ability.
They burn out because their giftedness keeps working while their soul slowly runs dry.
And by the time they notice, they’re already standing on dangerous ground.

Caleb Christians. Why Church Must Rethink Retirement

What if instead of asking:
“What will I do when I retire?”
We ask: “What hill country is God still calling me to take?”
That’s the question Caleb wanted to figure out at 85. It should challenge and shape our faith today.

The Identity Shift Every Christian Leader Needs to Make.

What I’m describing is one of the most common and least-talked-about issues in leadership.
From our earliest days — as babies searching for our mother’s face — we are formed by the desire to be wanted, chosen, noticed, and valued unconditionally. That search doesn’t stop when we become adults. It doesn’t stop when we become leaders. If anything, leadership amplifies it.
We’ll do extraordinary things looking for love. Sometimes beautiful things. Sometimes deeply damaging things. The heart’s search for love doesn’t just influence us — it forms us.
Where we look for love, and whether we find it, is where our identity gets shaped.
Some leaders look for it in performance: “If I achieve enough, I’ll be okay.” 
Others in people’s approval: “If they like me, I’ll like myself.” 
Some chase perfection: “If I can just get it right, I’ll be enough.” 
Others pursue popularity: “If enough people follow me, I’ll feel secure.”