Lee Bates

Before rushing into next year’s planning, take time to celebrate the race you’ve just run. Leadership isn’t a sprint—it’s a marathon marked by challenges, growth, and grace.  Too often, CEOs and executives focus only on the gaps—the goals missed, the projects delayed, the metrics not quite hit. But when you pause to celebrate progress, you cultivate gratitude. And gratitude fuels perspective. As 2 Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the...

Some years don’t go the way we planned. Targets are missed, deals fall through, margins tighten—and the weight of it all lands on your shoulders as a leader. But missing the mark doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It often means you’re being refined.  Leadership maturity is revealed when outcomes disappoint. Philippians 3:13–14 offers wisdom for these moments: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me.”  ...

As the year closes, it’s time to shift from reflection to direction. Strategic planning isn’t just about spreadsheets and goals—it’s much more about alignment. It’s aligning your purpose with your people, your mission with your metrics, and your daily focus with your long-term calling.  Habakkuk 2:2 captures it perfectly: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, so that he may run who reads it.” Clear vision helps to create freedom. It gives your team confidence to run together with...