The Igniting Hope Blog

The Most Overlooked Leadership Skill By Steve Backlund If someone asked us to name the greatest leadership qualities, we might think of vision, wisdom, communication, or integrity. Those are all important. Yet I believe that after love, hope is the most influential leadership quality we can possess. The Greek word for hope in the New Testament means “the confident, joyful expectation that good is coming.” Hope is far more than optimism. It is a conviction rooted in the goodne

Big or Small on the Inside? By Steve Backlund One of the hidden tests in life and leadership is what happens inside us when someone else succeeds, and we are not. Most of us enjoy our own victories. The greater challenge is often learning how to respond when someone else receives the promotion, favor, influence, opportunity, or breakthrough we were hoping for ourselves. James 3:13-18 describes two kinds of wisdom. One is characterized by bitter envy and selfish ambition. The

I Am So Glad It Was Hard By Steve Backlund I was talking with Wendy recently as we reflected on high-profile Christian leaders who were in the news because of personal failures that have caused great pain in the Body of Christ. Some were people who rose quickly in influence and whose character hadn’t caught up with their calling. In the middle of that conversation, something came out of my mouth that surprised me with its clarity: “I am so glad it was hard for us.” I’m gratef