Top Posts For March 2012

Here are the top five blog posts by viewing for the month of March, 2012. Only one of them was actually written in March. I guess that's what happens when you've been writing for a while. I'll put them here in reverse order.

5. Authentic Leadership

This one, written back in January, is actually an excerpt from an article by Michael Hyatt, one of my favorite leadership bloggers, and one certainly worth bookmarking.

4. Can We Talk? I Guess Not

This recent piece is about the private members bill by MP Stephen Woodworth attempting to amend Canada's 400 year-old law which declares that a fetus is not human until it fully emerges alive from its mother's womb. Not surprisingly, the Justice Minister immediately replied that the government had no interest in having this discussion. 

3. The Truth About Easter

The Truth About Easter was written last April and has continued to be a popular piece. It contains a number of timeless quotes from various authors on the subject of Easter.

2. Akiane Kramarik

Akiane is a phenomenon in the artistic world, creating masterpieces from the time that she was a little girl. She now has a worldwide following and is well-known, as well, for the spiritual nature of her art.

1. Akiane

Akiane takes spots #1 and 2. This article deals with the relationship of Akiane to the church and the relationship of the modern church with the arts in general. 

Top 3 New Posts For January

These were the top three blog posts (rated by visits) from the Mars Hill blog for the month of January 2012. If you didn't get a chance to read them, take a peek.

Here they are in reverse order:

#3. Just Do The Right Thing!
This article deals with the lack of, and need for, integrity in our dealings with one another.

#2. Authentic Leadership
This is actually an excerpt from Michael Hyatt's blog.

#1. Tim Tebow Mania
Tim Teboe and his playoff run have been in the news all month. This piece deals with the person of Tim Tebow and what makes him tick.

By the way, the #1 article of all time on this blog is a piece done last April on Akiane Kramarik, the famous child artist. It was called simply Akiane.

Related Articles:
Is Heaven For Real?
Akiane Kramarik
Seven Keys For A Better Life
Cool Link of the Day #3
Tim Tebow and John 3:16 - What's Up With That?

Authentic Leadership

This is an excerpt from a larger article by Michael Hyatt. To read the full article go here.

Let’s take a look at five ways you can be more authentic:

Discover your strengths:

• Look inside of yourself and identify your strongest threads.
• Reinforce them with practice and learning.
• Carve out a role that draws upon your strengths everyday.
• Recognize that your greatest room for growth is in the areas of your greatest strengths.

Manage your weaknesses:

• Spend time in identifying your weaknesses.
• Do not ignore them.
• Acknowledge that you cannot be talented in all areas.
• Find ways to manage your weaknesses so you can free up your time to hone your strengths.

Identify your personal values:

• Rank the following values in order of importance: integrity, patience, honesty, gratitude, humility, forgiveness, compassion, perseverance, spirituality, joy, and discipline.
• Expand the list by adding other personal values that are important to you.
• Articulate the importance of each value to your life.

Develop a strong connection between your values and your behavior:

• Commit yourself to your personal values.
• Stay the course regardless of obstacles.
• Find ways to go over, under, or through the obstacles.
• Do not go around them—instead, overcome them.
• Remember that your behavior reflects your values.

Build relationships with a diverse group of friends and associates:

• Create genuine relationships by being authentic.
• Authenticity builds trust and makes us more compelling and attractive leaders.
• Be prepared for the adversaries that will be created because you’ve remained true to your values and beliefs.
• Remember that leadership is not about being popular.

Related Articles:
Life-changers
Iron Sharpens Iron
Levels of Leadership
The Four Corners Of Great Leadership
Key Leadership Qualities - Adaptability