I recently quoted Dr. John Maxwell in my post "24 Things Successful Leaders Are Thinking" when he said, "Ninety-nine percent of great ideas never become a reality. They just stay in the mind. It's not the thought you have in the shower. It's what you do with it after you dry off."

Sadly, many leaders have an inability to effectively follow through. We will never know how many dreams God placed in leaders' hearts that went unfulfilled.

One of the primary reasons leaders do not act is fear. This may surprise you but recently, Bryan Miles, co-founder of MAG Bookkeeping, discussed this topic in detail. The following are his thoughts:

Feeling great about a new idea is awesome. Dealing with the feeling of impossibility about your new idea ... well, that isn't so great. And that is where a lot of great people with great ideas get hung up and never jump (aka take the leap).

If you've ever balked at an idea that you felt passionate about ... you won't like what I am about to tell you.

Your next big thing in life is simply a decision to do it.

That's it. A decision. A decision to act. To take a step. Move forward. I beg you, please don't throw away any ideas because you think they are impossible. Just make a decision to achieve it, and do it.

Yes, there will be plenty of days ahead where you must critically think through your next steps, get funding, find people, sell and grind it out. But, for now ... let those things wait. They'll come soon enough. I'll never forget when I made my decision to jump. It was in a marina in Seattle. That moment in time changed me.

I talk with a lot of people with "silent regret" because at the moment they had a great idea ... they paused too long, felt it impossible, too daunting ... and fear pulled them back from the edge and regret anchored in their soul. It's a shame because the world needs talented minds connected to great ideas to solve social problems, disrupt old-thinking industries, challenge models, and create good.

Be brave. Make a decision to act. Your next big thing in life is truly, simply just a decision to do it.

As an entrepreneur, Bryan and his wife Shannon know a lot about taking risks and moving forward on good ideas. One of their organizations, MAG Bookkeeping, has become the gold standard of virtual bookkeepers. This would have never happened if they would not have thought outside the box and then had the courage to launch this organization.

What idea do you need to "jump" or "launch"?  I pray you have the courage to do so today.

Brian Dodd's daytime job is as a Generosity Architect and leadership consultant for INJOY Stewardship Solutions. During the last 10-plus years, he has spent each day having one-on-one conversations with many of the greatest church leaders in America. He also also has over 25 years of church volunteer and staff experience. Check out his blog: Brian Dodd on Leadership.

For the original article, visit pastors.com.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.