The Dokimazō Filter: Approving What Is Excellent

I heard something recently that I couldn't shake.

Kevin O'Leary was talking about Steve Jobs — specifically about how Jobs approached his time. Ruthlessly, intentionally, systematically. Every day he identified the three to five things that would actually move the needle. Everything else was noise. He ignored it without apology.

And honestly? Part of me respected it.

But then I sat with it a little longer.

Because Steve Jobs also died largely estranged from the people closest to him. A complicated relationship with his daughter. Friendships sacrificed on the altar of output. A legacy that is simultaneously one of the most impressive in modern business history — and a cautionary tale about what happens when prioritization is divorced from wisdom about what actually matters.

Ruthless focus is a tool. But a tool without wisdom about what deserves your focus can build an empire and empty a life at the same time.

That's the harder leadership question. Not just — how do I prioritize?

But — how do I know what's actually worth prioritizing?

Most leaders aren't struggling because they're lazy or unfocused. They're struggling because they're surrounded by legitimate, important things competing for finite capacity. Your team. Your family. Your responsibilities. Your growth. Your health. Your calling.

None of those are bad options. That's exactly what makes it hard.

Greg McKeown put it simply: "If you don't prioritize your life, someone else will."

The danger isn't always distraction. Sometimes the danger is letting the loudest thing — or the most visible thing — determine what gets your best.

Paul understood this tension. Writing to a church he loved — from a prison cell, no less — this is what he prayed over them:

"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent."
— Philippians 1:9-10 (ESV)

Approve what is excellent.

The Greek word behind approve is dokimazō — a refiner's term. It described the process of testing metal to determine its genuine worth. Not just identifying what's good. Examining what's genuinely excellent — worthy of this season, this capacity, this moment.

Discernment isn't instinct. It's a developed capacity. And it's worth praying for.

So how do you actually do it? How do you stand in the middle of a full life — full calendar, full inbox, full responsibility — with five legitimate things pulling at you simultaneously, and actually decipher what's important and what's just noise?

It's not a clean process. There's no spreadsheet that does this for you. Discernment happens in the tension, not around it. But there are questions worth asking that cut through the noise — not perfectly, but honestly. And honest examination is where clarity usually begins.

Three questions worth sitting with:

What cannot move without real consequence?
Some things, if neglected, don't just pause — they break. These are load-bearing. They don't get set down.

What is important but can survive an intentional pause?
Not everything significant is immediately urgent. Some things are genuinely valuable but seasonally flexible. The operative word is intentional — there's a difference between setting something down with care and just letting it fall.

What am I treating as urgent that isn't actually excellent?
This is the hardest one. Some things feel pressing because they're loud — not because they're worthy. The dokimazōquestion is honest: does this actually hold up under examination? Is it excellent — or just noisy?

Jobs prioritized brilliantly. But the filter he used was almost exclusively output. What will move the product forward. What will change the industry.

The filter Paul prays for is different. It accounts for the whole life — love, relationships, legacy that outlasts a product cycle. It asks not just what moves the needle but what is genuinely excellent when you examine it honestly.

That's the leader worth becoming. Not just ruthlessly focused — but wisely discerning.

Knowing what season you're in. Knowing what's load-bearing. Approving what is actually excellent — and having the clarity and courage to let the rest wait.

Start Strong. Lead Well.

The Decision Filter: Leading with Wisdom and Peace

When Leadership Demands Discernment

Leadership rarely gives you perfect information.
More often, it gives you tension—two good options, one hard choice, and the weight of knowing people are depending on your decision.

I’ve been there. Early in my career, I used to pray for certainty—for God to spell it out clearly. But I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about finding certainty; it’s about walking in discernment.

Certainty demands control.
Discernment requires trust.

And that shift has changed the way I lead.

The Decision Filter

Over the years, I began using what I call The Decision Filter—a simple way to slow down and align choices with what matters most.

I run every significant decision through three questions:

1. Values — Does this line up with who I am and what I believe?
2. Vision — Does this move me toward where God is leading?
3. Voice — Have I invited wise counsel and God’s perspective into it?

It’s not a formula; it’s a framework.
The Decision Filter helps me lead from conviction, not emotion—rooted in truth rather than driven by pressure.

Wisdom for the Asking

James gives leaders a promise that’s both simple and profound:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
— James 1:5 (ESV)

James was writing to believers facing trials, not executives facing deadlines, but the principle still holds: wisdom isn’t earned; it’s asked for.

Leaders don’t need to have every answer—they just need the humility to seek God’s.

Dr. Tony Evans once said,

“All decision-making is a values-clarifying exercise.”

He’s right. Every choice—big or small—reveals what’s really leading us.
When we pause to examine our motives through the Decision Filter, we discover what’s steering our hearts: fear or faith, ambition or obedience.

Peace as Confirmation

There’s one more layer to wise leadership: peace.

After I’ve walked through my filter, I pay attention to what’s happening in my spirit. When the peace of God settles deep in my heart—even if the situation still feels uncertain—that’s my signal I’m heading in the right direction.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:7 (ESV)

That peace doesn’t guarantee an easy road; it simply assures me I’m not walking it alone.
It guards my heart, confirms my direction, and gives me confidence to step forward in faith.

Leading with Clarity and Conviction

Leadership decisions will always carry weight, but they don’t have to carry confusion.

When you filter your choices through Values, Vision, and Voice, ask for wisdom, and follow peace, you can move forward—even into uncertainty—with confidence.

Because godly leadership isn’t about controlling outcomes.
It’s about walking faithfully in the direction of wisdom and trusting God with the rest.

#StartStrongLeadWell