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Category: Leadership (page 28 of 30)

5 Reasons I go to Conferences

October 5, 2009 / Ben Reed / 6 Comments

I’m headed to Catalyst Conference in Atlanta this week. Conferences are often the bane of the office worker. Conferences mean meetings all day, then working in the evenings to catch up on normal work missed because of said conference. Conferences mean being away from family. Conferences mean learning new skills, which means more responsibilities when you return.

While the above may be true, I go to conferences for a different reason, and I think that my outlook on them changes my experience when I attend.

5 Reasons I Go To Conferences

1. Conferences get me out of my normal work environment. When I sit at my office desk day after day, doing the same thing week after week, things become stale. Traveling to a different city helps me to think outside of the box and re-energize me.

2. Conferences offer great networking possibilities. Conferences are a great place to connect and network with other folks. I’m a huge proponent of networking. It’s something that the workplaces undervalue and overlook. Read more about what I’ve written on networking HERE.

3. I get to hear from speakers not like me. At the conferences I attend, there is always one, or more, speakers that are not just like me. They don’t think like me, write like me, minister like me, or lead like me. It’s good to hear from folks like that. They stretch me in a good way.

4. I get to hear from the most skilled people in the world. At the conferences I’ve attended, the speaker lineups have been incredible. These guys communicate clearly about issues that I’m dealing with on a regular basis. They’re doing similar ministry, and speak truth to me in a way that directly connects with my role in leadership.

5. Conferences give me a chance to dream. I don’t naturally dream. I’m a task-oriented, inside-the-box kind of guy. I need to plan times to pick my head up and dream a bit. Conferences force me into that, as I hear from speakers, network with other guys, and think creatively about the future of ministry that to which God has called us as a church.

Can you add anything to this list?

Leading without authority

One of my pet peeves in leadership is when I’m given a leadership responsibility, but not given any authority to make decisions. Have you ever run into this? You’re delegated a task, but not been trusted enough to answer questions, set any sort of direction for the project, or answer questions about the current or future direction. That’s why, when I ask somebody to lead a small group, I cast the vision for small groups at Grace, then actually let them lead. I get back and watch them shepherd their group.

I could get in and tweak with each and every group.
I could micromanage each group and make sure they were exactly like I wanted them to be.

But I’d rather cast vision, equip the group leaders, and let them lead.

After all, God has called them to lead the group, right?

If you feel confident enough in a person to ask them to become a leader, then it makes sense to actually let them lead! Try turning loose some of your control.

Have you ever been delegated a task only to find out that you have absolutely no authority, even over that task? What did you do?

Do You Have a Vision Problem?

September 18, 2009 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

Keep Out! I visited a church recently, and found it to be less than friendly. In fact, we felt like we were outsiders.

They used lots of “insider” language, barely acknowledged that visitors were even present, and talked about situations that one would only know about if he or she were a regular attender.

The problem, as I saw it, wasn’t a lack of volunteers. It wasn’t even a lack of skilled volunteers. There were plenty of capable folks who could have made us feel warm and welcomed.

The problem wasn’t that the pastor and leaders couldn’t communicate in such a way that first-timers could get it.

The problem wasn’t a lack of organization on the part of the leadership and the “welcome” committee.

The problem is that they didn’t want to.

By not communicating the importance of welcoming outsiders, they had structured their service in such a way that those who are new felt awkward, unwelcomed, and ultimately unwanted.

People want to be led. They’ll be led where the leader takes them.

If there’s a problem with vitally important tasks consistently not being carried out, maybe the finger needs to be pointed at you, the leader.

Are you regularly casting vision for those things that are most important? Where are you taking those you’re leading?

Claims do NOT = Reality

September 9, 2009 / Ben Reed / 5 Comments

I recently attended a Major League Baseball game in Atlanta, GA, where the Braves took on the Cincinnati Reds. I had a great time! I just love going to the ballpark, and all the sights, smells, and tastes (I have to get peanuts when I go) of the whole experience. But something struck me as odd.

Baseball still claims to be America’s #1 pastime.

There were 2 other major events going on in Atlanta that weekend. Here are the stats from those:

Alabama vs Virginia Tech at the Georgia Dome: 74,954 in attendance. It was the fourth-largest crowd to witness a game at the Georgia Dome. It was sold out 9 weeks in advance (the average ticket price was an astounding $256! (as tracked by www.stubhub.com)).

Georgia Tech vs Jacksonville State: 46, 131 in attendance, and the stadium is just across town.

NASCAR Atlanta Motor Speedway Sprint Cup Series: 111,300 in attendance at the, on Sunday, the day following the Braves game.

Atlanta Braves game I attended: 29, 078 (58% full). For the record, they even showed fireworks afterwards!

Here’s my point: Major League Baseball is not the #1 pastime in America. Heck, they’re not even the #1 pastime in Atlanta! They can make that claim all they want, but it doesn’t change reality.

The same is true for any claims that we make in our churches.

We can claim all day long that we love our communities. But the proof is in the pudding.
“We are a church that reaches out to visitors and makes them feel welcomed.” Just because you claim that doesn’t mean you actually ARE a church that does so.
You can say that you, as a church, are developing authentic community. That’s a lofty claim. Are you, really?
“We are a church that ministers the Gospel.” Hopefully…but not because you say that.
“We develop followers of Jesus Christ.” I pray that every church does…but just because you read that on a church’s website, don’t assume it’s correct.

Why not spend a few minutes and assess the validity of the claims of your church, or your small group, or your ministry, or your organization. Are you truly accomplishing what you are claiming? Or are your claims bigger than your results?

Don’t be the MLB. Don’t lie to me. Either work to raise your output results…or lower your claims.

Small group leaders, listen up!

July 31, 2009 / Ben Reed / 2 Comments

Be quick to listen, slow to speak. -James 1:19

James knew us too well. He knows that we would struggle with speaking too much, too quickly, and too often. He knew that it would be easier to step up and say something than to push through silence and allow someone else time to process and respond.

James was a wise man. And we’d do well to follow his wisdom.

Small group leaders need to remember this when leading their small group.

4 Ways to Listen Well

1. Listen intently to people’s stories. Knowing where somebody has come from and why they gave that particular answer will be unbelievably helpful for you as you lead that person. Listening to and remembering people’s stories makes them feel that you care, and is a way you can love your group members.

2. Ask questions and wait for answers. Don’t ask a question and give your answer first. Let others chew on it and share their thoughts. Some people are slower to answer than others. They may be more contemplative and take longer to process their answers. Or, they may simply be polite and not want to talk over anybody. As the group leader, be okay with silence. You may have introverts in your group.

3. Observe body language. Communication happens verbally and non-verbally. Don’t neglect either. If someone seems to be eager to engage, give them the chance. If they’re hesitant, be careful pressing in too much.

4. Ask follow-up questions. Instead of taking an answer at face value and moving on, linger for a while. Ask a follow-up question that draws the answer out a bit more. Ask the group for feedback. Listen for similarities and differences in responses, and connect them.

Truth: The goal of a small group is not for the “right” answer to be the first answer.

Work to facilitate discussion.

Work to listen more and talk less.

Be an Expert!

July 29, 2009 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

So a few days ago I was disappointed, and today I’m just left shaking my head. I was looking at the details and speaker lineup for an upcoming conference designed to help pastors and leaders make the best use of social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.). I looked at each speaker’s bio, and clicked through to their blog sites. Three of their blogs had not been updated in over a week (which isn’t a huge deal), and two had not been updated in over 3 months! If you are going to be a social media “expert,” you have got to be diligent about interacting in the social media world! Updating a blog sporadically is fine for most people. But for others, such as a speaker at a national event, not updating your blog kills your reputation and influence.

Are you becoming an “expert” in your field? If not, why not? Those you lead deserve your best. If you’re a pastor, be the best in town. If you’re a plumber, offer the best plumbing work available. If you’re a real estate agent…find a new job (I’m kidding!). You can become an expert in any field that you want, but it takes effort. Read, ask questions, learn from others who are better at it than you, practice, practice, practice.

This “blogger” was supposed to be an expert, but he wasn’t. He could have been, but dropped the ball. Don’t lose influence with people by claiming one thing and living another. That’s called hypocrisy.

And nobody likes a hypocrit.

Not even God.

Get out of the Box

July 27, 2009 / Ben Reed / 4 Comments

This past weekend, Laura, my wife, and I traveled to Atlanta, GA, to visit with small groups pastor Scott Mawdesley, who was generous enough to give us a tour of North Point Community Church and allow us to ask lots of questions about what they do and why they do it. We also got to visit Buckhead Church on Sunday morning. The entire weekend was a great experience.

Whatever you do for a living, I would strongly suggest getting out of your normal environment. Plan a day, a weekend, or even an entire week, to get away and learn from somebody else in a related field. Here are 3 reasons why I think you desperately need this:

1. We migrate to tunnel-vision. Over time, you begin to think that you have the market on all of the great ideas. Well, you don’t. Trust me. You may have lots of good ideas, but not all of them.

2. Evaluation naturally declines when you’re in the same box for an extended amount of time. Think with me for a minute. If you’re literally in a box for a month, you might be in evaluation mode for a week or two. Then, you begin to think that you’ve evaluated everything. And probably, you have. It’s only when you get into another person’s box that you see that your box is in need of repair. Seeing other systems helps you to evaluate holes in your own.

3. Leading an organization (or a small group) can lead to burnout. Visiting other sites, and taking a break from wearing the “leader” hat, is refreshing, and needed on a regular basis. Getting out of your box allows you to take a deep breath and relax.

So here’s my question for you:

Have you taken a break from leading and visited another business/small group/church? What did you learn?

A Creepy Email

June 24, 2009 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

I received an email today from a store that I shopped at just a couple of weeks ago. For the record, I never logged in and told them what I purchased. This email was sent unsolicited 2 weeks after the purchase. Here’s the email:

I’ve got two thoughts from this:

1. Nothing is private. Not that we can hide anything from God anyway (see Psalm 139:7-13 for further proof of that), but anytime you use your credit card, that information can be tracked. Any time you post a picture on Facebook, it’s there permanently. Any blog post I write is public information, and is representative of me. I can continue to feel weird about this, or I can wisely use social media and blogging to my advantage. I choose the latter.

So, be careful what you place online. It is “tracked” by those you lead and by those you are doing life with. It is a representative of you, whether you like it or not, and will continue to represent you in the future. It’s public and permanent. Make sure that, when you post something online, you ask yourself the question, “Will I be proud of this in 5 years?”

2. Polling those you lead is important. At some level, I feel valued by this organization (represented in the email above). I feel like I have a voice with them. They give me the freedom, in my response, to say that I hated what I bought…or that I loved it. I strangely feel empowered, and that my voice counts for something. If I say that I hated it, they really may rethink putting that item on the shelf again (or I could be fooling myself, but for argument’s sake, please let me feel important right now).

If you’re a leader, make yourself vulnerable. Ask, “Is this working?” and be ready and willing to change things if they’re not functioning like they should (i.e., accomplishing the “end” goal). Asking for opinions shows that you care what others think, but if you open the door, be ready to walk through it. Making changes based on feedback shows that you value others’ thoughts and the effectiveness of the organization as a whole. Asking for feedback and making no changes is a slap to the face of those who shared their thoughts.

As a Christian, and a leader, both of these points resonate with me. I need to be careful with the way that I live my life, and ready and willing to change our system (see my post about that here) when it’s not making disciples of Christ.

How do they resonate with you?

Reactive or Proactive?

June 15, 2009 / Ben Reed / 3 Comments

-VS-

_________________________________________________________________________

In your ministry and leadership, do you merely copy others?

Recently, there has been a bit of competition raised right outside of our office building. Little Caeser’s Pizza has just moved in, and they’re offering “$5 Hot-N-Ready” pizza. They even offer a drive-thru window! Simply drive up, tell them what kind of pizza(s) you want, and they give them to you, ready-to-go, on the spot. Two doors down from Little Caeser’s there is a Domino’s Pizza. It’s been there for a number of years, and seems to have experienced a reasonabe level of succes (at least based on the frequency that their delivery cars are coming and going). They do what they’re good at: making their pizzas and delivering them. Little Caeser’s is doing what they’re good at: making pizzas that you pick up instantly. Is one right and the other wrong?

Soon after Little Caeser’s opened, Domino’s began offering a “$4.99 Ready To Go” pizza. Sounds like a rip-off to me.

Some churches look at other churches throughout the country, notice a reasonable amount of success, and try to duplicate that. Sorry, but it doesn’t quite work that way. You are called to minister the Gospel to your people in your community. Just because Saddleback does small group this certain way and it works in southern California doesn’t mean that you need to do it the exact same way and expect the same results in rural Idaho. Just because Louie Giglio preaches a certain way and has success doing it doesn’t mean that you need to copy him. John Piper has been wildly successful, but duplicating what he does (style, mannerisms, inflections, verbage, etc.) is unwise and ensures no level of success. Going through the same small group curriculum that the Smiths used and loved doesn’t mean that that’s what you should do. Maybe you should use the same material…or maybe you should look for a curriculum that helps to shepherd your group where they are at spiritually at this point in time.

Be creative. Think differently. Lead in the way that God has gifted you. Don’t just copy what others are doing.

Setting others up for success

June 10, 2009 / Ben Reed / 6 Comments

When I worked as a manager for Starbucks, I was always thinking about the next manager on duty. I wanted to make sure I was “setting them up for success.” That meant making sure the bar was clean, the dishes were put away, the café was tidy, the milk was stocked, the espresso was ready to go, appropriate breaks were given, and, as much as I could help it, morale was high. I wanted the next manager to have greatest chance of succeeding on their upcoming shift. If I did not prepare for this, and work hard to “set them up for success,” I considered my job a failure for that day. Beyond the day-to-day work, I was also striving to train future leaders to do what I did at the company, thus “setting them up for success” in their future with the company.
This is important in leadership. I see this played out in the relationship that Moses had with Joshua. He trained Joshua to be a leader once he was gone. He knew that one day Joshua would be given the lead role, because God had promised Moses he would not enter the promised land. Therefore, Moses worked hard to train Joshua and “set him up for success.” Often, the thought is that the successor of a highly successful leader is a fall-guy. I have seen that happen in churches, where the pastor after the long-term pastor is doomed for failure, and has trouble even getting off of the ground. If the rule of the fall-guy always held true, shouldn’t it have held true for Moses? After all, Moses was considered the greatest prophet of his day! (Deuteronomy 34:10) But Moses had his eyes on the bigger picture. “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, FOR Moses had laid his hands on him.” (Deuteronomy 34:9) You see, Moses was not content investing only in his own leadership. He invested in the next generation as well. The people responded to Joshua, as soon as he had been given leadership, like this: “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so will we obey you.” Joshua was set up for success (though it quickly became his responsibility to carry through with the task of leadership: “Only may the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses!”) because Moses intentionally took steps to develop him.

How are you setting up others for success in your absence, both in the short-term and in the long-term? Are you controlling the mission, vision, and operation of your organization so tightly that you choke out others?

How are you preparing your children to be a success? What about your co-workers? Your band members? Those in your small group? Are you preparing them to lead? Are you getting them ready for the task that God has called them to do? Or are you so task-oriented that you forget about the bigger picture, and forget that one day you will be gone?