Tag: principles

10 Leadership Principles I Learned from Moving

I moved this past weekend. Which means this was the most physically demanding, emotionally challenging, stressful and exciting weekends I’ve had in a long time.

Moving does that to you.

moving-boxes-e1269016938144

image credit: simplemom.net

As always, there’s a lesson to learn around every corner. If you’re open, God can teach you something about yourself in just about any environment. Turns out, we can learn something from moving.

10 Leadership Principles I learned from Moving

1. You’re more effective with others.

Don’t try to move by yourself. That’s just dumb.

In leadership, don’t try to lead alone. That’s dumb, too.

2. Surround yourself with your friends.

If you enjoy the people you work with, you’ll be much more effective. If you can laugh together, you can weather the toughest of storms, too.

In leadership, it’s important to recruit people you enjoy spending time with. Your team will move further, faster, if you enjoy each other.

3. A little motivation goes a long ways.

I bought coffee and donuts for the guys helping me move. Caffeine and sugar work wonders, especially on a cold day. I call them “manna.”

In leadership, don’t overlook motivation and encouragement. People need to know they bring value to the table, that their ideas have merit, and that their role on the team is vital.

4. Work hard and take good breaks.

While we were moving, I made sure to take good breaks. Especially a good lunch break.

In leadership, help your team work in a rhythm. Work hard and play hard. After “playing,” you’ll find your team is much more motivated to work.

5. Invest in people.

The guys that helped me move were guys that I had invested a portion of my life into. They’d given much to me, too. When you invest yourself in people, they’ll be more than willing to help when things get overwhelming.

In leadership, don’t just lead out of positional authority. Lead out of the relationship you build with people as you invest your life, wisdom, and resources into who they are. Leadership based on position alone is weak leadership.

6. Ask for help.

You may think that this is just like #1 above, but it’s not. Asking for help takes a bit of humility.

In leadership, learn to ask for help. You’ll get better ideas, more buy-in, and more effectiveness as a team. “I’m not sure. What do you think?” is a great way to get that ball rolling.

7. Planning is crucial.

We had to pack our entire house in a moving pod. If we just threw boxes and furniture in at random, it would’ve never fit.

In leadership, planning events and initiatives in advance ensures you have the right people at the table, the right ideas implemented, and goals reached. Develop a 3 month, 6 month, 12 month, and 24 month plan. Spend 80% of your planning effort on the 3 month plan. 10% on the 6 month plan. 10% on the 12 & 24 month plans (combined) (via Steve Gladen)

8. The leader sets the pace.

When we were moving, if I slowed down, everybody else did, too. If I powered through, everybody followed.

In leadership, you set the pace. If you put your nose to the grind, you’ll find your team doing the same. If you celebrate well, your team will, too. If you’re lazy, your team won’t pick up your slack like you’d hope.

9. Working hard and leading aren’t the same thing.

I had to step back from doing the work of moving and be certain I directed people to take the right boxes, load the right things, and ensure we were moving efficiently.

In leadership, don’t constantly have your nose to the grind. Be sure you’re stepping back to lead, not just do. Your team needs to have direction and high-level leadership, not just another worker. Someone needs to direct, advise, and make quick decisions. That’s the job of the leader.

10. Don’t forget the attic.

We were almost done packing, when someone said, “Hey, what about the attic?” Stupid attic.

In leadership, know that you’ll forget something. Some detail will be overlooked, an idea will fall through, or a deadline will be missed. It’s ok. Build some margin in to plan for rainy days and times you won’t hit your intended goal. Know that you’re not perfect. Remind your team that it’s okay to mess up. When you do, pick up the pieces and move on.

Pastors: the Gospel we proclaim deserves the best, most effective leadership, right?

Question:

When was the last time you moved?

 

Accountability

If you want accountability in your life, you’ve got to take responsibility.

image by Cassandra Security

Nobody will do that for you.  Others can pour into you, teach you, model for you, and share resources with you.  But if you want accountability, you’ve got to take that responsibility on yourself.  I’ve asked people to help me with certain aspects of my spiritual life.  Sometimes it’s “worked.”  Many times, it hasn’t.  But I’ve learned some principles along the way that have helped ensure success.

8 principles in seeking spiritual accountability

1. Ask for it.

If you don’t ask, nobody will respond.  You need these deep relationships that help you with your personal spiritual growth.

2. Help define what it needs to look like.

Don’t just assume that if you ask someone, they’ll instantly know what accountability needs to look like for you.  You have to help set the paramaters.  How often?  What will you talk about?  What questions should they ask you?

3. Be vulnerable and share your story.

Otherwise, how can someone else help?  If they don’t know who you are, where you’ve been, and the weak spots in your life, they’ll have no idea how to help you grow.

4. Take a risk.

You’ll never know if the person on the other end, that you’re asking to step into that relationship with you, is 100% trustworthy.  This is  a step of faith, not a step of pre-knowledge.

5. Remember that accountability is a two-way street.

This isn’t a cure-all solution.  You’ve got to be doing the difficult task of working on yourself and your own shortcomings.  Having someone “hold you accountable” doesn’t assure you’re accountable.  You’ve got to continue to actively pursue that relationship, and be open and honest with where you are at all along the way.

6. Give the other person the room to say, “No.”

This is a big responsibility that you’re asking someone to.  Give them the freedom to say that this is not the right season for them.  Forced accountability rarely works.  Both parties have to be willing to step in and do the hard work.

7. You have to continue to drive the relationship.

Don’t expect that you can ask once, share your story, and the other person will then magically follow up with you exactly when you need it.  You’re the one asking for accountability.  You need to be the one driving this relationship.

8. Ask for grace.

Since accountability isn’t a cure-all, there’s a good chance you’ll mess up again.  In a big way.  And this is where many “accountability partners” fall apart.  If you’ve messed up, you think, “I can’t possibly be honest about this with him now.”  And he’ll think, “I guess I’ve failed at holding him accountable.”  What needs to happen is what happened in the beginning: grace.  Set out from the beginning this idea that if failure happens, grace is the knee-jerk response.

You need someone to spur you on. (Hebrews 10:24) You’re too weak on your own to fight sin, insecurities, and the battles that rage against you doing what God’s calling you to do.  You need someone who’s got your back.  You need someone who is going to encourage you on the good days and the bad.  You need a warrior who won’t give up on you, who knows where you’re headed, and is willing to walk through the dark and the light to help you get there.

So encourage each other and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Do you have someone who’s intentionally encouraging you and helping hold you accountable?

Have you seen this kind of relationship misused?  Where one (or both) parties expected too much?

 

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