Tag: Leadership (page 10 of 13)

What keeps you up at night…

April 18, 2011 / / 2 Comments

…reveals what’s important to your heart.

Here are things I’m wrestling through:

  • Is our small groups system really creating disciples?
  • Is our small groups system a great picture of Gospel community?
  • What does it look like for our whole church to be moving in the same direction?
  • What’s next?
  • Am I leading in such a way that others are growing to love God and people more?
  • Is my ministry online truly helpful?  What needs to change so that it does more good?
  • Am I leading my family well?  How can I do a better job?
  • Is my son growing towards being a man of God?

These are the things keeping me up at night.

If you’re leading an organization…what is it that is causing you to sweat, go to work early, pray more, fast more, sleep less, and work harder?

If you don’t know what that is, maybe you should stay up at night and figure it out…

One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles… – Luke 6:12-13

 

 

Leadership Lessons from an iPhone game

April 7, 2011 / / 14 Comments

 

I don’t play iPhone games often, but one that I’ve found incredibly addictive is Flight Control.

 

Never played it?  Just don’t.  It’ll suck you in, and you’ll be so concerned about landing those silly little planes that your eyes will start to twitch.

But there are a few lessons about leadership you can learn from Flight Control.

Leadership lessons from an iPhone game

1. Things gets progressively busier, and there’s nothing you can do about that.

Life never slows down, does it?  Don’t expect that, once you hit “that spot,” or “that season,” things will slow down.  Learning to manage your commitments is key, because those commitments will only increase in number and responsibility.

2. It’s okay to hit the pause button.

In fact, you need to do that.  Take a vacation.  Get away.  Put the phone down.  Disengage from social media.  I did recently. And it was incredibly refreshing.

3. You can set something in motion, but in order for it to reach its destination, you’ve got to check back in and help change things around.

In leadership, you can’t always expect that everything you start, every other leader you empower, will never need you to check in.  Managing is an important aspect of leadership.

4. It’s okay to quit and start over.

An idea you’ve been trying quit working?  Not as effective as you’d like?  Then quit trying to make it work.  Scrap it and start from scratch.  If you’re not willing to scrap your program for the health of the organization, you may be too closely connected to your idea.

5. Looking towards the future keeps you motivated to do better each time.

You’re not going to perfectly execute everything you start.  If you did, you’d be un-human.  Failure is an important component to success.

So…you ready to buy this game?

* for more ‘lessons from an iPhone game’, see my friend Jonathan Pearson’s post HERE

 

Don’t overlook the young guys

April 4, 2011 / / 5 Comments
This is a series of posts where small group experts share how group life has impacted them personally.  The entire series can be found HERE.
Steve Gladen is the Pastor of Small Group Community at Saddleback Church. He oversees the strategic launch and development of their 3,500 adult small groups. His new book, Small Groups with Purpose, comes out in June 2011.  You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

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Flashback with me to 1977. While most of the living population was born, probably the readers of this blog weren’t born (as painful as that is to say). I was a junior in high school. I was also a new follower of Christ. What was high school like for me? Was I an ESPN 150 Top Pick?

Not even close.

Getting ready to attend my first prom?

No again.

I was actually a late bloomer in many ways. A scholar?

Nope. I had to struggle just to get C’s and B’s. Luckily, gym class was always there to pull up my GPA!

But, surely, I was a sought-after young Christian leader, right?

Not even close.

When I think of what phrase might best describe me during this time, it is “in the background.” I was not a part of the in-crowd, the Who’s Who, the pretty people, or those who were invited to parties. And, worse yet, I had no ideas or the plans for the future. I was clueless. My dad was in business, so I had a vague notion that I would head down that path too. And that pretty much summed up my goals at the time. I enjoyed my life and basically just took it one day at a time.

The Story Begins

Enter a man named Ron Swiger. Ron was an adult in my church who took me under his wing without me ever realizing he was doing it. Our church didn’t have small groups, but they did have Sunday School and a Bus Ministry (Google it – it was a phenomenon in the 1970’s). That Sunday School functioned much like a small group. The Bus Ministry included serving and evangelism. Although the methodologies I use today are different, I realize, now, what a powerful role Ron played in my life.

Ron made sure I was involved and gave me a place to belong. He asked me to be an assistant in the Bus Ministry on his bus. He spent time with me. He did ministry in such a way that I wanted to be like him. He was also my Sunday School teacher. He was far ahead of his time and was a master at promoting growth in his students. He taught me to pray. He challenged me to give back to God. He taught the Bible in a relevant way.

Most importantly, he modeled what he taught. That Sunday School class was probably the best disguised small group of the day. We didn’t just learn biblical facts, we learned how to live life together. We had parties, interacted with the greater church, did outreach events together, and learned to challenge each other to deal with the dark areas of our heart.

Were we perfect?  No. Did I apply everything I learned to my life?  No. But did that class make an impact in my life? Yes!

A growing seed

When Ron stepped out of the role as my mentor, another man stepped in, Bill Brown.  God used him to build on the foundation Ron had started.  During those years of high school, despite my clueless nature, a seed was planted for ministry.  That seed would not bloom for almost 8 years, but it was still firmly planted.  And I owe a lot to those two men and others who had community with me.

What’s the moral of the story? When you look across the horizon of your church, you might not see the next young leader. You might just see a bunch of “clueless” people.

But don’t overlook them.

Because two guys were willing to pour into my life, I am where I am today. Community is where people are shaped for the future. Be willing to shape those God has put before you – not the ones you want to shape.

Has anyone invested in you?

Are you investing in the next generation?

 

 

Aiming for 2nd place

March 31, 2011 / / 16 Comments

At a family dinner last week, I overheard one cousin ask another one this, about her recent dance competition:

Was it one of those competitions where you competed? Like for 1st or 2nd place?

The conversation then proceeded as normal.  She just wondered whether it was a competition with prizes or one where “everyone wins” or one where there are rankings when you’re done.  I get that.  But in the moment, I was struck by two words: 2nd place.

Nobody competes for 2nd place, do they?

If that’s your goal, any good coach would tell you you’ve sold yourself short.  Even if you’re not that good, you always start out competing for the grand prize.  No NFL team says, “We hope to lose the Super Bowl game this year.”  Coaches are honored and revered because they won the Super Bowl, not because they lost it.  Pitchers are remembered because they won the World Series.

Nobody dreams about ‘winning’ second place.

So why in our churches do we think it’s ok to aim for second place in areas like

  • leadership
  • church events
  • Sunday’s music
  • Sunday’s announcements
  • the resources we produce
  • the small groups we lead
  • the trainings we offer
  • the meetings we plan
  • the blogs we write
  • the conversations we have
  • our sermon series
  • our outreach initiatives
  • community impact

Does the Gospel make it ok for us to shoot for second? Because the message is so powerful, are we then given the freedom to not give our best effort to all areas of our life and ministry?  It’s tough to see how God is honored when we put forth half-hearted efforts.  Ever.

So let me be your coach today.  Don’t compete for 2nd place!  Give it all you’ve got!

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians 3:14

 

Leading with integrity

March 21, 2011 / / 3 Comments
It doesn’t matter where you are, what you’re doing, or how you’re wired…you can lead with integrity.

It’s easy to get frustrated in your work because

  • you’re not working where you want to be working
  • you’re not making the money you want to be making
  • you’re not making the difference you want to be making
  • you are in a dead-end job
  • your boss is tough to work for
  • you’re not maximizing your strengths
  • you work behind a desk
  • you work outside in the elements
  • you have to answer too many emails
  • you’re given too much structure
  • you aren’t given any structure
  • you have too much on your plate
  • you have too little on your plate

And maybe those are all things that you need to work on changing.  Maybe you should change positions.  Or careers.  Or cities.  But one fact remains.

You can always lead with integrity.

Joseph did.

  • Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, left all that he owned in Joseph’s care because he trusted Joseph. (Genesis 39: 3-6)
  • Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph to sleep with her…Joseph chose to run away.  (Genesis 39:6-12)  That takes some character.
  • Joseph led and influenced while he was in prison (though he was unjustly accused and prosecuted), gaining the favor and trust of the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:19-23)
  • When he was finally released from prison, he didn’t choose bitterness, but trusted God and spoke the truth to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said of Joseph: “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”  That’s leading with integrity.
  • Joseph fairly sold food to the Egyptians during the famine.  Integret-ous?  Yeppers.

Was Joseph treated fairly?  Did he have a loving boss?  Was he consistently working in an optimum working environment?  Was he always able to maximize his strengths?

Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.

But he led with integrity.  Always.

And so can you.

Integrity isn’t based on your circumstances.  It’s rooted in your heart.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23)

 

You probably wouldn’t like my small group

February 28, 2011 / / 10 Comments

If you’re looking for a small group, you probably wouldn’t like mine.

Why you won’t like my small group

  • Nobody’s perfect. Our group is rather messy…in fact, much messier than I ever thought it would be.  If your life is clean and put together, and messiness frustrates you, you’ll hate our group.
  • We celebrate small steps, not just the ‘huge’ ones. And small steps may seem insignificant to you, so if you’re not willing to get excited over a step towards Jesus (no matter how seemingly insignificant), you’ll not feel at home with us.
  • There’s no teacher. Just a facilitator.  And the facilitator doesn’t have all of the answers, so if it’s merely answers you’re looking for, mosey on.
  • We talk about challenging stuff. And I don’t mean that we debate obscure theological dogma.  I mean that we work to apply the Scriptures to our lives.  If you love a great, obscure theological debate, you may not enjoy our group.
  • We expect full participation. Nobody in our group is lazy.  In one way or another, every member participates, and is vital to the success of the group as a whole.  If you want to be a lazy sponge, don’t join us.
  • We know each other’s stories. No hiding in our group.  Our group kicked off its first month by encouraging everybody in the group to share their faith story.  Comfortable?  Nope.  This group’s not for you.
  • We’re transparent. Mere platitudes aren’t acceptable.  If all of your answers start with, “Someone once said…” instead of, “I am dealing with…” then you’ll never be comfortable in our small group.
  • We’re diverse. If you’re looking for people that are just like you, who look, smell, act, read the same books, live on the same side of town, have the same number of kids…keep moving.  You’re not going to find that here.
  • Our group is going to end soon, and I’m going to ask each group member to take a step of faith and lead a new group…each one of them. No moss will be gathering with us.  If you like moss, find another group.
  • We serve together. Don’t want to serve?  That’s fine.  Just don’t get frustrated with us when we ask you to join us in making a difference in our community.
  • We have fun. Every week.  We laugh so hard that we snort.  We play games, share stories, and study the Bible…all while having fun.  I wrote more extensively about the importance of having fun in small groups HERE.  If you don’t like having fun, you’re an old codger.  And old codgers don’t last long in our group.

Based on the reasons above, would you want to join my small group?

 

An open letter to older leaders

February 14, 2011 / / 4 Comments

I’m a young leader.  I’ve not been at this game very long.

I’m still trying to figure out the ropes.  Understand how my giftings fit on a team.  Making mistakes.  Growing.  Changing.  Stumbling.  And figuring out how to do it all better the next time around.

Working with leaders who are older, more established, and wiser can be incredibly difficult.  Thankfully, the leaders who are older than me on staff at Grace Community Church make things incredibly easy.* And it’s from their leadership of me that I’ve seen some principles emerge that could be helpful to other older leaders who have young folks on their staff.

Older leaders,

Thanks for paving the way for us.  You’ve worked incredibly hard.  You’ve poured your heart into this organization, and you’ve helped to establish a healthy, vibrant, growing system.  And thanks for hiring us, the younger leaders!  But if you want to lead us well, you’ve got to work on a few things:

  1. Believe in us. You did hire us, right?  Then continue to believe that we can do our job well!  Believe that God is going to continue to mold us and grow us and, some day, make us into better leaders.  Believe that we have something valuable to contribute.  Believe that we really are a vital part of the organization…and not just a hired, expendable hand.
  2. Encourage us. We may seem completely self-confident…but we need encouragement from someone like you.  We don’t just need you to blow smoke at us.  If we do a poor job, tell us!  But when we do something right, when our gut-decision is the right one, when our project takes off, when we speak up in staff meeting with a new idea and it’s right on point, when you feel like we’re moving in the right direction…encourage us!  We trust you, because you’ve been doing for many, many years (or even decades) what we’ve been doing for much less time.  And if you tell us that we’re pointing in the right direction, it carries a lot of weight.
  3. Give us ample freedom within your structure. We understand that we can’t just come in and wreck everything.  But if you want us to grow and develop, you’ve got to give us freedom to experiment, dream, do things differently, and be discontent with the status quo.  We’re more than willing to do exceptional work…but we’ve got to have the freedom to think outside of your box.  And giving us freedom may mean you’ve got to release some of your control on the system.  If that scares you, then maybe you have too tight a grip.

With much respect,

Younger leaders

Younger leaders, did I leave anything out that I should’ve included?

Older leaders, how does this sit with you?

* These principles are not a reaction to poor leadership at Grace Community Church, but are drawn from the amazing ways that Ron, Chad, and the rest of the team have shepherded me and the other younger leaders.

 

Time to cut bait

February 1, 2011 / / 4 Comments

I’m not a fisherman, but I’ve been fishing.  Which makes me an expert, right?

Sometimes there are times when you just need to cut bait and move on.  Maybe you’ve snagged some driftwood.  Maybe the fish isn’t worth it.  Maybe your hook is stuck in the mud.  And you could fight and fight and fight…but you’re not going to drag in the bottom of the lake.  If you’re stuck, cut bait and move on.

Let it go

We often need to do this with our ideas, too…even the good ones.  We get so personally invested in them that we hold on as if our lives are at stake.  We need to know what’s worth fighting for, what ideas are so valuable that we will reel them in at all costs.  And what ideas can be released.

There comes a time when holding on to that idea, that project, that program…that it begins to drag you into the water with it.  Your idea has lost traction, the program isn’t accomplishing what you wanted it to, and the project is sapping all of your effort with very little result to show for it.

We need to remember that it’s okay to cut bait sometimes.    Cutting bait means you’re done with that line.  With that area of the pond.  With that fish.

But it doesn’t mean that you’re done fishing.

What ‘good idea’ have you held on to for too long?

Is there one you can let go of today?

Is there a program that you can let sink?

 

The know-it-all

January 20, 2011 / / 16 Comments

A word to young leaders* everywhere:

You don’t have it all figured out.

If a 19 year old, single college student comes up to me and starts telling me how I, a husband and a father, need to care for my 2 year old son, it’s going to feel weird.  Why?

Not because he’s young.  Or because I don’t respect him.  Or even because he doesn’t know who I am.

It’s because he’s not a husband or a father.

We young leaders need to make sure we don’t have all of the answers to every question and scenario that’s thrown our way.  It’s wise to sometimes say, “I don’t know…because I’ve never done it like that.”

John Maxwell says that there are two great teachers in life: pain and experience.

And since we’ve had less experience than so many other leaders, let’s back off on knowing it all.

I’m not saying that we don’t have innovative, company and ministry-altering ideas.  But we’ve got to respect the years of life and ministry that older leaders have on us.  Writing them off, speaking down to them, treating them with little respect, and acting like we, the younger leader, know it all

  • is damaging to their reputation.
  • is damaging to their organization.
  • is damaging to our reputation if we are gaining at the expense of someone else.
  • completely discredits the value of experience.
  • cripples you by chaining you to your limited ideas and insights.

Maybe those in leadership above us, or who outrank us based on experience, are stuck in the we-can’t-do-it-that-way-because-we’ve-never-done-it-that-way mindset.  But somehow, someway, we’ve got to find a way to learn from their years of experience.

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

(1 Peter 5:5)

* I include myself in the young leaders category, so this post is as much written to me as it is by me.

 

Culture creation

January 19, 2011 / / 10 Comments

We’re working to create a different kind of leadership culture at Grace Community Church.

Our staff doesn’t function like many other staffs, even though we are one of the most understaffed church staffs that I know.  And though we’re busier than ever preparing to launch a new campus (details HERE), it feels like the right kind of busy.  Here’s what our pastors do, that other pastors and leaders may not do.

Our pastors

  • Answer phones. We don’t have a receptionist.  If you call 931-647-6800, you’re going to immediately hear from one of our pastors.  But please don’t try it just for fun…I’m busy today.  And if you leave a message, our system emails us immediately so we can follow back up with you quickly.  Because we value resources, and don’t want to spend money on someone whose primary responsibility is something less than shepherding.
  • Are highly accessible. You can reach our staff members by Facebook, Twitter, Email, or cell phone.  Because we care about building relationships with those we’re seeking to minister among.
  • Set up on Sunday mornings. Our pastors are there as early as any volunteers, setting up tables, speakers, coffee, and banners.  Because we don’t want to ask our volunteers to do something that we aren’t willing to do.
  • Answer our emails quickly. Because we value promptness, and strive for excellence in our communication.
  • Book our own schedules. If we’re traveling to a conference, or scheduling a lunch meeting, we do that ourselves.  Because we hire pastors on our staff, not just administrative assistants.

Is this the right way to assemble a staff of leaders?  Is it biblical?  Is it the only way?  I don’t know.  But I do know that this is what we do, and it’s working well for us.

Difficulties and Rewards

Because we’re so accessible, more people feel the freedom to email and call us about random events in life at random parts of the day.  Which I think is pretty awesome.

Because we hire capable shepherd leaders, our staff is stretched pretty thin doing the work of ministry.  Which I think is pretty awesome.

Because we setup on Sunday mornings, we’re physically and spiritually drained by Sunday afternoon.  Which I think is pretty awesome.

Because we value promptness in communication, people have begun to communicate more, and more often.  Which I think is pretty awesome.

You can assemble your leadership staff differently if you want.  And I won’t fault you for it.  But I’m thrilled to serve here at Grace.

What things should a pastor be busy doing?

Does the way you spend your day show that you value relationships?

 
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