"What do you do?" One of the simplest ways people interact with others is by asking polite questions that are normally considered safe in nearly any social setting. And, one of the most popular of these questions is to ask about the kind of work someone does. Many Answers For many years I did like most people did during that era and worked in one professional capacity at a time. Most of the jobs I held had titles that provided a new conversation partner with a general concept of Read More …
Leadership
Adese Fellowship (Social Enterprise) (#1712)
Two months ago I wrote about experiencing "many first days" in a relatively short period of time. One of those first days was starting my role as Director of Social Enterprise at the Wesley Mission Center in Mansfield, Texas. Shortly after starting that position I learned that the United Church of Christ was accepting applications for a social enterprise fellowship targeting those interested in changing the world for good via social enterprise. Adese "Adese" comes from Read More …
Politically Partisan Pastors (#1689)
Over the last week I have seen one red, gray and blue graphic more than any other. It seeks to tell the complex story of pastoral political affiliation in the United States in a single image. The widely shared graphic comes from Kevin Quealy's June 12 New York Times article "Your Rabbi? Probably a Democrat. Your Baptist Pastor? Probably a Republican. Your Priest? Who Knows." Quealy's article reports on the most ambitious research of its kind, which was undertaken by Eitan D. Read More …
Humble Leadership (#1680)
Humility is hard to talk about, and harder still to embody. Most people don't quit a job; most people quit their boss. Humble leaders are needed as much and perhaps more now than ever. Humility & Effectiveness In a recent Harvard Business Review article Margarita Mayo, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at IE Business School in Madrid, noted that humble leaders are more effective leaders. She writes Humble leaders improve the performance of a company in the Read More …
Leaving Parish Ministry (#1586)
For the last fifteen years I have served in a variety of parish based ministry positions in Mainline Protestant congregations ranging in size from a few hundred to a few thousand. My job titles have included Director of Ministries with Children and Families Youth Director (and Youth Minister) Associate Pastor Interim Senior Pastor Transitional Pastor Director of Education (and Director of Adult Education). The job title I have held the greatest number of times is Read More …
Leaders Clear Obstacles (#1532)
Dave Odom, Executive Director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School, recently explained an important yet often underdeveloped and under-appreciated aspect of leadership: clearing obstacles. After leaders set vision and motivate people to move toward that vision, they must also be intentional about assisting people in moving forward by removing or helping to remove obstacles that emerge in their paths. Odom explains: In my experience, the senior management of larger Read More …
Effective Leaders Ask for Feedback (#1515)
Over the years I have encountered people in functional leadership roles who discouraged feedback, those who tolerated feedback, and others who welcomed and valued feedback to such a degree they were intentional about seeking it from a wide variety of constituents on a regular basis. Unfortunately I have had both bosses and mentors suggest that while there is a role for feedback it should be limited as excessive requests suggest that one lacks vision and the drive needed to move oneself and Read More …
Prioritizing Innovation (#1479)
Sustained innovation doesn't happen by accident in an organization. Unfortunately, I have encountered more than a few people for whom the phrase innovative congregations/churches was an oxymoron. For many in the mainline the phrase is one that doesn't connect to current or prior experiences in church life. While a younger congregation (one established more recently) is more likely to be innovative because of where it is within the organizational life cycle, churches of all ages (as Read More …
Ministry: More or Better? (#1474)
Seth Godin is the author of seventeen books that have been bestsellers around the world and changed the way people think about marketing, change, and work. In this five minute video, he suggests that our cultural preference for more being better is unwise and often simply not true. So What? In most congregations, plans are now well underway for constructing ministry and mission for 2015. What should be done (including and often especially how much more than the prior year) is Read More …
Hidden Church Assets (#1432)
Margaret Marcuson speaks and writes on leadership and works with church leaders nationally as a consultant and coach. Earlier this month, she blogged about three categories of assets found in all churches that are often undervalued or overlooked: human capital, intellectual capital, and financial capital. So What? Often congregations focus on financial capital, and assume they know all there is to know about their resources in this arena. Marcuson encourages Read More …