Eric Barker, the founder of the Barking Up The Wrong Tree blog, recently shared what he believes the world's most successful people have in common. He suggests that we can become like them if we: Stay Busy Just Say No Know What You Are Build Networks Create Good Luck Have Grit Make Awesome Mistakes Find Mentors. So What? I love this list! I would not argue that a single item should be removed. I do, however, think that some organizations (including Read More …
Leadership
Starting Well (#1325)
On his first day as the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella sent an e-mail to all employees that asked and answered several key questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Why are we here? What do we do next? So What? Starting well is essential whether leading a multi-billion dollar business, a congregation, or a team/group/committee. Nadella's questions are ones that church leaders need to address. While doing so on the first day of a new position may not always be possible, doing Read More …
Effective Church Leaders (#1299)
Justin Lathrop - founder of Helpstaff.me (now Vanderbloemen Search), Oaks School of Leadership, and MinistryCoach.tv - recently shared a top ten list of characteristics of effective church leaders that was created by Hillsong Church for its staff members. That list includes: being a can-do person, delegating but never dumping, having an attractive spirituality, serving with gladness, and empowering others. So What? Expectations matter. When your nominating Read More …
Benefits of Church Task Forces (#1297)
In addition to standing Boards and Committees, many congregations form task forces or other temporary working groups to manage specific projects. Jenni Catron, Executive Director of Cross Point Church (Nashville, TN), recently shared a list of some of the positive outcomes of these temporary teams. Her list includes: the hierarchy is flattened, new relationships are formed, and great leaders emerge. So What? While Boards and Committees have important roles to Read More …
One Man’s Greener Grass (#1285)
Jason Savage's recent explanation of his decision to leave parish based ministry is an excellent example of the-grass-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side-of-the-fence thinking. Savage is concerned by a decades long trend in the church toward what he calls "professionalism," a broad term that seems to include everything from leveraging the best marketing and management practices from the wider non-profit and for-profit world to accepting the evolving demands of leadership and roles of Read More …
Leadership Archetypes (#1279)
Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, Distinguished Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change at INSEAD, recently shared his eight leadership archetypes on the Harvard Business Review blog. The strategist: leadership as a game of chess. The change-catalyst: leadership as a turnaround activity. The transactor: leadership as deal making. The builder: leadership as an entrepreneurial activity. The innovator: leadership as creative idea generation. The processor: leadership as Read More …
Doing Things a New Way (#1270)
Brian Dodd works for the Rocket Company, an organization committed to helping churches increase weekly giving and pastors preach better sermons. Recently, he listed 15 reasons why people don't need to do things the way they have always been done (based on a video featuring Kevin Kelley of the Pulaski Academy). Included on the list are I've done my research, I am continually learning, the current situation calls for something different, I think Read More …
Becoming an Intergenerational Church (#1260)
Scott Cochrane recently shared how Bill Hybels responded to a question about how congregations can become more intergenerational. Hybels', Founder and Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, answer focused on intention. Congregations that seek to value the intergenerational dynamic must create structures that affirm persons from all age cohorts, including selecting them for leadership positions. So What? Becoming more intergenerational doesn't happen overnight, and Read More …
Leaders Let Go (#1225)
Scott Williams, author of Church Diversity: Sunday the Most Segregated Day of the Week (2011 – read my review here) and leadership guru, recently shared an important leadership truth: "If you want to be a leader, you must learn to let go." So What? Williams rightly recognizes how frustrating it can be when someone in a leadership position is unable and/or unwilling to let go of things (e.g., details, leading to micromanaging behavior) or of people. Real Read More …
Growing Beyond 200 (#1208)
Most congregations are relatively small. While small is not bad, small and plateaued or small and declining are. In reality, churches of any size are either growing or declining. Healthy congregations should be growing congregations. Carey Nieuwhof, lead pastor of Connexus Community Church, recently wrote about many of the reasons why churches can grow to a certain size, but not beyond such. In a great deal of the literature on the topic of church size, the number 200 is Read More …