A major part of any ministry (or work environment) is leadership development. This task can feel quite overwhelming. We wonder where we should start and how we should proceed. But I recently found a simple description of leadership development that helped clear away the clutter in my mind. This definition boils down leadership development to specific terms and stages I can get my head around. I hope you will find it helpful, too. Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird (2010) cite this summary of … [Read more...] about Leadership Development in a Nutshell
Leadership
Input
Output requires input. The more input, the more output. Pour water in a cup and eventually it will overflow. Output follows input naturally. But we are a culture obsessed entirely with output. We look at numbers. We analyze sales. We count heads. We tally wins. Focusing exclusively on output can lead us down rabbit trails and away from, ironically, further output. For the secret of output is input. It's not enough to run harder. You must also rest more and eat better. You must … [Read more...] about Input
Leadership Leap
Leadership requires a leap. Much about leadership can be taught and gradually learned. But because leadership requires decisive action at critical junctures, you will encounter moments when you must leap. No half-steps. Inevitably the moment will come when you must step up, step out, grab the microphone, make the bold move, stand your ground, say no, say yes, throw the ball, make the purchase, send the email, wave goodbye... There's no middle ground, no transition. And there's little … [Read more...] about Leadership Leap
Experience
Experience can do one of two things. It can either make you a worse critic or a better helper. You can take your knowledge and experience and judge others. You can say how you wouldn’t have done it that way. You can critique every last detail. You can puff up your own ego because you’ve identified where someone else has failed. Or... You can take your knowledge and experience and offer the most insightful, empathetic help. You can anticipate needs. You can soothe nerves. You can give … [Read more...] about Experience
Productivity
What if productivity was more than the hours worked? What if productivity was more than the tasks checked off? What if it was letting the ground lie fallow for a year? What if it was a day off? What if it was sharpening the saw? Would you be productive? In what sense are relationships ever productive? How is parenting productive? Productivity is more than forward progress. True productivity loops and circles back. Productivity is as much stopping as it is going. Sometimes … [Read more...] about Productivity
The Cost of Clarity
Clarity is scary. Clarity means you must say something. It means you must say something instead of nothing. It means you must make decisions. It means you must say something in a way that cannot be misunderstood. And for this reason, it means you may lose. You may be boxed and labeled and discarded. In fact... Clarity will often leave you lonely But you must be clear to lead. Direction requires clarity. Directions require clarity. Clarity isn’t safe, but it’s the only way forward. … [Read more...] about The Cost of Clarity