When presenting about change at regional workshops I have emphasized the point that no change occurs without some urgency. That is, without a sense of urgency, there is little motivation to change and rarely any long-term change. Twice I have been asked about the danger of alarming the congregation; of spreading wildfire.

On the one hand this is a valid concern as "wild" fire can have a tendency to burn out of control and destroy - something to definitely avoid.

On the other hand, unless the congregation takes their head out of the sand and realizes that there is a fire which has the potential bring death to the church, through stagnation if nothing else, there is little hope of bringing change.

So, the answer is, take the risk, take off the blinders and reveal the danger and allow/create/nurture a sense of urgency which can be used to motivate change.

I think most people feel they are pretty good communicators. I think most people consider themselves average or better in the leadership area. Let's assume for the sake of argument that both of these assumptions are accurate, that is, most people are pretty good communicators and average or better leaders.

If this is true, what can we deduce from the obvious evidence of our society?

• That there are relatively few divorces
• That most businesses thrive and grow
• That most investments succeed
• That we have efficient governmental structures/policies/procedures
• That integrity (a key part of leadership) is the cornerstone of all relationships - personal and business

What, you say there seems to be a disconnect? That these items in the list above are not true? Could it be that the premise upon which they were built has problems?

Solution: Quit thinking how wonderful you are and start learning how to do the right things - remember all of life can be reduced to relationships.

I have become convinced that leaders should take up the game of golf no matter how frustrating!! There is so much to be learned by chasing that little white ball:

• Pride in a stroke well hit
• Humility in a stroke no so well hit
• Focus - keeping your eye on the ball
• Focus - keeping your head down
• Focus - holding your club just right
• Focus - Holding your body just right
• Focus - swinging the club just right

Are you getting the sense that golf is an exercise in focus? I hope so. Of course, for me, humility is right up there as well. Leader's need ongoing reminders of the basics and focus is a biggie.

I am currently teaching a class on Contemporary Leadership as part of the curriculum for the EXCEL Adult Degree Program at Huntington University. The foundation upon which the course was written was Jim Collins' book Good to Great. I have written about this book in earlier posts so I won't go back into it, except to say this is a must read for anyone serious about leadership education.

I am finding, however, that taken alone, the principles from this book may be a little ahead of those who are being exposed to leadership for the first time. I can see in the students' eyes the interest in the material as well as some confusion as to how to wrap their minds around the material. So, I have had to augment the course with some more basic concepts which provide greater context for understanding the book. For example in the discussion of level 5 leaders, I spent quite some time working with Maxwell's levels of leadership and the section on credibility from The Leadership Challenge.

I don't think this is a comment on the students, but perhaps a thought that, while we all say "Leadership is in short supply," we might not know exactly what leadership really looks like when we see. It is easy to get taken in by those who fit the caricature rather than the individual who simply and quietly influences movement toward a goal.

Some of the KEY words which are associated with leadership include:

• Passion
• Vision
• Character
• Integrity
• Focus
• Risk taker
• Strategic thinker/planner
• Wise
• Communicator
• Executor
  

Have you ever seen pictures of what the walls of you home look like minus the drywall? About every 16" there is a 2"x4" piece of wood going from the floor to the ceiling. These are called studs. They are placed at this 16" interval for two reasons. First it allows for easier fitting of standardized insulation and other building materials, but more importantly it provides strength to support the roof. Spaced too far apart and the weight of the roof, particularly with the addition of snow would be too great and it would fall in.

In the same way, leaders have to be men or women who are multifaceted. A leader is not one thing but many things, and while it may be that one or two are part of the genetic heritage, most of what makes a leader comes through experience and education. Keep working on it - you'll get there.

I've just finished going through the book "Selling the Invisible" twice. Have given copies to key people at my work with instructions to cover the last half and be prepared to discuss sometime this week or next. The book is only partly about selling. It is mostly about leading your organization to be aware of who it is and what it's purpose is.

I have to believe if you are struggling to figure out where you are heading as an organization, or maybe you just need to do some evaluation this would probably be a good book for a leadership retreat.

For me one of the most significant points had to do with the discussion on Position and Position statements. Some of the quotes related to this are:

"Stand for one distinctive thing that will give you a competitive advantage." (p.103)
and
"To broaden your appeal, narrow your position." (p. 105)

I think this is especially hard for churches who want to be all things to all people and wind up doing most things with mediocrity, or worse. The information on focusing on one distinctive thing and how that actually can broaden your appeal is definitely a message the church needs to listen to. For example, Beckwith says "In positioning, don't try to hide your small size. Make it work by stressing its advantages, such as responsiveness and individual attention." (p.120)

If you are a leader in ANY organization this is a book worth having on your shelf.

John Maxwell has been quoted as saying that Attitude (the right ones) can give you Altitude. This parallels what we read in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Now I've said that so I can say this:

Teamwork, real teamwork, the kind which not only accomplishes a goal but also is personally fulfilling at the same time, the kind which values people and still functions at high levels, this kind of teamwork is a matter of personal choice, daily choice, on-purpose choice, life-orienting choice. It's all in your mind!!

YOU choose your attitude and YOU choose to operate from a mind-set which sees the team instead of self, which operates from the perspective of we instead of me, which really lives out God's design found in Philippians 2:3: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition, or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

Ironically, this is the essence of a mature holiness lifestyle in everyday practice.

Try this sometime, ask someone if they have change for a $5 bill. If they reply they only have $3 or $4 dollars, say that’s OK you can keep the difference. You will be amazed at the response. Most people will either refuse your offer or go out of their way to figure out how to get the rest of the money back to you.

People as a general rule, have a keen sense of what is “fair.” While that definition can be bent in times of crisis, most people try to live by that standard, and expect to be treated the same way. To be fair is to be just and this is where our understanding of Justice comes from.

For a leader, justice has to be more than an automatic response to the day-to-day happenings of life. Real leadership demands a personal lifestyle of justice, and the practice of the principles of justice in every transaction. Any recent headline of a “fallen” leader can be traced back to a perversion of the standard of justice. When a leader bends that sense of “fair” to benefit themselves, scandal is sure to follow.

When I hear someone described as a devoted follower, because of publicized events, my mind immediately brings up pictures of some cult. When I hear someone described as a devoted spouse, I get a different picture, one of love and unity.

It is interesting how the same word brings up two entirely different emotional images, depending upon the context. The definition of devotion includes wording such as “profound dedication.” It is an important topic when discussing leadership because all true leaders are devoted, that is they all exhibit a “profound dedication,” from the very worst to the very best.

Leaders are passionate about their vision and translate that passion into action toward accomplishing that vision. But it begins with that sense of devotion. Two obvious lessons stand out here: Devotion is an important part of leadership, and where that devotion is focused will dictate a leader’s course of action.

An old saying goes like this, “earn as much as you can, so you can save as much as you can, so you can give as much as possible.” Probably an easier way for us to understand this is in the phrase “knowing the value of a dollar.” You might think the topic of money is unusual for a discussion on leadership until you consider that Jesus spent more time discussing financial issues than any other, that money problems are the source of most marital fights, and that the way money is handled by an individual can lead to success or poverty.

So . . . what is the value of a dollar? It’s value lies entirely in the understanding that everything costs something. Money is not the end, but the means to an end. It plays an important role in our lives because it is the measure of our priorities, and our discipline. Since most of us have a limited amount of money, what we purchase clearly identifies our priorities. What do you count as a necessity? What is a luxury that may have to wait? The answer will vary but two things should hold constant, first a responsible person will recognize the value of earning a stable income, and, second, evaluate your priorities so you can spend wisely.

Leaders know how to “count the cost.”

You might appreciate it when someone slows down and let’s you turn into traffic. You might appreciate it when the check-out clerk actually smiles and is pleasant when you go through the line. You might appreciate it when you get home and the chore you were dreading the most was done by another family member. In fact, if you think about it there are about a hundred things to appreciate in every single day. I think for most of us it is easier to see those things which frustrate us, and it seems as if that number could climb to a million in the course of a day. Cultivating a sense of appreciation has a remarkable effect upon our ability to successfully navigate the daily hurdles of life. Those who take the time to “smell the roses,” find their lives more enjoyable and their work more productive. Numerous studies have shown that those who focus on appreciation have better health and are more likely to live longer. One step at a time, turn your focus from the frustrations to the opportunities. Start out by taking a few minutes of your day to think about the many things you have to appreciate, before you know it the frustration count will drop and your quality of life will go up.

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The quote below is from Launching a Leadership Revolution by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward:

"A critical pre-supposition all leaders must realize is that followers buy into the leader before anything else. The vision may be compelling, but is the leader worth following? The rewards may be inspiring, but can the leader be trusted? The environment may be inviting but does the leader care about his or her people? The resources may be enormous, but does the leader know what he or she is doing? These are the qualifying questions followers ask subconsciously before giving permission to be led. Leadership is not a position or title; it is a condition of permission given by followers once they buy into the leader. (bold and italics are mine) Leadership influence, like trust, must be earned and earned continually." (p. 186,187)

WOW! Do you see the bones underneath this? Unless the follower is convinced that the leader can lead in a way which benefits HIM in some way, there will be problems. This issue is one of the most significant problems with leadership from my perspective. Leaders don't take the time to develop relationships, and, therefore, their credibility is suspect. CREDIBILITY!!! The last two words of that quote are the downfall of many who have talent, charisma, and knowledge; trust must be earned continually!!! It may not seem fair or necessary, but to disregard this is to set the stage for followers to become disenchanted and potentially disruptive.

"What is being done, is what is being rewarded." If this is true, then all of our behaviors have some kind of reward attached. In most cases that reward is the comfort of pattern, i.e. we've always done it that way and see no reason why we should change - it is comfortable - it is a rut. Now being in a rut is not always a bad thing. Have you ever tried to change how you brush your teeth? Try switching to the opposite hand to hold and brush your teeth and you will experience in a small way the challenge of change, and the comfort of a rut.

As a leader, identifying the ruts which are conducive to accomplishing the mission, and those which are not, is part of the job. Someone has said that efficiency is doing things right and effectiveness is doing the right things. In other words, you can be doing things right, but those things may not contribute toward the fulfillment of the mission. The old forest and trees syndrome. Too many times the leader becomes focused on the trees and forgets the bigger picture . . . and then wonders why the mission never seems to get accomplished, even though huge amounts of time and energy are being poured out.

The benefit of understanding the GMP at the level of leadership is to see which behaviors are effective, i.e. "right" in the sense of mission fulfillment. Once behaviors or ministries are identified as being "off-track," the leader can strategize what the correct behavior needs to be AND THEN HOW TO PUT REWARDS INTO PLACE TO MOVE TOWARD THAT NEW BEHAVIOR.

This can and should include the process described in earlier posts regarding change principles - yet those principles, when augmented with this understanding have an even greater chance of success. Leaders have to be big picture people.

Another way to understand the GMP is this: What gets rewarded is what gets done OR what is being done is what is being rewarded. When we think of rewards some will automatically think of monetary rewards. Of course, this is one of the most powerful kind of rewards, but it is often impractical to reward with money. Take for instance the behavior of individuals arriving late for church. You could pay them to arrive on time but there probably isn't enough money available for that to last long.

Rewards don't have to be money. Now that that is settled, begin to think creatively of different kinds of rewards. One of the most powerful in the non-money category is appreciation. Most people crave appreciation, genuine sincere appreciation, desperately. In fact if the appreciation is genuine it can be a powerful force for changing behavior. On the other hand if it is perceived to be insincere and manipulative behaviors will get even worse.

Remember when you identify behavior patterns to connect the dots to the reality that what is being done is what is being rewarded, whether you think so or not. To change the behavior, figure out what behavior you want, and then design a way to reward that behavior. . . and be patient, it will change.

The Greatest Management Principle is simply this - that behavior is directly connected to perceived benefit. How does that fit into the Christian worldview?

The Christian worldview says that we should love others before self and sacrifice so that others might be saved. The standard is Love, but not just Love. Rather a Love which is God designed and God empowered. With this love in our hearts, the reality of the Christian worldview is possible, without it, NOT. Jesus exemplified this Love completely. His entire life was motivated by a Love which sought the Father's will and our salvation. There are notable examples of others who have also met this standard, as well as examples not so notable in every local church in America.

Yet, one would have to admit that even though these examples exist, that there are genuinely holy people among us, most of us, even in the church, fall in the sphere where the GMP applies in our lives. Those who understand this are more likely to be albe to influence and lead than are those who do not. The Holy among us do right for right's sake. Most of us have to be persuaded that the right has a benefit for us or our families before we will expend the energy.

Therefore, we see two different approaches to leadership: One which understands the Christian worldview and those few who live in it (unfortunately mos of preaching assumes, incorrectly, that all Christians live in holiness, or are even seeking it. Again, NOT). Second is an approach which deals with the un-transformed nature. I really believe this may be what Jesus referred to when he talked about being as clever as serpents and as gentle as doves. If we are holy and live by the principles of Love it doesn't preclude us from understanding the world as it is for most - and using the GMP to influence people toward the path that leads to holiness - indeed to do otherwise is a practice in ignorance or pomposity. Understand the GMP. After all, most people live under its influence. Practice the use of the GMP for the end of God's Kingdom. But live in the midst of Love.

I have been thinking of staffing for the local church. I have observed the normal pattern in most churches which focuses upon age group ministries relevant to a church's perceived need. I have read books which suggest that staffing should be more functional focused, specifically related to alleviating the load carried by the senior pastor. In both cases, there is a formulaic method to determine how many people in a congregation it takes to support the addition of a staff member.

I want to suggest another model. In this model Ephesians 4:11,12 is recognized as a guiding principle, especially, "to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up."(v.12) The primary focus of this model is to hire a "Volunteer Coordinator" whose role is to facilitate the identification, training and insertion of volunteers into ministry positions within the local congregation. The Volunteer Coordinator seeks to purposefully affect the usually perceived ratio of those who are actively involved in ministry (20% do 80% of the work) by actively getting more people involved in ministry, preferably within their spiritual gifting.

What do you think?

I would define leadership as: " the expressed guidance, decision, or action which is compelled by nature in the face of need, to accomplish a desired end." I know there are those who say that leadership demands followers but I would disagree. I believe that we either choose to lead ourselves, or fail to do so, resulting in an unfulfilled potential. While leadership can be broadly understood to apply to groups of any size, it starts within the individual.

The old saying is that "nature abhors a vacuum," meaning that when there is the absence of air, nature itself will do everything in its power to fill that void. I truly see this in relationship to leadership. In every situation there is a need for leadership . . . and in every situation someone always chooses to express guidance, make a decision or take action, however badly they may do so. It is not always good leadership which steps to the front - but there will always be some kind of leadership. It is a part of how God has designed the world and us.

Further, although it is nature which compels the void to be filled, it is our education and experiences which equip us to effectively provide leadership. We can learn the principles of leading and become adept at exercising those skills for the effective leadership.

It may be that we choose to allow others to lead in group situations but we cannot ignore the need in our own life to take responsibility and initiative (the major components of leadership). Even when we allow others to lead, there comes a time and a place where we have to add our influence to the process and thereby express leadership.

How does one go about communicating leadership principles in practical ways with those who follow? Obviously the visible living out of those principles can be observed and perhaps emulated by followers. Over a long enough period of time such example could result in transformed behavior in the life of an observant follower. But observing can only teach so much, particularly if the observation is clouded by personality which is flawed by ego, as is so often the case.

Leadership is more than simply knowing principles, however, it is also about people and trust. It is about focus, but not JUST focus. Focus without trust and a concern for people (more than simply mouthed platitudes) comes out feeling and looking a lot like tyranny.

In addition to demonstrating leadership principles in real-time situations, allowing those who follow the opportunity to fail as they learn to lead, while expressing support and confidence, may be an example of true transformative leadership.

What is unfortunate is when a leader's perception is that he/she is a transformative leader when in actuality a tyrant is closer to the truth. In this situation those who follow must either endure, weighing their commitment to the organization and it's values against the climate produced by such leadership, or disengage at whatever level necessary to find balance.

On November 14, 2005 I wrote: "Let's think about leadership in terms of an accumulation of skill sets. The acquisition of those skill sets will enhance the ability of the leader to move the organization toward the goal. Instead, then, of concentrating on moving to a different level of leadership, a better path to effective leadership might be to identify the skill sets needed to be effective, and to acquire those skill sets (which might also include bringing individuals around you who can supplement your weaknesses if the skill set is beyond your ability or would require excessive time to acquire)."

Let's suppose this is true. Then one of the key characteristics of a leader would have to be the ability to be able to "see the big picture." To see situations and problems in a larger context AND to then to know which skill sets apply (intuitively), and either pull those out of their accumulated kit (acquired through knowledge and experience) or pull in those who have the necessary skill set. Leadership then would have less to do with influence and more to do with a kind of disassociation. By that I mean the ability to disassociate oneself from the immediate and step back to see the greater good, keeping in mind the mission and strategic planning. Now let's add another big word - integration. The best leaders are those who can disassociate WHILE remaining integrated with the human side of the context.

As we develop this thought it is interesting that we are actually constructing a new leadership model which truly allows the possibility of becoming a leader in actuality rather than just theory. Learning to see things globally, while difficult, can be learned. Acquiring the various leadership skill sets can be difficult, but can be accomplished by most. Like learning a new language, learning the pieces (nouns, verbs, conjugations, etc.) comes before fluency and fluency in enhanced by the ability to actually think in the new language. Leadership is like that, what seems mechanical and awkward at first with practice becomes intuitive and reflexive. Let me tell you a secret which is the starting point - stop talking and listen.

I want to return to the levels of leadership discussed earlier. John Maxwell's book on Developing the Leader Within You describes various levels of leadership and Collins talks about level 5 leaders. The categorization of leadership into levels seems to be, at least in part, an artificial structure which, while allowing comprehension of some aspects of leadership, may actually limit our understanding by limiting our concepts to the defined structures/levels and causing would be leaders to focus on climbing a stair case ???. What I'm saying is, maybe there aren't different levels of leadership, at least not as has been suggested.

Oh, sure using the level description it is much easier to describe someone by saying "She has only reached level 3 in Leadership." Or, "Now he is a level 5 leader." All of which ignores much of what is . . . and is not happening in the leadership process.

As I have suggested before, Leadership includes initiative and a willingness to take responsibility for decisions. An almost compelling need to exercise initiative. Think about that. It might be said that Leaders who do not exercise initiative are not at a sub-level of leadership but are not leaders at all.

Now obviously, there are individuals who are in positions which are recognized by the world as leadership positions, but that doesn't make the people in those positions leaders, at any level. And what kind of initiative does a leader exhibit? It is initiative toward a goal. The goal may be misguided or well counseled. The goal may be specific or nebulous. However, leaders always take initiative toward a goal. They may have a misunderstanding of the culture, or the factors which may help them achieve this goal, but this is not a matter of a "level" of leadership as much as as maturation and wisdom.

Let's think about leadership in terms of an accumulation of skill sets. The acquisition of those skill sets will enhance the ability of the leader to move the organization toward the goal. Instead, then, of concentrating on moving to a different level of leadership, a better path to effective leadership might be to identify the skill sets needed to be effective, and to acquire those skill sets (which might also include bringing individuals around you who can supplement your weaknesses if the skill set is beyond your ability or would require excessive time to acquire).

What are some of those skill sets? Some of them might be:

• Interpersonal Communications (i.e. people skills)
• Ability to communicate clearly
• Ability to think critically
• Willingness to take risks
• Willingness to make a decision
• Ability to stay focused

You add some more to this list, it's not complete.

In summary, Leadership might be diagrammed better as a center hub with spokes leading to skill sets, instead of a staircase.

Just a thought.