Lead Well

When we're kids we all think we are the best in the world at something.  What little boy doesn't dream of pitching in the bottom of the ninth in game seven of the world series?  Somewhere along the way, reality hits, and we realize that's probably not going to happen. But here's the good news.  We can be the best in the world, at something. First I need to define what I mean by “the world.” I don’t mean Earth. That’s far too large and hard to grasp. There will always someone who is better. However, I do mean your world. Your circle of influence. Your friends, family, and co-workers. You can be the best problem solver in your job. Sure, there are great problem solvers at the next place, but your circle doesn’t know them. They know you, and they come to you for answers. This is what it means to be the best in the world.* To really answer this question you have to understand 2 things. The thing that you are the best in the world and everything else that

This past week, I left work frustrated. I worked really hard on my children's ministry Facebook page throughout the week and all of 8 people saw all of my posts. 8! out of 186! I just wanted to throw in the towel. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt like this. You've done everything you can do and it seems like nothing helps.  So here are five ways I've found to beat frustration. Do something else for a little while.  When I got home that night, I was full of the blues, so I volunteered to go grocery shopping with my wife.  Just getting my mind of things released some of the tension. When you feel super frustrated don't keep pushing.  Take some time off and do something else.  The solution might present itself when you come back. Exercise. It's amazing what a little physical activity can do for you.  I run frequently, so the next morning, I put on my running shoes and my headphones and took off.  It was refreshing and energizing. Studie

Over the last several weeks we’ve explored four major problems with the church and what we should do about them . After digging into these issues, we’re left with the question, “Is this even possible?” The answer is yes, but getting there may be harder than we’d like to think. In Good to Great by Jim Collins, the author,  introduces the Stockdale Paradox. To better explain this paradox, I would like to quote the story told on pages 83-85 of the book. “Admiral Jim Stockdale, who was the highest-ranking United States military officer in the “Hanoi Hilton” prisoner of war camp during the height of the Vietnam War. Tortured over twenty times during his eight-year imprisonment from 1965 to 1973, Stockdale lived out the war without any prisoner’s rights, no set release date, and no certainty as to whether he would even survive to see his family again. He shouldered the burden of command, doing everything he could to create conditions that would increase the number of prisoners w

Last week I outlined four big problems that every church must face. They’re big issues and there are no quick fixes. However, we can begin the process of fixing the problems that plague us. Thom Rainer in his book Breakout Churches discovered a pattern that many great churches follow to solve their deep problems. Step 1 – Accept painful reality: If you’ve ever come to the realization that you have a real problem, you know how painful that realization may be. There are many times that we don’t want to admit there is a problem because it hurts too much. The same is true with organizations. However, the sooner we realize that something is wrong, no matter how much it hurts, the sooner we can begin the healing process and fix the problem. Step 2 – Use Is/should be discernment: Many times, we don’t face the painful reality because we think there is nothing wrong. We keep telling ourselves that things are better than they actually are just to find some comfort. To compou

Churches around the U. S. are slipping into irrelevancy. Many spiritual leaders and pastors are asking themselves what is happening? Why are people turning from the church and more importantly their faith? It’s hard to pin down, but some researchers have pointed to four big problems facing the American church. Not every church has these problems, but every church, including the congregation, has to look at themselves and ask if they are part of the problem or the solution. Thom Rainer in Breakout Churches lists four big problems that hold the American Church in mediocrity. Doctrinal ignorance: Rainer’s study shows that only 83% of his respondents believe that the only way to get to heaven is through Christ. Unfortunately, that number is getting lower every year. If we want our church to be great, we must profess in everything we do that Jesus is the only way to get to heaven.  Evangelistic apathy: Many people in churches believe that the evangelistic work of the churc

When I was kid, I thought I was the best at Karate. I thought I could beat anyone up with a couple kicks and karate chops, and they’d be done for. Granted, I was 4, and my skills were learned from watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Here’s the questions though, “Have you ever thought you were really great at something just to discover that you really were not? We don’t like to admit it, but it happens to all of us. In our lives, our jobs, and our ministries, there are problems that we don’t see. We put on blinders, and simply refuse to see what’s happening all around us. Unfortunately, it can become a lot like this guy: He’s obviously bad. I can only hope that someone has told him that he can’t sing. He may have even had a Simon moment, but that didn’t deter him. He was blind to his own shortcomings and refused to listen to his critics. What this guy needs is what Thom Rainer calls in Breakout Churches an ABC moment. A wareness, B elief and C risis The

So far we’ve looked at 4 ways to become a better leader. These aren’t the end all but they will help us go a long way to becoming a level 5 leader . You can read more about them here and here . Today we finish our series and look at the final two ways to become a better leader. Find the right people. Major Dick Winters of Band of Brothers fame once said, “If you are leading and no one is following, then you are only taking a walk.” When we lead others we have to build a team to help us lead. Level 5 leaders in Good to Great by Jim Collins searched for a long time before they hired a new executive, but when they found a good person, they hired them, even if they didn't have a position. Recently, one of my ministry leaders stepped down from her duties for maternity leave. She asked one of her volunteers to take her place. That volunteer took that ministry and ran away with it. She conveyed mission, reminded her volunteers why they do what they do, and worried about vo