7 Leadership Paradigms Needed for Church Growth

By Ron Edmondson

I speak with churches everyday who want to grow, but nothing they do seems to work. Many say it’s a vision problem, but I disagree. The church may not be living it, but we have the clearest, best defined vision of anyone. (We are to make disciples.) The obvious problem to me of these churches is they aren’t really doing anything new. They do the same things they’ve always done, maybe tweaking some minor aspect, but for all practical purposes, it’s the same.

But, honestly, that’s not the primary reason for a lack of growth, in my opinion. I have learned that if you want to have a culture susceptible and open to growth, there are some common necessary paradigms. You have to think in certain ways. In most every situation, an absence of certain actions or mindsets on the part of leaders keeps the church from moving forward.

What are some of those paradigms?

1. Lead with leaders.

Of course you need followers too, but most people are looking for leadership, especially about things about which they don’t know. In any group, you’ll have a few who are ready to move forward with the changes needed and a few who are opposed to any change you bring. The rest of the people are looking for leadership. Lead with those who are ready to move in a positive direction.

2. Prioritize your time.

You can’t do everything or be everywhere. Let me say that again. You can’t do everything or be everywhere. That doesn’t ignore the expectation placed on you as a leader, but it does recognize your limitations. By the way, the quickest way to burnout and ineffectiveness is to ignore this one.

3. Never waste energy.

When something is working, put fuel into it. All cylinders go. That makes sense, right? Momentum feeds momentum. Yes, in keeping the previous one, that means you’ll have to ignore a few things to do the very best things. But usually the most energy will be in a few key places at a time. Never fail to capitalize on those important moments in time.

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Ron Edmondson is a pastor and church leader passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Ron has over 20 years business experience, mostly as a self-employed business owner, and he's been helping church grow vocationally for over 10 years. Learn more »

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Source: churchplants.com

Leadership Made Simple
By mark miller on May 13, 2013 06:00 am

Friday, I attended the Chick-fil-A Leadercast. It was a great event! Although we’re the corporate sponsors, we don’t actually create the event. So, unlike other meeting we produce ourselves, I got to experience this one just as the other attendees – as a leader trying to learn. This year’s event didn’t disappoint.

Although I could unpack any of the presentations from the day, and probably will write more about some of them in the future, today I want to share what Andy Stanley talked about in the opening session.

For me, his big idea was this…

Complexity is the enemy of clarity.

And of course, we all know as leaders the critical role of clarity in the success of our organizations. So, with the need for clarity as the backdrop, Andy shared three questions he’s been using for many years – he keeps them on a 3 X 5 card for easy reference. Let’s take a quick look at his three questions.

1. What are we doing?

It’s amazing to me how many organizations can’t answer this question in a succinct fashion. Andy said, “The mist in your mind will become fog in your organization.” If there is anything that should be clear in an organization, this is probably it. If we miss this one, clarity on other issues will be irrelevant, if not impossible. For Andy’s church, the answer is: Creating churches unchurched people love to attend. What are you doing?

2. Why are we doing it?

This is where emotion resides. This answers the inspiration question… Why should I care? Why should I give extra time, energy and effort to this cause/organization? This is a timelss principle many leaders have lost. Simon Sinek wrote a great book on this entitled, Start with Why. Here’s a link to his 18-minute TEDx talk by the same title. Without the why, the work becomes a job.

3. Where do I fit in?

Answers to questions #1 and #2 should be the same for everyone in your organization. The answer to this question should be unique to each individual or at least to each role. Andy challenged us to create a one-sentence job description for everyone in our organization. One sentence. Here’s Andy’s:

Inspire our staff and congregation to fully engage in our mission and strategy.

Simple and clear. What’s your one-sentence job description?

As a leader, we need to always remember – Growth creates complexity, which requires simplicity. Simply Lead!

If you want to go deeper on this idea, check out this post: Simplify.

How Important is Planning… Really?
By mark miller on May 08, 2013 06:00 am

At this stage in the growth of our organization, it feels like we are in perpetual planning mode. We literally have planning meetings at least 9 months out of every year! Not only have we been working on our 2014 plans, we’ve continued to work on our 2020 plans, which we started formulating about 2 years ago.

Is so much planning a good thing? Is it good stewardship? As I wrestled with the answer to these questions, I thought about many of the great quotes about planning…

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Alan Lakein

“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” Peter Drucker

“For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Luke 14:28

“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

After much reflection, my answer to the questions around the value of planning and the required investment of time, my answer is a resounding, “YES – it is worth it!”

Here are four reasons I think planning deserves to be a high priority for every leader.

Planning clarifies our intentions. The best plans flow from goals. In fact, I’m not sure how to plan without goals. Plans are conceived to achieve some predetermined end in mind. Therefore, the act of planning requires the stating of intentions. This helps priorities, alignment and focus – all good things for any organization.

Planning directs the activities of people. Like many of you, I feel extremely fortunate to be part of an organization that has attracted some amazing talent.  Therefore, my concern is rarely that work will be done well. My concern is whether or not we’re doing the right work. I tell my team all the time, “You get no credit for doing the wrong things well.” Planning establishes the right things.

Planning forces decisions. No organization can do everything. It is in the planning process where the merits of goals, strategies and tactics are debated and decided. There are always strategic trade-offs to be made. In planning, these are agreed to before the work begins. The plan is the blueprint for the organization. You’re either building a ranch style house or a two-story house. You can’t build both.

Planning enables accountability. Once plans are agreed upon, people can go to work with purpose and confidence. Strategies and tactics can come to life and the impact can be measured. The organization and the individuals involved can be given the gift of accountability. Did we execute the plan with excellence? Was the plan itself valid? What adjustments do we need to make for the future?

I’m convinced planning is one of the highest contributions leaders can make in any organization. I like the way Peter Drucker said it…

The best way to predict the future is to create it.

Are you investing enough time to plan the future of your organization?

Servanthood as Identity or Strategy?
By mark miller on May 06, 2013 06:00 am

I heard a wonderful and thought-provoking presentation a few days ago from Crawford Loritts. He was talking about leadership, so, of course, I was interested. Once he began, I was even more interested because he was talking about servant leadership!

He shared an observation I agree with but had never really considered. The best servant leaders see servanthood as their identity not as a strategy. Robert Greenleaf wrote about this idea decades ago. He said the best leaders are servants first. Servant is not a role we play but rather a reflection of who we are or are becoming.

What does servanthood as identity look like? It’s really a heart issue. My motivation and yours begins with a question: Why do we serve? If you haven’t thought about it, it’s a good question to consider.  

Here are a few others…

Do I serve to give or to gain? Crawford said:

“If we serve with an expectation of return, we’re not serving, we’re investing.”

Am I truly motivated when I help others win? How excited are you when the men and women you serve excel? How about when their career surpasses yours? Consider setting a goal to see how many of your protégés can exceed your level of influence and impact.

If servanthood as identity sounds intriguing, you may be wondering how to cultivate this lifestyle. Here are three ideas to consider.

Look for opportunities to serve… daily. My experience is the more you serve the more it becomes part of who you are. Don’t try to be strategic with every act of service – just serve. There will be ample opportunities to serve strategically in your future. Serve often to soften your heart.

Serve those who have little to offer in return. If we do this consistently, it can offset the investment mentality mentioned earlier. The young, the old, the helpless, the homeless, the under-resourced, the sick and disabled – serve them. I’ve learned a lot about the power of this idea from my youngest son, David. He has cerebral palsy. Serving him has made me a better person and leader; he has changed my heart.

Try hidden acts of service. Find people or organizations you can serve anonymously. This may be through an investment of time, financial resources, or random acts of kindness. When’s the last time you gave without ANY recognition? It can be a good discipline to strengthen your servant spirit.

My experience is servanthood as an identity is not a destination – it is the quintessential life-long journey. If you or I ever think we’ve arrived, we’re wrong. However, it is in the pursuit that the ideal can become more and more of a reality. I’m thankful to be on the journey with each of you.

Thanks, Crawford. I believe more firmly than ever, Great Leaders Serve!

What have you done to strengthen your identity as servant?

7 Principles for Leading Change

by Ron Edmondson

Every organization needs change to occur to continue to grow and remain healthy.

Every organization needs change to occur to continue to grow and remain healthy.
Change is hard for some people and is often rejected or rebelled against. Learning to lead change successfully is important for any leader.
Here are seven principles that can help you think through leading change in your organization:

1. Lead change from a pre-established trust in your leadership.

New leaders should be careful not to implement a lot of change early in their leadership unless that change is vital to the organization. Change will be easier if the leader is trusted.

2. Introduce change as early as possible. 

People need time to warm up to the change that is coming.

3. Prepare people along the way by keeping them informed of progress during a change period.

Include the good news and the bad news of change in these updates.

4. Get buy-in from as many people as possible. 

Sometimes leaders have to lead alone (for those times read this post on theloneliness of leadership), but, wherever possible, include others in decisions concerning change.

5. Follow through on commitments made. 

The quickest way to lose trust is to say one thing and do another. Likewise, do not make commitments you cannot keep.

6. Be consistent. 

You will keep people’s trust through the change if it is easy to figure out where leadership is at and what they will do next.

7. Do not make change a rare occurrence in the organization. 

Build a culture of healthy change in the organization so that change will be more naturally accepted.
What advice do you have for leading change? Have you ever been in an organization that lead change poorly?  

Ron Edmondson is a pastor and church leader passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Ron has over 20 years business experience, mostly as a self-employed business owner, and he's been helping church grow vocationally for over 10 years.More from Ron Edmondson or visit Ron at www.ronedmondson.com/

Source: ChurchLeaders.com

Today’s Challenge: Biggest Lessons?
By mark miller on May 03, 2013 06:00 am

Each week, I take one question from a leader somewhere in the world and share my thoughts. Today, like last week, I’ll answer one of the questions I suggested you ask other leaders to accelerate your own development: What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned thus far in your career?

I like this question. I know I’m biased, that’s why I recommend using it. Like you, I’ve learned countless lessons during my career. Lessons about people, lessons about myself, lessons about leadership and followship, lessons about business and much, much more! That fact alone makes this a good question – it requires a thoughtful response. Here’s my attempt to call out a few of the biggest lessons so far. If you’ve read much on this site, you’ll not be surprised.

Servant Leadership is the highest form of leadership. I didn’t know this when I was a young leader. I’m not exactly sure when I learned it. It was not a moment as much as it was a progressive revelation. There were great role models around me and over time I just began to “get it.” Once I understood it, I committed my life and leadership to this approach.

My capacity to grow determines my capacity to lead. Thankfully, this was instilled in me early in my career as well. Once again, I was fortunate to have leaders around me early in my career who taught me this lesson. I also learned that I had to own this – in concept and in practice. It’s great to have an organization that supports my growth, but with or without support, I am accountable for my own development.

Leadership is about results AND relationships. I was slower to learn this one. In the early years of my career, I didn’t focus too much on results, I focused too little on relationships. I believe my results and my opportunities suffered as a result. Today, I completely embrace the fact that the path to superior results is paved with a focus on BOTH results AND relationships.

I don’t control my opportunities to lead, just my readiness. I’ve worked in six different roles over the last 35 years. After my first job working in the Chick-fil-A warehouse, I’ve not asked for any of the positions I’ve occupied – I was volunteered. Most of us don’t control where we lead – our organizations decide that. What you and I do control is our readiness. Like the player on the bench, when the coach calls our number, we’d better be ready. If we’re not ready, we may never get the call.

What big lessons have you learned in your career thus far?

Mark Miller is the author of The Secret and The Secret of Teams.

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ROARING OR BORING | Kevin Daum

Apr 26, 2013

Define Your Personal Core Values: 5 Steps

If your company has core values, shouldn't you? Establishing your own personal guidelines can remove risk and accelerate success.

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Most concede the power of core values in business. Jim Collins made a great case in Built to Last. But it's difficult to accurately create or accept core values for your company if your own personal core values are unclear.
Many claim to understand their own values, but I maintain you don't really know them until you have:

1. Articulated them clearly in writing.
2. Tested them through daily decision-making.

Much like company core values, your personal core values are there to guide behavior and choice. Get them right and you'll be swift and focused in your decision-making, with clear direction. Get them wrong or leave them ambiguous, and you'll constantly wonder how you got into this mess.

Although your personal core values may not exactly match anyone else's, they still help you determine your surrounding culture. Most smart people consciously or unconsciously use personal core values to select friendships, relationships and business partnerships. Your core values also help you wisely manage your personal resources such as time and money.

Simply put, I use my personal core values as decision guidelines that keep me true to myself, and out of trouble. Here are mine with brief descriptions:

Truth

Some people are skilled liars. I am not. I function best when people are direct and honest. I make it clear in conversation and in writing that truth is necessary in my world, no matter how painful. This is probably why I thrive as a New Yorker.

Diligence

I am a contact management freak. I focus on punctuality, returning phone calls and e-mails within the hour or at least the day whenever possible. I hear screaming in my head if I have left anyone hanging. I also make sure my statements are substantiated, hence the reason you'll rarely see me speak in absolutes without doing my homework.

Consistency

Since people pay attention to my writing and talks, credibility is critical, and I have a lot to live up to. Hypocrisy is deadly in my world and this core value reminds me to integrate humor, the Awesome Experience, ROAR! and all my other lessons into my life and work, every single day.

Creativity

You would think a writer, marketer, and theater graduate wouldn't need creativity as a core value. But when it's been a long month of travel, it's 3 a.m. and the column, speech, or book chapter is pending, I have to remind myself that I need to take that extra step to make my material compelling so I can intrigue, entertain, and connect with my audience.

Impact

Like most entrepreneurs, I see potential everywhere. This value reminds me to disregard when my brain is saying: "I can do that!" and instead ask the question: "Should I do that?" The criteria are simple: Maximum results for minimum effort. Each shiny new opportunity gets evaluated this way.

Some of my personal traits like passion, integrity, and energy don't qualify in my mind as core values because I follow these instinctively without consideration. They are unnecessary in my decision making process. I refer to them as my Table Stakes.
Now it's your turn to identify your values.

Personal Core Values Exercise:

Grab a notebook. It's time to do some writing. Give yourself quiet space, no distractions, and at least an hour to reflect on each section.

Step 1--Think through and describe the following in detail:

1. What have been your three greatest accomplishments?
2. What have been your three greatest moments of efficiency?
3. What are any common rules or themes that you can identify?

Step 2--Think through and describe the following in detail:

1. What have been your three greatest failures?
2. What have been your three greatest moments of inefficiency?
3. What are any common rules or themes that you can identify?

Step 3--Identify three or four brief sentences of advice you would give to yourself based upon these commonalities.

Step 4--Next try and reduce them to a few words. For example: If your advice is: "Don't overindulge in food and booze at parties and get in trouble," reduce that down to Keep Control Through Moderation, or even Moderation.

Step 5--Now comes the fun. You need to test the value. Think of a situation where following your core value hurts you rather than helps you. For example you might think Innovation sounds good until you realize that your life thrives on stability rather than constant change. You have to think it through carefully. If you can't identify a legitimate case where the value steers you wrong, you probably have a good core value.

Know that this process requires focused time and thought. I recommend doing it with someone you trust. Then you'll get honest feedback and you can help each other. It may require several discussions over weeks or even months. Your values may adjust and develop over time just as you do, so embrace the change.

As Mahatma Ghandi said, "Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny."

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An Inc. 500 entrepreneur with a more than $1 billion sales and marketing track record, Kevin Daum is the best-selling author of Video Marketing for Dummies. @awesomeroar

Source: Inc.