EphesiansFour12 in Words

Who Is Speaking Into Your Life?

Coming home from an inspiring Men's Retreat gives you much to reflect upon after sitting under godly leadership and enjoying the fellowship of other like-minded men!

The theme of the retreat was "Only Men Aloud", a clever play on words that focused on men finding and using their voices to speak out as anointed men of God.  Guest leader Commissioner Floyd Tidd spoke from the book of Acts to draw on the lives of three men whose relationships with God and each other encourage us to find and nurture "solid brotherly relationships" that speak into our lives.

Based on the three men identified in Acts, we have a pattern for three key relationships we need in our lives...

1.  Paul is the one who is a couple of steps ahead of you - a MENTOR

2.  Barnabas is the one who walks alongside you - an ENCOURAGER

3.  Timothy is the one whose life you are investing into - a PROTEGE

After examining the influence of these three men, the questions were asked, "Who is your Paul?  Who is your Barnabas?  Who is your Timothy?

As I reflect on my spiritual and leadership journey, I am immensely grateful for the key people who have influenced my life, investing in my growth and development.  I am also humbled by the opportunity I have to influence the lives of others, investing into their journey.  Therefore, in the wake of the Men's Retreat I thought it appropriate to honour those who are a Paul to me, encourage those who are my Barnabas, and affirm my commitment to those who are a Timothy in my life today.

1.  Paul (Mentor/s)

There are people whom I consider to be a mentor from afar - Bill Hybels, Patrick Lencioni, John Maxwell, Wayne Cordeiro, Andy Stanley, Erwin McManus, among others, whose writing, speaking and example has provided me with a significant platform of learning for my development as a leader and maturity as a Christian.

Then there are people with whom I meet in person formally or informally from time to time - Pastor Danny Guglielmucci, Pastor Michael Grechko, Majors Len & Marney Turner, Major Sam Hancock.  Their godly and wise leadership teaches and challenges me to become a better leader.

2.  Barnabas (Encouragers)

The people who journey alongside me and I them are a few colleagues and friends with a shared vision and heart for mission and leadership - Major Andrew Craib, Major Gary Grant, Major Nyoman Timonuli, Loren Pratt.

The other people in my life who are very much encouragers for me and whose support and friendship I deeply value - Ian Abbott, Mark Creasey, Chris Garcia.

The person who has and continues to fulfill both roles of Paul and Barnabas for me is my dad - Robert Evans Snr.

And the most significant person in my life who is always alongside me is my wife and partner in ministry - Vanessa Evans.

3.  Timothy (Proteges)

Within my current ministry appointment I have responsibility for the discipleship and development of the next generation of leaders in our church through a program called Corps Cadets - Rebekah Evans, Adam Evans, Jessica Whittaker, Emily Simmonds, Cassie Simmonds, Luke Barratt, Caitlin Barratt, Danielle McMahon, Cassie Janssen, Michaela Dinas. I also fulfil my leadership mantle to "equip the people of God for the work of the ministry" by mentoring and coaching those on our current leadership and ministry teams.

There have been way too many others from previous appointments to name whom I have had the privilege to nurture in their faith journey and invest into their leadership and ministry development. It gives me incredible joy to play a small part in the growth and development of another person.

Such a reflection exercise is a strong reminder of how important godly relationships are in our journey of faith!  I am largely the person I am today because of the people who enlarge me, encourage me and entrust me with a part of their journey.

Who is speaking into your life?

Who is your Paul?  Who is your Barnabas?  Who is your Timothy?

Leadership Masterclass with Bill Hybels

Today I had the exciting opportunity to meet and sit under the ministry of Bill Hybels at a Leadership Masterclass in Melbourne.  Bill has been one of my closest mentors for the past 11 years, even though I have never met him in person until today.  It has been through the Willow Creek Association that I have been able to engage with Bill's leadership and teaching, which has enabled me to really get to know him and feel as though he knows me, as he openly shares his leadership journey and the Holy Spirit connects his with mine.

I am immeasurably grateful for the privilege of attending the Willow Creek Leadership Summit in Chicago in 2003 and the opportunity to share this experience with my leadership team locally every year since through the Global Leadership Summit.  The Summit was the catalyst for a life changing leadership journey that has exposed me to world class leaders from a church, business and political context; some of whom have also become a part of my network of leadership mentors - John Maxwell, Patrick Lencioni, Andy Stanley, Erwin McManus, Jim Collins, Wayne Cordeiro, to name a few.

The Leadership Masterclass with Bill Hybels was a Q&A format with a gathering of 110 church leaders from around Melbourne covering a wide range of leadership topics as questions arose.  Below is a selection of some insights that I was able to takeaway from today's session with Bill:

• Leaders fundamentally have to believe that with their giftedness and the power of the Holy Spirit that they can move the "needle" [referring to the needle on gauge from empty to full].
• Nothing significant in your church will change unless the senior leader's heart is changed.  The senior leader needs to be passionate about the issue.
• There has to be someone else on the team who owns the ongoing responsibility to keep the momentum going.
• Senior leaders need to mix up their rooms so younger leaders have their ear more regularly.
• It is our job as senior leaders to provide as many opportunities as we can for younger leaders to play at a higher level in the game.
• One of the best weapons in the arsenal of a senior leader is to have some short term projects to assign to aspiring leaders to test their readiness for longer term leadership responsibilities.
• You owe them [younger leaders] real time coaching that will keep them on a track to success.
• Anybody who has ever helped you build something in the church you have to honour them.
• Remind people working in the marketplace how fortunate they are to be ministering alongside unchurched people.  Commission them to pastor or minister where they are in their work place.
• How many people care as much as you do that there are empty seats in your church?  Who is helping you to fill those seats?  [Bill shared his vision for section pastors in the church to plant micro Acts 2 communities in each section of the auditorium - more to be said in another blog...]
• We decided we were done being content with the current level of giving in our church and engaged with more intentional teaching about stewardship.
• "Winds of the Spirit" fund - set aside % of offerings to form a reserve to bless ministry opportunities that arise outside of the budget, without the red tape.
• Bill has multiple mentors for different areas of his life.  The idea that one mentor will meet all your needs is naive.

 

Leadership Lament

There is a tension in my spirit as I write this post because I do not want to come across as self righteous or unfairly judgmental.  However, I am struggling to reconcile a form of leadership I witnessed this week with everything I know to be right and honourable about leaders.  The more I learn about empowering leadership, the deeper my discontentment grows with anything less!

It is not appropriate for me to discuss the circumstances of the observations I am referring to in this forum, but there are lessons to be learned and shared to perpetuate the sort of leadership that builds people up, not tears them down. The following are brief reflections on some fundamental leadership principles that I have seen violated, yet ought to be foundational to any leadership relationship or context.

Whenever there is a COMMUNICATION breakdown between two leaders it is usually related to unmet expectations from one or both parties.  Relational intelligence would suggest the moment you detect that expectations are not being met you would seek dialogue with the offending party to redefine those expectations.  I believe the earlier this is done, the risk of resentment creeping into the relationship is minimized and the likelihood of respect growing in the relationship is maximized. It is unproductive to avoid these conversations or to abdicate them because they are uncomfortable.

There is something inherent about CONFLICT that causes insecure leaders to avoid it or manifest it in a destructive manner.  Conflict in any working relationship is not only inevitable, but is essential to wrestling with the issues that matter to what and whom you are leading.  Rather than managing out or suppressing conflict, it needs to be encouraged and embraced in a healthy manner (read Embrace The Conflict for further discussion).  We need people on our teams who will disagree with us and we need to make it safe for them to do so if we are going to be effective and empowering leaders.

It is the responsibility of any leader at any level of an organisation to COACH the people on their team to lift the lid of their leadership to a higher level.  In the absence of intentional leadership development opportunities within a team, the team leader, in part, is accountable for the poor performance of team members.  We seem to have little problem applying this principle to a sporting club when the coach is sacked for the poor performance of the team, but paradoxically the reverse usually applies in the workplace.

John Maxwell often quotes, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you CARE."  Leaders who devalue the personal lives of those they lead while trying to uphold the interests of the organisation find themselves in a self-defeating cycle.  Nurturing people through personal challenges will evoke a loyalty and commitment to an organisation that cannot be bought.  Leaders who demonstrate genuine care and concern (not just give lip service), find a greater responsiveness when the need for correction of performance issues arises.

I find it indefensible that these basic leadership principles are not only violated, but justified, to maintain image, manage risk or mitigate problems.  It grieves me to see potential leaders discouraged and competent leaders disillusioned by a dis-empowering style of leadership.  Yet, it strengthens my resolve to "equip the people of God for the work of the ministry to build up the body of Christ."  

The level of discontentment I felt this week is not only a sober reminder of the dark side of leadership, but a summons to reflect the character of Christ and to continue to develop and grow as an empowering leader.

Red Shield Appeal Leadership Lessons

At the end of a very busy Red Shield Appeal weekend, I find myself reflecting on the success of this significant fundraising event from a number of angles beyond the obvious emphasis on raising money.  I can't help but to see the Red Shield Appeal through a leadership lens as an opportunity to evaluate and develop leadership potential and involvement.  Willow Creek Community Church Senior Pastor Bill Hybels provides a useful leadership assessment tool that, when applied to the Red Shield Appeal, can reveal a lot about Corps and community leaders.

Passing the Leadership Test by Bill Hybels presents five tests for leaders which he developed around the calling of the first disciples by Jesus in Luke 5:1-11 (read the story for context).  Since hearing Bill present this tool at a Leadership Summit in 2003, I have used it in a variety of leadership contexts and have found it provides a useful insight into the involvement of leaders in the Red Shield Appeal.

1. "Bias Towards Action" Test:  Anybody who has ever participated in the Red Shield Appeal knows that it doesn't organise itself, nor does the money collect itself.  There is a lot of planning, recruiting, scheduling, mapping, connecting, before you even think about knocking on a door or rattling a tin! As an Area Captain, District Chairman and Corps Officer I've observed four types of responses to the Red Shield Appeal - those who avoid it at all costs; those who participate begrudgingly; those who give their obligatory two hours on Red Shield Sunday out of a sense of duty; and those who will do whatever it takes to ensure the event is a success because they own the vision.  

2. "Can You Follow Directions" Test:  One of the challenges of coordinating a large scale event involving literally hundreds of volunteers, that is dependent upon the good will of the public and subject to legislative and organisational requirements, is getting people to cooperate with the process.  Initiative and enthusiasm that cannot follow direction becomes a liability that can risk the integrity of the event.  This is especially true for the Red Shield Appeal, which has earned the trust and respect of the wider community.

3. "Who Deserves The Credit" Test:  We all love to celebrate the success of our own efforts, but the success of the Red Shield Appeal is an interdependent relationship between God's favour, public generosity and volunteer participation.  The moment we devalue any one of these relationships by an inflated ego, we dishonour the others. 

4. "The Grander Vision" Test:  The Red Shield Appeal invites participation with the broader mission and ministry of The Salvation Army.  It draws us out of the familiarity of our churches by challenging us with a vision of human need that extends beyond our community.  Salvationists need to expand their vision broader than their local Corps to fully embrace the opportunities of the Red Shield Appeal.

5. "Will You Leave It" Test:  Fulfillment of any mission of value requires a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and engage in activities that may not necessarily align with your gifts or personality.  I have met too many leaders who have robbed themselves and the mission of extraordinary experiences by playing it way too safe.  This is often manifested by an aversion to doorknocking in the Red Shield Appeal.

My application of these five leadership tests to the Red Shield Appeal is not to make a judgement against the involvement of leaders, but to provide insight for areas of coaching and development.  For the past few years now I have embraced the Red Shield Appeal as a practical platform to develop existing leaders and to identify and recruit potential leaders.  Using the leadership lens to evaluate the Red Shield Appeal is another positive way of making the most of a very time demanding event in the life of a Corps Officer.

Who Are You Listening To?

As I engage in a variety of coaching, mentoring and pastoral relationships I observe a concerning pattern in how people navigate through challenging life issues.  When life gets tough there is a tendency to take the path of least resistance by withdrawing from people who will confront and gravitating towards people who will comfort.  In other words, we look for people who will tell us what we want to hear rather than those who will tell us what we need to hear!  This is a pattern that I see manifested in almost every area of life:

A couple going through a marriage crisis withdraws from mutual friends who see both sides of the relationship and gravitates towards people who will affirm their respective points of view.

A Christian who is struggling with faith withdraws from the fellowship of the Church and gravitates towards people who offer a more humanistic worldview.

A leader overwhelmed by the demands and expectations of leadership withdraws from positive networks and gravitates towards other disillusioned leaders.

While I don't pretend to understand the psychology of this pattern of behaviour, it is indicative of a 'fear of conflict' and 'avoidance of accountability' that seems so prevalent in our society.  This is not just an external observation, but one that comes from self-awareness of similar patterns I've wrestled with in my own life.  It is a strange paradox how human beings will withdraw from the very people who will contribute to our growth and gravitate towards people who will perpetuate our struggle.

In my discipleship and leadership journey I have learned the value of pursuing relationships with people who are further along their journey than me.  If I want to develop as a leader, then I need to align myself with leaders who are more experienced than I am.  If I want to seek marriage advice, then I need to interact with couples who have a strong and healthy relationship.  If I want to grow spiritually, then I need to worship and fellowship with the body of Christ.  For these relationships to really impact my life there needs to be a level of vulnerability and accountability where I am not afraid to engage in tough conversations and hear the things I don't want to hear.  It has been my experience that this is usually the point where people disengage.

We all like to be comforted during challenging times, but it is the willingness to engage in the conflict, in the context of accountable relationships, that we will grow through these challenges.