A Culture of Dishonour

In the wake of two significant election campaigns in both Australia and the United States I am becoming increasingly disturbed by an emerging culture of dishonour towards people who carry a mantle of leadership. More than ever before, leaders from all sectors of society are confronted with complex issues and diverse worldviews that significantly raise the stakes of leadership and increases hostility towards those who dare to lead.  

I hear some of you retort, "We have a responsibility to speak out against bad leadership!" To which I reply, "Yes, but..."

Ideological conflict over critical issues is essential in any healthy functioning society.  However, when that conflict descends into personality bashing or character assassination, we destroy any foundation of trust that is absolutely necessary to dealing with the issues at the heart of our conflict.

In recent days I have read so much dishonouring name calling and have seen too many demeaning "memes" on social media by leaders toward other leaders that is far from constructive and does little to address very real issues.  Irrespective of which side of politics you align with or what religious views you adhere to, effective leadership demands a level of honour that transcends opposing points of view to engage in respectful and robust dialogue with those in authority who view the world very differently to yourself.  

I am not talking about blindly following a leader into darkness.  Nor am I suggesting a mediocre tolerance of all policies or ideologies.  Neither do I think leaders should never be challenged.  In fact, “I want to argue that the solution to ideological discord is not “tolerance” in the post-modern form we frequently find it, the bland affirmation of all viewpoints as equally true and valid but an ability to profoundly disagree with others and deeply honour them at the same time” (John Dickson, "Humilitas").  This is not simply agreeing to disagree under a facade of political correctness but a depth of character that demonstrates humility and honour in the face of fierce disagreement.

I appeal to leaders from all walks of life...

Let us rise above the petty politics that attack the person instead of addressing the issues.

Let us see through the media biases that manipulate the truth to promote a hidden agenda.

Let us resist demonising conflicting worldviews and create safe environments to debate those views.

Let us commit to nurturing a posture of influence rather than perpetuating a pattern of insolence.

Are You Leaving Footprints Or Buttprints?

While listening to A Minute with John Maxwell this morning, I was reminded that leaders are 'action oriented people' leaving their footprints in the sands of time as they purposefully make things happen.  In contrast their are a lot of people who are sitting idle waiting for life to happen, leaving buttprints instead of footprints!  Maxwell asserted, "They're not going anywhere, they're not doing anything, they're not traveling, they're not helping, they're not people of action, they're just sitting on their butts waiting for life to happen to them."

Leaders have a 'bias towards action.'  They are people who create movement and build momentum in a team, forging indelible footprints that leave a lasting legacy for those who follow in their footsteps.  A leader's footprints are firm and easy to follow, they are determined and lead to a destination, and they are always pointing forward.

I would rather follow the footprints of someone making something happen than sit in the buttprint of someone waiting for something to happen!  Are you leaving footprints or buttprints in the sands of time?

Global Leadership Summit Highlights 2014

Once again the Global Leadership Summit lives up to its reputation of being a premier leadership event, delivering world class leaders from the church, business, government and non-profit organisations.  This is my 10th GLS and as in previous years I have come away inspired, encouraged and challenged to 'lead with all diligence' in my leadership context.  

Below are some highlights and key learnings that spoke into my leadership journey over the past two days:

Bill Hybels -- Hard-Fought Leadership Lessons

Founder and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church

"We need to be as passionate about the spirit of our people as we are about the vision."

"The kindest form of management is the truth."

"Don't get too addicted to vision achievement that people feel like equipment."

"Find and develop leaders with a legacy mindset.  Legacy leaders pay the price to fix a broken culture."

Susan Cain -- Quiet: Challenging the Extrovert Ideal

Best Selling Author, Viral TED Speaker on The Power of Introverts

"If we want people to be at their best we need to create an environment where they can receive the right amount of stimulation."

"Stop the madness of constant group work...create a hybrid of self and group work to get the best of creative thinking and ideas and stop the conformity of opinions."

Joseph Grenny -- Mastering the Art of Crucial Conversations

Co-Founder, VitalSmarts; Social Scientist for Business Performance

"When conversations turn from casual to crucial you and I tend to do your worst."

"You will either talk it out or you will act it out."

"We often believe the myth that we have to choose between telling the truth or keeping a friend."

"Crucial conversations held well can become a trust building accelerant."

"Candor is never the problem - it is the intent not the content that creates defensiveness."

Patrick Lencioni -- The Most Dangerous Mistakes Leaders Make

Founder of The Table Group, Business Speaker and Best Selling Author

"Reason to be a leader - to sacrifice yourself for the well-being of others, even before you know whether there will be a return on your investment."

Don Flow -- A Grander Vision

Chairman and CEO, Flow Companies Inc.

"Love is what should animate Christian Leaders."

"A part of being created in the image of God is being able to imagine the future."

Wilfredo De Jesus -- A Grander Vision

Senior Pastor, New Life Covenant Church; TIME's 100 Most Influential People 2013

"You cannot let your budget dictate your faith."

"Once the moral condition of your community has been revealed to you you must move to action."

"What is sacred is the message not the method."

"If you are not going to do anything about the answer, don't ask."

"With revelation comes responsibility."

Ivan Satyavrata -- The Power Paradox

Senior Pastor, Assembly of God Church, Kolkata, India

Introductory comment to Bill Hybels, "Thank you for allowing God's whisper to grow to a crescendo so that the world can hear God's voice."

"A leader's power lies in her ability to influence people."

"How do we apply the power paradox to the injustice and evil in our world?  We use the kingdom power at our disposal to confront evil and challenge its structures.  On the other hand we are patient and resolute."

"The power paradox enables me to surrender to God the enigma of unconquered evil."

"Power paradox leaders are level 5 leaders who combine humility with fierce resolve."

Carly Fiorina -- Defining Leadership

Best Selling Author; Political Commentator; Business Strategy Expert

"Bureaucracy crushes the potential of people inside them and the people they intend to serve."

"The highest calling of leadership is to unlock the potential in others."

"Management is the production of acceptable results in known constraints and conditions.  Leadership is about changing those conditions."

Jeffrey Immelt -- Positioning Your Organisation for the Future

President and CEO, General Electric

"It is the horizontal strength that keeps teams together."

"Be around a crisis early in your career, because you can tell a lot about a leader when times are tough."

"In volatile times the best leaders go forward."

Louie Giglio -- Take the Step

Pastor, Passion City Church; Founder of the Passion Movement

"You don't have to know everything to get up the mountain to take the first step."

"The stakes are too high for us to die with a small vision."

"A leader has to be committed to the finish line."

Giving Your Best, Even When You Don't Feel Like It

Another late night and another stage of the Giro d'Italia (the world's second biggest cycling race for the uniformed) continues to bring many moments of inspiration!  Elite cyclists endure tough conditions and brutal crashes, yet front up each day at the next stage of a three week bike race to put it all on the line for their team.

As a proud Aussie, I have been particularly impressed by the performance of the Australian team Orica GreenEDGE and Cadel Evans who rides for team BMC.  Sport Director from Orica GreenEDGE, Matt White reports after stage 10:

"We’ve got a lot of guys that aren’t 100 percent at the moment, but they continue to give 110 percent. It’s another very pleasing day in that regard.”

As a leader there are many days when I am not feeling 100 percent because of the realities of life and/or the demands of leadership.  On these days I have a choice - to perform according to how I feel or to give my best despite how I feel.  The difference is not in the result but the effort.  It is easy to justify away mediocre performance when life is tough, but it takes character and commitment to strive for excellence through every season of life.  I am not talking about a self-destructive form of asceticism or an unattainable perfectionism, but an enduring spirit that fights through pain barriers to always give one's best.

So, despite the battle scars of leadership, an 110 percent attitude is more about resilience than results, determination than defeatism and an unwavering commitment to turn up each day and give your best, even when you don't feel like it!

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.

 

Adopting A Posture Of Learning

After 17 years of full time ministry one of the things I still get excited about is the continual pathway of learning that is expanding my heart and mind with new paradigms of thinking while stretching me with new experiences as I integrate what I learn into my leadership and ministry.

In my current unit of study I read a quote, in the context of language and cross-cultural witness, that aptly describes Christian discipleship:

"Christianity is so well demonstrated by those who take a learning posture." - Charles H. Kraft

A disciple is postured as a life-long learner

A disciple is submitted to the teaching of Holy Spirit

A disciple is committed to becoming like Jesus Christ

A disciple is determined to pursue the will of God

By adopting a posture of learning we engage in a journey of transformation and growth that not only changes us, but changes others when our learning becomes a shared experience.  I had a leader from my previous church once say to me mid semester, "We get the best of both worlds.  We get to learn from what you are studying without having to do all the reading!"  This was a real time affirmation that my posture of learning is about way more than earning a degree, but about making disciples and developing leaders.  In fact, my posture of learning is putting skin on my leadership platform - "to equip the people of God to do the work of the ministry to build up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12).

John Maxwell teaches why a posture of learning is so important, “Your leadership, if it is not continually growing, can be a lid to the potential of your people. Why? Because you teach what you know, but you reproduce what you are. You can’t give people what you do not have. If you want to increase the potential of your team, you need to keep growing yourself.”  

How much more is this true for making disciples and growing the church?!

A Tale Of Two Leaders

What do you do when someone under your leadership or on your team is more popular or successful than you because of their achievements?  Do you celebrate and embrace their success?  Do you view their success as a valuable contribution to your team or as a threat?  Are you comfortable leading people who may be more talented than you?  Are you willing to share authority with them or do you try and contain or control them?

These are challenging questions that inevitably reveals the true character of a leader.  Secure and empowering leaders will go out of their way to ensure talented and successful people are given responsibility and authority to flourish by exercising theirs gifts.  However, positional and insecure leaders will go out of their way to restrict or remove people who are better than themselves.

At the recent Global Leadership Summit Chris Brown, Senior Pastor of North Coast Church, presented a session entitled "Right Title...Wrong Kingdom."  In this session he made an interesting comparison between two leaders.  He spoke of Saul, Israel's King, who faced overwhelming odds from his enemies and how the young shepherd boy David led the nation to victory and received enormous acclaim for his successes.  Instead of embracing David's victory as his victory, Saul viewed David as a threat and pursued him with the intent to end his life.  In contrast, Pharaoh, the leader of Egypt, embraced the gifts and abilities of a Hebrew slave named Joseph and put him in charge of all of his kingdom, second only to himself.  

What was interesting about this comparison was that God's anointed leader of Israel was threatened by anybody better than himself and was unable and unwilling to recognise God's anointing upon another.  Whereas, the pagan leader of Egypt was not only intuitive enough to see beyond the cultural barriers of a person's religious and social status but willing to embrace and empower an outsider to advance his kingdom.

There are so many powerful lessons to be drawn from this tale of two leaders!  But the question asked by Chris Brown drawing from these lessons that should challenge any leader in any context is, "Can we empower someone to the point of taking some of our power?"  Your answer to that question will have a significant impact upon the success of your leadership!

Leadership author and speaker John C. Maxwell declares his answer to such a question in his book The 360 Degree Leader, "Good leaders give their power away. They look for good people, and they invest in them to the point where they can be released and empowered to perform."

What is your answer?

Budget For Mistakes

Among the many people I enjoy conversing with in my role as a Salvation Army Officer are leaders from other organisational contexts who experience similar sort of leadership successes and challenges as I do.  I had the opportunity to meet up with one such leader today, a very close friend who is currently the elected mayor of his city and a small business owner.  His leadership experience and knowledge is diverse and complex with the responsibility of working alongside other elected members of council, while at the same time managing a team of employees.

Our conversation recognised the vulnerability for leaders to admit their mistakes to their peers and those they lead.  Is this vulnerability a weakness or a strength?  Well, potentially both.  If admitting our mistakes is a window into our incompetence, then indeed it could well be a sign of weakness.  However, if it is a display of humility that reflects a solid character, willing to admit when wrong, but uncompromising, even amidst conflict, when right; then indeed it is a strength.  Unfortunately, personal insecurity and corporate competitiveness often creates an unsafe environment to openly admit ones mistakes.

My friend made a profound statement about how he influences his small business environment by sharing with me that he literally "budgets for mistakes."  The genius of this ethos is that it makes it safe for his staff to make decisions and risk failing without damaging the business.  Budgeting for mistakes enables the leader to give away power and empowers followers to have a go.  Budgeting for mistakes creates a culture of innovation where mistakes are acknowledged as a part of the process of growth.  Budgeting for mistakes promotes security instead of insecurity and collaboration instead of competition.

While the bottom line for my friends business is profitability, the principle of "budgeting for mistakes" could and should apply to whatever you define as your bottom line.  Maybe then the vulnerability of admitting our mistakes will be mitigated by a vibrant environment where people are encouraged to try and fail so they will try and succeed!

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.

Embrace The Conflict

“Unless one has considered alternatives, one has a closed mind.  This, above all, explains why effective decision-makers deliberately disregard the second major command of the textbooks on decision-making and create dissension and disagreement, rather than consensus.” (Peter F. Drucker)

Contrary to popular opinion, conflict is not the enemy of decision making, but a crucial part of the process of reaching well considered decisions with maximum buy-in by key stakeholders.  No matter how visionary, passionate or experienced a leader may be, decisions made in a conflict free environment run the risk of isolating critical and creative thinkers and compromising effective decision making.

When I speak of conflict in this context, I am not referring to destructive, personality based conflict, but constructive, ideological conflict that wrestles with issues relative to achieving a shared goal.  To engage in this type of conflict, leaders need to surround themselves with people who not only have a common vision but who bring diversity of personality and thinking to the team.  Leaders need to cultivate an environment of trust where this diversity of engagement can be safely expressed and where disagreement is embraced as a necessary part of the process.  

Unfortunately, this seems not to be the norm for the majority of teams I observe due to an innate fear of conflict.  Rather than recruit diversity of thought, some leaders prefer to retain people who only think the same as them.  While it may seem easier to advance your mission with like minded people on the front end, it comes at a cost on the back end of the decision making process.  This is something I have had to learn the hard way due to my personality type and leadership style.  As a passionate and driven leader who likes to make decisions quickly and take the shortest route to achieving a goal, I am often frustrated by process.  However, due to the coaching of great leaders who are secure enough not to be threatened by diversity and who are smart enough to value it, I have grown to resist my natural tendency to bypass process and have learned to leverage it to make more effective decisions.  In fact, the more passionate I am about an idea, the more determined I am to draw on the collective wisdom of diverse thinkers to ensure the idea is given every possibility to succeed.  So much so, that if I sense people on my team are holding back, in the words of leadership consultant Patrick Lencioni,  I will "mine for conflict" so that all views are considered to reach the best possible decision.

It concerns me deeply when leaders stack a team with "yes" people or worse, disband a team in favour of less resistance.  We seriously compromise our ability to effectively lead a team when we set ourselves up as the primary decision maker without the robust input of other leaders, which also undermines our ability to empower those who are excluded from the decision making process.  In saying that, discernment must be exercised to ensure that we are inviting the right type of conflict from the right type of people.  Patrick Lencioni talks about the importance of developing a foundation of trust in a team around shared values and vision to engage in healthy conflict to advance the mission of the organisation.  Where there is no trust and a misalignment of vision, the chances are this will create the wrong type of conflict from people who are not committed to a common goal.

Learning to embrace the conflict stimulates creative interaction within a team where ego is set aside in the interest of well considered decisions that team members are willing to commit to and be held accountable for, despite disagreement during the process.  

“Disagreement converts the plausible into the right and the right into the good decision.”  (Peter F. Drucker)

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.

Passion With Power & Purpose

I seem to be writing a lot about passion lately - A Passionate Life, Zealous For The Lord, A Passionate Resolution, Balanced People Don't Change The World.  One only has to look at the structure of my blog to see that I am a passionate person with a passion for my life to reflect the character of Christ and make a difference in the lives of others.

Tonight, I was blessed by the ministry of respected leaders and friends Majors Len and Marney Turner, two of the most passionate, Spirit-filled leaders I know.  They were the guest leaders at a new event we have commenced in our church called EQUIP, which is all about "Unleashing a Passion for the LORD, the LOST, LIFE and LEADERSHIP" in the lives of the leaders of our church.

Marney captured this theme well when she said,  "If ever there is a need for godly passionate men and women of God to lead, it is now!"

While we indeed need leaders with passion, passion alone is like a flame without fuel and passion astray is like a flame without direction.  History is full of leaders who have either lost or misdirected their passion.  However, leaders who are grounded in Jesus Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit have passion with power and purpose! 

Erwin McManus writes in his book Uprising, "Our quest is to have God’s character formed in us that His passions might burn in us.”  Lord, raise up a generation of leaders who have the character of Jesus Christ and a Holy Spirit passion burning deep within their souls!

What's Your Blind Spot?

This week I participated in a leadership development program which was a week long intensive presenting insightful and practical leadership principles and resources.  This included a feedback process where data was collected and compared from a personal and key stakeholders survey to identify leadership strengths and areas for development.  The "Life Styles Inventory" feedback report revealed the gap between how I view myself as a leader and how those I work with experience me as a leader. While for the most part the results were affirming, aligning with my self evaluation, the survey highlighted a couple of areas where there was a misalignment between the two.  This misalignment between how I view myself and others experience me is called a 'blind spot'.

A 'blind spot' by very nature is something that we cannot see.  Life is filled with 'blind spots'.  There are 'blind spots' on the road that present a hazard to traffic.  'Blind spots' occur in business making corporations financially vulnerable in the marketplace. Relationships experience 'blind spots' resulting from or leading to a breakdown in communication.  Spiritually, 'blind spots' can lead to a crisis of faith and politically, 'blind spots' can cost governments an election.  When a 'blind spot' remains unidentified it can seriously derail what success looks like for you.

This week I was given the gift of open and honest feedback that revealed my 'blind spots' as a leader.

Do you know your 'blind spots'?  The irony of this question is that unless you have received similar feedback, then the chances are you don't, otherwise it would hardly be a 'blind spot'.  Feedback can be confronting and evoke a feeling of vulnerability, but it is my firm conviction that feedback is essential to our growth and development.  For years I prided myself on my self awareness, but it is what I don't see that has the potential to cause me and those in my sphere of influence the most damage.

Discovering your 'blind spots' can be the difference between success and failure in your leadership roles, relationships, spiritual journey, career or any other significant arena of life.  Discovering your 'blind spots' takes humility and courage to hear what you don't want to hear.  Discovering your 'blind spots' opens an opportunity to realise your full potential by providing a platform for personal growth.

"When you can truly understand how others experience your behavior, without defending or judging, you then have the ability to produce a breakthrough in your leadership and team."  (Loretta Malandro)

NEW YEAR'S DAY - BEGINNING: A Minute With John Maxwell

A Main Focus Of Your Giving Should Be Your Local Church & Leaders

40 Day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life
Day 38 - A Main Focus Of Your Giving Should Be Your Local Church & Leaders
 

"Be careful not to neglect the Levites (ministers) as long as you live in your land"  (Deuteronomy 12:19)  

 

Throughout our full-time ministry role we have been on the receiving end of enormous blessings by people in our congregation who have supported or served us in generous ways.  There is a powerful witness given when the body of Christ share their resources to support the work of the ministry of the local church.  It has been my observation that when a church is generous in supporting its own ministry it overflows into generous mission outside the church.

Empowering Leadership

There are those satisfying moments in leadership when simple feedback encourages you to continue to step out in faith and take a risk by equipping and empowering leaders "to do the work of the ministry to build up the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:12)

The other day I received a text message from an emerging leader in our church who has overcome significant personal and social fears, stepping way out of her comfort zone, to pursue her heart for mission and desire to develop as a leader.  A statement within her message said, "Thank you for having faith in us."  This affirmation resonated with me as only a week earlier my twelve year old daughter sent me a message saying, "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."  

Empowering leaders hasn't come naturally to me as it has clashed with my perfectionist nature and desire to get things done in the most efficient way possible.  It has meant letting go of control, learning to value process and giving people permission to make mistakes.  I still need to resist the temptation to say, "leave it with me I'll deal with it" and remind myself to say, "let's talk about how you might go about dealing with that situation."  While I may see clearly where we are and where we want to be and have a strategy in my head about how best to get there, I am not really empowering leaders unless I am prepared to engage them in the process.  

Empowering leadership has become a stated value in the Church and other organisations, but it only ever becomes a real value when it is integrated into the ethos of leadership.  This becomes a reality when we are prepared to step out in faith and take a risk in giving real-time authority to emerging leaders.  Craig Groeshel pushes this point by saying, "You do not just delegate tasks to the next generation or you will just create followers. You delegate authority because then you create leaders."  

Is there a risk in empowering leaders?  Absolutely!  Is there a cost in empowering leaders?  Yes, but there is a greater cost not to or to just giving lip service to empowering leadership.  When we exercise the biblical mandate to "equip the people of God for the work of the ministry to build up the body of Christ," we unleash the full compliment of the gifts of the Spirit and generate an "unstoppable force" (McManus) for the kingdom of God!  

“Good leaders give their power away. They look for good people, and they invest in them to the point where they can be released and empowered to perform.” (John C. Maxwell)

On Top Of The World

“I know the whole world is watching, and I wish the whole world could see what I see. Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you really are, I'm going home now.” (Felix Baumgartner)

I'm an adventurer at heart and couldn't help being impressed and inspired by the world record breaking jump by Felix Baumgartner.  He did something that no other human being has ever done and viewed the world from a perspective that few have done before him.  Standing on the edge of his suspended jumping platform from the edge of space, Felix captured a vision of the earth that encapsulates two significant truths about leadership.

1. Leaders See Further Than Others

Effective leadership requires leaders to have an elevated view of their surroundings to help navigate the people they lead towards the fulfilment of their organisational vision.  This elevated view enables the leader to keep the vision clear amidst the reality of their core business, to anticipate barriers or blockages ahead of the vision, and to identify new opportunities to advance the vision. 

2. Leaders See Themselves In Perspective

Leaders need to be careful that an elevated view of their surrounds doesn't lead to an elevated view of self.  The higher the vantage point, the more we are right-sized to see ourselves as only one part of a complex organism contributing to the function of the whole.  A spirit of humility is manifested by leaders who see themselves in perspective to those they lead and their leadership context.

Edge Conference 2012 Highlights - 1

The Edge Conference is an annual event hosted by Edge Church International at their south campus in Reynella, Adelaide.  They provide great worship, Holy Spirit inspired teaching from international speakers, and exceptional hospitality to invest into the lives and ministries of church pastors and leaders.  Below are some highlights from the notes I've taken throughout the conference:

Session 1:  Danny Guglielmucci

"Change is worth going through.  Change will bring the right result if you don't give up"
"We need to be into all that God wants in order that we will reach a lost and broken world."
"I used to think that preaching doesn't do much, but I've come to understand that preaching can activate a culture."
"Don't despise prophesy"
"The world can activate biblical patterns when the Church doesn't."
"Non believers are applying biblical principles to their lives and it is working!"
"Three reasons why Christian leaders burn out:  Self appointed ministries; being called by God but in the wrong role; doing the right role but in the wrong way."
"There is a tiredness that brings refreshment when you are doing the will of God."

Session 2:  Leon Fontaine

"Spirit Contemporary - Holy Spirit working through contemporary leaders.  Not the Holy Spirit dumbing down the message to make it contemporary."
"When it comes to the will of God for the leader, there is an on-going need to be filled with the Spirit.  We need to lead a continuously Spirit filled life.  He does not have a plan for your life outside of being filled with the Spirit."
"There are two things you must maintain:  Stay full of the Word and full of the Spirit."
"Sometimes in the Church we miss the transitions into new seasons.  We cling on to the previous blessings of God and miss the new blessings."
"The Church needs contemporary pastors who will respond to what the Spirit is doing today."
"Spirit filled people submit themselves one to another.  The arrogance is gone and they have a humble and teachable spirit."
"The spiritual gifts are not for the Church, but for the streets."
"We need to teach the church how to use the gifts as people in the world, not just pastors in the Church."
"The gifts should not draw attention to us, but give glory to God.  It's not about you, but about Jesus."
"God resists the proud, so when pride is present, the gifts die."
"Holy Spirit doesn't need to put on a show, He doesn't need you to dare Him, or back Him into a corner, or quote a dozen verses to get Him to act!  All we need to do to have the Holy Spirit to flow through us in healing and miracles is to get rid of us.  Less of us, more of Him!"

Session 3:  Paul De Jong

"If you are going to stand up and do what God wants you to do, then there is a lot of stuff in the atmosphere that will come to discolour you (like rust to metal).  Authentic leadership is about being iron all the way through.  We need to expose all of who we are to the atmosphere.  We need to strip away the protective layers of lacquer and become vulnerable and authentic again.  If we don't deal with the discolour we will become disfigured."
"We spend too much time seeking 'favour.'  God wants to bring us back to being 'fresh.'  If we don't learn how to stay 'fresh' we will never live by 'faith.'  I want to come back to a place of 'freshness', the foundation for 'faith' which brings 'favour.'"
"We need to simplify to strengthen."
"Your future is in what leads you."
"The truth is you are going to live out who you are."
"We don't need more seed, but better soil.  What did you do with the last revelation?"
"If you keep trying to keep everybody happy you will be busy doing what God didn't intend for you to do."
"How long has it been since the rhythms of your heart beat with the rhythms fo God's heart?"
"There is a revelation that our inner world determines our outer world."

Session 4:  Leon Fontaine

"There is a huge discrepancy between the early Church and the Church today."
"The adventure starts when we are filled with the Spirit.  The most important thing for your people is to be filled with the Spirit.  We must teach them to understand and use the gifts of the Spirit."
"Being filled with the Spirit doesn't make you weird.  When you get full of God you act more like God."
"Individually and collectively you are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  When you meet with believers in the Church, that is the temple of the Holy Spirit."
"When you become a weapon against God's people and His Church you put yourself at risk - 'no weapon formed against me shall prosper.'"
"I cannot do what God has called me to do without the Holy Spirit and access to the gifts He has given me."

Powerful Prayer

“Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, ‘May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God the Lord, the God of his fathers even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.’ And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.” 

(2 Chronicles 30:19-20)

After calling the people of Judah back to a place of consecration through the removal of sin and the return to a covenant relationship through a renewal of heart, Hezekiah prayed this prayer on behalf of the nation.  This is a powerful prayer that gives us some extroadinary insight into the heart of a righteous leader and the character of a gracious God.

Hezekiah acknowledged the goodness of God!  Despite the gap between the sinfulness of the nation and the holiness of God, Hezekiah appeals to God's grace and seeks His favour on behalf of the people of Judah.

Hezekiah acknowledged the journey of his people.  His prayer was for those who had determined to seek after God, regardless of where they were along that journey, rather than for those who had reached a level of religious piety.

When the prayer of a righteous leader is aligned with the heart of a gracious God an environment for miracles is activated.  God longs to heal His people and restore them to a right relationship with their Creator.  Therefore, He responds to the prayer of faith that earnestly seeks after Him and dares to ask God to do what only He can do!

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.