Leadership Development | Coaching Churches

Category Archive: Leadership Development

4 Ways That Exaggeration Can Damage You As A Leader

Posted by on November 18, 2019

Great leaders have the ability to cast vision and inspire people to make changes to accomplish incredible things together. We however have to be careful that we do not use hype instead of reality. If everything requires too much “greatest ever” language, then when the time comes to make major change people will not hear you. This post by Scott Cochrane is excellent:

“As a leader you must certainly project optimism. But when you cross the line into hyperbole, your leadership is facing significant risks.

Recently, a leader in my orbit described a meeting as “Quite possibly our best meeting ever!” Right away, the thought flashed through my mind, “I need to keep watching my own communication for any signs of such exaggeration.” How many of these statements, or statements like them, have you used?”

Categories: Leadership Development Pastoral Leadership Staff Development | Comments Off on 4 Ways That Exaggeration Can Damage You As A Leader

8 Ways To Add Margin To Your Day

Posted by on November 12, 2019

Leaders of non-profits and for profit organizations face the same challenges when it comes to personal leadership. If we do not define our priorities, then someone else will gladly do it for us. That puts us in a constant reactive mode instead of a proactive one that makes sure the important things get done everyday. This post by Ron Edmondson is very practical for every leader:

How do you fit more activity into an already busy schedule?

Isn’t this a great question?

How do you create more margin in your schedule – to do the things you want to do and the things you need to do?

Categories: Pastoral Leadership Personal Leadership Staff Development | Comments Off on 8 Ways To Add Margin To Your Day

7 Practical Thoughts On Forgiveness In Leadership

Posted by on November 3, 2019

Leadership in a church culture is probably the most difficult challenge any leader can face. Your customers are your volunteer work force and financial investors all at the same time. Therefore, they have lots of power and they can use it to say hurtful things. This post by Steve Tillis is a must read for all leaders:

“Forgiveness in leadership is absolutely critical to leading people.

“You hate me! You pick and choose which members you love!” Years ago, those words were screamed in my ear over the phone by a church member who felt like I had not greeted them well on Sunday morning. In fact, they went on to tell me in the conversation that I only gave them one hug instead of two on that day and then they hung up on me. Maybe the moral of the story is always give your members two hugs on Sunday.

Seriously though, forgiving people and asking for forgiveness is tough work. Forgiveness is to the leader what oxygen is to the lungs.”

Categories: Leadership Development Pastoral Leadership Personal Leadership Staff Development | Comments Off on 7 Practical Thoughts On Forgiveness In Leadership

10 Signs Your Leadership Is Driven By Selfish Ambition

Posted by on October 29, 2019

Great leaders can determine what needs to be done quickly and how to do it well. They can pick who needs to do the work and when it needs to be done. The most important question that should be asked on the front end is Why? This post by Carey Nieuwhof answers that question:

Let’s ask an awkward, difficult, and at times piercing question: What motivates your ambition?

That’s an important question to ask. Why? Because if you don’t ask it, I promise everyone else around you will. Mostly I don’t like that question because I don’t like the answer to that question.

Sometimes my motivation is selfish. I recently interviewed Gordon MacDonald on my leadership podcast (if you missed it, it was one of the best episodes we’ve done to date, listen here).

Gordon observed that most leaders in their thirties are driven by ambition. Gordon is a little more accurate than I want to admit.

Categories: Career Development Church Scattered Leadership Development Pastoral Leadership Personal Leadership | Comments Off on 10 Signs Your Leadership Is Driven By Selfish Ambition

There Are No Bad Teams, Just Bad Leaders

Posted by on October 1, 2019

I read the book Extreme Ownership that drives most of the content of this post. I agree with almost everything in the book about leaders casting blame instead of assuming responsibility. I also know in some situations, their can be great leadership from the top and the failure is driven by others who either will not or cannot do their jobs. So you be the judge and see what you think of what J.D. Greear has to say:

“When we are involved in a group endeavor and something goes wrong, our natural instinct is to point the blame. Navy SEALs Willink and Babin recognize this from years of military experience, but we could just as easily arrive there through theological reflection. What happened after Adam and Eve committed the very first sin of human history?”

Categories: Career Development Pastoral Leadership Teamwork | Comments Off on There Are No Bad Teams, Just Bad Leaders

10 Traits Of A Humble Leader

Posted by on September 30, 2019

When your significance comes from the approval of the crowd you will do almost anything to be liked and followed. Many leaders fall into the ego trap and eventually it always becomes more about them than the people they were called to lead. This post by Moses Y. Lee is a great read:

“Recent stories of celebrity pastors and worship leaders apostatizing has me thinking about the idea of Christian leadership. Whether leaders reluctantly fall from grace due to moral failure or publicly renounce their faith on Instagram to be more “authentic,” one thing is clear: humility is not a contributing factor.

Even though I don’t consider myself a humble leader—I can be brash and bigheaded (both literally and figuratively)—by God’s grace, I’ve been blessed to serve under many humble leaders. I’ve watched many more from a distance.”

Categories: Career Development Leadership Development Pastoral Leadership Personal Leadership Staff Development | Comments Off on 10 Traits Of A Humble Leader

Why The Smartest Leaders Do This

Posted by on September 23, 2019

If productivity simply means that you are doing all the wrong things faster, then in the end it will be a waste of your life. Getting things done will never be as important as why you are doing them to begin with. Leadership today places a higher priority on the character of the person than the list of their results. This post by Carey Nieuwhof is a great read:

“But the longer I live and lead, the more I realize that you can accomplish all the tasks you set out to accomplish in a day or even over the course of your life, and still completely miss the point.

The news is littered with stories of leaders who were at the top of their game skill-wise, but who aren’t in leadership anymore, not because they weren’t smart, not because they weren’t skilled (some were arguably the best in their field), but because their character didn’t match their competency. Here’s the truth for all of us: Competency gets you in the room. Character keeps you in the room.”

Categories: Pastoral Leadership Personal Leadership | Comments Off on Why The Smartest Leaders Do This

How To Lead With Compassion As A Leader

Posted by on September 22, 2019

In leadership today what was once considered soft skills have become hard ones. What I mean is that in areas of character: honesty, trust, integrity and compassion, these are no longer preferable personality qualities but required leadership competencies. This Forbes Coaches Council post will help explain:

“As an executive leadership mentor and coach for over 15 years, I have noticed that organizations that are managed and led by toxic leaders often experience discord among employees and a breakdown of their cultural norms, which may lead to a dysfunctional working environment. On the other hand, organizations with compassionate leaders at the helm tend to experience harmony and cohesiveness among employees, which leads to a prosperous, harmonious, efficient and effective working environment.”

Categories: Career Development Church Scattered Leadership Development Pastoral Leadership | Comments Off on How To Lead With Compassion As A Leader

3 Types Of Stress For Leaders

Posted by on September 19, 2019

Too much stress can be caused by many things. Routinely too many demands without enough capacity leads to a loss of margin. Poor alignment between what you are doing and your motives for why. Working in a toxic culture that you have no control to change. However, as this post by Eric Geiger points out, all stress is not bad. This is a great read for all of us:

“Right before Dr. John Townsend walked up to shred a guitar to some old Blink 182 songs with the band he has with his sons, I asked him if he was nervous. In a brief moment he talked to me about leaders and the three different types of stress for leaders we can face.

Before I share his insight, let me set the scene.”

Categories: Career Development Leadership Development Personal Leadership | Comments Off on 3 Types Of Stress For Leaders

Pastors Don’t Be Afraid Of Good Leadership

Posted by on September 17, 2019

Pastors lead in a context where their customers are also their volunteer workforce and financial investors all at the same time. No corporate context is that challenging and yet we have to step into taking the risk of our leadership being rejected. Leadership in the church is not easy but extremely biblical. Ron Edmondson has led in different cultures and has some great insights:

“Over the years of writing this blog, the more I have written about leadership and tied it to the church the more critics would email to say I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t tie leadership and the church together so closely.

People have said I focus too much on leadership and not enough on Jesus. (They likely never heard me preach. I mention Him a lot.) People have said I am too business-like. I once got criticized as a pastor for using the word “revenue” instead of “tithes and offerings” when mentioning church finances. Some of my terminology may come from spending over 20 years in the business world prior to vocational ministry.”

Categories: Leadership Development Pastoral Leadership | Comments Off on Pastors Don’t Be Afraid Of Good Leadership