The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of September 16th

September 20, 2013 0 Comments

This week’s list of top posts were a lot of fun to read.  That’s right – FUN!  Leadership should be enjoyable.  I had a great time reading these posts and know you will also.
For personal reasons, I want to point you to two of the ten.
First, I was recently interviewed by the incredible leader Carey Nieuwhof.  That interview is available below.
Also, check out Matt Steen’s “emotional” post about Monday Night Football.  I was referenced in this post as well.
With that said, the following are The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of September 16th.  Let me know your thoughts after reading.

1. Three Steps To Becoming A More Visual Storyteller by Phil Cooke
2. Three Things Scouts Want To Know About Johnny Manziel by by Chase Goodbread via www.NFL.com
3. How Do You Become An Overnight Success? by Jon Gordon
4. 3 Things You Can Read To Become A Better Leader by Craig Jutila
5. Jerry Falwell’s Legacy: A Thriving Liberty University by Mary Beth Marklein via www.USAToday.com
6. Leadership Trends With Brian Dodd by Carey Nieuwhof (yes, that Brian Dodd)
7. Leadership Lessons From Monday Night Football by Matt Steen at www.ChurchThought.com
8. Leadership And Love by Dan Reiland
9. Why We Multiply Everything, Including Churches And Campuses by Ed Stetzer
10. The Most Important Interview I’ve Ever Done by Rick Warren

Well, that is my Top 10 of the week.  What other great posts have you read the past seven days?

What Concerns Leaders And 6 Other Things All Leaders Should Know

September 21, 2013 0 Comments

This is a wonderfully practical post for all leaders.  The following lessons come from some of the smartest leaders you can find.  In addition to not only providing great insights, the principles taught can be applied in your life today.

• What Concerns Leaders from Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Sabin - September 9th edition of Sports Illustrated - ”Even when you’ve called the right defense and your defense does everything right, that kind of quarterback (dual-threat) can still beat you by improvisation.  It’s the stuff you can’t really plan for that always brings a high level of concern.  I mean, it can drive you crazy as a coach.”
• The Importance Of Youth In Your Organization from Bill Polian ESPN 8/7 - ”Keep it green and growing.  Always be bringing in young talent.  That way your team doesn’t get all get old at the same time.”
• Leaders Are Held To A Higher Standard from Bill Polian ESPN on Johnny Manziel 8/5 - ”Quarterbacks are held to a higher standard because they are expected to be leaders.”
• The Importance Of Change from Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelley – Sports Illustrated 8/5 - Kelley told Peter King, “I’ve always been a ‘why’ guy.  Like, I want to know why. And a lot of times the why is crazy. I understand it. I just always have been inquisitive. The only thing I won’t accept is because that’s the way we’ve always done it. I ask you: Why did you change from your old Monday Morning Quarterback format to a new one? Well, it wasn’t just for the sake of change. It was because you figured out why it was a better idea, and you thought it made sense.”
• Leading By Example from 49ers WR Anquan Bolden – Sports Illustrated 7/29 - “I was told to be myself from day one so I feel comfortable to speak up if I see something that can help this team.”  Colin Kaepernick added, “That’s a grown man out there.  He’ll help the young guys whenever they ask him something. He’ll tell them how he kind of works things, but he just has a savvy for the game that you can’t teach. He knows how to position his body to make a catch, he knows how he wants to stick and work routs. To me as a quarterback, that’s what you want. You want someone who knows, ‘All right, I need to be in this window in this amount of time.’ He’s going to be there and make sure he’s open.”
• Loyalty from 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh – ESPN.com 7/28 on cornerback Tarell Brown not receiving his $2 million bonus because of a paperwork error and attempting to provide a solution.  Harbaugh said, ”I feel confident knowing that the people involved, had they known anything, then they would have brought that to attention.  Unfortunately, nobody caught it. That led to a real torpedo that nobody wanted to see happen.”
• Focusing On What You Can Control from Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier and Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers – ESPN.com 7/28 on Greg Jennings negative comments about his former team.

Coach Frazier told The Pioneer Press, “We’re the Vikings and we want to talk about us, what we’re trying to get done.  That’s where our focus has to be. There’s so much work to be done, and we don’t want to be looking at what’s happening with other teams, other teams’ players. We’ve got to focus on us.”
Rodgers added, “To me, I’m concerned with the opinions of the guys in this locker room and the guys we have here.  It’s exciting to be able to be one of the leaders of this football team.”
 After hearing from these great leaders, what practical things can you apply to your life and leadership immediately?

11 Signs When A Leader Is In Trouble

http://youtu.be/8KjmfdAav9g 

September 22, 2013 0 Comments

I have been there – a leader in trouble.  Chances are so have most leaders.  The question is are there warning signs that if recognized early enough would allow you to make adjustments to regain lost momentum?  The answer is “Yes!”
In the September 16th edition of Sports Illustrated Andy Staples profiles two leaders in trouble; so much trouble in fact that they may actually shortly lose their jobs if their teams doing start winning.
Those two leaders are Texas Longhorns head coach Mack Brown and USC head coach Lane Kiffin.  After reading Staples’s article, the following are 11 Signs When A Leader Is In Trouble I gleaned from the article:

1. You Are In Trouble When Your Team Has Showed Dramatic Decline - Texas began the season losing in record-setting fashion to BYU while USC lost to  the Pac-10′s traditionally worst team Washington State.
2. You Are In Trouble When People Lose Confidence In You – Geoff Ketchum who runs the influential Longhorn website www.Orangebloods.com says, “There is no Mack Brown support whatsoever.”
3. You Are In Trouble When You Blame Others For Your Poor Performance – After losing to BYU in embarrassing fashion, Brown made defensive coordinator Manny Diaz the sacrificial lamb firing him and replacing him Greg Robinson.
4. You Are In Trouble When Your Replacement Has Already Hired –  It sounds funny to say but it is true – if your company hires your replacement while you are still in your position, you are on a very short leash.  Robinson was hired and brought on the staff in July in the role of “analyst”.
5. You Are In Trouble When You Surround Yourself With Poor Performers – Robinson is now viewed as a solution to the team’s defensive woes despite previous poor tenures as Michigan’s defensive coordinator and Syracuse’s head coach.
6. You Are In Trouble When You Are Constantly Losing Your Top Talent - Kiffin is saddled with limited talent and depth because of scholarship limitations stemming from the Reggie Bush penalties from 2010.
7. You Are In Trouble When You Are Grasping For Straws In Search Of Answers – Having been unable to find a suitable quarterback since Colt McCoy, the Longhorns have been searching for an identity.  The team has tried being a power offense like Alabama and even creative defensive schemes from Diaz’s teams at Middle Tennessee State.  Nothing has worked and ideas are abandoned quickly in search of answers.
8. You Are In Trouble When You Make Extremely Poor Personnel Decisions – It has been widely reported that both Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel wanted to attend Texas and play quarterback.  In arguably the worst evaluation of talent in recent memory, Texas told both future Heisman Trophy winners they were better suited to play safety rather than quarterback.  Sadly, star Florida State freshman quarterback Jameis Winston was also not offered a scholarship though he wished to attend the university as well.  Brown’s status at Texas would be in a different place had he been able to properly recognize and deploy talented personnel.
9. You Are In Trouble When You Are Losing Customers – In a trend seen as heresy at the University of Texas, Texas A&M is now seen as the hottest brand in the state by top high school recruits who are wishing to play for head coach Kevin Sumlin.
10. You Are In Trouble When You Are No Longer Invited To Important Meetings – In a shocking move following the BYU loss, the Longhorn Network chose to replay a women’s volleyball game rather than the Texas football game.  Though not a “meeting”, when your presence is no longer desired at important times and meetings, you’re in trouble as a leader.
11. You Are In Trouble When You Get Used To Being Criticised - When criticism is so frequent it seemingly becomes part of the job, you’re in trouble.  Kiffin said, “I think I heard those before the game started.  Actually, I’m getting used to it.”

If any of these 11 Signs are apparent in your leadership, you’re in trouble.  The time to make adjustments and regain momentum in now!

I Want You To Help Me Know How To Serve Pastors And Church Leaders Better

September 11, 2013 0 Comments

My personal mission statement is “To use my gifts, talents, abilities, and experiences to help churches and church leaders reach their full redemptive potential.”  Fortunately, God has allowed me to work for The Rocket Company who has a similar passion.
Together, we want to bring solutions to the issues pastors and church leaders face on a daily basis.  In a changing world, I don’t want to assume anything about what your needs are.  Therefore, I need your help.

Would you take five minutes to complete this Rocket Company survey so we can know how to better serve you and your church, particularly in the area of finances?

Here is the link to the survey.
https://kb951.infusionsoft.com/app/form/3788efd641468f69dfc4415b3db99d2e
The feedback from this survey will be the subject of many blogs I write over the next several months as I attempt to provide solutions to the issues you are facing.
Thank you for your time.  It is an honor to serve you.

7 Things Churches Can Do To Honor Those Who Visit Their Weekend Services

September 15, 2013 0 Comments

The 2 Minute Leader

As part of The Rocket Company’s desire to help churches succeed, I had the privilege of training dozens of United Methodist pastors and church leaders this past week.  Hosted by Fairborn (OH) United Methodist Church and Senior Pastor Aaron Chivington, I have never been treated as well as I was at this event.
As the presenter, every need I had (and many I did not even know I had) were met in an exceeding fashion.  When I looked back on the time together it occurred to me the reason why Fairborn UMC is experiencing such tremendous growth is because they treat everyone who visits their church this well also.
The Fairborn staff reminded me that The Number One Thing Churches Can Do To Honor Those Visit Their Weekend Services is act like you are expecting them to show up.  Having systems in place for those visiting your church communicates value, expectancy, and honor.
The following are six additional things I learned from the leadership of Fairborn UMC that churches can do to honor those who visit your church:

• Tell Them About Jesus – Much of our time together was spent discussing how to better connect unchurched people to Jesus.  Do not dishonor the intelligence or dignity of visitors by neglecting this vital piece.  When a person enters a steakhouse, they are expecting steak.  When a person enters a church, they expect to hear about Jesus.
• Utilize Social Media – The church promoted the event heavily through their Twitter and social media channels.  Unchurched people will visit your website prior to attending your services.  Your home page should communicate only a few things – Directions, Service Times, and most important, why they should visit your church THIS Sunday.
• Pre-Service Music – The church’s incredibly competent technical director John Howard asked me what music I liked to hear before I spoke.  John reminded me that churches should select a style of music unchurched people would enjoy hearing to best prepare them to hear a life-changing message.
• Create Interactive Services – John and his wife, the incredible servant leader Associate Pastor Meghan Howard, were actively tweeting my comments, soliciting questions, and taking pictures during the conference.  In addition, the team live streamed the event to those who could not be in attendance.
• Create Opportunities To Connect With Church Staff - Aaron and I prioritized spending time together to build our personal relationship during my two days there.  Churches expecting visitors to their weekend services should create opportunities to connect with the church staff.
• Generously Provide Resources Visitors Can Take Home – In one week, I will be making a major announcement about the release of my first book 10 Indispensable Practices Of The 2-Minute Leader.  Because of their Ohio location, my printer sent to the church the first 100 printed copies.  The staff immediately setup a table to sell my book to those attending the conference.

Like I said, the big rollout will be next week but to learn more about 10 Indispensable Practices Of The 2-Minute Leader, click here.  You can pre-order individual hardcopy editions now for just $9.59.  Larger bulk orders for group studies are available at discounted rates.  To celebrate the launch of my first book, for a limited time I am also offering FREE shipping and a FREE STUDY GUIDE for each book ordered.
This book is written for individual and small group studies at your church.  Therefore, at these prices, I recommend you purchase a copy for every leader you have influence over.  I’m praying for churches to have hundreds of leaders participating in 2-Minute Leader studies.
In conclusion, seven things churches can do to honor those who visit their weekend services are Act Like You Are Expecting Them, Tell Them About Jesus, Effectively Utilizing Social Media, Have Pre-Service Music They Can Connect With, Create Interactive Services, Provides Opportunities To Connect With Church Staff, and Be Generous By Giving Them FREE Resources to take home.
I have never been treated as well as I was by the leadership of Fairborn UMC.  It is my desire for the visitors to your weekend services to say the same about you.

15 Perks Leaders Receive

September 16, 2013 2 Comments

Very rarely do people discuss the price that leaders must pay.

• Sleepless Nights.
• Loneliness.
• Fear.
• Uncertainty.
• Things Which Break Your Heart.
• Disappointment.
• Criticism.
• Missed Expectations.
• Hard Decisions.
• Long Hours.
• Preparation.
• Etc…

These create a high price few are willing to pay.  And of those who choose to pay the high price of leadership, fewer still finish the race well.  Everyone loves the perks of leadership but its price is quite expensive.
Tonight I am reflecting about all the things I love about leadership.  I am thinking about the things that make the leadership price worth paying.  The perks.  And if you would permit me, I would like to outwardly process what those perks to leadership are.
My hope is that my list will inspire you to make your own.  The following are 15 Perks Leaders Receive:

• Being part of big vision.
• Having the need to constantly learn.  I love reading.
• Going on a journey with people you care about.
• Having a sense of accomplishment.
• I love it that my life counts and I haven’t been called to a lesser dream.
• The way people treat the children of leaders, especially my daughter.
• Serving other leaders.
• Providing solutions to those in desperate need.
• Giving people hope and a chance.
• The creative process.
• The opportunity to interact and making memories with other leaders.
• Building a sustainable future.
• Showing others grace and helping them improve when mistakes are made.

But the two biggest perks I receive as a leader are:

• Quiet dinners with my wife.
• And long walks with absolutely no agenda talking to my daughter.

I had both tonight.  That dinner and walk reminded me leadership’s greatest perk.  Tonight reminded me that being a leader allows me the opportunity to give my family a better life.
If you put together a list of the perks you receive as a leader, what would be on it?

10 Practices Of Successful Partnerships

September 17, 2013 1 Comment

One can put a thousand to flight but two can put ten thousand.  There is power in productive partnerships.  We can simply accomplish exponentially more with others than we can individually.  But what makes partnerships successful?
In the October 2013 issue of Fast Company magazine, some of the best partnerships in business are profiled.  Specifically, the issue looks at the relationship between executives and the creative leaders in their organization.  Whether you lead a church, sports team, business, non-profit, or family, these lessons will make you a better leader.
The following are 10 Practices Of Successful Partnerships:

1. Successful Partnerships Trust Each Other – Trust is the glue which holds relationships together.  Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts says of Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey, “I trusted him.”
2. Successful Partnerships Are Optimistic – Bailey goes on to add, “We’re both glass-half-full kind of people.  Optimistic.  Positive.  Can do.”
3. Successful Partnerships Solve Problems – Great partnerships provide solutions.  Nike CEO Mark Parker says, “(Nike cofounder) Bill Bowerman had an innate curiosity and an obsessive fixation on problem solving.  That obsession takes place in every part of the company.”
4. Successful Partnerships Improve Each Other – PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi was immediately impressed with Chief Design Officer Mauro Porcini.  She said, “I discovered that if I was at a certain level of thinking, Mauro was way ahead of me.  I realized he could pull the organization to a place we should have been in the first place.”
5. Successful Partnerships Encourage Mistakes – Let me explain.  Procini says, “It’s important to have a culture that doesn’t punish you if you make, eventually, a mistake.  I always joke, saying, ‘What scientists call experiments, marketers call failures or mistakes.”
6. Successful Partnerships Have Healthy Conflict – Jawbone CEO Josain Rahman and Fuseproject CEO Yves Behar often engage in healthy conflict to solve problems and make designs better.    Rahman says, “It was important for us that we were sweating that detail for experience.  We weren’t doing it because it was fun.  It’s not fun.  I mean, it’s fun when you get to a great outcome, but it’s work.”
7. Successful Partnerships Over-Communicate – People are down on what they are not up on.  Libby Wadle, President of J. Crew Brand, says that when dealing with Jenna Lyons, President and Executive  Creative Director, and her team, it is important to “inform everyone.”
8. Successful Partnerships Continually Try New Things – This is similar to encouraging mistakes.  Janette Sadik-Khan, Commission of New York City, works with Mayor Michael Bloomberg to continually attempt to improve the city’s design.  Sadik-Khan says, “One of the benefits of being able to try things quickly is if it doesn’t work, fine, put it back.  No harm.  No foul.”
9. Successful Partnerships Continually Adapt – Leaders know they never truly arrive.  Marcus Weskamp, Head of Design for Flipboard, says, “Needs (of customers) change.  I have never seen a product that has been finished…As we better understand users, we need to adapt.”
10. Successful Partnerships Recognize Opportunity – There is a difference between sensing opportunity and seizing it.  Opportunity is often disguised as an overwhelming problem or need.  Joe Gebbia, Chief Product Officer of Airbnb, says, “Brian (CEO Chesky) and I started Airbnb by solving a problem through design.  We couldn’t afford the rent, so we opened up our home for guests to stay with us.”

Bonus

• Successful Partnerships Are Inspirational – Pinterest Cofounder Evan Sharp says of people like CEO and Cofounder Ben Silbermann, “It starts with people.  There’s nothing more inspirational to engineers than working alongside world-class designers, and vice versa.”

Give yourself a grade.  How many of this list of 10 (make that 11) Practices Of Successful Partnerships do you have?  Based upon your score, what are some appropriate next steps you need to take?

15 Quotes From Rick and Kay Warren’s Interview With CNN’s Piers Morgan

September 18, 2013 0 Comments

There are no two Christian Leaders I respect more than Rick and Kay Warren.  Our collective hearts as fellow parents, friends, and Christian community broke for them following the death of their son Matthew earlier this year.
How they have handled this tragic event has been a testimony to the incredible grace and power of God working in human lives.  We continue to pray for this dear family as they are still going through the grieving process.
On Tuesday evening, Rick and Kay participated in their first interview as they sat down with CNN’s Piers Morgan.  I want to thank the Warrens for their transparency and the gentleness at which Morgan interviewed them.
Only Heaven will reveal how many hurting families are finding comfort, hope and healing through Rick and Kay’s lives.  Though I don’t know the Warrens, I deeply love and respect this couple and pray God’s blessings on them.
The following are just 15 of the most powerful quotes from this interview.  There are many additional quotes from this interview online but the best source is to go to Rick’s post on Pastors.com entitled The Most Important Interview I’ve Ever Done.

1. “I’d rather have all my questions unanswered and walk with God than not walk with God and have all my questions answered.” – Rick
2. “I’m terrible but I’m OK.  In other words, we’re going to survive and someday we’ll thrive again.  It’s the worst thing that could ever happen.” – Kay
3. “I’ve cried every single day since Matthew died, but that’s actually a good thing.  Grief is a good thing.  It’s the way we get to the transitions of life.” – Rick
4. “We’re not in control but we do have a greater hope and we do have a source of joy that isn’t based on our circumstances.” – Rick
5. “Well if you look at the risk factors of what puts people at risk for suicide, Matthew had almost none of the risk factors…The main risk factor for him was mental illness and he had that.” – Kay
6. “I was overwhelmed by the love of our people.  Kay and I have given 33 years to this church.  And I felt like they gave it all back at that moment.” – Rick
7. “I never questioned my faith in God.  I question God’s plan.  There’s a big difference.” – Rick
8. “God isn’t to blame for my son’s death.  My son took his life.  It was his choice and if I choose to go out and get drunk and get in a car and I was in an accident, killed somebody, I can’t blame God for that.” – Rick
9. “There’s so many moments of terrible choices with mental illness.” – Kay
10. “One of the hard things was forgiving the person who sold him the gun because I didn’t want to forgive him.” – Rick
11. “I have to forgive not for his benefit but for mine.” – Rick
12. “I don’t want to be tied to that person emotionally for the rest of my life.” – Kay
13. “Mental illness creates such horrendous choices for families.” – Kay
14. “We were sobbing.  We were just sobbing.  The day I feared might happen one since he had been born and the day I prayed would never happen, happened.” – Rick
15. “One thing that needs to change legally is to give families more power to dealing with people who are mentally ill in their family.” – Rick

Once again, there is not a Christian couple I respect more.  Please continue to pray for the Warrens.

The Top 10 Leaderships Posts I Read The Week Of September 9th

September 14, 2013 0 Comments

Are you facing some difficult times currently?  Does the events of life seem to be overwhelming you?  If so, then you need to read this week’s Top 10.  Many of the posts deal with life’s challenges and how to overcome them.  This list will encourage you.
The following are The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of September 9th:

1. 5 Leadership Lessons I Learned From Mom by Paul Alexander
2. 7 Warning Signs Your Church Is Struggling by Rich Birch
3. What The Church Should Learn From Encountering Osama Ben Laden by Artie Davis
4. I Am Tired, Lord by Diane Dean
5. My Rocket Company Speech by Casey Graham
6. When Fear Becomes Your Friend by Karen Isbell
7. How To Design A Message Series For Unchurched People by Carey Nieuwhof
8. 10 Reasons Pastors Quit Too Soon by Tim Peters
9. 10 Ways To Listen To Christian Leaders by Thom Rainer
10. Your Church Isn’t Growing…Obviously by James Emery White via www.ChurchLeaders.com

Well that’s my Top 10.  What other great posts did you read this past week?

6 Things Older Leaders Can Do To Change A Young Leader’s Life

September 10, 2013 3 Comments

This weekend I have the privilege of teaching and equipping over 60 pastors and church leaders.  As I was preparing this evening for that time together, my mind kept going back to 1980.  You see, it was in August 1980 that I became a Christian at 14-years-of-age while attending Acworth United Methodist Church located just north of Atlanta.
I had a wonderful Sunday School teacher named Lenis Black.  Mr. Black was an incredible teacher and one of the most influential Christian leaders I have ever had.  To read more about his impact on my life, click here.
On one particular Sunday morning, Mr. Black said, “Brian, we’re going to pray with Jim (our pastor) just before the service.  Why don’t you join us?”
Now remember, I was a 14-year-old teenager who was a Christian less than one month.  I did not even know how to pray.  But since it was Mr. Black making the request, I said, “Sure”.  We then entered Jim’s office and to my horror it was just the three of us.  There was no place to hide.  Everyone was going to pray.  Mr. Black went first, and then myself.
I have no idea what I prayed that morning.  It was probably just a repeat of Mr. Black’s but it was from a pure heart and was the best I could do.
Unbeknownst to me or anyone else in the room, God did something supernatural that morning.  What I didn’t realize was that prayer time was the very first time I served a church leader and was propelled on a trajectory which changed the course of my life.  Fast forward over 30 years and I have spent the majority of my adult life serving pastors and church leaders.  It all began on that Sunday morning in Pastor Jim’s office.
The significant role Lenis Black played in the process is not lost on me.  When I speak to those 60 leaders this weekend, here are six things he did that changed the course of my life:

1. He Asked Me – God is waiting to unleash greatness in countless people in your church.  They are simply waiting for someone to ask them to join in His great story.
2. He Provided Easy Access – This opportunity to serve was high-impact with a low time commitment.  It was also in the everyday flow of my life.  I was already at church.  It did not require a night away from my family or another commitment.
3. He Believed In Me – Do you truly believe God can use anyone?  Mr. Black did and my life was never the same.
4. He Invested In Me – Many would refer to this as discipleship.  He spent time with me and gave me opportunities to stretch and grow in my faith.
5. He Gave Me Access To Other Leaders – The best thing to do with young, emerging leaders is get them in the orbit of older, more-experienced leaders.  Older leaders provide a priceless perspective that makes younger leaders better.
6. He Provided For Me A Strong Christian Male Influence – Young boys need strong male Christian leaders in their life.  Mr. Black filled that void for me.

Do you have a Lenis Black in your life?  Maybe someone is just waiting for you to ask them to join in the leadership journey.  It could change their life, and the lives of others.

14 Practices Of Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City

http://vimeo.com/66596545 

September 8, 2013 0 Comments

Impacting local communities is a primary goal for many successful churches.  These churches have been called to be a force for good in addressing the needs in the areas they reside.
The challenge many churches face is how to initiate relationships with skeptical school systems and local governments.  This is especially true in a liberal area such as Portland, OR.
Kevin Palau, President of the Luis Palau Association, and Portland’s former openly gay mayor Sam Adams recently sat down in a public forum (shown above) to discuss the genesis and impact of their partnership between the civic and evangelical communities.
As I watched their incredible interaction I gleaned the following 14 Practices Of Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City:

1. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Are Desperate To Do So – Churches must be so desperate to impact their communities that they are willing to take a risk and reach out.  Kevin said, “Unless we change over time how we are perceived it would never make progress for the gospel.”
2. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Have A Servant’s Heart – You are to serve your civic leaders not “agitate” them.
3. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Do The Obvious – Kevin openly wondered what could happen “if we could mobilize 15,000 Christ followers to make a difference in Portland.”  Together they knew a partnership with the city could address hunger, homelessness, health care, the environment, public schools, foster care, and trafficking.
4. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Appreciate The Value Of Their Civic Officials -  Civic officials simply do some things better than churches.  Kevin acknowledged,  ”You guys are the experts and know the best way to meet needs on the ground.”
5. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Earn Trust Over Time – Earning trust, especially trust for 28,ooo evangelicals, takes an extended period of time.
6. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Provide A New Path For Solutions – Churches must be desperate to impact their communities.  Communities are equally desperate for solutions.  Mayor Adams said, “We were desperate for finding a new path, new partnerships.”
7. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Overcome Stereotypes – Referring to the relationship between the evangelical and the gay community, Mayor Adams said, “You don’t get to choose how the mainstream portrays you.”
8. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Must Humbly Initiate The Relationship – Adams admitted, ”If this offer would not have come to the mayor’s office I don’t think I would have necessarily sought it out.  But the way it came to the mayor’s office, with humility and the willingness to work, and the clarity (that) this was not proselytizing.”
9. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Do So With Excellence – The best way to win the confidence of your community is to serve them with excellence.  ”Not a single complaint in all these years on any of these projects about proselytizing which was the #1 worry from the government.” – Mayor Adams
10. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Start In The Local Schools - Kevin learned, ”the school partnerships have been the most robust response because the churches and schools are in the neighborhood and they have obvious needs.”
11. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Do It At The Ground Level – The relationship starts on the executive level but is most effective when done daily with average citizens.  Mayor Adams teaches us, ”the most meaningful part of the partnership evolves from pastor to mayor to parishioners with passions and expertise on topics, problems, opportunities, with the public servants and other non-profits who are working in those areas….Too much of the relationship has been top-to-top rather than parishioners with the people who run the schools.”
12. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Must Be Unified In Their Message – Kevin said, ”the challenge in Portland is maintaining a spirit of unity with 400 churches ranging in attendance from 7,000 to 20.”
13. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Disagree On A Few Issues – I was really blessed by Mayor Adams when he discovered “a fundamental challenge is to overcome…shrug off the mass media that if we disagree we must hate each other.”
14. Churches Who Build Successful Partnerships With Their City Agree On Many Issues – Mayor Adams went on to add, ”there are things we don’t agree on…We don’t agree on gay marriage.  We don’t agree on abortion.  But we actually agree on 8 out of 10 things that are really important to society.”

If your church participates in these 14 practices, you too may make a significant impact in your community.

The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of September 2nd

September 6, 2013 1 Comment

We have enough information.  We need inspiration.  If you agree with those statements, you will enjoy this week’s Top 10 list.  Many of these posts are inspiring and will encourage you to continue the leadership journey.  Enjoy!
The following are The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of September 2nd:

1. How To Survive The Hard Moments by Jon Acuff
2. 5 Reasons Personal Development Is Hard by Dan Black
3. Social Media 101 by Trisha Davis
4. Why It’s Insane To Pay $132 Million For A Soccer Player – And Why It Isn’t by Anita Elberse of the Harvard Business School
5. The 10 Cents Of Tithing by Steven Furtick
6. Words Will Fail You by Joseph Lalonde
7. Puffer Fish Pastors by Michael Lukaszewski
8. Toxic Employees Cost You More Than You Think by Bryan Miles
9. The Unfortunate Story Of T-Mac by Bill Simmons
10. 4 Inspiring Lessons From Diana Nyad’s Historic Swim by Minda Zetlin of www.Inc.com

Well that is my Top 10.  What are some other great posts you read this week?

7 Practices Of Leaders Who Set Records

7 Practices Of Leaders Who Set Records – Peyton Manning’s 7 Touchdown Passes

September 7, 2013 0 Comments

http://youtu.be/3QlrZxiMK9c 

On Thursday evening, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning had the finest night of his illustrious career.  Facing the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, Manning was 27-of-42 for 462 yards with a record-tying seven touchdown passes.  In addition, he had no interceptions and an astounding quarterback rating of 141.1.
The question all leaders should ask is how did he do it and are there lessons which are replicable in our church, sports team, business, or non-profit?  As I analyzed Manning’s performance, I gleaned 7 leadership lessons, one for each touchdown pass, that all leaders can apply to achieve maximum success.
The quotes were taken from post-game interviews taken by the USA Today.  You can read the full article by clicking here.

1. You Never Have To Recover From A Good Start – Unfortunately, Manning had to overcome a poor start.  Denver was forced to punt on its first three series.
2. Great Leaders Upgrade The Talent Around Them – During the off-season the team added perennial All-Pro Wes Welker along with unknown TE Julius Thomas.  Thomas hadn’t caught a pass in two years but caught two of Manning’s seven touchdown passes.
3. Great Leaders Respond To Great Need – Manning said, ”You never know what’s going to happen in a game. I felt like we had to keep scoring.”
4. Great Leaders Expect To Perform With Excellence - Welker had an astute observation.  He said, ”It’s a huge achievement, and he was just so nonchalant about doing seven touchdowns like it was nothing,”
5. Great Leaders Honor The Past – So many inexperienced leaders mistakenly discount the contributions of the previous generation.  Manning has a great appreciation of NFL history realizing former Minnesota Viking Joe Kapp was one of the individuals whose record he tied.  He said, ”Great Canadian quarterback out of Cal. Kicked the crap out of a guy on YouTube a couple of years ago, too.”
6. Great Leaders Compensate For Others – Earlier we identified Manning’s need to continue scoring.  This comes from the loss of defensive players pass rusher Von Miller (suspension), Elvis Dumervil (free agency), and cornerback Champ Bailey (injury).
7. Great Leaders Incorporate The Skills Of Many Talented People – Manning completed passes to seven different Broncos. Incorporating many people compensates for someone having an off day or month.  For instance, starting wideout Eric Decker had only two catches but star wideout Demaryius Thomas caught five passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns.

Start Well, Upgrade Talent, Respond To Great Need, Expect Excellence, Honor The Past, Compensate For Others, and Incorporate The Skills Of Many People.  If you practice these 7 habits, you too may lead with maximum effectiveness.

30 Practices Of Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation: Leadership Quotes From Tom Brady

August 25, 2013 0 Comments

There is a select group of leaders who rise above the rest and transcend their industries and define their generations.  Christianity has transcendent leaders like Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Andy Stanley, Beth Moore, and Mother Teresa.
The business community has Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump.  Sports offers us individuals like Michael Jordan, Nick Saban, Michael Phelps, and Henry Aaron.
One of my favorite leaders in sports is Tom Brady, the now legendary quarterback of the New England Patriots.  Because of his team’s three Super Bowl championships, he is the greatest pro football player of his generation.
Recently Brady sat down with Fox Sports 1′s Michael Strahan for a very revealing interview.  As I listened to his comments, I gleaned 30 practices leaders can do to potentially become the best of their industry within their area of discipline.
The following quotes from Brady provide 30 Practices Of Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation:

1. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Love Their Job – “I love the game.  I can’t imagine doing anything else at this point.”
2. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Have Focus – “I don’t have an interest in anything else.”
3. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Have A Strong Family Life – “It’s made me a better teammate.” – On having children
4. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Appreciate Their Industry – “My appreciation for the game is the highest it’s ever been.”
5. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Have Proper Priorities – “You have your priorities and your make your priorities.  My family is 1.  Then football is 1A.  When it’s family time, it’s family time.”
6. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Find Balance – “When I’m playing football, I’m nowhere else.  I’m in the present…How do you find balance?  You live in the present.”
7. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Are Authentic – “On the football field is the only place I can truly be my authentic self.”
8. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Respect The Competition – “Everyone at this level is the best.”
9. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Build Strong Organizations - “You’re talking about some of the best athletes in the world playing a sport they’ve been playing a very long time with the best coaching, the best schemes, the best innovation, the best science.”
10. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Place Team Success Over Personal Success – “It’s about team success.”
11. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Continually Improve – “I’m still trying to find ways to get better.”
12. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Let Others Think About Their Legacy – “I don’t think about it much at all.” – On his legacy
13. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Work Hard – “I didn’t realize how hard it was to do that.” – winning 3 Super Bowls early in his career
14. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Have Battle Scars – “The hardest loss was to you guys.” – The Giants in the Super Bowl ending their undefeated season
15. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Properly Compensate Their Team – “It’s hard to keep a team together because the more you win, the more your guys are going to get paid.”
16. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Value Accomplishment Over Activity – “The thing that’s most important for me is to win.”
17. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Develop A Decision Grid – “Everyone wants to be the most – to be appreciated the most, to be paid the most, to be loved the most, that’s not always life.  You want to win the most.  That’s my priority.  That’s #1 so the decisions from there are pretty easy.”
18. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Remain Consistent - “He’s very consistent.  He shows up to work everyday, his expectations the same.  He never lets up.  He coaches me the same way he coached me my second year.” – on head coach Bill Belichick
19. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Are Humble – “If he can yell at me, he can yell at anybody.”
20. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Must Have Personal Excellence – “I don’t put myself in a position where the coach has to use me as an example.”
21. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Maximize Every Single Moment – “You don’t take weeks off.  You don’t take days off.  You don’t take periods off.  You don’t take plays off.  That’s how he feels you get the best out of your football  team.”
22. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Forget Past Success – “They don’t care what you’ve done in the past.  They don’t care.  He doesn’t care.  The other players don’t care.  The owner doesn’t care.  The only person probably holding on to it is you.  None of that matters because if you want the best out of yourself, you have to keep pushing.”
23. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Must Have Some Luck – “I’m been really lucky to be a quarterback whose been in the same system.  We run plays in practice I’ve literally run a thousand times.”
24. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Are Proactive Rather Than Reactive - “Because we know what we want to do and have an idea where we want to go, we can make the defense react.”
25. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Anticipate – “Offensive football teams can be really good when we start anticipating.”
26. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Are Overly Prepared – “What do I see when I come up to the line of scrimmage?  I see everything.”
27. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Read And Study – “Through the course of film study I get tips.”
28. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Develop Their Teammates – “If you trust your teammate is going to do his job, those are the best teammates to have.  It frees you up to be 100% focused on what you have to do.”
29. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Continually Make Adjustments – “We practice so many times that at the point of execution, subconsciously 90% of it is already done.  So 100% of our brain can focus on the 10% of the adjustments.”
30. Leaders Who Are The Best Of Their Generation Do So For Others – “Why do I want to be the best?  I want to be the best for myself but I want to be the best for the guys I play with too cause it’s not about me.  It’s their journey too and I’m part of their journey.  And why can’t I do everything I can to help them out to.”

Practice these 30 things and you may be the best in your generation also.  What do you think of Tom Brady as a football player and leader?

5 Ways Christian Leaders Should Respond To Enemies And Critics

August 25, 2013 3 Comments

One of the worst days of my life as a young leader and human being was when I faced the harsh reality that not everyone liked me.  I remember every detail about that moment.  Being blindsided by the criticism hurt me deeply and quite frankly, still does to this day when I hear similar things.
You pour everything in your life into those you serve and the response you sometimes get is one of slander, disrespect, insubordinate behavior, and lack of gratefulness and faithfulness.  You thought you would be in the boat with these individuals for years to come only to realize they are either not rowing, rowing against you, or at worst even swinging their oars against you.
Experienced leaders have learned to successfully navigate these relationships and harsh waters.  For some leaders this is simply the cost of doing business.  For others, they hold people at an arm’s length to protect themselves emotionally.  The healthiest leaders are willing to pay this price because the value of good relationships far exceeds the bad.
So how should Christian leaders respond to enemies and critics?  I would like to thank my pastor Crawford Loritts for his thoughts on this very important subject all leaders deal with.

1. Don’t Declare Someone Is Your Enemy.  Let them make that declaration.  Otherwise, you will always be in a defensive posture.
2. When It Comes To Forgiveness Don’t Wait To Feel It.  Do It.  Forgiveness is a decision, not a choice.  Pray for their favor.  Criticism doesn’t control your life.  God does.
3. Don’t Act Like You.  Be Like God.  Matthew 5:45 says, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.”
4. Don’t Give Them What They Deserve.  Give them what they need.  Don’t be blindsided by their offense.  Use the offense as an opportunity.  People who are prone to attack have experienced previous rejection.
5. Don’t Settle For Progress.  Strive for perfection.  Get aggressively better, not progressively better.

Here are three final takeaways for Christian leaders:

1. If we want to be righteous, we will be persecuted.
2. There is never a reason not to be Godly.
3. God has called us to be uncommon.

Pastors and Christian leaders, let’s learn from each other.  How do you successfully respond to enemies and criticism?

Summer Blog Roundup

Posted on 8/27/2013 by Stephanie Jackson in the Learnings Blog

The summer travel season has drawn to a close, and the school year is just around the corner. You finally finished that book you wanted to read just for fun, and now thoughts are turning once again to productivity. What better way to ease back into the swing of things than with these eight hand picked blogs you may have missed?
Multisite Survey to Show Latest Trends
What I'm Learning About Global Missions
Recent Tweets I Don't Want You To Miss!
Who Understands The Life of a Senior Pastor? Other Senior Pastors!
Working on the Right Problem - How Asking, "Why?" Five Times Helps Define the Problem
Tackling the Big Leadership Issues for Women
Talking About Evangelism with Cedar Creek's Lee Powell
Your Church and Breadwinner Moms, Four Practical Ideas

By Stephanie Jackson

Stephanie Jackson is the publications manager for Leadership Network. Follow Stephanie on Twitter.

The Top 10 Football Books Leaders Should Read

August 26, 2013 3 Comments

This post combines two great loves – football and reading.  Because I think there are a lot of people who have the same interests as I do, I am going to point you to The Top 10 Football Books Leaders Should Read.
Click on each image to order the book and/or read more about it.  The books are listed in alphabetical order by author.
The GM tracks the career of former general manager of the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants Ernie Accorsi.  What is fascinating about Accorsi is he was at the point for some of the most important events in NFL history – The John Elway trade, the signing of Bernie Kosar, and trading to get Eli Manning.  You will get the behind-the-scenes story of each.  All leaders can learn much from Accorsi about good decision-making.  This book also inspired my post When Leaders Often Find Their Greatest Blessings.


Tony Dungy’s classic Quiet Stength is a must read for any leader.  There is no leader in sports history with more character, integrity, class and practices self-leadership better than Coach Dungy.  This book is also provided the content for my post 44 Leadership Quotes By Tony Dungy.




Bruce Feldman has written the definitive book on college football recruiting.  This book provided the inspiration for the post 65 Characteristics Of Alpha Male Leadership.





The New England Patriots have been the gold standard for how to build a quality, enduring organization for the last decade.  Michael Holley’s incredible book goes into great detail about how the Patriots were constructed.  The best part of the book was how the decisions were made to replace team favorites Lawyer Milloy and Drew Bledsoe.



The second book by Michael Holley is the best sports leadership book I have read in the past year.  As a follow up to Patriot Reign, this book also tracks the impact of the Patriots on the rest of the NFL.  Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli are also profiled.  Reading how three separate organizations were constructed will benefit any leader.  This post inspired the post 9 Things Leaders Do To Find Their Dream Job.


Written by ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski, this book is a must read for any leader searching for innovation and the need for productive change.  You can read 13 Practices Of Highly Successful Innovators and 14 Qualities Of Leaders Who Create Lasting Change for key learnings from this book.




Sports Illustrated’s Peter King is my favorite writer.  Monday Morning Quarterback is a collection of some of his best weekly columns.  No writer can take you behind-the-scenes of leadership better than King.





For fans of the game of pro football and its history, this may be the best book cover-to-cover you will ever read.  Some of the best leaders in football history are profiled.  You will learn how leaders deal with burn out, managing a family, handling oppressive owners and difficult players.  Myers also goes into great detail about the stress of leadership and the effects of winning and losing.  A must read.



This book is unknown to many people.  Tom Mullins is the Senior Pastor of Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.  In addition to leading a church that averages over 20,000 in weekend attendance, Mullins is also a former college football coach.  This book looks at eight NCAA national championship coaches and discovers the common links each possess.  If leaders are looking for success links, this book is for you.



As the subtitle says, this book contains transcripts from the best Hall of Fame induction and acceptance speeches.  These are the words of leaders who transcended the game and are the best ever at what they do.  Leaders, don’t you think you can learn from these individuals?  I know I sure did.  These speeches inspired the posts 9 Qualities To Look For In Your Next Leader And Head Coach as well as 7 Things Every Husband Wants His Wife To Praise Him For.

Those are the 10 football books I recommend to leaders.  What additional books would you recommend.