Leadership & Market Place Ministry: December 2015

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

What A Highly Successful 2016 Next Generation Leader Looks Like

The ability to acquire, develop and empower next generation leaders is critical to your church, business, athletic or non-profit’s long-term success. Quality next generation leaders keep your organization green and growing.
One of the best next generation leaders in any profession is the 32-year-old offensive coordinator of the Oklahoma Sooners, Lincoln Riley. Considered a mere baby in the coaching profession, Riley actually has over a decade’s worth of development and is one of the primary reasons many are picking the Sooners to win this year’s college football championship. He is often praised for his innovative approach and Air Raid offense.
In the December 28th edition of USA Today, write George Schroeder profiled Riley and why he is so accomplished at such a young age. The lessons learned from the article will help you create a checklist of what you should be looking for as you hire top young talent this next year.
The following is What A Highly Successful 2016 Next Generation Leader Looks Like from content gleaned from Schroeder’s article:

Many Next Generation Leaders Never Despise Small Beginnings – Small beginnings and anonymity are where future public success is born. Just five years after graduating from Muleshoe High School in West Texas, Riley took time to help his former team on the intricacies and installation of the Air Raid Offense learned under former boss, Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach. The high school team’s head coach David Wood said, “We were just coaching him a few years earlier. But he always had something special about him.”
Next Generation Leaders Are Committed To Paying The Price Needed For Future Success – When Riley did not make the Texas Tech team as a walk-on quarterback, he became a student assistant. This job included everything from getting meals to breaking down film. In essence, he was Coach Leach’s personal assistant. Riley picked things up so fast he became Leach’s sounding board.
Next Generation Leaders Need People Who Will Believe In Them – All young leaders need “sponsors”, people who will champion their cause. Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops hired the then 31-year-old Riley after receiving a recommendation from Leach. Leach said, “Lincoln wasn’t on his radar. I specifically told him Lincoln was the one he needed to hire.”
Next Generation Leaders Can Transform Your Organization – After Leach was fired at Texas Tech, Riley moved to East Carolina where in his five years as offense coordinator, the team produced the five best statistical offensive years in the school’s history. Once at Oklahoma, Stoops noted, “Lincoln has really transformed our offense.”
You Must Go Looking For Next Generation Leaders – They are most likely not going to land on your doorstep. Stoops had traditionally hired from within. In his 17 years as a head coach, this was the first time he looked outside the organization for an offensive coordinator.
Next Generation Leaders Bring Innovation To Your Organization – Stoops said, “The quality of quarterbacks, the innovation of offense in our league is second to none.”
Next Generation Leaders Will Work Hard – Not all 20-somethings are lazy and entitled. Riley grew up working in the family’s cotton warehousing company.
Next Generation Leaders Are Smart – Riley has a near photographic memory. Coach Wood recognized this at a young age. He said, “We’d turn around and he was explaining the same things to the (other) kids after hearing it one time. He just has a remarkable memory about that stuff.”
Next Generation Leaders Will Challenge The Status Quo – While at Texas Tech in his mid-20s, the young assistant coach was not afraid to challenge the older coaches. Leach said, “He would tell older coaches stuff they didn’t want to hear. Sometimes you can get into a herd mentality. But I knew he wasn’t afraid to command the room even at a young age.”
Next Generation Leaders Need A System To Be Successful – Stoops said, “I believe in the (Air Raid) system. We had great success in it not just in 2000 (when Leach was the OC and they won the national championship), but for a lot of years.”
Next Generation Leaders Can Deliver Superior Results – This season Oklahoma has averaged 45.8 points per game, third in the nation.
Next Generation Leaders Make Others Better – In the last seven games, the team has averaged more than 300 yards rushing and quarterback Baker Mayfield has also completed 70% of his passes. In fact, Mayfield has been so productive he finished 4th in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Next Generation Leaders Are Humble – Humility is one of the most attractive qualities any leader can have, regardless of their age. Riley said, “When you win, everybody wants you to write a book. When you lose, they question if you can read one.”
Next Generation Leaders Operate Best In A Team Environment – Riley continued, “They (the offense) bought in from the beginning and the rest is history.”
Next Generation Leaders Will Be All-In – When helping his high school coach install his new offense, Riley said, “You can’t mix and match this offense. You can’t do part-time this and part-time that. We decided to go all in…concepts. drills. plays. everything.”
Next Generation Leaders Can Leave A Lasting Impact – Two seasons after meeting with Riley, Muleshoe won its first state football championship. This was not a one-time event. The team is now a perennial play-off participant. This year, the team averaged 520 yards per game.

The question is will Oklahoma now win its first championship since 2000 with Riley running the offense? Many experts think they will.

If you are a next generation pastor and wanting to become a better preacher, the following is a special offer for you. Preach Better Sermons is a free online event to help you learn sermon prep and delivery from some of the best like Jud Wilhite, Perry Noble, Carey Nieuwhof and Jeff Henderson.

Monday, December 28, 2015

5 Tips on How to Have That Critical Conversation You’re Too Afraid to Have

Pastor, Connexus Church and Author of Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations That Will Help Your Church Grow
There are always conversations you need to have but you don’t know how to have. It’s true in life and it’s very true in leadership.
How do you tell the person who’s not working out that they’re not working out?
How do you talk about the fact that so much needs to change in your church?
How do you get your somewhat resistant board to open their minds to new possibilities?
As a leader, you’ve probably already flagged more than a few issues you would love to talk about with your team. Issues such as:
Why is our church not growing faster?
Why do people seem to be attending church less often?
How healthy is our team (really)?
Why is it so hard to attract and keep high capacity volunteers?
Why are young adults walking away from the church in record numbers?
What’s happening in our culture that we might not be responding to?
What are we actually prepared to change around here?
In my time in leadership at Connexus, we’ve had every one of those conversations. And they’ve resulted in our church growing from a handful of churched people to over 1000 people each weekend, 60% of whom had no previous church background—all in a region where 96% of the population don’t attend church.
I believe:

Having the right conversations can change your trajectory.
There is more hope than you realized.
The potential to grow is greater than the potential to decline.
Your community is waiting for a church to offer the hope they’re looking for.
Your best days as a church are ahead of you.

Maybe the future belongs to the churches that are willing to have the most honest conversations at a critical time. That’s what my new book, Lasting Impact is designed to facilitate.
So how do you have the conversations that will lead to real breakthrough for your church?
How do you get started? What do you say? And what happens if people disagree or things get heated?
5 Tips on How to Have That Critical Conversation You’re Too Afraid to Have
Here are 5 tips that can help.

Frame the issue thoughtfully and in advance

People hate to be caught off guard by a challenging conversation.
Understanding what’s on the table before you get to the table helps so much.
Obviously, if you’re dealing with personal conflict, a short window of notice is helpful (Hearing “Hey, we’re going to talk about your poor performance next month” isn’t helping anyone.) But a heads up the day before (“tomorrow we’ll review what happened last week”) can help everyone prepare.
If you’re talking about a chronic issue that your church needs to address or a topic that can help lead you into a better future, framing the issue well and framing it in advance is critical. It helps everyone show up having thought through what’s at stake.
That’s one of the reasons I wrote each chapter of Lasting Impact the way I did. My hope is it will frame the issues for your team in a way that makes the conversation healthy and meaningful.

Stay clear about what you’re discussing

I personally find one of the greatest challenges of having conversations with leaders is keeping people focused.
Even if you frame the issue well in advance, meetings can veer off on rabbit trails before you know what’s happening. Frankly, this seems to be a characteristic of many leaders (I’m the king of rabbit trails in meetings).
How do you combat that? Write down the exact points you want to cover to keep you and your team focused.
And don’t just keep it to yourself. State what you hope to accomplish in the meeting so when you leave you know you made progress.
So what does this look like?
If you’re navigating a longer, multi-meeting conversation, your goal might be to ‘introduce the topic’ or ‘to ‘establish whether we want to tackle this issue’.
If you can accomplish the discussion in a night, your objective might be to decide on three possible courses of action or to create a 6-month action plan.
If you know ahead of time what you want to accomplish, you are far more likely to accomplish it. People will also feel their time has been much better spent.

Attack problems, not people

If you’re really having an intense discussion (and you should be having these if you want to make progress), emotions may get heated.
When they do, make sure you attack problems, not people. It can be so easy to personalize conflict. We do it in our marriages all the time when we say things like “You always…” or “You never…”.
Big mistake.
Let the people you’re talking with know that you’re for them, and what you’re trying to do is to attack a problem together. The fact that you disagree might actually be an advantage because it can help you get a more varied perspective on the problem.
When my emotions get charged, I just have to remind myself over and over again to affirm people and attack the problem.
You’ll make far more progress when you do.

Empathize with opposing views

I went to law school. It’s instinctive to me to dismiss an opposing point of view immediately. I can even come up with 5 reasons why their idea is a bad idea pretty quickly.
But when you do that, you don’t gain ground; you lose it.
A better approach is to actually show empathy for the opposing point of view.
Instead of saying “I can’t believe you won’t let that tradition go. That’s crazy!” what about saying “I can understand why that would be difficult to give that up. I’m sure if I were in your shoes, I would feel the same way. But what do you think about the people we’re trying to reach? Do you think our old strategy is the best strategy with which to engage them?”
Then just listen.
Do you see the difference?
When you empathize with your opponents, you often create allies. And even if you don’t, you’ve given their point of view dignity and respect. And you’ve gained the respect of the others listening.

Find an outside voice to help

It’s one thing for you as a leader to float your ideas. And often you need to do that.
But it can also create tension because many leaders create tension by insisting their ideas are the best or only ideas. It takes still to avoid making the conversation personal.
As a result, again and again in my time in leadership, I’ve brought in consultants, gone to conferences and solicited outside voices to help us arrive in a new place as a team.
It’s a smart strategy not just because you get the insight that comes from a fresh voice, but because the person you listened to isn’t a member of your team. As a result, disagreeing with them does not feel as risky as disagreeing with each other.
While it costs thousands of dollars to bring in a consultant or to take a team to a conference, reading a book together can often accomplish the same results for a fraction of the cost. Our teams have read many books together over the years.
That’s Why I Wrote Lasting Impact
When I wrote Lasting Impact, I crafted every chapter with team discussion in mind.
I hope the book can give teams and boards a chance to agree or disagree with someone who’s not the room in the hopes that you can agree together on what God is calling you to do next. Plus, I tried to cover the 7 issues almost every church of every size needs to tackle as they try to move forward.
As a special bonus, if you order your copy of Lasting Impact between October 6^th and October 13^th, you’ll get the free audio version of the book for free. Just go to www.lastingimpactbook.com after you order and fill out the bonus claim form.
Here’s hoping your future is filled with great conversations that will move your mission forward.

Please click the link on the left to subscribe to this site and receive my latest FREE Ebook 969 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From The 2015 Passion, Velocity, Orange and Leadercast Conferences. The lessons contained will inspire, equip, stretch and grow you as a leader. Enjoy!!!

29 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Woodlawn The Movie

This past Sunday evening First Baptist Church of Woodstock (Ga) had a special screening of the phenomenal new movie Woodlawn.
Woodlawn tells the inspirational true story of Tony Nathan, a gifted African-American running back who attended Woodlawn High School and its head coach Tandy Gerelds, in the racially-divided city of Birmingham during the school’s first year of integration.
It is the incredible story of how Jesus Christ can change a human life, a school and bring a community together. DO NOT MISS THIS MOVIE!!!
I want to thank Keith Boggs of Real Momentum for giving us access to this film. It you want to see the men in your community affected for Christ or get more information on getting local sports team in your community to a showing, click HERE to connect with Keith and learn more about his ministry.
The following are 29 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Woodlawn The Movie:

Great Leaders Believe In Miracles – “If you would have asked me in 1973 if I believed in miracles I would have said absolutely not.” – Woodlawn HS Coach Tandy Gerelds played by Nic Bishop Coach Gerelds is a living miracle.
Great Leaders Are Brave And Take Great Risks – On September 12, 1970 and amid much controversy, Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant invited USC’s fully integrated team to play for the first time in Birmingham.
Leaders Value Accomplishment – “If wanting to win is a crime, I plead guilty.” – Coach Bryant played by Jon Voight.
Great Leaders Cross Racial Boundaries – Coach Bryant shook Sam “Bam” Cunningham’s hand after losing to what you described as a “worthy opponent”.
When You’re Winning Nothing Hurts – “Winning fixes just about everything. Doesn’t it.” – Woodlawn HS Coach Tandy Gerelds played by Nic Bishop
Great Leaders Always Encounter Great Obstacles – Team chaplain Hank, played by Sean Astin, failed in his initial attempt to build a relationship with Coach Gerelds
Great Leaders Are Persistence Leaders – Once Hank finally spoke to the team, over 40 players gave their life to Jesus Christ.
Great Leaders Change Things To The Way They Should Be – “100% without fail it doesn’t have to be this way.” – Hank.
Great Leaders Care About Their Teams – “I care about each and everyone of you. I care about what you’ve seen. I care about what you’ve been through. I care about your pain. So does God.” – Hank
Great Leaders Call For Great Commitment – “I’m asking you to choose Jesus. Can you do that? Will you do that? Right now.” – Hank
Not Everyone Will Believe In Jesus Christ – The entire team was led to Christ during Hank’s initial meeting with the team except three people.
There Is A Birth Of A Vision, A Death Of A Vision, And A Re-Birth Of A Vision – “Before you can have new dreams in this life the old ones have to be taken away from you.” – Hank
Great Leaders Give People A Vision For Their Lives – “There’s something special about you.” – Hank to Tony Nathan played by Caleb Castille
Great Leaders Call People To A Higher Purpose – “When you play for yourself, you can be great. When you play for something higher than yourself, that’s when something extraordinary can happen. God has a purpose for all of us and it is not insignificant…God wants you to be a superstar.” – Hank
Pain can be beneficial. It causes us to change. Losing forced Coach Gerelds to play Nathan.
Parents Protect Their Children – “What church do you go to? No girl better think of marrying my Tony without going to church.” – Louise Nathan, Tony’s mom when meeting his girlfriend Johnnie who later became his wife.
The Power Of The Influence Of Fathers – The movie provided a stark contrast between two fathers. Tony Nathan’s father was a picture of perspective and had an understanding of the big picture. He was also a Godly man with an understanding of He could use his son. On the other hand, Tony’s girlfriend’s father called her “trash”.
Facts Are A Leader’s Friend. Trust Your Eyes. – “I only believe what I can see.” – Coach Gerelds. To which his assistant coach replied, “Well, you better start looking around.”
Great Leaders Are Not Passive. They Take Immediate Action – “I want whatever my players have. I came here today because I believe. I believe and I want to be baptized.” – Coach Gerelds
Great Leaders Have Great Courage And Conviction – Nathan rightfully refused to have his picture taken with Governor George Wallace because of his overt racist stances.
Great Leaders Are Color-Blind – “I don’t have white players or black players. I have football players.” – Coach Bryant
Great Leaders Use Their Influence For Invoke Positive Change – Coach Bryant understood his role as the most powerful man in Alabama. He used his influence to recruit African-American players and integrate the school.
Fathers Give Their Children Direction And Intentionality – “Some kind of great power has been given to you son.” – Nathan’s dad
Jesus Christ Brings People Together – Because the majority of both team’s players accepted Jesus Christ, the two leading schools, Woodlawn and Banks, participated in a joint summer camp.
Great Leaders Mold People – “The idea of molding men means a lot to me.” – Coach Bryant
Great Leaders Give People Hope – “We’re a symbol. We give them hope.” – Nathan to opposing quarterback Jeff Rutledge
“This is what happens when God shows up.” – Hank looking at thousands who showed up for a high school prayer rally.
Every Life Has Significance – “My life is not insignificant. My life matters.” – Hank
You Can’t Stop What Jesus Wants Done – When the school board shut off the PA system during the Lord’s Prayer, the crowd continued.

Catalyst ’15 – 31 Leadership Quotes From Erwin McManus

As a member of the Catalyst Blog Team and INJOY Stewardship Solutions, I will be bringing you live updates from the much anticipated Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, GA. The theme for this year’s conference is Awaken The Wonder.
The next speaker in the Catalyst lineup was Erwin McManus, the founder of The Mosaic, one of the most creative churches in America. The following are 31 Leadership Quotes and Lessons from session.
Also, before reading, make sure you check out the announcement from INJOY Stewardship Solutions shown below about a FREE webinar on October 13th for churches needing to raise capital in 2016. Now onto thoughts:

I did not grow up in the space of the church.
How is it possible for us to even be aware of wonder? Where does wonder even come from?
You have believed a lie that there is an elite group of individual who create and the rest of us that we are created to admire them.
You may consider yourself a creative genius because you have never awakened that inside of you.
The universe within us is far more fascinating than the universe outside of us.
I used to date so I’m comfortable with rejection.
Kind people don’t reject you even when they want to.
Humans are my favorite species.
I’m more of an anthropologist because I don’t know if we know who we are.
Faith restores our humanity.
We are living a life beneath our intention. We are the only species who can live beneath our intention.
We live lives confident in what we have and fearful in what we hope for.
Without faith we become no different than a leopard or a hippo.
We are future creatures. Hope does not exists in the present. Hope exists in the future.
Human beings disconnected from God only have confidence in what they have and not in things they cannot see.
We need an ancient faith, not an old one.
It is troubling when our beliefs do not match the truth.
You were an idea in the mind of God before you were a fetus in the body of your mother.
God materializes the invisible and turns it into the visible.
We have been more informed by enlightment than the Scriptures. We need to move from enlightment to living in the light.
In the same way bees create hives and ants create colonies, humans create the future.
You are living inside a dream someone had before you ever took a breath.
Evil men do not wait for permission from God to create something.
As a child my body wasn’t sick. My soul was sick.
You can only create the world outside of you that exists inside of you.
It is time to take the Bible back who changed it into a book of conformity.
The source of all beauty, all creativity and all wonder is the God who created us.
God is not an imaginary friend but someone who lives in my imagination. He created my imagination.
You should open up your soul so God can fill it with the hopes and dreams of the future He wants to create through you.
You are a work of art. And you are an artist at work.
You are human. We breath therefore we create.

More leadership insights to come throughout the day. And do not forget to join our team at INJOY Stewardship Solutions on October 13th for a session entitled How One Capital Campaign Raised Over $10 Billion. It will be a fun hour of equipping and training. Click HERE or on the image below to register today.

Catalyst ’15 – 36 Leadership Quotes From David Platt

As a member of the Catalyst Blog Team and INJOY Stewardship Solutions, I will be bringing you live updates from the much anticipated Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, GA. The theme for this year’s conference is Awaken The Wonder.
Catalyst always begins by conducting a series of Labs on Wednesday for church leaders. The day’s final Lab session was conducted by David Platt, President of the International Mission Baord. The following are 36 Leadership Quotes and Lessons from his challenging session.
Also, before reading, make sure you check out the announcement from INJOY Stewardship Solutions shown below about a FREE webinar on October 13th for churches needing to raise capital in 2016. Now onto David’s thoughts from Revelation 5:

In my life and leadership, I’m in way over my head.
In order to be a good leader, you don’t have to know everything. You just need to know a few right things and be willing to die from those things.
People who believe God is wonderful above all things will give their lives unconditionally to spread His wonder to all peoples.
Global mission is tragically neglected.
In Yemen, there are only 20-30 Christians in 8 million people. There are more people in many of our small groups than there are Christians in Yemen.
8 billion people are classified is unreached. When we’re talking about unreached people, we’re talking about access.
Unreached means you’re born, you live, you die and you’ve never heard the Gospel.
Our sovereign God holds the destiny of the world in the palm of His hand.
He is sovereign over everything. The wind blows at His bidding.
Our God charts the course of countries.
21^st century of America – you don’t have rights. God has all the rights.
Man is responsible in human history but God is sovereign over human history.
We make choices. God is in control.
Our God does not need us. Everyone one of us could drop down and turn to dust and God will make a great name for Himself.
God allows us to join Him because He loves us.
The state of man before God apart from Christ is utterly hopeless.
Talking about hell is not particularly popular at conferences.
There is real eternal wrath before a holy God apart from Christ.
Over 2 billion have only enough knowledge of God ito damn them from Heaven.
What is it going to take for unreached people to become totally unacceptable to people in church?
The greatest news in all the world is that the slaughtered lamb of God reigns as the Sovereign Lord of all.
Jesus conquered death by enduring death.
The greatest news in all the world is death has been defeated. Sin has been conquered. Jesus Christ is risen.
The salvation of Christ is radically gracious, global and glorious.
Christians, He has purchased you.
We had nothing to do with where we were born. There is a mystery to that mercy. That mercy was not intended to stop with me. It was intended to flow through me.
What drives passion to get the Gospel to all people is not guilt. It’s glory.
Pray confidently.
Give sacrificially.
Why are we the richest people to ever walk planet Earth? Psalm 67. God gives wealth for the sake of worship.
Go wisely.
What if God is not calling people to leave their job but leverage their job to get the spread of the Gospel around the world?
Die willingly. People who believe that God is wonderful above all things will give their lives literally and figuratively.
People are dangerous to reach. All the easy ones are taken.
In unreached people groups, there are no locals.
The most foolish thing you can do is put conditions on your leadership to Him.

Catalyst ’15 – 55 Leadership Quotes From Andy Stanley

As a member of the Catalyst Blog Team and INJOY Stewardship Solutions, I have been bringing you live updates from the much anticipated Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, GA. The theme for this year’s conference is Awaken The Wonder.
As is their custom, the conference’s final speaker was North Point Community Church’s Andy Stanley. The following are 55 Leadership Quotes and Lessons from his phenomenal session.
Also, as a special gift to everyone reading these posts, INJOY Stewardship is offering a complimentary downloadable Ebook Discipling Financial Leaders. Click Here to Download this Free Resource! Now onto Andy’s thoughts:

I love the local church. Catalyst leaders love the local church.
Isn’t great on the weekends when everything works perfectly?
Is what we do worth people sitting in traffic?
The local church is an apologetic for the Gospel.
We one another one another.
Maybe the next great awakening is our when culture wakes up to the grandness and gloriousness and amazeness of the local church.
It was said about Jesus, He embodied grace and truth.
Jesus was not the balance of grace of truth. Jesus was the embodiment of grace and truth.
Jesus raised the bar so high that He leveled the playing field. “Here’s the standard. I’d like for you to follow me.”
Jesus never dumbed down the truth and turned down the grace.
The grace/truth tension requires we present the ideal while embracing what is real.
Sin gives us job security.
To awaken culture to the wonder of the local church, we must distinguish theology from ministry. Jesus never allowed His perfect theology to get in the way of ministry.
Theology is what we believe. Ministry is what we do for others because of what we believe.
Distinguishing between theology and ministry without compromising ministry.
In Jesus’s day, ministry was approached as people were made for the Law rather than the Law was made for people. In other words, children were created to pick up toys.
Everyone can follow Jesus.
No one who followed Jesus in the first century believed He was the Son of God until after the resurrection. They all ran away at the cross.
If you have bad theology it will narrow who you minister to.
When we get this right you will be accused of condoning sin.
If Jesus would have been worried about guilt by association He would have stayed in Heaven.
When churches fail to distinguish between theology and ministry, ministry becomes idealistic and rigid.
Rigid ministry breaks down under the weight of the real world.
Good parents are guided by situational ethics based upon the needs of their individual children. Rigid parenting will work for only one of your children.
The priority to God is not the Law. The priority to God is the people.
There was no one Jesus refused to minister to.
God’s priority is you, the people.
You are more important than my view of anything. A YOU is always more important than a VIEW.
Never give up influence unnecessarily.
There are questions you should never answer out loud because there is a time and place to spend your influence.
There is something more important than making a point.
Never make a point at the expense of making a difference.
If you lose influence with the people Jesus came to die for, shame on you.
His mission was not to be right. He did not leave us here to be right. He left us here to make disciples.
Everybody wants to be one anothered.
Think twice before answering a question that has the potential to burn a bridge or close a door.
Pastors, think twice about your approach that has the potential to burn a bridge or close a door.
When people pressure you to take a stand, they are generally pressuring you to take their stand.
I view the church as my first audience. I will never say anything outside the church that I haven’t said to my church first. There are also things I would say to my local church that I wouldn’t say to anyone outside the local church.
The things I am most often criticized for I have made very, very clear to my local church that I haven’t said outside my local church.
You do not owe people outside your congregation an explanation.
Preserve influence for later.
We are experts at giving away influence unnecessarily.
Some things are more important than others. Some things come before others.
Love your enemies.
It’s hard for us to label who are our enemies.
What groups that traditionally push back against your local church? That is who you should figure out how to love.
The first thing we do before we show up in a community is figure out how to love people in the community who would traditionally push back against our local church.
The city created a sign which tells people how to get to Buckhead Church.
We’ve tried to be as difficult as possible to hate.
There is nothing in the New Testament that says people should not speak well of us.
The church must be seen doing good.
Identify your potential enemies and figure out how to love them.
We’ve been pretty good at being innocent. We’ve been horrible at being shrewd.
Pray for shrewdness.

It has been an honor to be part of this amazing conference. And do not forget to click HERE or on the image below for your free resource on discipling the financial leaders in your church.

20 Things A Leader Should Never Say

Jeff Henderson often says, “Leadership comes with a microphone.” This is because there comes a time in every leader’s life when they must stand up and say, “Follow me!” Therefore, good communication skills are critical to a leader’s success.
Conversely, there are also things leaders can say which results in negative momentum, erodes trust and influence, and derails a leader’s success.
The following are 20 Things A Leader Should Never Say:

“I am the leader (boss).” – If you have to tell people you are the leader, you are not.
“Get out of the way. I’ll do it myself.”
“I don’t need filters on my computer.”
“Influence is overrated. It’s all about titles and position.”
“There’s no need for my wife to know this.”
“I’ve never regretted any mistake I’ve made because it’s made me the person I am today.”
“I’m a self-made man (or woman).”
“I was wrong BUT….”
“There is no need to prepare. I’ll wing it.”
“God wants me to be happy.”
“I was just kidding.”
“Every man for himself.”
“There’s no ‘I’ in team but there’s no ‘U’ either.”
“I’m tired of everyone else getting credit.”
“It’s not my fault. It’s theirs.”
“Failure is final.”
“I don’t care if they like me as long as they respect me.”
“By any means necessary.”
“There’s no time to celebrate.”
“Leadership is overrated.”
***Bonus*** – Any public humor at someone else’s expense.

Have you ever said any of these?
No one communicates to large audiences more than pastors. Preach Better Sermons is a free online event to help you learn sermon prep and delivery from some of the best like Jeff Henderson himself.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

8 Signs You Are Part Of An Organization With Little To No Chance For Success

The USA Today is reporting on Christmas morning, Armonty Bryant and De’Ante Saunders of the Cleveland Browns, were arrested after being stopped on an area highway. It is just another example of the team’s almost two decades of futility.
Things have been so bad for so long the USA Today ran an article two weeks earlier on December 11th stating the team should be rebuilt from the ground up – players, coaches, front office and perhaps even ownership.
What I found interesting about the article was the reasons the club needs to begin its rebuild. These lessons apply to any church, business, athletic, or non-profit organization and will help you know when it is past time to begin making hard decisions.
The following are 8 Signs You Are Part Of An Organization With Little To No Chance For Success:

You Have Little To No Chance For Success When You Are Continually Losing To The Competition – As of the December 11th article, the Browns had lost 15 of their previous 17 games. Worse yet, they have had only one play-off appearance in 17 years. For churches, the competition is not other churches. It is anything which competes for the attention of your community on Sunday mornings.
You Have Little To No Chance For Success When Not Only Are You Losing To The Competition, You Are Losing Badly – In those 15 losses, the Browns lost by an average of close to two touchdowns.
You Have Little To No Chance For Success When Your Most Highly Paid Talent Is Past Their Prime – Eight of the Browns’ top 10 paid players are 30 years of age or older. Not only are they past their prime, they are no longer producing the results their compensation demands.
You Have Little To No Chance For Success When You Lack Unified Leadership – Head coach Mike Pettine said, “I can’t sit and say, ‘Absolutely, we are all on board 100%.’ No, that is not reality.”
You Have Little To No Chance For Success When You Are Continually Make Bad Hires – The Browns roster contains no players from the 2011 draft and only three from 2012, none from the first three rounds. These players should now be developed and the core of the team.
You Have Little To No Chance For Success When You Are Not Developing Young Talent – Closely tied to point #5, the team lacks quality depth. Over-priced aging veterans are taking much-needed reps from younger players who need to develop. Also, with their salary dollars tied up, there are limited resources for acquiring talented young athletes. Successful organizations are green and growing.
You Have Little To No Chance For Success When You Are Not Willing To Admit Reality – This is the fundamental responsibility of leadership. Pettine continues, “When things don’t go well, everybody has their opinions and their reasons why. It is going to come down to a brutal self-assessment.”
You Have Little To No Chance For Success When You Are Not Willing To Make Hard Choices – Pettine concludes, “(We have) to be able to have the strength to make touch decisions and trust them and move forward.”

What is one area from this list you can improve on today?

The best things pastors can do to help their churches have a better chance at success is by becoming better preachers! Preach Better Sermons is a free online event to help you learn sermon prep and delivery from some of the best.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

5 Warning Signs of Narcissistic Leadership

By Scott Ball

Print Version

“From Kanye West to Donald Trump, our society not only tolerates narcissism, it thrives on it.”

From Kanye West to Donald Trump, our society not only tolerates narcissism, it thrives on it. The truth is that in pop culture, narcissism is funny. In the church, not so much.
God is calling the leaders of His church to a different, higher standard. Many times, those who serve in leadership capacities have narcissistic tendencies. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to lose sight of the servant leadership that Jesus modeled for us.
To help you determine if you might need to adjust your leadership trajectory back toward servanthood and away from selfishness, here are five warning signs of narcissistic leadership:
1. Exudes Self-Importance
Leaders that cannot see their organization functioning without them at the helm are at risk of becoming narcissistic. Look at Moses. Multiple books of the Bible are centered on his leadership journey, but when Deuteronomy 34 rolls around, his death gets four verses before the story turns to Joshua. Matt Chandler once said, “The man goes in the ground and the message moves on.” The leadership of your church is its greatest asset but also its greatest liability. The degree to which a leaders is self-important determines that scale.
What about you? Do you feel like if you left your position tomorrow, your church could not survive? Remember that Jesus is the senior pastor of your church. He is the one who ultimately provides and directs.
2. Acts Entitled
Narcissistic leaders feel they are the exception, not the rule. Human resource guidelines that apply to everyone else don’t apply to them. When everyone else is hustling on a project, they’ve got an important meeting. The narcissistic leader’s family time is protected more than the rest of the staff. Scripture teaches that leaders should be exceptions, but not for their own gain. Biblical leaders are exceptional servants, taking the harder road even when the easier path is open to them.
Be honest. Do you hold yourself to a different standard than other staff? Do you expect to be treated differently or better because of your position?
3. Uses Generalizations
Narcissistic leaders exaggerate to achieve their goals. They say “always” and “never” to enhance their perspective. Just enough facts root their generalization in reality. They use the shield of positional authority to shut down opinions. Generalizations can do more emotional damage to team members than almost anything a leader can use. A leader’s words are powerful, and they can be poison.
Think back on your recent interactions with staff or congregants. Have there been any conflicts rooted in the use of generalizations and damaging words? Who might you need to apologize to?

4. Needs Adoration
Everyone wants to be liked. Most people will change behavior to some degree if they believe it will make them better liked. Narcissistic leaders need adoration. When they receive criticism, especially from staff or colleagues, they tend to react in two ways. First, they may become defensive and reactionary. Perceived offenses are met with negativity and bullying. This won’t make the offender like them, but it might make them fear the leader—which is often an acceptable substitute. Conversely, the narcissistic leader may respond emotionally. The leader employs tears, pleas and emotional manipulation so that the critic feels bad for speaking up. He or she will think twice the next time.
Do you find yourself being motivated by pleasing others or garnering attention and compliments? How can you shift your thinking to place a higher value on who you are in Christ?
5. Lacks Empathy
Most characteristically, the narcissistic leader lacks empathy. His chief concerns are their goals, mission and reputation. Narcissistic leaders are willing to sacrifice people on the altar of ego. Unfortunately, most of the time they don’t even realize that there is a trail of emotionally damaged people in their wake. As a church leader, this is the most dangerous aspect of narcissism. God has called us to love one another. When we filter our lives through the lens of ego, we become blind to the spiritual need that demands our full attention.
Is there a high turnover rate within the teams you lead? Is there a chance that others do not want to serve with you or under you because they feel you value performance over people?
—
Narcissism is easy to see in others but hard to see in ourselves. However, the success of our leadership depends on our ability to know ourselves, so step back. Think objectively. Are you showing any of the five warning signs.
Your leadership may depend on it.
Note: This post originally published at ScottBall.net on July 24, 2015, and on The Malphurs Group Blog on August 18, 2015.

28 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From The Walk Movie

Acrophobia is the fear of heights. If you suffer from this condition, you may want to avoid the movie The Walk. This film is the true story of Philippe Petit, the man who on August 6, 1974 walked the distance between the Twin Towers on a high wire shortly after their construction.
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Walk is a fascinating look into the thinking and behavior of artists. If you are a pastor or lead a team of creatives, I recommend you see this movie. It will provide an interesting case study for you to discuss in your staff meetings. Another benefit is the PG rating with only one unnecessary cuss word and a brief Gordon-Levitt backside shot.
The movie starts slow but builds toward an extended high-wire scene over New York City that is simply nerve-wracking. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.
The following are 28 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From The Walk:

Great Artists Are Willing To Take Great Risks – Petit opens the movie by saying, “Why do you risk death? For me, this is life.”
Great Artists Are Optimists – They see the world as it should be, not necessarily as it is. Petit adds, “I never say the word ‘death’. I use the opposite word ‘life’.”
Great Artists Are Driven By A Dream – As a young boy, Petit saw wire walker Papa Rudy, played by Ben Kingsley, perform in his town. He was immediately bit by the wire walking and performance bug.
Great Artists Use Pain As Inspiration – While in a dentist office for an unexpected toothache, Petit see a picture of the Twin Towers being constructed. This image provided him a goal and objective for the remainder of his life.
Great Artists Continually Work On Their Craft – Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers introduced us to the 10,000 hour rule. The greatest practitioners of their craft have put in at least 10,000 preparing. Petit would be a testimony of this rule.
The First Step Is The Hardest – On Petit’s initial walk on a high wire, he was gripped by fear on the first step. For many leaders and artists, fear often disappears on the second step.
Great Artists Show Great Respect And Gratitude To Their Audience – Papa Rudy would later become a mentor for Petit. He told him, “The performer must have respect for and express gratitude to the audience.”
Great Artists Show Great Respect To Other Artists – They are neither moody or hard to work with. While performing in Paris, Petit attracted a large audience at the expense of singer Annie, played by Charlotte Le Bon. He told her, “I would never invade the space of another artist.”
Great Artists Have Great Dreams – Petit said, “My dream is to be the most glorious wire walker in history.”
Great Artists Push The Boundaries Of Creativity – One of Petit’s team members said, “All artists are anarchists to some degree.”
Great Artists Are Willing To Pay A Great Cost – Petit was willing to pay any amount of money to receive coaching from Papa Rudy. He told him, “I have money. I don’t care what it costs.”
Great Artists Are Great Finishers – Papa Rudy told Petit, “Most walkers die in the final three steps. They think they have arrived. They get arrogant and die.”
All Great Artists Experience Initial Failure – Petit fell into a lake in his first public wire walk.
Great Artists Have Great Persistence – Success is getting right back up after being knocked down. Shortly after failing into a lake, Petit wire walked the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Great Artists Embrace Great Challenges – When told a wire walk between the Twin Towers was impossible, Petit said, “It’s impossible but I’ll do it.”
Great Artists Must Have Great Transparency – Papa Rudy told Petit, “You cannot lie on stage. The audience will always know what is in your heart.”
Great Artists Give Great Attention To The Details Of Their Craft – The mistake many people make is thinking artists are flighty. On a certain level, many are. However, great artists give great attention to the minutest details of their craft. Petit built models of buildings, continually went over contingency plans, did extensive recon, and personally checked all riggings.
Great Artists Build A Great Team – Petit put together an unlikely group of “accomplices”. The key was each member passionately supported the cause.
Great Artists Have Great Resilience – Annie told a team member, “He never gives up. He just needs our help.”
Great Leaders Show Great Generosity – The team was suffering from tremendous stress as the Towers walk approached. Annie told Petit, “Your accomplices. You owe them a simple ‘Thank You.'”
The Worst Leaders Put Their Teams In Great Danger – Petit did three things which put members of his team in danger. First, they could all go to jail. Also, a member of his team suffered from acrophobia. Petit made him hide on a beam in the tower’s 110-story shaft. In addition, Petit made him work on securing the wire while hanging off the building.
Great Artists Are Fragile – When Petit’s costume blew off the roof of the South Tower, he melted down.
Great Artists Have Great Focus – As he began to walk the wire between the Twin Towers, Petit reflected, “One foot on the building. One foot on the wire. The outside world disappears.”
People Celebrate The Accomplishments Of Great Artists – As the crowd gathered on the streets below, they cheered wildly for Petit.
There Is No Creativity Without Creation – Petit told the police who were waiting from the safety of the building for him to finish his wire walk, “My work is not finished. I still have three more steps to do.”
Great Artists Are Inspired By Great Beauty – Petit said, “When I see a beautiful place to put my wire, I can’t resist.”
Great Artists Can Be Very Difficult – But dealing with their idiosyncrasies is worth it. Petit told his team, “I can be difficult but you never gave up on me.”
Great Artists Ultimately Create For The Benefit Of Others – Rather than a jail sentence, the city of New York ordered Petit do a low wire walk in Central Park for the city’s children. Which he gladly performed.

Once again, The Walk is a great movie. Check it out. You will not be disappointed.

20 Things Great Public Speakers Do

Leadership comes with a microphone. This is because in every leader’s life there comes a time when they must stand up and say, “Follow me!”
In an effort to help provide leaders with the best public speaking tools, I turned to the greatest leadership book ever written – the Bible.
In 1 Chronicles 28-29, King David stands before the nation of Israel and calls them to sacrifice for the construction of Solomon’s Temple. In addition to casting vision for this legendary facility, there is an increased level of drama because David is handing the mantle of leadership to his son Solomon just prior to his death.
As I read the text, the following are 20 Things Great Public Speakers Do I gleaned from these two chapters. First is the lesson followed by the supporting text.

Great Public Speakers Know Their Audience – 28:1 – “Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel, the officers of the tribes and the captains of the divisions who served the king, the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officials, the valiant men, and all the mighty men of valor.”
Great Public Speakers Immediately Connect With The Audience – 28:2 – “King David rose to his feet and said, ‘Hear me my brethren and my people”.
Great Public Speakers Use Passion To Speak To People’s Hearts – 28:2 – “I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God.”
Great Public Speakers Use Facts To Speak to People’s Minds – 28:2 – “and had made preparations to build it.”
Great Public Speakers Authentically Address Real Issues – 28:3 – “But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’”
Great Public Speakers Speak Directly To The Next Generation – 28:4 – “He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.”
Great Public Speakers Point To A Brighter Tomorrow – 28:7 – “‘I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.'”
Great Public Speakers Give Detailed Instructions – 28:8 – “‘Be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.'”
Great Public Speakers Are Great Encouragers – 28:10 – “Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.”
Great Public Speakers Are Personally Invested In The Audience’s Success – 28:11 – 17 – “Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat; 12 and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things; 13 also for the division of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the articles of service in the house of the Lord. 14 He gave gold by weight for things of gold, for all articles used in every kind of service; also silver for all articles of silver by weight, for all articles used in every kind of service; 15 the weight for the lampstands of gold, and their lamps of gold, by weight for each lampstand and its lamps; for the lampstands of silver by weight, for the lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand. 16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of the showbread, for each table, and silver for the tables of silver; 17 also pure gold for the forks, the basins, the pitchers of pure gold, and the golden bowls—he gave gold by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls, silver by weight for every bowl.”
Great Public Speakers Give The Audience Great Courage – 28:20 – “And David said to his son Solomon, ‘Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.'”
Great Public Speakers Give The Audience The Tools And Resources Needed For Success – 28:21 – “Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and every willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service; also the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command.”
Great Public Speakers Speak With Great Clarity – 29:1 – “Furthermore King David said to all the assembly: ‘“My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen.'”
Great Public Speakers Call The Audience To A Higher Purpose – 29:1 – “The temple is not for man but for the Lord God.”
Great Public Speakers Are Approachable, Humble And Have A Spirit Of Gratitude – 29:10-13 -“David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said: ‘Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. ‘Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name.'”
Great Public Speakers Go Through A Process Of Great Preparation – 29:16 – “ “O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own.”
Great Public Speakers Want Something For The Audience, Not Just Something From The Audience – 29:19 – “Give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision.”
Great Public Speakers Ask The Audience For Great Commitment – 29:20 – “David said to all the assembly, ‘Now bless the Lord your God.” So all the assembly blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the Lord and the king.”‘
Great Public Speakers Reproduce Themselves – 29:25 – “The Lord exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.”
Great Public Speakers Leave A Great Legacy – 29:26-28 – “David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. And the period that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem. So he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor.”

I trust this information will help you with your next speaking assignment.

Watch What Happens When A Pizza Is Delivered During A Church Service

If you think all churches want is your money, I would like to challenge your assumptions.
On October 4th, Sycamore Creek Church in Pickerington, OH participated in an act of extravagant generosity during their morning worship service. Natasha, an employee of Domino’s, was dispatched to deliver a pizza to the church. As shown in the video, her meeting with Lead Pastor Steve Markle would be something she would never forget.
The following are 15 Facts About Generosity we learn from the video above.

God’s Grace Ambushes Us – Natasha thought it was just another delivery. Little did she know she was about to be ambushed by God’s extravagant generosity. Often when we least expect it, God showers us with His blessings and love.
Generous Churches Teach Generosity From The Pulpit – Generosity does not happen by accident. Steve told Natasha, “We’ve been teaching our church this last month about being generous.”
Generosity Is What We Want For People, Not What We Want From People – Generous churches are about others. He added, “We did something special for you today.”
Generous Churches Give Gifts Not Tips – Steve told her, “That is your tip, $9. This is a gift we are going to give you.”
Generosity Is Contagious – All three services participated in this act of generosity.
People Are Emotionally Moved By Generosity – Because in todays world where greed is our default mode, generosity is rare.
Generosity Is Celebrated – As Natasha received her gift, the congregation broke out into prolonged applause.
Every Dollar Matters – Most people do not realize it but every dollar we steward has a divine assignment from God. Sycamore Creek Church’s gift to Natasha was $1,046.
Generosity Meets The Needs Of Others – Steve said, “I don’t know what’s going on in your life.” Natasha replied, “It will help a lot.”
Generosity Results In Gratitude – Natasha told Steve and the congregation, “Thank you so much. Thank you everybody.”
Generosity Always Points Us To Our Most Generous God – Steve closed in prayer by saying, “God, we thank you so much for the opportunity to be part of Natasha’s life today.”
We All Want To Be Part Of A Generous Church – Steve continued in his prayer, “God we thank you that we have generous people today that want to help her out.”
Generosity Reminds Us How Much God Loves Us – Steve added, “Let her know how much You love her and how much we love her.”
Generous Churches Use Quality Resources To Help People Practice Generosity – The video above wrapped up a series entitled, “I Ws Broke. Now I’m Not.” If you are not familiar with the organization I Was Broke. Now I’m Not. founded by Joseph Sangl, click HERE to learn more about this ministry which is helping hundreds of thousands experience financial freedom. Joe founded this organization because he believes when people are financially free, they are more likely to do exactly what they have been put on earth to do – regardless of their income.
Generosity Is Attractive And A Story Worth Telling – This act of generosity by Sycamore Creek Church was picked up by both The Columbus Dispatch and USA Today. You can read those articles by clicking HERE and HERE.

After watching the video above, I know you will want to practice generosity as well. You can order from Domino’s online by clicking HERE and have a pizza delivered to your church service.

My Prayer For You In 2016

My prayer for the readers of this site is you dream BIG dreams in 2016 and then see those dreams realized. When it comes to Christian leaders who dream BIG, I think of Bryan Miles, who along with his wife Shannon Miles co-owns MAG Bookkeeping.
One of the things which helps Bryan and Shannon is they hang around other leaders who also think BIG. Recently, they spent time with Sir Richard Branson on his private island. Bryan’s account of their time together is below. His story will encourage you as a leader and challenge you to dream BIG.
And if you are a church, non-profit or business looking for bookkeeping assistance, there is no better group than MAG. Click HERE to connect with them today. Now onto Bryan’s story of spending time with Richard Branson:
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Back in December, my wife Shannon and I had the chance to spend a week with a group of fellow entrepreneurs on Necker Island, the private island owned by British businessman and investor Sir Richard Branson.
To say that spending a week on “Necker” – let alone meeting Richard Branson – is a dream come true is the mother of all understatements. I threw the idea out a few months ago in a brainstorming meeting with our PR agency as my “big hairy audacious goal,” and through a series of circumstances that will probably never happen again (although I hope they will!) a few weeks later Shannon and I were on a plane to Necker Island.
There were so many experiences and learnings we brought back, it will likely take me months to process them all and understand what they mean for our lives and our businesses. We got to spend a bunch of hours with Richard Branson all over the island (including his home on the island), hearing his perspectives and the experiences he’s had in starting more than 400 (yeah – 400!) businesses during his lifetime. Business school scholars scratch their heads with this guy. He is massively approachable, fun, and a delight to chat with. He answered our questions and asked us questions. He is inquisitive – his mind is always spinning. He loves the Earth and is a big steward of it. He loves the ladies and laughing. His wife Joan is personable and very cool too. His “brand” is truly lived out throughout the Virgin Group and on Necker as well. He is definitely a rebel … but nice guy along with it.
Richard said a lot of things, but the one statement he made that hit me hardest was this:

“IF YOU’RE NOT SCARED BY YOUR DREAMS, THEY’RE NOT BIG ENOUGH.”

This from a guy who is trying to put everyday people (not astronauts) into space via Virgin Galactic. That statement really got to me and Shannon, because in all honesty we didn’t have a lot of dreams in 2014 that really scared us. Believe me, when we first started our business in 2010 I was scared pretty much all of the time. But I haven’t been that way lately, and that’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about.
As a person of faith, what does this mean for me? Am I getting too comfortable? I want to believe that God has big things for me to accomplish, and I want to try things that I know are too big for me to handle on my own so that God gets all the glory when things work out. And when things don’t work out, I want to learn from them and let God shape me through those times. In success or failure, are my dreams BIG enough to scare me?

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

So that’s my charge to you all this week – dream about something that scares you. Then get started on it. And then buy a private Caribbean island, change the world, start something, or scare yourself silly with what God may be birthing deep down in you! Take a step – just one step – in that direction TODAY. Time is ticking.

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The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Entire Year Of 2015

First, let me begin by saying “Merry Christmas!” I hope you have had a great time with your family.
Each Friday of the past year I posted the Top 10 Leadership Posts I read the previous week. This list has become go-to resources for readers of this site and some of my most popular posts each month.
Since this is the final Friday of 2015, I would like to provide you a collection of the best posts I read this past year. The following are The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Entire Year Of 2015:

What Peyton Manning Did For My Friend, Dying From Breast Cancer by Dana Hunsinger Benbow. Peyton may have not had a good year on the field, but his impact off the field was significant.
Is It Time For A New Worship War by Rich Birch. The DJs are coming!!! The DJs are coming!!!
What’s Gotten Into College Students by Tim Elmore. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.
It’s Hunting Season For The Heretics by Beth Moore. Thank you Beth!!!
“A Lot Of People Want Intact Hearts These Days” – Planned Parenthood, Abortion, And The Conscience Of A Nation by Al Mohler. God please forgive our nation. Planned Parenthood is arguably one of the most overtly evil organizations, from why it was founded to its current dismemberment of fetuses, in human history.
Do Leadership Conferences Have Lasting Impact? by Paul Penley via ChurchLeaders.com. Wow! Did this change the way I view Christian conferences.
An Open Letter To Mike Linch, Senior Pastor At NorthStar by Beth Riedemann. As good as anything you will ever read. This was my favorite post of the year.
Cecil The Lion, Islam, Clemson Football & ESPN by Perry Noble. As you would expect, Perry holds nothing back.
Wedding Ring by Jason Tippetts via Mundane Faithfulness. The story of Jason and Kara Tippetts is one of the most inspirational you will ever hear. Kara’s story has inspired millions and I pray God blesses Jason’s church beyond anything he ever dreamed.
Mayor Of Atlanta Has Founding Fathers Turning In Their Graves by Michael Youssef. Are you kidding me?

That is my Top 10 for 2015. It has been a great year. I look forward to continuing to bring you weekly Top 10 lists in 2016 as well.
I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! God bless.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

30 Questions Every Leader Can Ask to Become a Better Coach

By Paul Sohn Whether you’re a CEO, teacher, parent, project leader or any other kind of a leader, you need to know how to coach your team. The need for coaching has never been greater. Gallup’s research shows that a team that is highly engaged has double the chance of job performance and success.
First off, there are a lot of questions of what coaching entails. As a starter, here’s what coaching is not:
• Coaching is not ordering people around because you have authority or a title.
• Coaching is not “fixing” a person.
• Coaching is not creating a dependency or indulging in “open-ended therapy.”
In Unlocking Potential, executive coach Michael Simpson defines coaching as the “building of relationship of trust, tapping a person’s potential, creating commitment and executing goals.”
Executive coach Marilee Adams says that life’s toughest issues are not solved by having all the answers but by asking the right questions. Coaches who continue to ask powerful and provocative questions help individuals develop a sense of internal purpose and commitment for the long run.
Simpson suggests that powerful questions leaders ask may fall into three areas:
1. Engaging with purpose (Opening)
2. Advancing to commitment
3. Obtaining commitment (Closing)
First, start to ask your questions around purpose, whether it’s the purpose of the coaching process or the purpose of the meeting:
• What specific needs, issues or opportunities bring you to coaching?
• What are the most important strategies, goals or outcomes that you need to accomplish personally or professionally?
• What do you want to accomplish as a result of our coaching relationship?
• What legacy do you want to leave in your life/your family/your career?
• What do you see as your “best self” five years from now?
• What contribution can you make in your current role at work?
• What do you need to achieve this year?
• Can you make that goal more specific?
• How will you know when you’ve achieved that goal? How will you measure success?
• What will be different as a result of the time we spend together?
Second, your questions should now help the individual move toward commitment. Ask questions to help him/her anticipate and address barriers to accomplishing the goal.
• What are you currently doing that is working toward your goal?
• What are the obstacles? How have you addressed similar situations in the past?
• If you had unlimited resources—time, money, people, information and technology—and knew you could not fail, what would you try?
• What resources (including time, money, people, information, technology) do you have that you can call on?
• What are the benefits of going after these anticipated goals and outcomes?
• What would be the costs or negative outcomes of not doing these things?
• What is the single most important thing to do now to advance toward your goal?
• If you went to your respected person or expert with your problem, what would this person suggest to you?
• If you saw someone else in your situation, what would you recommend?
• On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the highest), how motivated and likely are you to make your goal happen by that time frame you have committed to? How might you alter the plan to move it closer to 10?
Third, ask questions to obtain commitment. This is where you summarize, narrow the focus, and select options and confirm next steps. Closing the conversation means that the individuals have a clear summary of what they are going to commit to.
• What are the two or three most important things for you to focus on before our next coaching session?
• Based on what we have discussed, what seems most important for you to focus on now?
• We have talked about a lot of important information today. If you were to put headlines on the key areas you want to focus on, what would they be?
• What will you do in the next 24 hours (or week or month) to move forward toward your goal?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how motivated are you to take care of this commitment?
• What will it take to turn that rating of a 6 into a 9?
• Can you think of anything that might stop you from doing it? How will you overcome the barrier?
• Moving from vision and big picture, what actions would you like to focus on over the next 30, 60 or 90 days?
• What do you see as the best way of holding you accountable? [1]

7 Stories Pastors Can Use In Their Sermons

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One tool to put in your pocket as you prepare….stories.

Here are seven interesting stories to save in your files, along with a quick thought on how you could leverage the story in a message.

7 Preaching Stories You Can Use In Your Sermons

Here are seven interesting stories to save in your files, along with a quick thought on how you could leverage the story in a message.

Story 1. A Texas police officer writes a ticket, but folded a $100 bill inside the citation. Read the story about #grace. God gives us a great gift, even though we are guilty.

Story 2. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that everyone writes, put the mega-staffed, super-popular Microsoft Encarta out of business. Read the Wikipedia article about itselfand remind your congregation that everybody is better than somebody. #volunteers

Story 3. Chinese bamboo produces little outward growth for the first four years of its life. Though it’s puny and pitiful, there’s something powerful happening underground. In the fifth year, the tree grows eighty feet! We must cultivate our #soul and understand that the root comes before the fruit.

Story 4. Starbucks reclaimed four shipping containers and made a pretty cool store. They say the containers are “reclaimed, refurnished, renewed and revived.” Sounds like what God does in our hearts. #restoration

Story 5. There’s a 99.99% soundproof room in Minneapolis that holds the Guinness World’s Record for being the quietest place on earth. NASA rents it to train astronauts. Reminds me of what could happen when we heed the words of Psalm 46:10 and be #still.

Story 6. Duffy Daughtery was the football coach for the Michigan State Spartans from 1954 to 1972. At the end of one game, Daughtery sent in his kicker to win the game. As the kick sailed through the uprights, the kicker looked at the referee. Why? Because he had forgotten his contact lens and couldn’t see! Though he couldn’t see the goalposts, he’d practiced the kick so many times, it was routine. This story might work great in a message on spiritual disciplines, Bible reading, consistent community or parenting.

Story 7. A famous violinist named Joshua Bell once played for 45 minutes in a Washington DC Metro station. Though he paid a $3 Million violin and had sold out a Boston theater just two nights before, only six people stopped to listen to his music. What a great story to illustrate that we should never take people for granted.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

How To Avoid Losing Your Team’s Talented Leaders

There is a difference between hiring talented leaders and retaining talented leaders. Retaining talented leaders is far more difficult as this recent story will attest.
On Sunday afternoon, November 29th Georgia Bulldogs fans everywhere were shocked when university officials fired long-time head football coach Mark Richt. I was so angered I wrote the post The Type Of Man You Want Leading Your Son – A Tribute To Mark Richt. It went viral and was my most read post of November.
Some of the fallout also included the team’s top recruit, Gatorade National Football Player Of The Year quarterback Jacob Eason from Lake Stevens, Washington. Eason had committed to Georgia and had a strong relationship with Coach Richt. His coming to the Athens campus was now tenuous at best.
Alabama Defensive Coordinator Kirby Smart was immediately hired as Georgia’s head coach and one of his first orders of business was locking down the school’s top recruit. Georgia fans are now breathing a sigh of relief because after meeting with Coach Smart, Eason confirmed his decision to attend the University of Georgia.
Recently, Rivals.com interviewed Jacob’s father, former pro quarterback Tony Eason, about his son’s decision process. You can read the full article by clicking HERE. His thoughts will prove valuable to all organizations hoping to retain the services of their top leaders.
The following is How To Avoid Losing Your Team’s Talented Leaders I gleaned from Eason’s interview:

Know A Talented Leader’s Family Matters – Many times the top influencer to leaders is their family. For me, it is my wife. The recruitment of Jacob Eason would be a family process with his father, Tony, playing a key role.
Know A Talented Leader’s Relationships Matter – If a leader is going to spend significant time at an organization, he/she wants to enjoy the people they will be around. Leaders are often lonely and looking for friends.
Know Talented Leaders Have Options – Organizations should not be naive. Talented leaders are in high demand. Though he had committed to Georgia, Eason had also strongly considered the University of Washington and the University of Florida.
Know Talented Leaders Want To Be Led By Talented Leaders – Tony said, “It was about the coaches. We wanted to see who they brought in (after Richt).”
Know Keeping Talented Leaders Takes Hard Work – Eason continued, “Once Kirby got the job he was out here on a jet within 20 hours, no sleep and talking to Jake.”
Know You Must Create Systems For Talented Leaders – Eason added, “We talked about style, what kind of system he wanted to run and what his ideas were.”
Know Talented Leaders Want To Work For Leaders With High Character – Eason continued, “What I did get from Kirby is some of the intangibles you look for in a person, the integrity, the honesty, what kind of person he was and we got a really good feel he’s a guy Jacob could play for.”
Know Talented Leaders Are Smart And Have Done Research On Your Organization – Prior to the family meeting Coach Smart, the Easons researched social media, talked with all their contacts and even made a campus visit in an attempt to discover who the team’s new offensive coordinator would be.
Know Talented Leaders Are Attracted To Healthy Organizations – Leaders operate best surrounded by a healthy organization. In other words, the best work with the best. After Jim Chaney was named offensive coordinator, the Easons met with him to gain confidence in his system.
Know Smart Organizations Discover What Their Talented Leaders Value – Simon Sinek calls this “The Why”. Like all fathers, nothing was as important to Tony as his son’s happiness. He said, “We sat down in a room and he (Chaney) broke film down. He had Jake break film down and he wanted to get a feel for where Jake was mentally with the game, coverages and what did they call there and going from there. I really enjoyed watching those two interact.” He continued, “I was sitting back and observing that and reading my kid’s body language and I just think they’re going to be a really good match. That’s the feel I wanted to get, the affirmation that it would be all right.”
Know Talented Leaders Operate Best In Areas Of Their Strengths – Eason further noted about Coach Chaney, “The mark of a good coach is you play to the strengths of the guys on the team. I have a really good feeling he’s going to analyze what Georgia’s strengths are based on their personnel and play to that strength and then recruit the heck out of their weaknesses.”
Know Organizations Should Invest Heavily In The Success Of Their Talented Leaders – They are simply your most valuable asset. One of Coach Smart’s first hires was Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman. Eason observed, “The icing on the cake was the o-line hire. You want to talk about all these people looking at quarterback development and the latest gurus and you have to fly your kid here or there, that o-line coach is more important than any of that. If you don’t have a solid line up front your quarterback isn’t going to play well and he’s going to look terrible.”
Know Talented Leaders Have Back-Up Plans – Remember, they are smart and have experienced previous hardships. I once had a company president tell me, “Brian, it’s your job to keep your resume updated. It’s my job to keep you.” Eason concluded, “”In hindsight, I think families should go through the process and probably do a better job of figuring out what their No. 2 (school) is even though they’re so committed to a school because you never know what can happen.”

What is one thing from this list you can begin doing TODAY to keep your talented leaders?

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