5 Differences to Value on Your Team
“How important is diversity on a team?” It is a common question I receive from leaders. “Very important” is my default response, and then I add an encouragement that “you should work towards being diverse as your context.” The caveat is important because I recognize that it has been easier for me to build ethnically […]
3 Places Where Leaders Must Be AT LEAST Average
Over the last decade, the predominant and popular answer to the common question “Should I focus on leveraging my strengths or developing my weaknesses?” has been to place significantly more energy on strength development. Marcus Buckingham wasn’t the only one to advocate for focusing on your strengths instead of spending time and energy correcting your […]
The Curse of Talent for Young Ministry Leaders
I am over 40, so no longer young, and I failed to make “Gifted and Talented” as a kid so this post is not about me but about young leaders who are labeled as talented, amazing, exceptional, “the future,” and a myriad of other similar adjectives and phrases. In ministry circles, we have seen in […]
Eight Things Church Leaders Should Never Say About Leadership Development
What you say about leadership development, even in casual conversations, will inevitably impact the culture you are forming. Because how you speak of leadership development will influence perceptions about developing leaders, here are eight things church leaders should never say (if you think any of them, some rethinking is in order): It is not my job. […]
Skills Can Kill: 4 Dangers of (Only) Skills-Based Leadership Development
Both character and competence are essential for leaders. Of David, the king of Israel, the Scripture states, “He shepherded them with a pure heart and guided them with his skillful hands” (Psalm 78:72). In other words, David possessed both character and competence. When people think of developing leaders, they often think in terms of necessary […]
Not Fair to Lead Everyone the Same
I remember hearing sports commentators debate the rightness and fairness of Phil Jackson’s admission that he led each of his players differently—that he treated Michael Jordan differently from another player on the team. Some cried foul, insisting that a coach is responsible to ensure equity, and in doing so, each player must be treated the […]