Adjusting Your Approach to Serve Those You Lead

While Michael Watkins created a framework that helps leaders evaluate the needs of the organization they will be leading, Ken Blanchard developed a framework, famously known as Situational Leadership, that helps leaders evaluate the development needs of each person the leader is leading. What I Appreciate About This Framework I love that the framework emphasizes […]
Matching Your Leadership Approach to the Organization’s Needs

In his book, The First 90 Days, Michael Watkins offers this framework as a tool to help leaders think through the phases of the organization or team the leader is entering. What I Appreciate About This Framework I love that the framework emphasizes the leader should (1) understand the context and (2) adjust leadership to […]
10 Axioms About Leadership and Feedback

A leader’s relationship with feedback will greatly impact the leader’s effectiveness and the growth of the team. While it is natural to resist receiving feedback, and some struggle to offer feedback, both receiving and giving feedback are critical in leadership. Here are ten axioms or truths about feedback and leadership: 1. Your growth is hampered […]
5 Steps to Plan Annual Training for Your Team

Teachers have a plan for what and how they will be teaching their students this year. Coaches have a plan for the play packages they will immerse their teams in. Leaders should have a plan for how they will use meetings with their teams to develop them. Meetings are not the only or the best […]
The Importance of NOT Equating “Painful” with “Difficult” in Leadership

Just because a decision is painful does not mean that the decision is difficult. A person on your team displays a lack of moral integrity. Indeed, it will indeed be painful to act and remove the person from the team, but the decision is not. It is clear. Someone you work alongside consistently displays a […]
4 Reasons I Am Praying for Roe v. Wade to Be Overturned

As I was driving home from the office a few days ago, I decided to flip through talk radio channels and hear what people were saying about the Supreme Court’s proceedings as the Court was considering upholding Mississippi’s ban on abortion fifteen weeks into a pregnancy. I stopped at a red-light and was behind a […]
The Great Resignation and 3 Reminders for Leaders

If you search the phrase “Great Resignation” online, you will see a myriad of articles about the reality that people are leaving their jobs at a staggering rate. The stats are unprecedented: 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs in September, 73% of Americans are considering quitting their job right now, 50% of Americans want to […]
Seeing People and Three Types of Leaders

Leaders are typically driven. They have a deep burden and that burden becomes a vision that compels them to consistent action. But conviction towards a goal without deep love for people can ruin a leader and result in people not being cared for. At the same time leaders will be hurt as leading others is […]
When to NOT Ask Your Predecessor to Stay on the Team

Over three years ago I made the decision to ask my predecessor, Kenton Beshore, to stay on our staff and teaching team. While there are many reasons to consider asking your predecessor to stay, there are times when it is unwise to do so. There are times when it is best for the new leader, […]
10 Reasons to Consider Asking Your Predecessor to Stay Involved

When I became the senior pastor of Mariners Church over three years ago, I made the decision to ask Kenton Beshore (my predecessor and long-time pastor of Mariners) to stay on staff and to be on our teaching team. One of the most common thread of questions I receive from other ministry leaders is around […]