A common struggle leaders face is the conflict between wanting to raise expectations that will cost people on the team time and energy while simultaneously hearing from the team that “they are already maxed out” or “they are at capacity.” It is possible that “being at capacity” is an excuse, and it is possible that…
Leadership
How to Uncover the Values in Your Culture
While serving alongside the Auxano team, I learned the important distinction between vision, mission, strategy, and values. Well-intentioned leaders can confuse those and mix and match them in a way that actually harms clarity. Mission is the what. Your mission is what your organization or ministry is on the planet to do. Strategy is the…
5 Reminders For Your New Season
Today is my first day in a new ministry and leadership role as I begin serving Mariners Church as their new senior pastor. The day has been mapped out for several weeks. After taking my daughters to school for their first day, I will go to my new office for several planned meetings with my…
Only 2 Ways to Resolve Tension Because of Higher Expectations
When I was in my twenties, just beginning to find any semblance of a stride as a leader, I shared with a mentor that I was receiving some pushback among some people on my team that my expectations were too high. The expectations probably were too high as I was leading a team of predominantly…
3 Common Emotional Mistakes Leaders Make
Sometimes being a leader feels like living in two different worlds as leaders must think about the future while also executing today. And then there are the emotional challenges of leadership, as being a leader often requires leading with two emotions at once. Leaders often must grieve the loss of something while also holding to…
Before You Go, Check the Pull…
Leading in any context is challenging. You carry the burden of the people and the ministry or organization on your shoulders. Problems will hit your office. Not everyone will like the decisions you make. Or even how you make them. Not everyone will agree with the priorities you set, the direction you take, or the…
Blogging, Social Media, and My New Season
After announcing the transition from my role at LifeWay to Mariners Church, several have asked me if I will continue to write/blog and have encouraged me to do so. Here is the backstory… When I was serving Christ Fellowship in Miami as executive pastor and teaching pastor, I served the broader Church in “my spare…
A New Season of Ministry and Getting a “High Five” on the Way Out
Beginning in early September, I will be the new senior pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, California. The last month has been intense, as I have continually held two emotions at the same time. In one hand I hold a deep excitement and anticipation for the new season of ministry the Lord has for us….
From Nine Weeks Out to Taking a Break
It seems nearly every week that a ministry or marketplace leader asks me about the blog, and how it works, not the technical aspects but the regular rhythm of sending out new content nearly every day. It took me more than a year of writing a blog to get into a good rhythm, but typically…
If You Have to Choose Between Clarity and Creativity…
Clarity and creativity are both admirable qualities. People seek both when creating a resource, when delivering a message, when leading a team, and when designing ministry strategy. Authors, artists, song writers, communicators, ministry leaders, and a plethora of other people desire for their work to be both clear and creative. But if you have to…