Before we had kids, Kaye taught public school for eight years. When we found out we were having our first daughter, we decided she would take step away from teaching for several years. Her last day as a teacher (the first time around) was one day in June of 2007. The first iPhone was released…
Practical Leadership
4 Signs of a Self-Centered Team Member
If you have been leading for any period of time you have learned the corrosive power of selfishness on a team. Instead of being committed to the mission of the ministry or organization, a selfish team member is obsessed with his or her own agenda. Selfish team members can’t bring unbiased wisdom to a discussion…
3 Ways Churches Coddle KidZ and StudentZ
Greg Luianoff and Jonathan Haidt coined the phrase “coddling of the American mind” in their Atlantic article and subsequent book by the same title. They lament the unintended consequences of an over-protective culture that shields people from reality, ideas, diverse thinking, and risk. They wisely conclude that coddling hampers growth and development. Reading the book…
2 Reasons Christian Leaders Can Take Risks (More Than Other Leaders Can)
I have often challenged leaders to be find seasons of being overwhelmed because you will only grow if you are overwhelmed and take risks – risks of taking on more responsibility or chasing after a big goal. This was true when you took your first steps as a toddler, when you boarded a bus or…
Why You Should Get Overwhelmed in 2019
In his book Antifragile, Nassim Nicholas Taleb distinguishes between fragile, resistant, and “antifragile” – a word he coins because there has not been a word to capture the opposite of fragility. Some things are fragile and break easily. Others are resistant and robust and are able to withstand pressure. But things that are “antifragile” don’t…
3 People Who Are Harmed By “Misplaced Compassion”
One of my mentors, Brad Waggoner, cautioned me and other leaders about “misplaced compassion.” He coined the term when he observed that some leaders are unwilling to have challenging conversations with team members or make difficult decisions under the guise of “care and compassion.” For example, a leader has a consistently under-performing person on the…
Culture Is the Hardest and the Last Thing Changed
Every ministry, every organization, every team has a culture. There have been numerous illustrations to try and capture what culture is and what culture means. Some have said that the culture is the DNA of an organization. And that just as every living organism has self-replicating material, every organization has a culture that will self-replicate….
When to Lead as a Farmer and When to Lead as a Hunter
Farmers and hunters both spend their days working for food they will eat, but how they get their food is very different. Hunters search for food that they will soon eat. They eat what they kill today. Farmers plan, plant, watch over, and harvest at the appropriate time. Their work today shows up months later….
2 Reasons We Ignore Our Weaknesses Instead of Addressing Them
The common leadership counsel to focus on your strengths is wise, with one important caveat. Your weaknesses must be addressed and brought to an acceptable norm or they will overshadow your strengths. Yes, focus on your strengths, but your weaknesses cannot be so overwhelming as to debilitate your leadership credibility. In his book, The Leadership…
A Story of Two Landscapers and One Reminder on Motivating Your Team
Two landscape architects woke up today and essentially performed the same job, executed the same tasks, and worked roughly the same hours. Let’s call these two landscape architects Joseph and Christopher. Joe works for a landscape company and spent his day at the homes of clients of the company, planting annuals and mulching beds in…