2 Dumb Ways Leaders Deal With Their Weaknesses
Just as all leaders have areas of strength, all leaders also have areas of weakness. There is no such thing as an omni-competent leader. But what should a leader do with his or her weaknesses? Books have been written and speeches have been given encouraging leaders to focus on their strengths, to leverage what they […]
The Good and the Bad of Our Fascination with Implosions
We are fascinated with implosions, with buildings falling. People come from miles around to watch them topple, tune into live television, and watch replays in slow motion. A video of a bus blocking the implosion view of the Georgia Dome went viral in 2017. How dare a bus driver continue his daily routine and disturb […]
6 Mistakes Leaders Make in Their First 90 Days
While there is nothing magical about the number, many have used the “first 90 days” to describe the important first days in a leader’s new role. In his helpful book The First 90 Days, Michael Watkins encourages leaders to adjust their leadership to the context and life cycle of the organization: start-up, realignment, sustaining success, […]
3 Easy Ways to Burn Out Your Team
The painful paradox of serving on a burned out team: less of an impact while feeling like you are working more.
Micromanagement or Leadership?
What some people call micromanagement is really leadership providing necessary accountability. And what some leaders call leadership is really micromanagement. For example—when meeting with staff teams, I have often heard conflicting statements from both leaders and those they lead. A leader will say, “I wish I had people I could trust with greater leadership,” while […]
Do you have a bias toward action?
Author and consultant Tom Peters popularized the phrase a “bias toward action” to describe organizations that are led with a posture to execute rather than a posture to evaluate constantly. The opposite of a bias toward action is the dreaded state of “paralysis by analysis.” On many teams what is often called “strategic planning” is […]
A Debilitating Weakness
While I agree with the counsel and coaching for leaders to focus predominately on developing and utilizing their strengths, if a leader does not move a weakness to at least average, the weakness will become a debilitating one that overshadows the strong points of the leader. A debilitating weakness will cause the leader to lose […]
The Cruelty of No Feedback
Better an open reprimand than concealed love. The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive. (Proverbs 27:5-6) According to the proverb, it is loving to provide corrective feedback to those you love. Corrective feedback, of course, is not about being right or about making a point. The motivation […]
Budgeting Blunders
As we move into October, many churches are in the midst of budgeting. There are some common budgeting blunders that plague many ministries, and these blunders are often associated with well-meaning individuals who unintentionally bring some bad budgeting practices to the table. Let me introduce you to Calculator Charlie, Sneaky Steve, and Sandbagging Sally. Calculator […]
Please, No More Travel Agents
There is a major difference between a travel agent and a tour guide. This difference is seen best in white-water rafting. There are plenty of rafting outfitters from which to choose along a white-water river trail. A travel agent will mail you brochures. A travel agent will suggest a few rafting outfitters and a river […]