Annual reviews. The phrase causes some to sigh in frustration, both those who give them and receive them. But annual reviews can be a valuable tool for evaluation, for development, and for aligning people to a common direction. The reason many sigh at the phrase is because when haphazardly used, they are not helpful and…
Boss
Brother Must Trump Boss
I play basketball with guys who work for me. In heated moments, guys who work for me have shoved me, yelled, or elbowed. It was part of the game, part of the day when aging men try to grasp a few more years of playing a sport they love. On the basketball court, the org…
Links for Leaders 12/16/16
“In a world that has attached a strange nobility to the notion of being busy, effective leaders stand out by avoiding the ‘I’m so busy’ trap.” Scott Cochrane shares five reasons why effective leaders never talk about being busy. Have you ever applied for a ministry position and been frustrated about being rejected? Could your…
4 Ways to Work for a Boss You Don’t Like
Really fast disclaimer: I like my boss. A lot. I am really blessed not only to enjoy what I do but also to enjoy serving alongside whom I am accountable to. Work is so much more fun when you enjoy both what you are doing and whom you are serving alongside. I do get asked…
Links for Leaders 10/28/16
Working for a boss younger than you, lowering leaders’ frustration, and more.
Links for Leaders 7/15/16
“There is one common struggle every pastor seems to face. I’ve seen it in dozens of pastors. I often hear it on Mondays – even after a great Sunday. I’ve been guilty of this one – many times. It was true in church planting and in church revitalization.” What is it? Ron Edmondson shares the…
Three Things You Should Communicate to Your Leader
Managing the boss is an essential leadership characteristic. John Kotter popularized the phrase in a seminal article, Managing Your Boss, first published in Harvard Business Review in 1980. In the article Kotter encourages leaders to ensure the boss has the right amount of visibility without being overwhelmed in details. Leaders must be proactive in helping…
Four Things Leaders Owe Their Followers
Max Depree wrote, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor.” Leaders, we are servants and debtors. We are in debt to the people who follow us. And what do leaders owe those…
Links for Leaders 12/4/15
Creativity is important in a number of roles in any given organization. But sometimes, creativity can be absent and hard to muster. How do we keep ourselves, and our teams, creative? Here are four helpful suggestions. “Email, boring ol’ email, can be your most effective form of communication,” writes Mike Lukaszewski. Even with the popularity…
Four Ways to Be a Less Bossy Boss
As I recently shared, some bosses are leaders, but not all of them. It is possible to be a boss and not be a leader, or be a leader without being a boss. A person may be in positional authority but not have influence, respect, or the ability to lead. And many people are able…