I was recently in a large meeting with my friend Jimmy Scroggins, pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, and we watched a video of a local church student ministry leader who was speaking both passionately and strategically about discipleship. I saw Jimmy take out his phone and start to type notes, so…. Me:…
Hiring
Links for Leaders 6/16/17
“Leaders too often express what they want in terms not of outcomes, but of tasks, and they rarely, if ever, make clear the full extent of the change they are asking for.” Elsbeth Johnson writes about communication during change for HBR. “Never tie your faith to a hero but let a hero do what a hero…
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…
Links for Leaders 11/11/16
Leveraging creativity, having the courage to stay, 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…
4 Reasons I Believe “Hire Slowly, Fire Quickly”
If you are responsible for leading a group of people, you know how important building a team is. The people on the team form the culture and fulfill the mission you have embraced. Just as the flavor of soup changes with each ingredient, each new team member changes the collective flavor of a team. If…
Two Common Hiring Mistakes Churches Make
Every hire is a risk. Every time I have hired someone or have been hired, there was a risk involved. Some argue that proven track records eliminate the risk, but in reality a great history only minimizes the risk. Even when hiring someone who has a proven track record, it is hard to separate the…
Getting Hired: 3 Lessons from My Wife
My wife, Kaye, is an awesome teacher. And I am not just saying that because she is my wife (objective evidence: she was “teacher of the year” when we lived in Cincinnati). She is super-encouraging, creative, and passionate about helping children learn and become who they were created to be. When we started having our…
4 Groups to Whom the Leader Should Listen
The culture and direction of entire organizations, churches, ministries, and institutions is driven, in part, by whom the leader listens to. These people impact much of the leader’s decision-making, direction, and perception of reality—both challenges and opportunities. As I recently shared, wise leaders ensure they are hearing the right voices and listening to people who…
Theology of Staffing
Pastor David is perpetually frustrated, and he is self-aware enough to know it. As his church is growing, it seems he is always overwhelmed with details, dropped balls, and urgent discussions and decisions. In response, he is about to hire another part-time staff member. He thinks, If I can just get another body on my…