No matter the church or organization, it's inevitable that pastors/staff will leave for a variety of reasons. So what are they going to say about you as a leader and pastor on their way out of the door?
Here are the 4 things I hope team members say as they transition out:
1. He helped me be a better follower.
I want to constantly push, encourage, and challenge our team to be more like Jesus. Before they are a great team member, they have to be great followers first. I hope they are stronger followers when they leave, and that I helped them get there.
2. He helped me be a better leader.
I want to set a staff culture that focuses on leadership development. The win for me is not simply leading my pastors/staff, but seeing them lead and develop others. I hope they are a leader of leaders when they leave, and that I helped them get there.
3. He helped me prepare for my next steps.
I don't expect our church to be everyone's "last stop" in ministry leadership. Acknowledging that, I hope their time with us bolstered their faith, gave them spiritual boldness, and helped to sharpen their ability to identify and discern God's voice in whatever He has next for them, and that I helped them get there.
4. He cared about me, not just what I could do for him.
It's easy to view staff in black and white terms: simply, they are here to execute the vision. Get it done no matter the cost. I absolutely care about getting results, but the people on the team have to know they are more than just a position or an employee number. I hope they sensed the urgency of the mission AND the heart of the pastor, and that I helped them get there.
What about you? What do you want your team to say about you on their exit interview?
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
-Stealing From Jesus & Cheating On Your Wife-
You can value everything, but you can't value everything equally. Valuing everything equally means not valuing anything at all.
So you have to learn how to cheat and steal. Let me explain:
You and I have a limited amount of resources in this life: time, money, and energy just to name a few. We'll call this "sand."
You and I have major areas of our lives that require resources: work, personal, spouse, family, and God just to name a few. We'll call these "buckets."
Here's the big problem...
We don't have enough sand to fill all of our buckets. So that means you've got some choices to make. To add to one bucket you'll have to steal from another one. In order to make sure one is filled up to a healthy level, you'll have to cheat another one.
Here's the big question...
Which buckets in your life are you willing to steal from? Who are you going to cheat? Which ones are really the most important to you?
You're going to have to cheat something. You're going to have to steal from someone. So choose wisely!
Don't let your family, your marriage, or your relationship with Jesus be a casualty on the side of the road of life. Be sure you're stealing from and cheating on the right buckets.
-Like A Boss-
Supervisor.
Manager. CEO. Boss. President.
Senior. Captain.
Everyone wants to be the leader. We incur college debt on the hopes of career
advancement. We spend countless
hours in the office fighting for the promotion. We go above and beyond what’s expected to garner the
acknowledgment and approval of our superiors for a shot at an “Upper Level”
position.
The drive and desire to be a leader in the workplace is OVERWHELMING
for most people. I can understand
why, though. Look at the perks!
-More Money
-More Authority
-More Respect
-More People Serving Under You
-More Prestige
-More Privileges
The “Business Leadership” section in the bookstore is one of
the most popular shelves, especially for men. Most have an innate desire to be at the front of the pack,
carry the banner, and lead the battle cry.
Throughout all areas of life there’s just something inside
of us that desires to be significant, respected, and hold the high esteem of a
leader.
Except in the Church.
What’s the breakdown?
Why so much drive in the office and so little effort on Sunday? Why does the focus on advancement and
leadership break down on the weekends when it burns so hot during the week?
The drive and desire to be a leader in the Church is
UNDERWHELMING for most people. I
can understand why, though. Look
at the perks!
-More Sacrifice
-More Humility
-More Honoring Others
-More People That You Are Serving
-More Giving Away of Yourself
When your model for leadership is Jesus, it flips the modern
day leadership paradigm on its head.
Instead of:
Supervisor, Manager, CEO, Boss, President, Senior, or
Captain.
You Get:
Servant, Selfless, Humble, Giving, Integrity, and
Lesser.
Throughout history the Church has relied on leaders to
protect, guide, encourage, challenge, and lead the Church. Opportunities abound for people to step up, grab the reins, and work hard to advance the mission and kingdom of Jesus.
Are you ready for a promotion?
-3 Things I Want To Be-
1. Solver vs Talker
There are problems in the world. (I'll pause a moment to allow time for gasps to subside and the shock to wear off).
Now let's continue.
People have problems.
Culture has problems.
Families have problems. We all
have problems.
You can talk, cry, complain, be
outraged, and post rants on social media all day long. Eventually, however, if the problem is
ever going to be solved you have to move from talking to action.
2. Surgeon vs Butcher
Ever seen a butcher cut meat? It’s forceful.
It’s messy. Results are “approximate”
at best.
Surgery is different.
It's planned and precise.
It's executed with steadiness, skill, and care.
Leaders make decisions and orchestrate organizational changes that affect significant amounts of
people. That has to be approached with tact and reverence.
I want to be a surgical leader, not a bullish leader
charging through the china shop of peoples’ lives.
3. Multi-tool vs Hammer
A hammer views every problem as a nail. It approaches every task and every
person the same way: hit it as hard as you can as many times as you can and hopefully it'll get fixed.
Yet, in leadership there is no one-size-fits-all
method. Yes, some problems are best addressed with force.
For another, a gentle rub with the file is more effective. Still others simply need to be tightened up with the screwdriver.
I want to be more like a swiss army knife and less like a mallet. MacGyver over Thor. Versatile over volatile. Functionality over force.
What are 3 things you're striving for?
-The People a Leader Needs to Have-
There are certain types of people that leaders usually don’t need
more of in life.
They don’t need more people that want to share their ideas.
They don’t need more critics.
They don’t need more people that demand their time.
They don’t need more people that sap their energy.
They don’t need more people making withdrawals from their
life.
Most leaders have plenty of those people.
A really important person that a leader needs on the team is an encourager.
They need a person building them up.
They need a person offering help.
They need a person pouring into their life.
They need a person making valuable deposits in their life.
Those are the people that are invaluable to a leader.
Here are 3 easy ways to encourage a leader in your life this
week.
1. Kind words-
Proverbs 16:24- “Pleasant words are… sweet to the soul and healing to the
bones.”
2. Prayers- 2
Corinthians 1:11- “You help us by your prayers.”
3. Written
Notes- Many books in the New Testament were written to encourage pastors,
churches, and leaders in their daily life with Jesus.
Revelation Beats Imitation Every Time!
Success stories are a dime a dozen today. It's not hard to find books and blogs written by people that are doing it right. Conferences abound with speakers that have seen success in their church or business. Somebody somewhere tried something, and it worked! The next step in the process is obviously to share that success story in hopes that it inspires others.
Unfortunately that can lead to cookie cutter ideas. Leaders will look at these success stories and try to hit the "copy" and "paste" button. Surely if it works for that guy, then it'll work for me.
There are usually 2 things forgotten in this copy-cat model:
A. Context. Their success story came at their church, in their city, with their demographic, in their time frame, with their level of spiritual maturity. Your context may have absolutely nothing in common with their context, but we often still expect the same results as long as we follow the "3 simple steps."
B. Revelation. The plan that you see blossoming on the other side of the country (or the other side of the world!) may very well be the result of a leader getting on his face, pleading with God for the plan that He has for that particular church.
They may be famous for the 4-step process, but what you don't know is the hours spent praying, fasting, seeking, and listening to God.
You read their books and blogs, but will probably never see the journals documenting the struggle, the faith, and the desire for obedience and an individual anointing from God. Everyone wants the success without the story.
Our time calling out to the missions, discipleship, and church growth experts takes place of our time calling out to the Creator of those areas, the one who defines what ministry success really means.
When Moses died at the end of Deuteronomy, Joshua took over. And what was the first thing he did?
Re-live all of Moses' successes?
Try to pull the old "plagues" trick?
Look for a burning bush?
Split the sea down the middle?
Pick up the stone writing tablets?
No, not any of those. In Joshua 1, he received from God his specific calling.
God told Joshua what He wanted HIM to do. Here is the plan I have for YOU, for the people YOU have with you right now, at the location that YOU are in, and for the future that I have for YOU and these people.
God, what would you have for me to do, in the city where I am, for the church that you've entrusted me to lead, with the people that are attending here? That kind of revelation from God beats imitation every time!
Thermostat or Thermometer?
Thermostats SET the temperature for the room around them.
Thermometers MEASURE the temperature of the room around them.
Thermostats are PROACTIVE, establishing the temperature before things start to change around it.
Thermometers are REACTIVE, only responding once the room around them has changed.
Thermostats STAY AHEAD, setting the tone for the surrounding area.
Thermometers are ALWAYS CATCHING UP, allowing the surrounding area to dictate their response.
Thermostats remain STABLE, constant, and even-keeled.
Thermometers are UNSTABLE, always fluctuating, and experience steep highs and lows.
Thermostats work to PREVENT PROBLEMS so that everything goes smoothly.
Thermometers work because THINGS ARE GOING WRONG (when you have a fever, when the room is hot/cold).
So what kind of leader are you, Thermostat or Thermometer?
3 Reasons Not to Plant a Church
When I meet a guy that wants to start a church, I always start the conversation with the same question: "Why do you want to plant a church?" Many times their response makes me cut the meeting short and say, "You don't need to plant a church." Now, I'm not the omniscient authority on church planting by any means, but here are a few of the reasons why I think you SHOULD NOT plant a church.
1. "I have a calling to preach and teach." I'm blown away by the amount of guys that are convinced that "planting a church" is the same thing as "starting a worship service." One of the biggest wake-up calls for me as a church planter and pastor was the amount of time, energy, and efforts that I spend apart from sermon prep. Church planting is about investing in people, loving and serving your city, developing leaders, and getting people to Jesus. Your once-a-week, 30 minute sermon is simply a small part of seeing the overall vision of the Church realized.
2. "I can do church better." There are a lot of answers that illustrate this attitude. Some guys are mad at the traditional church and have been burned in the past, so they want to start their own church and prove to those other people that their way is better. Some guys have a lousy pastor and think they can do a much better job if only they were the lead guy. Some are youth ministers that simply want to be the lead guy and replicate their youth minstry at the highest level of the church. Others want to be their own boss and realize that starting their own church is the only way that's going to happen. Any time a guy is making a ministry decision based striclty on a negative reaction to his current church/ministry/pastor, then RUN AWAY. He's doing it for the wrong reason.
3. "Church planting is trendy and cool." In America, 60% of church plants fail within the first 5 years. 80% of those churches fail because of a lack of finances. That means there is a HUGE probability that the 3-year contract that the internet company makes you sign in order to set up a business account will last longer than your ministry does! Does that still sound cool to you?
In my humble opinion, there is only one real legit answer to the question I ask.
Q. Why do you want to plant a church?
A. Because this is what I feel that God has called me to do, and I'd be being disobedient if I did anything else.
There are days in the ministry when you are going to get beat up and you'll want to give up. The only thing that will keep you from throwing in the towel is a reminder of your calling. You can stick through anything if you know without a doubt that God has called you to this city, to this church, to this task, and to these people.
What do you think?
1. "I have a calling to preach and teach." I'm blown away by the amount of guys that are convinced that "planting a church" is the same thing as "starting a worship service." One of the biggest wake-up calls for me as a church planter and pastor was the amount of time, energy, and efforts that I spend apart from sermon prep. Church planting is about investing in people, loving and serving your city, developing leaders, and getting people to Jesus. Your once-a-week, 30 minute sermon is simply a small part of seeing the overall vision of the Church realized.
2. "I can do church better." There are a lot of answers that illustrate this attitude. Some guys are mad at the traditional church and have been burned in the past, so they want to start their own church and prove to those other people that their way is better. Some guys have a lousy pastor and think they can do a much better job if only they were the lead guy. Some are youth ministers that simply want to be the lead guy and replicate their youth minstry at the highest level of the church. Others want to be their own boss and realize that starting their own church is the only way that's going to happen. Any time a guy is making a ministry decision based striclty on a negative reaction to his current church/ministry/pastor, then RUN AWAY. He's doing it for the wrong reason.
3. "Church planting is trendy and cool." In America, 60% of church plants fail within the first 5 years. 80% of those churches fail because of a lack of finances. That means there is a HUGE probability that the 3-year contract that the internet company makes you sign in order to set up a business account will last longer than your ministry does! Does that still sound cool to you?
In my humble opinion, there is only one real legit answer to the question I ask.
Q. Why do you want to plant a church?
A. Because this is what I feel that God has called me to do, and I'd be being disobedient if I did anything else.
There are days in the ministry when you are going to get beat up and you'll want to give up. The only thing that will keep you from throwing in the towel is a reminder of your calling. You can stick through anything if you know without a doubt that God has called you to this city, to this church, to this task, and to these people.
What do you think?
-Phrase of the Week: Leave It Here-
In life, there is always one more thing that can be done. One more phone call to make, one more person to visit, one more room to be cleaned, one more check on the to-do list. Work is a part of reality. When you leave work at night, there will always be work waiting on you when you get back in the morning.
In an entrepreneurial setting, oftentimes pastors/leaders/business owners can become consumed with "work." Being in a position like these isn't a 9-5 job that you clock-in and clock-out, so it's hard sometimes to know when to turn it off. I challenged my crew to work hard during the day, and then upon packing up and heading home, leave the REVO work and mindset at the office. Leave it here.
All of my senior leaders are married, and their wives are NOT named REVO Church. They are real women with real names that God has entrusted them to lead, guide, protect, and love. There is no way for them to accomplish the biblical responsibilities of leading their bride if they are giving all their time, energy, and resources to Jesus's bride.
Too many ministers are having an affair with the church. Let me make this clear: if you have a successful ministry but lose your relationships at home, YOU ARE A FAILURE!
So at the end of the day, learn how to leave it at the office. When you get home, be ready to physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually engage your family. Know the difference between your bride and His bride. You are called to give 100% to one of them. You lead yours, and He'll lead His.
-Leadership Litmus Test-
Many people have opinions on how success in leadership is judged. One of the most basic definitions of successful leadership is that you have people following you. After all, is it possible to be a leader if no one is following you?
Another great qualifier of a leader's success (or success in general, really) is the ability to produce results. It's hard to argue that someone is successful if they aren't getting the job done and producing the desired results.
Both of those are good leadership indicators, but I think your leadership success gauge is read most clearly when you aren't even there. When you leave (temporarily or permanently), the leaders you have developed step up. Very quickly one can determine if the people you have developed are prepared. The clarity of your directions and urgency of the mission shine brightly in the actions of the people left behind.
Sometimes an organization suffers when a high-profile leader leaves, and if he/she isn't careful, the former leader can falsely think that the decline in the organization after he left further illustrates the success of his leadership skills while he was there. On the contrary, I think a better reflection of high capacity leadership is when one leader leaves and another leader steps up and takes the reins without the organization missing a beat!
Good leaders reproduce themselves. Good leaders not only improve their own leadership skills, but also the skills of others around them. Good leaders accomplish the small picture (individual tasks) while remaining focused on the big picture (the success and growth of the entire team).
A leader is only as good as the people he has around him. So take a look at the people you have invested in and developed. What does their level of leadership say about yours?
-Beware of "Potential"-
How many times have you met a person that has "lots of potential?" WATCH OUT! In some cases, "lots of potential" can be a vague description for people that really haven't done anything in their life.
But hopeful, desperate mother's hang on to those two magical words when describing their beloved: They have lots of potential, they just haven't done anything with it... not YET!
The problem with the timeline of "not yet" is that many times it turns into, "never has, never does, and never will."
Leaders look at performance over potential. They're not as impressed with what you could do "maybe, possibly, one day." Your track record and past performances often illustrates your ability, and even future potential, more accurately than anything else.
I've never seen a resumé that has a blank to fill in your potentials. I do see lots of questions asking what you have done, where you have been, and what your performance record is.
Remember, real potential is a byproduct of past performances, not to be confused with potential built upon fabricated idealisms.
But hopeful, desperate mother's hang on to those two magical words when describing their beloved: They have lots of potential, they just haven't done anything with it... not YET!
The problem with the timeline of "not yet" is that many times it turns into, "never has, never does, and never will."
Leaders look at performance over potential. They're not as impressed with what you could do "maybe, possibly, one day." Your track record and past performances often illustrates your ability, and even future potential, more accurately than anything else.
I've never seen a resumé that has a blank to fill in your potentials. I do see lots of questions asking what you have done, where you have been, and what your performance record is.
Remember, real potential is a byproduct of past performances, not to be confused with potential built upon fabricated idealisms.
-3 Reasons Not to Waste Time on Your Weaknesses-
Everyone has strengths and everyone has weaknesses. Each one of us has a limited amount of
time to focus on a limited amount of things. So an important question you have to answer when growing as
a leader is this: Do you want to
try to turn your weaknesses into strengths, or improve on what you are doing well already? Here are my three
arguments that’ll make you want to stop wasting time on things you aren’t (and
probably never will be) good at.
1. Surround
Yourself with Smart People.
A leader is only as good as the people he has around him, so
surround yourself with smart people. If you can’t find all the right answers, at least you can
start asking the right questions. Some
leaders cringe at that idea because they are afraid that someone on their team
will be smarter or have better ideas than them. Here’s some advice: get over your middle school self-esteem
issues and realize that the vision of the organization supersedes your feelings
getting hurt or your ego being challenged. Why spend your time on things that you are bad at when you
could surround yourself with people whose strengths are your weaknesses?
2. You Aren’t Superman.
Some leaders think that they have to do everything, or at
least have their hand in everything going on in the organization. They try to form their personality,
passions, and gift sets to fit every role that needs to be filled. That’s a huge mistake. Having the wrong
person in the wrong place is like trying to jam a square peg in a round role:
it damages the peg and the hole.
You are actually slowing progress down by trying to do it all
yourself. An important role of a
leader is to make sure things get done, but not necessarily doing them all personally.
Another leadership misconception is that you have to know everything. It’s not the leaders job to have all the answers. Leaders have an innate way of finding
all the great ideas (mining them from their team) rather that having the
pressure of coming up with all the great ideas on their own. Why try to come up with the best ideas and solve all the problems on your own when you can be surrounded by creative, talented, smart, driven
individuals that have incredible ideas ready to be mined and developed?
3. You are ALWAYS Going to Have Weaknesses.
Part of being a leader is knowing yourself, who you
are, where you get your energy from, what drains you, what you are good at,
what you are bad at, and then leveraging all of those things to accomplish the
vision. As a leader, if you are
the best performer in every aspect of your organization, then one or possibly
all three of these things is true:
A. You are leading a small organization where
growth is going to be stifled by your over-involvement (No Leadership
Development),
B. Your organization really isn’t that good at most
of the things it does (a Jack of all trades, but Master of none), or
C. You are being incredibly generous with your
personal assessment and probably no one else thinks you are as good at what you
do as you do (Pride issues)
Why waste time working on things you are terrible at when you could spend it honing the skill set of strengths you already have?
Those are just my thoughts and personal approach. What say you?
Which is better: Efficient or Effective?
One of the buzz words in today's culture is efficiency. Everyone wants efficiency. Cars need to be more efficient with their fuel. Workers need to be more efficient with their time. Families need to be more efficient with their finances. But is efficiency really your top priority?
The truth is, efficiency is a very personal goal. I think the rest of the world is focused on something else: are you effective? I don't care how fast you do it, I just want it done right! I don't care how many MPG my car gets if it won't get me where I need to go.
Here's an example. There are some things that would be done so much faster and more efficient if you just went ahead and did them yourself. But if you take time to mentor/coach a volunteer or a staff member, then in the end the organization will be a lot more effective. Don't just look for the easiest, fastest way out. Determine that effectiveness is more important than efficiency. Personally, I don't do what I do to be efficient, but to be effective.
Can those 2 things co-exist? Of course. But too many times in a rushed society people can sacrifice effectiveness for efficiency. Efficiency says, "Let's see how much we can do, how many things we can check off the list today, regardless of quality, future development, or how we are getting better as an organization." Now do you see why efficiency can be overrated? Efficiency focuses on the process, but effectiveness focus on the end product. I tell my staff this often: I'm a lot less concerned with how you do it, who does it, or when you do it; just make sure it gets done.
Remember, in the end you are not here to be liked. You are not here to be efficient. You are here to be effective. If you don't believe me, ask your boss.
The truth is, efficiency is a very personal goal. I think the rest of the world is focused on something else: are you effective? I don't care how fast you do it, I just want it done right! I don't care how many MPG my car gets if it won't get me where I need to go.
Here's an example. There are some things that would be done so much faster and more efficient if you just went ahead and did them yourself. But if you take time to mentor/coach a volunteer or a staff member, then in the end the organization will be a lot more effective. Don't just look for the easiest, fastest way out. Determine that effectiveness is more important than efficiency. Personally, I don't do what I do to be efficient, but to be effective.
Can those 2 things co-exist? Of course. But too many times in a rushed society people can sacrifice effectiveness for efficiency. Efficiency says, "Let's see how much we can do, how many things we can check off the list today, regardless of quality, future development, or how we are getting better as an organization." Now do you see why efficiency can be overrated? Efficiency focuses on the process, but effectiveness focus on the end product. I tell my staff this often: I'm a lot less concerned with how you do it, who does it, or when you do it; just make sure it gets done.
Remember, in the end you are not here to be liked. You are not here to be efficient. You are here to be effective. If you don't believe me, ask your boss.
-4 Things Leaders Do-
I have learned that you can do a lot of things well, but in an entrepreneurial setting like a new business or church plant, if you do not have leaders then you are going to be hosed! Here are a few things I've learned during the process.
1. Leaders Delegate
Delegation is about equipping, communicating, and evaluating. If you delegate without doing those 3 things, then you are just dumping tasks on people, not delegating responsibilities. Another key success is to make sure the person you are delegating responsibilities to is competent and capable. If they are not, then your delegation process will be like trying to put a square peg in a round hole; it damages both the peg and the hole.
2. Leaders Develop
Training someone is simply giving them a task to do. Developing someone is giving them a responsibility to own. Training is focused on indoctrination of status quo ideas and methodologies. Developing is about educating so the end result is growth, innovation, and focusing on the future. Do you want volunteers/workers/leaders that just punch the time clock and check off the to-do list? Or do you want people that are constantly thinking about ways to be faster, better, more efficient, and more effective?
3. Leaders Grow
You cannot take people to a place you have never been before. So leaders have to continue to mature and develop in their own life. If not, your leadership capacity hits a ceiling and your ability to lead becomes stagnant. Here is a short, homemade list of leadership levels.
a. Model Leader- A leader that does it all himself. Growth is limited to one person's ability.
b. Leading Leader- Still does the majority of the tasks, but has delegated some less-important things out.
c. Leading Leaders- Delegates responsibilities by leading people, not projects.
d. Leading through Vision- A leader that surrounds himself with leaders who lead leaders. Growth is limitless.
4. Leaders Evaluate
There are no sacred cows in leadership/ministry. If it does not work, then trash it. Two really good reasons to quit doing something and reevaluate are, 1. If you have always done it that way, and, 2. If it is not being effective. Sometimes the prior leads to the latter, yet you will never know these things if you do not take time to evaluate everything you do.
Thoughts?
1. Leaders Delegate
Delegation is about equipping, communicating, and evaluating. If you delegate without doing those 3 things, then you are just dumping tasks on people, not delegating responsibilities. Another key success is to make sure the person you are delegating responsibilities to is competent and capable. If they are not, then your delegation process will be like trying to put a square peg in a round hole; it damages both the peg and the hole.
2. Leaders Develop
Training someone is simply giving them a task to do. Developing someone is giving them a responsibility to own. Training is focused on indoctrination of status quo ideas and methodologies. Developing is about educating so the end result is growth, innovation, and focusing on the future. Do you want volunteers/workers/leaders that just punch the time clock and check off the to-do list? Or do you want people that are constantly thinking about ways to be faster, better, more efficient, and more effective?
3. Leaders Grow
You cannot take people to a place you have never been before. So leaders have to continue to mature and develop in their own life. If not, your leadership capacity hits a ceiling and your ability to lead becomes stagnant. Here is a short, homemade list of leadership levels.
a. Model Leader- A leader that does it all himself. Growth is limited to one person's ability.
b. Leading Leader- Still does the majority of the tasks, but has delegated some less-important things out.
c. Leading Leaders- Delegates responsibilities by leading people, not projects.
d. Leading through Vision- A leader that surrounds himself with leaders who lead leaders. Growth is limitless.
4. Leaders Evaluate
There are no sacred cows in leadership/ministry. If it does not work, then trash it. Two really good reasons to quit doing something and reevaluate are, 1. If you have always done it that way, and, 2. If it is not being effective. Sometimes the prior leads to the latter, yet you will never know these things if you do not take time to evaluate everything you do.
Thoughts?
-My Greatest Fear in Leadership-
Most people I know are scared to fail. I'm not. Am I scared of the dark woods behind my house? Maybe. But I'm not scared of failure.
Many leaders are scared of failure. It clouds the decision making process and sways opinions. The emotion of fear can easily replace the reason of logic. Fear can make you do and say things. Even worse, fear can make you NOT do things and NOT say things.
Being scared to fail can cripple a leader. A fear of failure puts your focus on the rear-view mirror instead of looking out of the windshield. Failure sees obstacles, not opportunities. Failure is so consumed with the risks that the rewards are hardly ever mentioned. Failure can make you satisfied with good, which becomes your greatest hurdle to ever being great.
I'm not scared to fail, but I will tell you what I am scared of. In fact, scared is a mild term for it. Petrified, intimidated, and downright aghast would be more fitting!
My greatest fear is the threat of mediocrity. In my life, church, ministry, family, leadership, everything!
What if my ministry was successful, but not significant?
What if my church had the presence of people, but not the presence of God?
What if I lived an average life and died an average person?
The threat of being mediocre is an incredible motivator. Figure out what your greatest fear is. If it's something lame, then change it. I would hate to look back on my life and realize that something so insignificant and trite as "failure" determined who I was and what I was able to accomplish.
Many leaders are scared of failure. It clouds the decision making process and sways opinions. The emotion of fear can easily replace the reason of logic. Fear can make you do and say things. Even worse, fear can make you NOT do things and NOT say things.
Being scared to fail can cripple a leader. A fear of failure puts your focus on the rear-view mirror instead of looking out of the windshield. Failure sees obstacles, not opportunities. Failure is so consumed with the risks that the rewards are hardly ever mentioned. Failure can make you satisfied with good, which becomes your greatest hurdle to ever being great.
I'm not scared to fail, but I will tell you what I am scared of. In fact, scared is a mild term for it. Petrified, intimidated, and downright aghast would be more fitting!
My greatest fear is the threat of mediocrity. In my life, church, ministry, family, leadership, everything!
What if my ministry was successful, but not significant?
What if my church had the presence of people, but not the presence of God?
What if I lived an average life and died an average person?
The threat of being mediocre is an incredible motivator. Figure out what your greatest fear is. If it's something lame, then change it. I would hate to look back on my life and realize that something so insignificant and trite as "failure" determined who I was and what I was able to accomplish.
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