Have you ever been in a role in an organization where you used to have influence with those at the top, but for some reason, your influence has decreased? Perhaps someone new was hired whose voice now carries more weight than yours. Or maybe you are the new one, and although you have a higher position than others, you haven't been around long enough to gain influence. Sometimes it is more nefarious--someone planted the idea in your boss's head that you shouldn't be trusted.
Read MoreLeaving a church is hard! Someone resigns…the pastors and leaders get their feelings hurt that he is leaving. It feels like, “John doesn’t want to play on our team any more. He took his ball and his bat, and now he’s going to play on a different team.” It feels very personal. Emotions run very high. Words get said. Insinuations are made. People are reactive…
Read MoreSeveral years before the pandemic, the church team I was serving on went through a funk that lasted more than four years. Looking back, I would describe those years as a season of malaise. We had gone more than a decade with wind in our sails as everything we touched seemed to work without effort. But then we hit a season where it just stopped working. From the outside, it looked like business as usual. But it didn’t have the sense of “movement” and “revolution” as in the early days.
Read MoreYou are gifted. You've been applauded your whole life for what you are able to accomplish. Maybe it is athletics. Maybe it is the arts. Perhaps, like Joseph of the Old Testament, you are good at everything you do. I meet some super competent leaders in the church all the time. They have fantastic communication abilities, they have effectively led teams, they are great at listening and shepherding a congregation, and they can design systems and solve problems. But sometimes this comes with a curse.
Read MoreI would suggest the best leaders make very few decisions. They set direction. They paint a vision for the future. They look ahead for opportunities or threats. But great leaders make very few operational decisions. Healthy leaders are those who empower their team members, allowing them to make important decisions and welcome the resulting outcomes, even if it is a different decision than they personally would have made. They train their staff to make decisions by staying out of those decisions.
Read MoreRecent report: Those making less than $25,000 believe they will be happy when they are making $35,000. Those who had a median salary of $65,000 a year said that $95,000 would make them happy and less stressed. And the highest earners in the survey with a median salary of $250,000 believed that $350,000 would bring them happiness.
Read MoreAs we've all navigated the ups and downs of the past few years, it's crucial that we stay one step ahead by anticipating future norms that will inevitably shape our organizations. And yes, I understand that most of us are not running Fortune 500 companies, but cultural trends are not just for the corporate world. They echo profoundly in our church or not-for-profit staff teams as well.
Read MoreI see so much at stake, especially for cause-based organizations like churches and not-for-profits. I've been a part of high-functioning, cohesive leadership teams with "average-talent" team members that crushed their goals and had success that was significant and sustained. I've also been a part of dysfunctional leadership teams with super-talented team members that could never get traction and fell far short of their potential.
Read MoreWe’ve probably all worked for a leader who never made mistakes—or rather, one who wouldn’t admit to his or her own mistakes. But mistakes are a part of learning. I love to hear about the accomplishments of a successful leader, but sometimes I learn best when humble leaders are willing to share what they learned when they messed up. Here are a few notable mistakes I have under my belt…
Read More
