I’m convinced that it is better to have a leadership culture than a leadership development strategy. I’m not saying a strategy or training plan or process is bad. I just think a leadership culture is better.
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Finding a new team member to join your ranks can be an exciting time for any organization. Yet, it's a process fraught with potential pitfalls that, if overlooked, can lead to less-than-ideal outcomes. I've hired hundreds of people and have learned these lessons from my own successes and failures when expanding my team.
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In our work lives, many times we blame a human for something that needs a system. We run into the same frustration again and again, and we think it is a "who" problem rather something that could be solved with a system.
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As guys, there are things we do that makes it difficult for women to lead. It makes it difficult for them to breakthrough barriers to have more influence. By the things we say, the ways we act, or the policies we create, we relegate the women to the kids table. Or worse, to the kitchen. Most of us don't literally or intentionally do that--but sometimes our actions have this effect.
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Having a well-defined set of staff values is an irreplaceable connector across your organization. These values shape your team's culture, help preserve what's working, and revise what is not. They promote unity and diversity, encourage consistent behavior and communication, and define the criteria for measuring performance
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There are bloggers who exist (seemingly) to see churches fail. They love to headline scandals, and they sensationize their stories to support their bias that churches (especially big churches) are inherently evil. They will never write about restoration or healing or reconciliation -- all of which is happening at Willow.
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Authority is the ability to make decisions without asking someone else’s permission. So often we give a leader responsibility without also giving him the authority. Their job is clear--but for just about every decision, they must get approval from their boss, or accounting for every expense, or HR for simple personnel approvals. Or, they actually have the authority to make all those decisions, at least on paper. But in reality, they know you are going to swoop in and make changes.
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When someone walks in with a resignation letter, it didn’t start that day. It started months ago. Anytime someone leaves, first their heart (passion) leaves, then their mind (thoughts and dreams), and the last thing to walk out the door is their body.
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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.
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