In a Justin Lathrop post from a while back, I remember reading: When it comes to leadership, there are thousands of books about leading and managing a team. However, none of them will be beneficial without your ability to apply the principles to your own life. I couldn't agree more! As you know, one of my many passions is the topic of "good" leadership. I've often said that good leaders are rare. Why? The reason is … [Read more...]
My First Year As Executive Pastor
Recalling How We Went About Accomplishing This Very Important Leadership Transition In Our Church
I was having a conversation a while back with a senior pastor and his new executive pastor on several topics. One of the questions they asked me was, "What was your first year in the role like? What should we be doing?" Having joined the staff 18+ years ago, it was fun to reflect on how my first year went. I thought I would share my response ... First of all, my decision to become an executive pastor, serving … [Read more...]
The Responsibilities Of Leadership
Our Staffs Will "Work Around" Our Action Or Our Inaction As Leaders
I remember working with a group of employees on the manufacturing floor (many years ago) to improve efficiency through a better layout and organization of the workspace. I made a very interesting observation that illustrates the significance of our responsibility to our staff and organizations as leaders. I spent a week "observing" a small group of production employees doing assembly and testing of one of our … [Read more...]
Difficult Decisions
Three Things To Remember When Making And Implementing Difficult Decisions
I've been doing this leadership thing for as long as I can remember. I've discovered how making and implementing difficult decisions is one of the hardest and most painful things we do. Whether it's church discipline, trying to help people experiencing financial hardship, or identifying and addressing unacceptable behavior, making and implementing difficult decisions is, well, "difficult" and not much fun. It's … [Read more...]