How's your team? Guidelines from the world of sports

Good teams have diversity and talent: They recognize and use all of their varied abilities.

Enthusiasm and fun: They know how to keep it enjoyable.

Good teams show creativity and open-mindedness: Don’t get locked into a game plan, but adjust creatively.

Good teams have unified goals and clear rules: Great teams have defined goals.  Everyone knows their assignments.

Good teams show quick resolution of conflict: disagreements should not be left to smolder, but resolved quickly.

Good teams backup and support and need depth to win and have a good bench. 

Good teams have a willingness to take risks and know it’s sometimes better NOT to play it safe, but go out on a limb.

Jesus pulled together a widely diverse set of personalities and molded them into a powerfully effective team that changed the world.

Think Team!

Peter Drucker says, “The most effective leaders never say “I”.  They think team.  They understand their job is to make the team function.  They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but “we” gets the credit.  This is what creates trust and get the job done.”

I like this concept.  Philippians 2 says:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others.  Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 

This kind of selfless thinking goes a long way in effective leadership and creates a climate of mutual success and accomplishment.

Great Leaders Listen

What are the traits of the most admired senior executives?  According to a survey by Next Level Leadership:

1     They listen.  They know part of the job of leader is to get people to talk.

2     They’re present.  Most admired leaders give 100% attention in meetings.  They’re not distracted by email or text messages. 

3     They prepare.  They accomplish more because they prepare.  They publish their agendas.  They expect others to be prepared as well.

4     They’re open.  They seek to uncover problems and get them resolved. 

5     They challenge.  They don’t intimidate. They ask open-ended questions. 

Jesus did that a lot.  He listened intently.  He gave even women and kids total attention.   He was so open to people they told him everything.  And he questioned and challenged those around him.

That’s why Jesus is one of the most admired leaders in the history of the world.

Traits of Admired Leaders--They Listen.

What are the traits of the most admired senior executives?  According to a survey by Next Level Leadership:

1     They listen.  They know part of the job of leader is to get people to talk.

2     They’re present.  Most admired leaders give 100% attention in meetings.  They’re not distracted by email or text messages. 

3     They prepare.  They accomplish more because they prepare.  They publish their agendas.  They expect others to be prepared as well.

4     They’re open.  They seek to uncover problems and get them resolved. 

5     They challenge.  They don’t intimidate. They ask open-ended questions. 

Jesus did that a lot.  He listened intently.  He gave even women and kids total attention.   He was so open to people they told him everything.  And he questioned and challenged those around him.

That’s why Jesus is one of the most admired leaders in the history of the world.

Stay in your Strength Zone

Andy Stanley has written a book describing the Next Generation Leader.

If you’re a Next Generation Leader: recognize you have limited strengths.

You don’t need to be an expert in everything.  Don’t spend time on projects outside your strength.

Narrow your focus to increase your influence. Discover your zone and stay there.

Delegate everything else.   Really, the less you do, the more you’ll accomplish.

Paul, the 1st Century apostle described this principle this way.

When I am weak, then I’m strong.  God’s strength is made perfect in my weakness.

When I realize that I can’t do it all, I rely on the resources of others.  It’s not a one man show.  And when I realize I can’t do it all, I rely the more on God’s strength.

The Leader as Shepherd

When we were in Israel touring Jerusalem, our guide made an interesting comment: “The great leaders in Israel’s history have been shepherds.”

I’ve been thinking on those words ever since. Great leaders are shepherds.

King David was the “shepherd king.” He wrote a Psalm calling the Lord his shepherd.

What do shepherds do? Shepherds provide and guide, protect and correct.

Jesus referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. A good shepherd gives his life for his sheep.

Our guide made another observation: in America, shepherds drive the sheep from behind. In the Middle East, shepherds lead their flocks from out front, because sheep know the shepherds voice and follow him.

Good leaders guide and provide, protect and correct. Good leaders sacrifice for their people. And good leaders lead by being in front of their team. And the team recognizes the leader and follows.

Power Isn't Power Until You Give it Away

Recent elections in the U.K were very interesting—especially as the leader of the Conservative Party and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats tried to reach a power-sharing agreement.

Power sharing is increasingly common in the world of business and politics.  But how do you bring two opposing viewpoints to a position of power-sharing?

Jack Welch head of GE talked about the GRPI model.

G: Goals: what goals do we have in common?

R: Roles: what role each of us can play?

P: Plans: how will we coordinate our work? How will decisions be made?

I: Interpersonal Norms: what ground rules do we need to build trust?

First century Christ-follower Paul encouraged young Timothy saying God has given us a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.

The best way to gain power is to share power—to give it away.

Formula for Success

I was at a stop light this week and a bumper sticker caught my eye, it said, “Do justly, live kindly, walk humbly with your God.”

Some of you would recognize the source as the old prophet, Micah. It’s a wonderful formula for success in life and relationships.

Here’s my paraphrase: Do justly. Always do the right thing. Live kindly. Do the right thing in an attitude of kindness. Walk humbly with your God. If you’re humble before God, you will display a natural humility to those around you.

How about that for a good leadership principle? And it’s about 2,500 years old. 

Changing your Strategy

As a leader you need to be flexible. 

Walt Shill of Accenture says, “Strategy, as we knew it, is dead.”

Corporate leadership is finding that flexibility and accelerated decision making are more important than predicting the future.

Companies have long planned for changing circumstances. What’s new is the heavy dose of opportunism.

Review the budget every month rather than quarterly to react faster to change.

The writer of Ecclesiastes says, “Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come.”

Work with your team under God’s direction to create good plans. But daily seek God’s direction for dealing with the daily needs and opportunities.

~Wayne

Start Small

Think Smart, Start Small

I love this quote: If you're going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

Cross country skiing looks fun.  But I wouldn’t start out by skiing across China!

So if you’re taking on a new challenge, start small. I often say, “Crawl before you walk, walk before you run, run before you fly.”

My nephew had a dream to hike the Appalachian Trail.  He’d never done mountain hiking before.

So he started in Maine and hiked to Georgia. But he started in October and walked through some of the worst winter conditions in history.  More projects fail from lack of planning and counting the cost.

Jesus said that if you plan to build a tower or go to war, first sit down and estimate the cost. And if you take up cross country skiing, pick a small country to start.

Keep Our Eyes on the Goal

Are you in the season of strategic planning.  I’ve got a great phrase for you from First Century planner, Paul of Tarsus.

He said this, "I've got my eye on the goal where God is beckoning us onward to Jesus.  I'm off and running and I'm not turning back.  So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us."

I love that. Keeping our eyes on the goal.

Get off and running with the plan. Don’t look back.

Keep goal focused to achieve all that God has for you.

Who says the Bible is impractical?

I’m living this advice in our strategic direction.

“So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us."

Philippians 3:14,15  (The Message)

Leadership isn't telling people what to do.

 Jana Eggers, CEO of clothing company Spreadshirt, says,  “Most people think good leadership is about making the right decisions -- but in a big organization, that's hardly ever true,” she says, “Once a company expands beyond a handful of people, the boss's real job is to look at the big picture while others make the day-to-day decisions.” 

That’s right, your job as a leader is to inspire your team to make good decisions every day. I want to hire and develop a team that doesn’t need a lot of hand-holding. So what are you doing to inspire your team to take initiative and work with an inspired attitude? What are you doing to build into the lives of others?

Jesus took a ragtag group of diverse personalities and developed them into a team that turned the world upside down.  He told them that they would do even greater works than He did in His earthly ministry. That’s good leadership! 

Blue Ocean Strategy

What’s Your Strategy?

Many in industry are working harder than ever to achieve the same results they did five years ago. They’re operating in what would be called a “RED OCEAN” philosophy.( It’s a book by Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.)

Red Ocean Strategy means you:  Compete in existing market space, beat the competition, exploit existing demand.

“If the business model isn’t working, try harder.”

Blue Ocean Strategy means: Create uncontested market space, make the competition irrelevant, create and capture new demand.

“We simply need to have fun as an industry again.”

God’s word says this: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your energy as unto the Lord. Jesus said you don’t put new wine in old wineskins. That’s real Biblical Blue Ocean thinking.

Face the Challenge

Face the Challenge

I read this quote in FastCompany magazine: "A problem may look hopelessly complex. But there's a game plan that can yield movement on even the toughest issues. And it starts with locating a bright spot -- a ray of hope."

It’s true. The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step.  A problem or project may seem insurmountable or overwhelming. But the important thing is to start. Just do the first thing, whatever that is.

The book of Proverbs tells us: Don’t despise small beginnings.

So if you’re facing a huge challenge, take the first step. A small first step is better than the grandest concept not implemented.











It may be a small step for you, but a giant leap for the challenge before you.

Crisis Reveals Character

I know a man who lacks confidence in his leadership skill. He continually claims that he’s not a good leader and shouldn’t be the number one guy.

However, recently he experienced a crisis in his business. He wisely gathered his team, collaborated on a solution, and created a project management plan to deal with the situation. He then assigned team members to implement the plan in their areas.

He kept his cool. He used his team. And most of all, he trusted God’s guidance and sovereignty in wisely handling the situation.

He didn’t develop character in the crisis. The emergency revealed his true character.

Character is not built on the gridiron or the stage. Character is built in the workout room or rehearsal hall.

Unhurried Time with God

A malady in today’s corporate and even Christian leadership is we’re more concerned about outward appearance then we are about character.

A friend in business told me, “the more public and outward my ministry, the more important my private and inward character”.

The more leadership responsibilities I am given, the more I need to be led by God.

The busier my schedule, the more desperately I need unhurried time with God. The more people’s lives I touch, the more in touch I need to be with Christ.

Jesus Himself in his public ministry took time from the crowds withdrew to a quiet place and found strength in solitude and silence. He encouraged His followers to do the same.

Blink!

The book BLINK! proposes that for the experienced, discerning mind, first impressions are almost always the right impression.

Some call it “trusting your gut”. Others call it “instinct”, I call it “Holy Spirit-directed intuition”. God’s Spirit testifies with our spirit about what is truthful and right.

I like how the followers of Jesus in the First Century did it. The apostles were wrestling with a decision and praying for direction. Finally, Luke writes, “It seemed right to the Holy Spirit and us….”

The Holy Spirit’s guidance and our best experienced wisdom. James instructs, “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God and He will give it.”

God's Design for you

A pastor friend gave me this acrostic for our God-given design:
D is our DESIRES: God created us in such a way that He can motivate our desires in our service to Him.
E is for EXPERIENCE: God uses our cumulative life experiences to prepare us for His next assignment.
S is for SKILLS: God wired our DNA is such a way that our natural skills create unique opportunities for service.
I is for INDIVIDUAL: We are unique. Our God made personality can move us into individual service opportunities.
G is for GIFTS: Besides our God-given skills, He endows us with certain spiritual gifts such as compassion, hospitality, leadership and encouragement.
N is for NICHE: There are needs and opportunities that God has specifically given for your own individual design.
God has a desire for you and for your life. Isn`t that exciting! Let`s see how God uses His unique design in you to serve Him.

Drink coffee. Do stupid things faster with more energy.

I’m an avid coffee drinker…and I love this quote:
Drink coffee. Do stupid things faster with more energy.

If you’ve ever had the coffee jitters, you can relate. Sometimes I run across people that are so hyper, I want to say: “Next time, pick the decaf.”

All humor aside, haste does often make waste. I’ve often done things way too fast, only to have to do it over, which takes four times as long as doing it right the first time. I need to learn to slow down, think it through and do it right.

One philosopher said: Don’t be afraid to go slowly. Only be afraid of standing still.

Paul of Tarsus said this to the people of Rome:“God’s purpose is not hit or miss, dependent on what we do or don’t do. But a sure thing determined by His decision flowing steadily from His initiative.”

Keeping The Big Picture

One of the deadly sins of leadership is getting lost in day-to-day details and losing the big picture. You can’t both manage operations and effectively plan strategy for the future.

Line level employees should be spending 80% of their time managing day-to-day and maybe 20% looking forward. However, as a leader advances in his leadership role, he or she should be maybe 20% day-to-day and 80% planning, strategizing, dealing with the overall mission and vision.
So step back and look at the big picture.

Allow your team to take ownership of the details. They’ll enjoy the new trust you show them. And you’ll be freed to do what you’re supposed to do as CEO. And your team will feel better about day-to-day stuff knowing their leader is thinking about where we’re going.

Paul of Tarsus said: “Forgetting about what lies behind, and pressing towards the mark of God’s high calling.”

And remember, don’t spend your time staring at the dashboard instruments checking the fuel, the speed, the oil pressure and the water temperature. Look up and enjoy the ride.