6 Sustaining Lifelines for Leaders

A great post by Dan Reiland.

The path of leadership is never constant; there are always highs and lows, good days and bad days. The challenge is to remain consistent through it all. Consistency elevates people’s trust and confidence in your leadership. 

We are different in our wiring and current circumstances, but there are clear patterns in the conversations I’ve had with more than thirty church leaders over the past two weeks. As an overview, they tend to group up like this.

• For some, it’s about great momentum, progress, and keeping up—more success than setbacks.
• For others, it’s more about struggle and maybe discouragement. More questions than answers.
• For all, it’s about solving problems, making decisions, and carrying pressure.

Church leadership always carries with it seasons of success and setbacks, momentum and grind, joy and discouragement. Yet, we all do better through those seasons when we have learned the rhythms of resilience — the lifelines we need.

The highs alone are not enough to sustain you through the lows.

Even if you have been blessed with great success and sustained momentum, certain lifelines allow you to keep going with depth, meaning, and joy.

6 sustaining lifelines worth fighting for:

You’ll notice that this list isn’t about more to do but enables you to do more.

1) Margin to think

One of the highest priorities in a leader’s life that ministry can steal from your calendar is time to think. Fight for that time.

Dedicated think time is essential. Don’t fall into the misconception that we are thinking all the time. We are not. Our minds are like powerful software that functions on autopilot for much of our day. Set aside time to think.

Problem-solving is the primary way we as leaders invest most of our focused think time. Other specific categories of thinking are, for example, writing a talk, spiritual and self-reflection (including scripture,) and discerning culture.

The desired outcome of intentional think time is new insight that guides your decisions and informs the direction of your leadership.

New insight doesn’t mean a thought never before conceived, but fresh and relevant solutions, personal insight, increased self-awareness, and understanding of culture.

2) Reason to laugh                       

It’s unfortunate to go a whole day with no reason to laugh. Yes, there are days with a full agenda and nothing particularly light-hearted, but even on those days, there is reason to smile if we look for it.

Some leaders have personalities that find laughter quickly. Others need to work at it. Neither is right nor wrong, but it’s always true that laughter is a great medicine and a powerful leadership lifeline.

Because of my passion, schedule, and sometimes intensity, there are days I can become overly focused. So, one of my reminders is a little smooth stone on my desk that literally has the word “laugh” painted on it.

Kind of dumb, I know. But it works.

I see it and smile. It reminds me that no matter the circumstance, I have much to be grateful for and that joy is a choice.

How about you? Do you look for laughter and create light-hearted moments?

3) Permission to rest

You don’t need anyone’s permission to rest, but that’s not the problem. But, unfortunately, we often don’t permit ourselves to rest. Is that a struggle for you?

A great deal is written about the importance of nightly sleep, but I’m referring to periods of your working day where you have some time to catch your breath.

I will admit this is not one of my strengths, so I’m writing out of some failure and some success, enough of both to know that running at full speed is not a lifeline to longevity or effective ministry leadership.

Rest during the race of leadership is about learning your rhythms of intensity. The goal isn’t to empty your calendar; it’s a rhythm of leadership activity that allows you to catch your breath before the next more intense engagement.

It could be doing thirty minutes of email before a long, complex meeting or exercising before several more intense meetings. On the other hand, it might simply be twenty minutes of quiet reflection or taking a walk outside and returning to write a message. These kinds of ideas are practiced in weekly and monthly rhythms as well.

4) Space to heal                

It’s impossible to lead and not be hurt. The real issue is knowing how to heal and return to soul-level emotional and spiritual health rather than becoming withdrawn or even bitter.

Emotional and spiritual space to heal starts with grace for your soul. There is no need to manufacture it on your own; God gives you this grace. Your job is to receive it.

These 4 steps are not easy, but they are as simple as they appear. Don’t make them complicated; lean in.

• Admit when you are hurt. Don’t stuff it in an attempt to be a strong leader.
• Do not put energy into revenge or withdrawal. Instead, face the hurt and have the honest conversations.
• Give yourself space and time to heal; this is a true leadership lifeline, but don’t let yourself get stuck there. (You may need some counseling.)
• Choose a coach or mentor to test your resolve and closure, so you know you are fully ready to forgive and move on. The baggage of carrying hurt (pain) is too heavy to carry and lead simultaneously.
• 
  
• 5) Time to pray

Time to pray may be obvious, but I mention it for two reasons.

• Many leaders confide that they are unhappy or satisfied with their current prayer life.
• Prayer is the most powerful asset we have.

That being the case, it is always good to call attention to prayer, a true lifeline!

The good news about prayer is that it’s not a performance thing. It’s a relationship with God, who loves you and desires to bless you. Time is needed, but it’s more about time to sit, reflect, listen, and drink in the presence of God.

I encourage you to pick a time that works, a place that is conducive, and find a pattern you find personally helpful.

6) Initiative to grow

Your desire to grow as a leader is deeply connected to your calling, passion, and gifting. A lack of desire to grow signifies deeper things that require your attention first.

The desire alone to grow as a leader isn’t enough. True desire reveals itself through initiative. Action plus effort and energy are required to grow.

The great thing about your development as a leader is that your church is automatically the environment of your growth. Your job allows you to practice the skill or ability you are working on and measure improvement regularly.

You can begin by identifying a specific area you desire to grow and focus on. If you are not sure, ask your boss or a trusted advisor.

Don’t make a long list of all the things that you want to get better at. Pick one. Maybe two. The way to distill your list is to discern which one or two will help you advance your organisational responsibilities the most.

In this way, you grow, and the organisation does too. That’s a huge win-win.

LEADERS ARE CHEERLEADERS

A great post by Dan Rockwell!  Everybody craves encouragement.  People thrive when they are encourage and cheered on! 

Success is about freedom to serve others.

Cheerleaders encourage people to succeed.

All of life’s great battles are within.  Among others, my battles include, selfishness, the need for the spotlight, and the need to control things. Put succinctly, I “prefer” that others don’t outshine me!  When I lose those battles, I’m an insignificant leader with a title but little positive influence.

Resentment of other people’s success prevents leaders from becoming cheerleaders.

Cheerleaders smile when others succeed.

Leaders are cheerleaders

The stereotypical cheerleader is cute and dumb.  (Cheerleaders, please forgive me!) 

Influential leaders are smart cheerleaders.  Better to stop making inane suggestions that slightly tweak another’s work, behavior, or words and start giving out atah boy’s, great job’s, and you are da bomb’s to others, especially those who outshine you.

Leader’s reach higher by helping others reach higher.

Be a cheerleader to 10 people today. 

Shine the light on something you see in another that outshines what you see in you.  Note:  don’t mention yourself while doing it.  For example, don’t say you are so much better at listening than I am.  Do say, I really admire your ability to _______ (fill in the blank). 

Here is a list of potential candidates:  spouse, son or daughter, boss, co-worker, a service provider, client, parent, employee, public servant, checkout clerk, or …

Is there a danger of too much cheer leading?

3 WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR CALENDAR

 Great advice from Dan Rockwell

3 WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR CALENDAR: DEAR DAN, HOW DO YOU PRACTICE AN OPEN-DOOR POLICY

A world without boundaries can’t exist. 

You can’t manage your calendar until you set boundaries.

Dear Dan,

I am learning how to manage my calendar and priorities. How would you suggest I manage the calendar and still continue to practice an open-door policy? I feel that limiting available time to “office hours” would then be perceived as limited openness and availability to personnel.

Jasmine

Dear Jasmine,

I respect your desire to be available. Isolation is the enemy. 

In a turbulent world you’re always learning to manage your calendar.

I suggest you include boundaries along with your commitment to be available. People will understand that you cannot be available at their beck and call.

Boundaries are essential to healthy relationships.

Gather the team for a boundary-setting discussion. The following topics are relevant.

3 ways to manage your calendar:

#1. Manage your calendar for deep work.

How will the team allow people to engage in deep work?

Deep work requires uninterrupted time. 

It sounds good to be available to everyone at the drop of a hat, but it’s not effective. It gives too much power to others.

Exception: The exception to closing the door once in a while is someone whose job requires constant availability. When a doctor is on-call, for example.

#2. Manage your calendar with closed doors.

Discuss creating times when people are allowed to be NOT AVAILABLE.

You already practice being not available. When you’re in the middle of doing things you deem really important, you prevent interruptions. Sometimes you leave the office to get deep work done.

#3. Establish open-door hours.

Discuss times of day an open door seems most effective and efficient. How much open-door time seems realistic?

Enable people to know when popping in is appropriate. Suppose every morning from 10 to noon and in the afternoon from 2 to 4 is pop-in-time. 

Closed door time could be from 9 to 10 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m.

Expect people to adjust their expectations. 

Tip:

No rule is unbreakable. If the house is on fire, go ahead and barge in.

Model boundaries:

Model healthy time management for your team/organization. You want people on your team to take care of themselves. Why would you treat yourself otherwise?

It’s OK to value yourself.

How do you balance availability with boundaries?

Tips:

Defeat distraction and manage your calendar: How Distraction-Addicts Find Focus

Live the big rock life: Put One Big Rock on Your Calendar

20 QUESTIONS YOU CAN USE TO AUDIT PERSONAL ENERGY

Big thank you to Dan Rockwell for this post.  These questions are so valuable!

“Being an energizer is 4X more important than your title, position in a hierarchy, position in an influence network, or your position in an information network.” Kim Cameron

Teams with one deadbeat suffer a performance disadvantage of 30 to 40 percent compared to teams that have no bad apples. Good Boss Bad Boss

Personal energy is more important than skill, talent, or resources. High talent and low energy disappoint. Low energy people earn low-level opportunities.

20 questions to audit personal energy:

(Ask team members to assess their ability to manage personal energy. Use a 1 to 10 scale.)

1. I know my most productive time of day.
2. I typically stay on task until I need a break.
3. I regularly express gratitude.
4. I feel my boss seeks my best interest.
5. I take breaks during the day.
6. I eat healthy food.
7. I have a consistent bedtime.
8. I know what today’s priority is.
9. I frequently do things I love to do.
10. I feel like I’m heading in a good direction as a person/employee.
11. I usually get the day’s work done.
12. I understand and embrace organizational purpose.
13. I use my strengths every day at work.
14. I feel like I make a meaningful contribution every day.
15. My work aligns with my values.
16. I feel like my boss listens to me.
17. I enjoy a hobby.
18. I exercise regularly.
19. I feel like I’m growing as a person.
20. I hang out with fellow employees outside of work hours.

Questions for discussion:

1. What did you learn after completing your energy audit?
2. Which items most influence your energy in a positive way? Negative way?
3. How might you better manage personal energy?
4. What’s one thing I could do to better fuel your energy?

Successful leaders help people manage personal energy.

What questions would you add to the above personal energy audit?

Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time

HOW BUSY MANAGERS PRACTICE PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT

A challenging post by Dan Rockwell...... Great advice for all leaders!

You hire the best, but the best can always get better. All organisations are in the people development business.  People development is the heart of organisational development.

People development is:

1. Equipping people to do things without you.
2. Cheering and affirming more than correcting.
3. Respecting and maximizing potential.

10 reasons busy managers care about people development:

1. Values. People matter.
2. Multiplication. Develop people who can develop people.
3. Capacity. Expand contribution.
4. Efficiency. Develop people to the place where they need little oversight.
5. Agility. Keep up with changing environments and new technology.
6. Aspiration. Good people care about personal development. Provide development opportunities or they will go where they can get it.
7. Potential. Bring out untapped potential. The person you hired can contribute more than you expected.
8. Productivity. Everyone feels good when they’re productive.
9. Fulfillment. It feels good to help someone make greater contribution. You have a problem  if holding people down is enjoyable.
10. Innovation. Learning enables innovation.

Giving direction as a form of people development!

1. Competence and giving direction

Giving direction is development when you speak to ignorance, inexperience, or lack of skill.

Over-direction produces lack of initiative. Why bother taking initiative if you’re going to tell everyone how to do their job.

You prolong incompetence when you give unnecessary direction to competent people.

2. Goal of giving direction

Giving direction is development when the goal is to stop giving direction. 

You might feel important when you give direction, but you’re successful when you don’t have to.

Questions to ask yourself 

1. How can you work yourself out of some aspects of day-to-day work?
2. How can you work yourself out of repetitive tasks?
3. How can you do things that can be done only by you?
4. How can you become the dumbest person in the room?

How might busy managers practice people development?

10 CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERS WHO LAST

Most of you know that I wrote a book, “Leaders Who Last.” I always find it helpful to run across lists of characteristics that enable leaders to finish their race well. I love what Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Chuck Lawless shares ten characteristics of leaders who last–good and helpful insights. 

Originally published by Chuck Lawless

As a seminary professor, I work with young leaders. I have learned the most, though, from leaders who have been long-term leaders. Admittedly, these findings are anecdotal, but here are ten common characteristics of those long-term leaders from whom I have learned.

1. They begin with a determination to finish well. They run the race with the end goal in mind. They establish appropriate boundaries to maintain their integrity, and they continually push themselves to improve.
2. They always have a vision bigger than they are. Their vision is so big – so “God-sized”–that relaxing makes little sense as long as more remains to be accomplished. Nor do these leaders ever want to fail morally or ethically; their task matters too much to let that happen.
3. They take care of themselves spiritually. They read the Scriptures, pray, study, worship, fellowship—and lead out of the overflow of their walk with God.
4. They take care of themselves physically. The long-lasting leaders I have met eat properly, exercise regularly, and sleep well. They cannot avoid the effects of aging, but they don’t contribute to poor health by making bad decisions. 
5. They invest in their family.  My experiences reveal a common pattern: leaders who last are good spouses and parents. They work hard at their profession, but not at the expense of their family. 
6. They treat people well. To put it simply, these leaders are nice people. They respect others, including those who disagree with them. Long track records of strong, healthy relationships give them credibility as they lead over many years. 
7. They share the workload. These leaders delegate well without shirking their responsibility to lead through influence and vision casting. They have learned that failing to share the work is not only exhausting, but it is also arrogant. 
8. They do not let discouragement set in. It’s not that they don’t get discouraged; it’s just that they don’t wallow in that emotion. They deal with fires of conflict before they become consuming. They do not like failure, but they know failure is seldom the end of the story. 
9. They have genuine friends.  Their friendships may not be numerous, but they are nevertheless real. Because they have friends, these leaders know they always have a support system. 
10. They have learned to laugh. Some of the best long-term leaders I know are also the ones who most readily laugh. Somehow, they are deadly serious without taking themselves too seriously. 

I’m grateful for what I’ve learned from leaders who last. Give us your insights so today’s young leaders might remain strong leaders for years to come.

What have you learned from leaders who have led well for years?

 

How managers become leaders

Over the years I’ve done a lot of thinking and writing about managing verses leading. In short, managing is about the present and leading is about the future. Adding to that simple statement, here is Dan Rockwell sharing some great insight about the difference between the two.

Originally published by Dan Rockwell

Only 1 in 10 managers actually have the talent to manage. But lacing on leadership shoes is like discovering you’re lactose intolerant after devouring a container of ice cream.

Leaders manage and managers lead. The line between manager and leader is often fuzzy.

The closer you stand to the frontline, the more the needle shifts toward manager. But the needle always shifts toward leader when you move up.

Moving from management to leadership requires letting go of activities that earned you a promotion in the first place.

John Kotter explains the difference between manager and leader here.

Leaders who struggle after being promoted manage too much and lead too little.

The more and less of becoming a leader:

Manage projects – less.

Develop people – more.

You’re great at managing projects. Now you manage people who manage projects.

When you don’t make the transition well, you disempower your team with meddling.

Both managers and leaders develop people, but successful leaders spend more time developing people. I heard Jack Welch say he spent at least half his time as the CEO of GE developing people.

Leadership challenges become opportunities when you enable talented people.

Solve problems – less.

Help others solve problems – more.

Leaders create environments where people solve problems, instead of solving them themselves.

Give answers – less.

Ask questions – more.

You aren’t the expert anymore. You have a team full of experts.

A leader who knows too much is a pain in the butt. If your boss did your job before she was promoted, I pity you.

7 Shifts:

Michael Watkins, author of, “The First 90 Days,” describes 7 seismic shifts managers face after they’re promoted. (HBR)

1. Specialist to generalist.
2. Analyst to integrator.
3. Tactician to strategist.
4. Bricklayer to architect.
5. Problem solver to agenda setter.
6. Warrior to diplomat.
7. Supporting cast member to lead role.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE A MANAGER OR A LEADER

A great post from Dan Rockwell.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE A MANAGER OR A LEADER

You’re not managing just because you run meetings or have a title. 

You might own the place, but that doesn’t make you a leader.

Think of leadership and management as distinct ways of showing up.

Manager or leader:

John Kotter’s book, “That’s Not How We Do it Here!” is a fable that addresses tension between the divergent functions of management and leadership. The following lists are inspired by his work.

You’re managing when you:

1. Plan and budget.
2. Solve day-to-day problems.
3. Track processes and measure results.
4. Hire, fire, and concern yourself with job descriptions.

You’re leading when you:

1. Set direction.
2. Align people.
3. Inspire.
4. Seize opportunities.

Insights from Warren Bennis:

“Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led.” 

1. You’re managing when you concern yourself with how and when questions.
2. You’re leading when you concern yourself with what and why questions.

Over-led organizations end up chaotic. 

Over-managed organizations end up bureaucratic. 

Which is better:

Leaders need managers and managers need leaders. It’s a matter of context. 

1. Leaders drive change.
2. Managers require stability to deliver results reliably.

Small organizations in stable environments need manager-leaders. But you can’t manage your way out of a crisis.

Chaotic organizations need management. 

Stagnant organizations need leadership.

Vision is a fundamental distinction:

Managers concern themselves with execution. Leaders concern everyonewith purpose and direction – vision.

Ask management to craft a vision and they make a five-year plan.

Vision includes the practical question, “Where can the horses in the barn take us if we all pull together and stretched our capacity?” 

“What’s crucial about a vision is not its originality but how well it serves the interests of important constituencies – customers, stockholders, employees—and how easily it can be translated into a realistic competitive strategy.” John Kotter