Five Reasons Your Not Getting Leadership Development Results

This is a great post on leadership development from Mac Lake...

You’re spending time, money and man power trying to develop leaders in your organization but your leadership pipeline remains dry and devoid of any new potential leaders. Why aren’t you getting the results you want? Here are five potential problems you should consider as you evaluate your efforts.

• You’re trying to develop leaders fast. We want leadership development to be fast, easy and linear. But the truth is it’s slow, messy and customized to the learner. True development takes time. When we rush development we short cut the process and don’t get the results we’re looking for.
  
• You’re not using a reproducible model. If you survey your staff you’ll likely discover that each are using different processes to develop leaders. Left to their own they had to come up with something, so they did. And now there are varying levels of success across the organization. But no one has every stopped long enough to ask, “What are the best practices for developing leaders in our industry?” I’d recommend you communicate, coordinate, collaborate and develop a reproducible model you can use across all departments.
• You’re building your development on the shoulders of one person. We love it when there’s one person in our organization that’s a leadership development machine. It comes natural to them. They’re passionate about it and there’s a constant outpour of new leaders coming up behind them. This is a huge benefit to an organization until that person leaves. Building a culture of leadership development requires building an army of leadership developers in your organization.
• Your training isn’t adding value to your leaders. I hear this comment all the time, “We tried getting our leaders together for development but they stopped showing up over time.” Listen carefully…People will attend things that add value to their lives. Stop blaming them for not showing up and take a look at what you’re delivering. Was it boring? Was it irrelevant? Was it all lectures? Did it violate adult learning principles? Could they apply the principles in their leadership at home, work and ministry? Make it valuable and they won’t want to miss it.
• Your training is not accessible. Leaders today need options. Offering training at one time in one location is restrictive and inhibits people from participating. Leadership development will have broader impact when it’s delivered anytime, at any place and at any pace. This means less control and will require more leaders willing to invest themselves in reproducing new leaders. But with new tools such as Ministry Grid, a new online leadership development resource by Lifeway, accessibility to leadership development increases exponentially. See www.ministrygrid.com.

If you’re not getting the results you want then take time, evaluate and make adjustments. Allowing your leadership pipeline to remain dry is damaging the future impact of your mission.

The Biggest Challenge of being a leader

This is a great Post by Tony Morgan.

- When there is uncertainty for the future, leaders clarify vision for where the organization is going.
- When a good opportunity pops up that pulls the organization from its core strategy, leaders say “no.”
- When teams are pulling in different directions, leaders prioritize what’s important now.
- When conflicts arise around competing core values, leaders lead through the conflict to preserve unity.
- When leaders make mistakes, leaders are quick to admit responsibility.
- When mistakes are made by someone else, leaders are quick to take responsibility.
- When the team gets comfortable and content to stick with past practices, leaders challenge the status quo.
- When there is work to be completed and deadlines to hit, leaders prioritize time for leadership development and equipping others.
- When talented, high capacity people join the team, leaders let others lead but they never give away accountability.
- When someone continues to drop the ball, leaders step in to coach and redirect.
- When someone continues to ignore the coaching, leaders remove people from the team.
- When consensus is impossible and people are watching, leaders make decisions knowing criticism will follow.
- When the future is set and a team has clear vision, values and priorities, leaders empower others to make decisions.
- When the crisis hits and people are searching for direction, leaders make decisions quickly and decisively.

Do you know the biggest challenge of being a leader?  Eventually you have to lead.

Courageous People Resolve Conflict

This is a great post by Rick Warren. 

 

“God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)
Why does God want us to live at peace with everyone? Because unresolved conflict has three devastating effects in your life.

First, it blocks your fellowship with God. When you’re out of whack with others, you can’t be in harmony with God. When you’re distracted, when you’re in conflict with other people, you cannot have a clear connection with God. 1 John 4:20 says, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar” (NLT).

Second, unresolved conflict hinders your prayers. Over and over again the Bible says that where there is conflict and sin and disharmony in your life, your prayers are blocked.

Third, unsolved conflict hinders your happiness. You cannot be happy and in conflict at the same time. When conflict comes in the front door, happiness goes out the back.

So, don’t you want to get rid of the conflict in your life? The starting point of resolving any conflict is to take the initiative. Don’t wait for them to come to you; go to them. You be the peacemaker.  Don’t ignore the conflict. Don’t deny the conflict. Don’t push the conflict under the carpet.  Have you heard the expression, “Time heals everything?” That’s a bunch of bologna. Time heals nothing! If time heals everything, you wouldn’t ever need to see the doctor.  Actually, time makes things worse. When you’ve got an open wound and you don’t deal with it, it festers. Anger turns to resentment, and resentment turns to bitterness.The conflict is not going to resolve itself. You’ve got to intentionally deal with it.

Only courageous people resolve conflict. Maybe the most courageous thing you can do is face an issue that you’ve been ignoring for a long time in your marriage, or with your kids, or with your employees, or your boss, or whoever.

Where do you find the courage to face it? You get it from God.
The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self discipline.” That means if you let God’s Spirit fill your life, you're going to be filled with power, love, and self-discipline. And God’s love overcomes fear.

When your love is greater than your fear, you’ll do things you’re afraid to do. That’s called courage. When you’re filled with God’s love, you’ll also be filled with love for that person who is irritating you or that person you’re in conflict with.

Talk About It

• What are you pretending is not a problem in your relationships? Money? Trust? In-laws? Family? Children? Communication? Values? Work schedule?
   
• What will you do today to take the initiative to resolve those conflicts?

Find Your Calling in Your SHAPE by Rick Warren

A great post!!

“May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.” (Hebrews 13:21 NLT) Once upon a time, there were some animals that wanted to start a school for animals. They decided the courses would include running, climbing, swimming, and flying. Then they decided that all of the animals should take all of the courses. That’s where the problem started. The duck was better than his teacher at swimming, but he only made passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. So they made him drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to be badly worn, and his grade dropped to average in swimming. But everybody felt less threatened and more comfortable with that — except the duck. The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but because of so much make-up work in swimming, he caught pneumonia and had to drop out of school. The squirrel showed outstanding ability in climbing, but he was extremely frustrated in flying class because the teacher insisted that he start from the ground up rather than the treetop down. He developed Charlie horses from over-extension, so he only got a “C” in climbing and a “D” in running. The eagle was the problem student and was disciplined for being a nonconformist. For instance, in climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but he insisted on using his own way to get there. Finally, because he refused to participate in swimming class, he was expelled. The point is that God has designed specific animals to excel in specific areas, and he doesn’t expect them to do all the other things. When you expect everybody to fit in the same mold, all you’re going to get is frustration, discouragement, mediocrity, and failure. A duck is made to be a duck and not something else. And you were made to be you. God has given you unique abilities, and he wants you to use them for what he intended for you to use them. Your abilities are the map to God’s will for your life. It points the direction. When you know what you’re good at, then you can know what God wants you to do with your life. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:21, “May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him” (NLT). If God asks you to do something, he always gives you the ability to do it. So how do you decide what you’re supposed to do with your life? What classes should you take in school? Who should you marry? What kind of career should you choose? Just look at your SHAPE. What has God wired you to be and to do? Your SHAPE points you in the right direction. My abilities match my call. Some people think calling is something you do if you’re going to be a priest or nun or missionary. But every person is called by God. First we’re called to salvation, and second, we’re called to service. You have a calling on your life. You have a vocation. You have a life mission and a life message and a life goal and a life purpose. How do you know what your calling is? Just look at your SHAPE — your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. Talk It Over Based on your SHAPE, what do you think God wants you to do with your life? How has trying to excel in an area that does not fit your SHAPE kept you from serving at your best?

Pay It Forward - Acts of Kindness - Boomerang Effect

Ten helps for young leaders to think about and act upon

Neither life or ministry is a one hundred meter dash!  A Gold medal may not be waiting for you next week, next month or next year. 

1. Expect to prove yourself. Be diligent in all you do and give your best.  
2. Stand up to those who look down on you by delivering great results. Action talk...
3. Remember that enthusiasm with endurance gets things done. Enthusiasm alone is shallow.
4. Be Bold in what you do.  Bold confidence should not be mistaken for arrogance.
5. Don’t whine. Maintain optimism. Whining is complaining without a solution. Become solution orientated!
6. Ask lots of questions before challenging ideas.
7. Humility is strength not weakness.
8. Learn from whoever you can.  Never stop learning; if you do you will stop growing!
9. Learn to prioritize. Why?  If you were like me you will try to do too many things at once.
10. Work on yourself while working in your position. How are you developing your leadership?                                                                                                                                                                                       

The Butterfly Circus with Nick Vujici - Wonderful!