Big Is The New Small

Here is a quick thought video that I shot and originally I was outside, and that’s why I referenced it being windy.  Share your thoughts about why some mighty pastors, businesses, leaders, influencers, sports teams… fall and why some mighty leaders, influencers and Chick-fil-A’s of the world seem to stay on top. 

BigIsTheNewSmall~ Think big… Think SMALL

It’s always fun to read leadership quotes and hear the varying opinions on the definition of a great leader.  It’s one of those concepts, in which everyone seems to have an opinion about.  If you go to webster and see how they define these two words separately, here is what you get:

• Leader- A Person or thing that leads
• Great- Notable; remarkable; exceptionally outstanding:

If you combine the two you get something like: Great Leader- A noteable person or thing that is remarkle, exceptional or outstanding at leading.  Although that is a “definition of a great leader” it doesn’t necessarilly communicate my definition or your definition of a great leader.

If I were to ask you to give me a definition of a great leader, we could come up with some amazing quotes, thoughts and definitions.  Instead of asking for a definition, I am wanting you the BigIsTheNewSmall thinkers to define a great leader in one word.  Just like there is power in a quote, there is power in one word.  These words will be unique to you, how you think, who you are, what you’ve expereiced…

The Rules: Define a “Great Leader” in one word.  (You can use the same word that someone else used)

I’ll go fist…  Everyone please join in and who knows, you may see these words pop up in another post or somewhere else at a later date. 

BigIsTheNewSmall: Think Big… Think Small!

I pulled up to the stoplight as usual and there he was… that he that I’m referring to was the panhandler!  There is a different panhandler at this intersection every morning; however it was something about this panhandler that took me to school.  In other-words this panhandler began to pan out some really valuable leadership/life lessons. 

 Here are 10 Leadership Lessons From a Panhandler that I learned during a 2 minute stoplight: (He’s not the one pictured in this post)

1. You never get a second chance to make a first impression (Why should I give to you right now)  Make your first impressions count.
2. Your message needs to be clear and concise (Hungry, Broke, Homeless…)  Cast a clear vision, have a clear direction.
3. Respect your clients (Don’t be over bearing)  Know, respect, and appreciate your customers and followers.
4. Persistence Pays (Don’t be to proud to beg and ask… and beg and ask)  If you don’t succeed at first, get a bigger hammer.
5. Make eye contact (When you look someone in the eyes, you might just see their heart)  Non-verbal communication is verbal.
6. Location and Timing (Location and timing are critical, good intersection and during a stoplight)  Know when to hold em’, when to…
7. People follow those with a following (Once one person gives, so will others)  The best way to get people to follow, is to get people to follow.
8. Be Genuine (People can read a phony from a mile away… or even a stoplight away)  Truly care about what your people & the mission.
9. Dress for Success (Look the part, dress the part… attire/look does matter)  The appearance of success is the on-ramp to success.
10. Be Appreciative and Thank God (“Hungry anything will help, God Bless”)  You have what you have because God allowed you to!  Thank God!

Share your thoughts on this post?  What Leadership Lessons have you learned from unlikely places?

There are many reasons that leaders fail; however I thought I would condense the list to 4 memorable reasons in the acronym FAIL.  Here are the 4 Reasons Leaders FAIL:

1. Fake-  A leader who try’s to be someone they are not instead of simply being themselves has a difficult time succeeding, at some point it just catches up to them.  This also applies to the leader that has a different face, different persona, different tone, different everything… when certain people are around.  In other-words when the big boss comes around they put their fake-face on.  Not to say a leader might not make some adjustments when company comes around; however the super-fake-face comes from insecurity of how they act normally.  Remember: Don’t be fake, be yourself… “Do You! It’s A Statement… Not A Question!”  Fake Leaders Fail!
2. Attitude-  One of the primary reasons that a leader fails is because of a poor, negative or a no-can-do attitude.  If a leader thinks he can fly and has a positive can-do attitude; even though they may not be able to fly they will come darn close.  The reason why attitude is important is because that leader’s attitude will rub off on their team members and their followers.  Remember: “Attitude reflects leadership, Captain.” ~Julius in Remember The Titans
3. Integrity-  If a leader doesn’t exhibit a high degree of integrity they will fail.  The integrity issues will either catch up to them (what’s done in the dark, will come to light) or those that follow them won’t respect them.  If team members or followers don’t respect the a leader, it puts the leader in the place of pushing a snowball up hill… it’s a difficult task.  These integrity issues run the gamete: profanity, lying, cheating, stealing, affairs, flirting, yelling, substance abuse, pride-filled decisions etc.  I have worked with many high capacity leaders in both the secular world and ministry that have failed because they allowed their integrity to get off track.  Remember:  Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching. 
4. Lacking-  Although I believe that everyone has potential for some degree of leadership in them; the bottom line is that some leaders fail because they are either: a.) Not the leader they think they are, or b.) Promoted above their leadership capacity/leadership role has outgrown them, or c.)  Not a visionary, or d.) Not a leader at all!   They are lacking what it takes!  Remember: Just because someone has an office, role, title or responsibility doesn’t mean they are a leader.  Leadership is an art, a skill, a craft, a gift… and it must be developed!

Share your thoughts on these 4 Reasons Leaders Fail and add any additional reasons to the list!

All of the LifeChurch.tv Campus Pastors and Central Team Leaders are in town this week for a couple days of fun, fellowship, strategic planning and iron sharpen iron time.  We played dodge-ball and had dinner together last night; today we will be meeting all-day at my campus.

I get the opportunity to share with everyone “How To Create A Healthy Team Culture.”  In preparing for my talk and discussion, I got my team involved.  One thing I asked them to do was answer or comment on this question:   “What is the one piece of advice that you would give to a campus pastor for creating a Healthy Team culture?”  I have compiled their thoughts as written by them into this “13 Ways” list.  You can substitute your organizations name in place of LifeChurch.tv or Campus. 13 Ways To Create A Healthy Staff Culture

1.       I love that we have a flexible environment so I know if I need to get something done I don’t have to come in & explain myself…I just do it!  I think that allows us the margin to do what we need to do and makes us willing to do whatever it takes to get what we need to get done for work done.

2.       To be truly intentional about your relationships with the team.  To reach out and care and know who your team is and what is going on in their lives outside of work. Not that fake I’m your boss routine crap of how are you doing.

3.       Lead by example!!!  In every situation be like that of Christ; so that you won’t cause someone else stumble by your actions!!! 

4.       Fostering an open and non-judgmental work environment, where people feel free to express their thoughts and feelings, empowers your staff to not only enjoy work but to look forward to coming back each day.

5.       Know your team members strengths. Lifechurch went to extreme lengths to hire the right person for that position on your team. The tools have been provided for you to rapidly learn their strengths and personality. Be a student of these strengths and attributes to understand how they contribute to the greater good and purpose of the Campus.

6.       Productivity happens where there is flexibility.

7.       Care about your team members as people, not just as employees. We can tell the difference. Care about what’s going on in their lives, encourage their interests outside of Lifechurch, etc. WHY? I care even more about what I do for LifeChurch if I feel like I am cared about for more than what I bring to LifeChurch.

8.       “Stop controlling, and start releasing your staff.  Realize that God has placed kingdom dreams within your people, and your leadership responsibility is to release what God has placed in your people.”

9.       Your position doesn’t ensure that I will trust.  My trust must be earned.

10.   Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean you can’t learn from those you lead.

11.   Have open communication with everyone. If there is an issue with a team member, we ALL talk about it. WHY? When we’re all talking about it candidly, it prevents us from talking behind each other’s backs. It also allows the person with the “issue” to talk about it. When we know where they’re coming from and we know they are working on it, it prevents further frustration. Whether it’s an attitude problem or an issue of meeting deadlines, we all talk about it and encourage each other to grow.

12.   Take the time to be genuinely interested in the lives of your staff. They will want to work for you, if they know they aren’t just another number.

13.   Create a fun environment. WHY? It’s hard to get stressed out about anything because I laugh so much every day. You can work really hard and have a really good time. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Bonus: Minimize Meetings!!!

Share your thoughts on, or experience with any of these 13?  Do you have any additional to add?

I have been dropping my two son’s Jayden (6yo) and Wesley (10yo) off at Basketball Camp this week.  I always give them the same pep talk before every sporting event or game and each talk ends with me asking them one simple question.  The question I always ask is ”Son, what are the two things that you can control?” and they respond “Attitude and Effort!”  That’s Right… Now Go Get em’!

This got me to thinking about leadership and the 2 Things That Leaders Can Control.  Leaders can control their Attitude and their Effort.

1. Attitude-  A leader’s attitude is one of the most important factors when evaluating the health of a team.  If a leader has a “Can-Do” attitude, that attitude will generally rub off on those that follow.  If a leader has a crappy/negative attitude, then you can expect to have a bunch of crappy/negative employees.  Leaders have a choice every single day as to how their attitude will be and that choice will inevitably affect their team…  So if you’re a leader, Choose Wisely!   Quote: I CAN is 100 times more important than IQ.
2. Effort-  The bottom line is that you get out what you put in.  The amount of effort that a leader spends dreaming, thinking, plotting, planning, directing, planning, training, developing, believing, thinking, trying, utting forth effort directly impact the results.  This doesn’t mean do all the work and burn the midnight-oil, it means if you want to be a successful leader you have got to put some effort into having a successful team and put forth the effort in all areas to be successful. Quote: We are responsible for the effort, not the outcome.

NBA coaching legend Pat Riley says it best, as he sums up the two of these principles in one great quote: Great effort springs naturally from great attitude.~Pat Riley

How have you seen these two things negative or positively impact a leaders success?  Overall Thoughts?

Most of us have worked for leaders that are for all intents and purposes are not very good.  I actually learned a lot in my early days of leadership from some really bad leaders.  Not only were they bad leaders, they were oblivious to the negative affects of their poor leadership.   There are many signs that a leader is not a good leader and I have identified 10 Signs below. 

The reason I attribute these signs to not being a ”Good Leader” is because a leader has to at least reach the mantle of being a “Good Leader” before they can be a ”Great Leader”  Here are 10 Signs They Are Not A Good Leader… Remember “They” could be you! 

1. they are not willing to fail.
2. they only talk and never listen.
3. they don’t develop and produce other leaders.
4. they micro-manage; that’s management not leadership.
5. they are insecure or threatened by someone that they lead.
6. they are not willing to follow and learn from those that they lead.
7. they are more focused on what people think about the results, than the results themselves.
8. they don’t truly care about the people they lead and have difficulty getting people to follow.
9. they are willing to make the wrong decision, because of the fear of  fall-out from making the right decision.
10. they only dream about being like so and so, instead of {humbly} dreaming about a bunch of so and so’s dreaming about being like them.  Go Lead…Transcend The Isms 

They either ”don’t do” or “are not working towards” the 5 Things Next-Level Leaders Alaways Do!

Share your thoughts on any of these “10 Signs” and add to the list!

This post will take a look at the process of being or becoming a Next-Level Leader.  There are probably a dozen different concepts of what a Next-Level Leader is or what that word-pairing actually means; however in this post I will provide my personal definition of what a Next-Level Leader is.  I will also identify the 5 Things That Next-Level Leaders Do.

Next-Level Leader- A leader that not only elevates their personal leadership to that Next-Level, but elevates the leadership of their team members, peers and competition to the Next-Level. 

Here are the 5 Things That Next-Level Leaders Always Do:

1. Challenge Everything-They challenge things because they are supposed to be challenged.  They not only challenge the thoughts/methods of their leaders but they challenge their own personal methodology.  They realize that their boss puts their pants on just like they do and embrace the fact that just because a person is supervising doesn’t mean they are necessarily smarter or better leaders.  Challenging things is not about being combative, but rather raising every-one’s leadership game to the Next-Level.
2. Ask The Right Questions- They always ask the right questions… They begin sentences with “What If?, Have You Ever Thought About?, This Might Sound Crazy, but do you think we can…”  Anytime they have the opportunity to sit down with a Next-Level Leader they desire to learn from, they have a list of questions and not a list of answers.  They take their leadership game to the Next-Level by asking the right questions.
3. Dream- They are always dreaming and imagining.  Some of these dreams may seem to be a fairy-tale to some, but not to a Next-Level Leader.  A Next-Level Leader will schedule an appointment to dream, they go to Starbucks and Dream, they close their office door and dream, they take a vacation alone to do nothing but dream.  They take their leadership game to the Next-Level by dreaming,  encouraging those around them to dream, writing their dreams down and making those dreams a reality.
4. Learn-  They are always learning from: books, blogs, their industry, history, other industries, culture, failures, their followers, other Next-Level Leaders…   They have a mantra something like Will Rogers’ Mantra (I never met a man I didn’t like) The Next-Level “I Never Met a Man, Woman or Situation that I didn’t learn from.”  They elevate their leadership game to the next level by realizing that learning is fundamental.
5. Make Next-Level Leaders- Next-Level Leaders make Next-Level Leaders.  Next-Level Leaders contribute to the world of leadership by truly caring about those that they lead and always developing Next-Level Leaders.  They never confuse Management with Leadership.  Managers manage people and things… Next-Level Leaders make other Next-Level Leaders.  Simply put: “If You Are Not Developing and Making Next-Level Leaders… You Are Not A Next Level Leader.”

Do you or have you worked for a Next-Level Leader that does these things well?  Thoughts on any of these 5 Things, or do you have anything additional to add to the list?  Chime In!

I’m chillin’ at Catalyst One Day in Dallas, TX today.  Feel free to follow my tweets @scottwilliams.  You can also follow my Scribble Live Notes here.  Thanks for stopping by, I should have some good stuff to share after these talks from Craig & Andy.

Please join the conversation and if you have any questions about my experience down here, feel free to ask.

Pronunciation: “A Leader” Uh-Leader  and “The Leader” Thuh Leader

Just because you are “A Leader” doesn’t necessarily mean that you are “The Leader.”

Just because you are “A Leader” who leads a church of 500 people; deosn’t mean that you are “The Leader” to take that church to over a thousand people.

Just because you are “A Leader” that has a position, a title and an office; doesn’t mean that you are “The Leader” that people believe in, respect and are excited to follow.

Just because you are “A Leader” that people look up to today; doesn’t mean that you are going to be “The Leader” that people look up to tomorrow.

Just because you are “A Leader” on this team; doesn’t meant that you are going to be “The Leader” on that team.

Just because you are “The Leader” to this particular group or faction; doesn’t mean you will be “The Leader” to that group or faction.

If you are “A Leader” and think that you are “The Leader” that can be a problem, know your place and respect your space. 

Although both are important, there is definitely a difference between being “A Leader” and “The Leader.” 

Remember, just because you are “A Leader” doesn’t mean that you will necessarilly ever be “The Leader.”

If you are “A Leader” who’s determined to be “The Leader” figure it out; Go Lead… Transcend The Isms’

Thoughts?  Have you worked with “A Leader” who thinks they are “The Leader?”