Big Is The New Small

Get Your Priorities Straight!

1. Get your priorities straight with God.
2. Get your priorities straight with your spouse.
3. Get your priorities straight with your family.
4. Get your priorities straight with your job, your time, your leadership…
5. Get your priorities straight in that area or those areas that just popped into your head.

Decide how you would like each of these areas to look, embrace the cost and the loss… and go make it happen.  Don’t wait until tomorrow, get on the straight road today and Get Your Priorities Straight!

I need to get my priorities straight… Do You?  Share your thoughts? 

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?

1. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. ~John Quincy Adams
2. A leader must have the courage to act against an expert’s advice. ~James Callaghan
3. Inventories can be managed, but people must be led. ~Ross Perot
4. Leadership can be thought of as a capacity to define oneself to others in a way that clarifies and expands a vision of the future. ~Edwin Friedman
5. If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulder of giants. ~Isaac Newton
6. Heretics are the new leaders. The ones who challenge the status quo, who get out in front of their tribes, who create movements. ~Seth Godin
7. A great leader doesn’t care about being the leader, but instead cares about the mission, the vision and the people they are leading. ~Scott Williams 

Thoughts, comments or favorites from the above list; or share any personal favorites!

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!

Reason #3 Ignorance

There are some ignorant people in this world and many of those ignorant people are leading churches around the country.  Before you get all bent out of shape and begin to say things in your head like “Who you callin’ ignorant Willis or My pastor is not ignorant” let’s look at the definition of ignorance.  I have actually copied the entire chunk of definitions, in order to provide more context.

Ignorance:

1. The condition of being ignorant; the want of knowledge in general, or in relation to a particular subject; the state of being uneducated or uninformed.
2. Ignorance is the curse of God, Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven. –Shak.
3. (Theol.) A willful neglect or refusal to acquire knowledge which one may acquire and it is his duty to have. –Book of Common Prayer.

By looking at these definitions of ignorance, each and every one of us are ignorant about some things; although just because I am ignorant doesn’t mean I have to stay ignorant.  There are so many pastors, church leaders and congregations that lack the knowledge of this particular subject called Church Diversity.  They don’t know what to say in fear of offending someone, they don’t know where to start because they are uneducated in this area, they assume things that aren’t true because they are uninformed and the list goes on and on.

Let’s take another look at the 3rd. definition of ignorance (above) from the book of common prayer.   ”A willful neglect or refusal to acquire knowledge which one may acquire and it is his duty to have.”   I personally feel that pastors and church leaders have a duty and responsibility to at least be knowledgeable about Church Diversity; this knowledge is the beginning of understanding.  If our mission is to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ, we have to understand that sometimes that “People” will not always be the box of people that look like us or those currently attending our church.

I will close with definition #2 from above: Ignorance is the curse of God, Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.  If pastors and church leaders at least make an effort to be knowledgeable and educated on what it means to embrace diversity it will change their minds, heart and perspective.  Does this mean they will have a diverse church tomorrow?  Absolutely not!  Again, if church leaders and pastors at least open their minds and hearts to learn… God will do the rest in context of their church and their community.  Be Open and Don’t Be Ignorant!  

Are You Ignorant?  Is Your Church Ignorant? Is Your Pastor Ignorant? Do We Have To Stay Ignorant? Thoughts!

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.