Try – Fail – Learn – Adjust

Craig Groeschel is one of those guys who is doing IT.  Lifechurch.tv is a dynamic new way of doing church and is reaching people in ways no one else in history has ever done.   They are using cutting edge media and technology to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ.  Check out this video and let me know what you think…

What stood out most to you?  Do you think the church has been afraid to fail for a long time?  What does this mean for your own life and leadership?

For more information from this great church, visit www.lifechurch.tv. For their great free resources, check out open.lifechurch.tv.

Leadership and Car Fresheners…

I have this love/hate relationship with car fresheners.

I always enjoy having that new car scent when I step into my vehicle.  There’s just something about that smell that makes me feel like my granny car is actually a brand new beamer.  Of course, when I try accelerating to 60 in under 5 minutes, I’m reminded of my humble estate.

Despite enjoying the rush of a fresh smelling car, I often forget that weekly maintenance is required for a lasting aroma.

Sooner or later, a different kind of aroma sets in…Something quite different all together. One day the stench of last week’s Big Mac meal mixed with sweaty gym clothes mixed with mushy banana peels hits me like a tidal wave. 

Looking up and shaking my fist at my worthless car freshener, I realize it’s been 4 months since I followed the instructions printed clearly on the back. Something about opening it gradually each week?  Little lines marking the little tree’s trek to freedom…

In my frustration, I tug on the plastic and what do you know…it comes all the way off.  Now, I know I’m not the only one that deals with this because try as I might, the same thing happens to me every time.

And really, here I must pause and thank whomever the flip it was that decided car fresheners had to be in the shape of little trees.  Ya, they’re cute.  Sure, I imagine the shape of an old sock wouldn’t sell as well.  But seriously, that has GOT to be the most impossible shape to re-insert into a skinny plastic preserver!

So there I sit; plastic cover in hand and the overwhelming scent slowly permeating my car.

Everyone who takes a ride with me holds their nose or rolls down the window. I even become nauseated while driving. The freshener has outdone its purpose and my impatience and need for change has driven it past its usefulness.

I’m convinced that many of us unknowingly approach leadership in a similar way.

Some of us approach our next position of leadership–whether in ministry or in corporate America–with an idea that we’re going to change things for change’s sake.  We’ve got grand visions for freshening the air and bringing a newer, more innovative scent to our church/company.  Especially for those of us of a younger persuasion—we despise the stale smell of stagnant strategies, old-fashioned philosophy, vague vision, and empty purpose statements.  The tendency is to make a drastic tug in hopes of seeing sweeping changes…

Unfortunately, we end up with similar reactions to those of my nose-plugging passengers.  The lack of tact, grace, and propriety leaves our would-be supporters scrambling for the exits.  If we do not walk into change with an understanding of proper timing, we end up swinging to the extremes.

As we all know, too much of a good thing is not much of a good thing at all.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge proponent of change, innovation, and creativity. But timing, discernment, collaboration, and intentionality must be at the bedrock of the changes we make. 

So it comes down to this:

1)       Be attentive to the fragrance of your environment—This requires regular and deliberate evaluation.  Follow the directions for consistent maintenance.

2)     Don’t pull too hard at the protective packaging—When the need for change is apparent, consider the appropriate course of action that doesn’t shift to an opposite extreme. Don’t overcorrect.

3)     Consider your passengers—In humility, value the wisdom and insights of others on the road to accomplishing your vision.  Not only that, but recognize how your decisions will impact them along the way.

If you find yourself out of balance on any one of these points, take some time to pause.  Remember that it’s a whole lot harder to put the wrapper back on than it is to rip it off.

Next time you glance at that little tree hanging from your rear-view mirror, remember the lessons that even the simplest things in life can teach us about leadership.

Filling Your Leadership Gaps

Ministry worth doing is worth doing together.

 I sat down with a group of amazing people tonight.  These are my teammates.

If anything, I’m simply a player-coach, on the same playing field as every one of them.  In fact, many of them have done ministry even longer than I have.  They see my blind spots and rather than exploiting them, they cover them.  They’ve got my back and I sense that they know I’ve got theirs. When things didn’t go as planned at a recent midweek service, they were right there to bring it together.  Unfortunately,  I often get so focused on what I envision, that my peripherals are clouded and I don’t see those around me waiting to jump in.

I had to do a few things tonight that are almost always hard for a leader.  1) Apologize, 2) Ask for them to help me understand what went wrong, and 3) Recognize that their ideas were superior to mine. I was taking notes as some of them explained how we could have better handled the situation.  We’re still a pretty new team, so I had to give them the permission to help me make those adjustments on the fly.  Next time a dilemma arises, we’ll have the tools and communication to meet it head on.

All I know is that I walked away thanking God for the people he’s put around me.  Not one of us is perfect (least of all me), but I’m glad for it.  We get to do ministry together in a way that compliments each other’s weaknesses and fills in the gaps.

Tonight was realigning. Tonight was refreshing.

What are the ways you fill your gaps? 

What does “team” mean to you?

Podcasts Every Leader Should Consume

Leaders are Learners.

We’ve all heard it before and I’m sure it won’t be the last time I say it.  In a day where much of our time is spent in translation–down the road, in a plane, on our way–the hours must redeemed.  An unfruitful mind is a terrible waste.  Fortunately, there are all kinds of resources for those of us who wish to grow in the in-between times.  Not to mention, many of us who speak  for a living and thrive on conversation process experiences and lessons verbally.  One of the greatest tools for today’s leader is also absolutely free and comes streaming through the web in an easily digested format–audio.   

If you find yourself with mindless “in-between” time–in the car, at the gym, doing yard work, on a jog, etc.–pull up your iTunes and subscribe to some of the podcasts listed below.

These are Podcasts Every Leader Should Consume:

·         Leadership

o   Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast

o   Catalyst Podcast – The leadership filter for what’s NEXT in the church

o   Lead Like Jesus

o   Practically Speaking – 7 Practices of Effective Ministry

o   Rick Warren’s Ministry Podcast

o   The Leadership Moment Podcast

o   The Dave Ramsey Show

·         Youth Ministry

o   Simply Youth Ministry

o   Who Are These Guys?

o   Dare 2 Share Uncensored

o   NWMN Youth Ministries

·         Church Sermons

o   Elevation Church – Steven Furtick

o   Generation Church – Judah Smith

o   Hillsong Church – Joel Houston

o   Imago Dei – Rick McKinley

o   Life rules – Andy Stanley

o   LifeChurch.tv – Craig Groeschel

o   Mars Hill Bible Church – Rob Bell

o   Mars Hill Church – Mark Driscoll

o   Mosaic – Erwin Mcmanus

o   North Point Community Church – Andy Stanley

o   North Point Ministries: Andy Stanley

o   ROCKHARBOR podcast

o   TheaterChurch.com Podcast – Mark Batterson

o   Willow Creek Podcast

·         Media/Technology

o   Church Media Design TV

o   Creative Synergy

o   ChurchTechTalk

(Those that are linked will take you to their related sites)

(Search the given titles in the iTunes Music Store to find and subscribe to these podcasts)