Church Leader Insights Blog with Nelson Searcy

Recent: Leadership

If Your Staff Has Questions, Demand Options

Originaly Posted on June 30, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

Assembling and getting the most out of your staff is one of the toughest things that a pastor deals with in leading a growing church. On top of all that has to be done from week to week, staff communication can quickly become overwhelming.

In one of my recent coaching networks, someone asked this question: “How do you deal with all the questions that staff members bring you?”

What a great question - and one that many of us don’t think to ask. I wanted to take just a moment to share a principle on this topic.

Here’s the quick hit (in case you’re running late for an appointment):

If Your Staff Has Questions, Demand Options

What I mean is that, as a leader, you should never respond to a question from a staff member (in person, by phone or email) unless they first give you two or three suggested answers.

Why?

1) Because they know better than you. The fact that they are asking tells you that they have already spent more time thinking about it than you have.

This is essential, because it only gets more true the larger your church grows. When The Journey was just getting started, I knew everything that happened in every area. Not so these days.

Let the staff member share their thoughts on the question, then you can help them build on those thoughts.

2) Your staff needs to learn to think for themselves. In leadership development, it’s vital that you are being intentional about helping your staff learn to think.

If they can just run to you and let you fix it every time they run into a problem, how are you helping them grow?

Use your staff’s questions to teach them to think.

3) Perhaps the most important reason for implementing this principle is that you get better answers when you have multiple people thinking about the solution. It’s the old “two heads are better than one” idiom.

All of us are smarter than any of us.

I hope that’s helpful!

P.S. To learn six secret skills every leader can develop, check out Leadership Skills for a Growing Church
Manage Time (A Saturday Quote)

Originaly Posted on June 13, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

“Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else.”
– Peter F. Drucker, Author and Management Expert

P.S. For 34 proven principles to help you manage time, check out Time Management for Busy Pastors.
Top 10 Hiring Lessons

Originaly Posted on June 10, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

Here’s a great compilation of hiring lessons that my friend Dan Reiland (The Pastor’s Coach) sent out last week:

“Never Hire Your Mama”
by Dan Reiland

King Asa fired his grandmother. That’s a rough day in the palace I don’t care you are! Read the story in I Kings 15:9-15.

9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. 11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. 15 He brought into the temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

Yup, he “deposed” (to remove from office or position, esp. high office) Grammy Maacah! The best way to prevent a nightmare like this is to hire well. 80% of all difficult staffing issues are covered if you hire well.

I’ve made my mistakes over the years, and a few were costly. But I’ve learned and developed the art of hiring. No one bats 100% but the following hiring maxims will make your life easier and your staff more enjoyable and productive.

1. Never hire anyone you would avoid on your day off.
Chemistry is a big deal. Life is short, you need to enjoy the people you spend significant amounts of time with. Give yourself permission to hire and fire with that in mind. Hiring based heavily on chemistry can feel counter-intuitive when you are considering a person of high character and high competence. In other words, not hiring because you don’t connect well may seem dumb. It’s not. Let me be blunt. If you don’t like someone, eventually, over the long haul, both of you will become less effective, (competence.) If you then continue to take a paycheck that’s about character! I’m not suggesting that you refrain from hiring someone because of a little personality quirk, that’s what makes us all human and frankly interesting. I’m talking about basic chemistry… do you like being around the person or not?

2. Hire slow.
Take your time. It’s far better to have an open position and endure that pressure than it is to hire the wrong person. I have waited months for many hires, and nearly two years for one senior level position. In all cases it was the right thing. Always call references. Ask the references for more references and call them. Testing slows the process down, but is a good idea. While you don’t want to put someone in a box, many tests provide helpful insights. One of my favorites is the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, but I recommend that you contact a couple of the best therapists / psychologists in your area to get their advice. And speaking of tests, I strongly recommend running a criminal background check on all hires. You’d be surprised! (Check with your attorney on this first. Different states have different rulings.)

3. Never lower your standards.
Don’t let desperation push you. When your desperation becomes high, your standards become low. I know how it goes. The position is open for seemingly too long. God doesn’t seem to answer your prayers - when in fact He may be protecting you from a bad hire. And, you just want to get it done! I know. In almost all these cases, you begin to gradually drop your standards. You think to yourself, “This person isn’t exactly the right person, but then again, no one is perfect.” And so you begin down the road to mediocrity. Stick to your original hiring criteria. That person is out there. Find them.

4. Invest in growth over administration.
This is a tough one. We are all tempted to beef up our systems by increasing our administrative and support staff. That’s one way to help keep the organization crisp and efficient. Over-hiring administrative staff is also one of the best ways to kill an organization. A comfortable and smooth-running bureaucracy never grows an organization. OK, the word bureaucracy is a little over-the-top. But I want to paint a clear picture for you. If you attempt to remove normal ministry tension by making all systems smooth and easy, you are headed down a dangerous road. Creativity and innovation will be limited. All growing organizations experience tension. That’s normal. The key is to understand the difference between a tension to be managed and a problem to be solved. It is always wiser and a far better investment to put your first staffing dollars into new staff members who contribute to the literal growth of the church. (I’m not talking about financial raises for existing administrative staff, I’m referring to hiring new staff members.)

5. Figure out who they are under pressure.
A good percentage of church leadership is neither difficult nor complicated. It’s exhausting because of the relational elements, but not rocket-science. You keep good relationships, and make the right decisions at the right time for the right reasons. But the moment pressure shows up, everything changes. Under pressure (all growing churches are under pressure, and large growing churches experience lots of pressure) what was relatively routine becomes difficult and what was simple enough becomes complicated. It’s critical to assess and have a thorough knowledge of each new hire’s ability to thrive under pressure. From reference calls to asking a question in an interview like: “What would you think if I told you this interview was not going well?” Give them a tough case study to solve or visit their church and ask them to let you in on one of the problems they currently are attempting to solve to let you take a look and talk with them about it. Do whatever it takes to know their ability and capacity under pressure.

6. Ask brilliant questions.
The education system tells you there is no such thing as a stupid question. Yes there is. There are lots of stupid questions and its part of your job to not waste time by asking them. Here’s the secret, it’s not the question itself that is stupid or brilliant. It’s who you ask it to, at the moment you ask, in that certain context and for what reason. That’s what makes a question brilliant or not. We all have lists of questions. I have a long list too. I have books full of interview questions. That’s just busy work. The art of brilliant question-asking includes timing, context, purpose, assessment and what new question the answer cultivates.

7. Pay well, but don’t buy the employee.
This is another tough one. One strategy says don’t talk about the salary until the very end of the process. Find their heart and know their calling first. Another strategy says put the salary on the table up front and make it clear from the beginning. Both have merit. You don’t want to get so emotionally deep into the process that you end up paying too much for the position, and yet you do want to pay well with a generous spirit. I think the bottom line is that no one is so good that you should feel obligated to offer a salary that makes you uneasy. We all want to hire eagles, but there are guidelines to follow. Not rules to bow to, but guidelines to keep wise structures in balance. Bottom line… be willing to walk away!

8. Interview outside the office when you can
Especially when it comes to more senior level staff, don’t do all your interviewing in the office. Even if you just get out to a restaurant or a Starbucks, it’s important to spend time in normal and lifestyle environments. Then pay attention to how the person responds. I’ve interviewed in environments from baseball games to racing boats on a lake. One interview was in the middle of the jungle in Sri Lanka! You will always learn more about the person in those settings. You don’t have to get weird about it, but you get the idea. One of my favorite things is to toss them the keys and let them drive the car. That’s always revealing.

9. Don’t hire competency when insecurity comes with it.
No amount of competency overcomes insecurity. I can usually smell insecurity from a mile away. In a young staff member, that’s not always bad. Everyone has a little insecurity, but it’s an unbelievably dangerous combination to have a highly gifted and talented person who is also insecure. They can’t help themselves, they will implode in time. Insecure people are easily offended, they make it all about them, and they usually want the spotlight thought they will say they don’t. My sincere caution to you is if you suspect you are talking with an insecure leader, thank them, pick up the check, and call it a day.

10. Don’t hire for today.
When I first started as an XP (Executive Pastor) I made this mistake several times. I assessed and chose a person who could handle the job as it currently was. Big mistake. They may do a good job for the first few months, but as soon as the job grows to a size and scope in which they are over their head - you’re in trouble. Always hire for the job at the next level. Picture the position at the next click up and hire someone with at least that much capacity.

There you have it. These are ten hiring maxims to help you make wise choices and strengthen your team. Add a few more of your own and if you practice them, you will be glad you did!

Great list Dan - thanks!
True Courage (A Saturday Quote)

Originaly Posted on June 6, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

“Courage is not limited to the battlefield. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like enduring pain when the room is empty or standing alone when you’re misunderstood.”
– Charles Swindoll
Lessons Learned from Dave #4

Originaly Posted on June 4, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

I’m finishing up my “Lessons Learned from Dave” series of posts today. I’ve been passing along some of my best leadership learnings from Dave Ramsey. You can find the first 3 installments here, here, and here.

The fourth and final lesson is:

Evaluate WORK-LIFE BALANCE over the long haul

I meet a lot of church leaders who carry around guilt because of what they perceive as a lack of balance between “the ministry” and the rest of their life.

I found a great deal of wisdom in Dave’s approach to this sensitive and vitally important issue.

As I mentioned on Monday, Dave keeps an incredible schedule. In spite of that, he manages to maintain a strong and involved family life. How, you ask? By balancing his hard work with longer periods off.

He presses hard for a stretch, then takes some time off to be with his family. This is directly in line with the idea of “stress and release” that many of you have heard me talk about.

Dave pointed out that we have to be careful not to try to measure our Work-Life balance everyday. We should, instead, be intentional about measuring it every quarter, or even over the course of a year.

In other words, we don’t have to try to spend equal amounts of time at work and with the family every single day. That’s not a practical or realistic goal. There will be periods of time when we are heavily focused on one or the other, but our goal should be a healthy balance over time.

By focusing on maintaining a balanced lifestyle over the long term, you actually get more time with the family than trying to squeeze in a few minutes when you’re exhausted at the end of the day.

So, looking back over the last 6 months, how is your work-life balance? What are you going to do over the next 6 months to insure that you, your family, and your ministry all remain healthy?

He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?

1 Timothy 3:4-5

P.S. Do you have a plan to become a better Christ follower, spouse, father, and church leader by this time next year?
Check out Developing a One Year Personal Growth Plan.
Lessons Learned from Dave #3

Originaly Posted on June 3, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

I’m in the middle of a series of posts this week called “Lessons Learned from Dave,” sharing some of the biggest leadership lessons I’ve learned from Dave Ramsey. You can find the first two posts here and here.

Here is Lesson #3:

Long term success comes with laser-like FOCUS

There are really three sub-lessons to this larger lesson from Dave and his team:

A) FOCUS - Dave Ramsey focuses on one thing: Helping people get out of debt and giving them hope!

Since founding his company in 1988, that has been and continues to be his single-minded focus. The books, the radio and TV show, the live events, the training resources, and everything else that he does comes back to that same focus: Helping people get out of debt and giving them hope!

At The Journey, we’re about “giving the people of New York the best opportunity to become fully developing followers of Jesus.” That’s our one thing.

What is your church’s one thing?

B) ALIGNMENT - Not only is Dave focused, but everyone in Dave’s company knows their mission statement and lines up with it. Here it is:

The Lampo Group, Inc. is providing biblically based, common sense education and empowerment which gives HOPE to everyone from the financially secure to the financially distressed.

Everyone in the organization, and I mean everyone, lines up with this mission. They have set up a long, in-depth hiring process to be sure that every member of their team is on the team.

This alignment means that Dave’s focus is also the focus of their entire organization. And it’s this alignment that allows them to work hard and move quickly..

How can you work for better alignment among everyone who serves at your church?

C) STRENGTHS-BASED - Dave and his team knows their strengths and plays to them.

Dave is serious about doing the things he can do best and leading every member of his team to do the same. They’re so focused on this that everyone has the results of their Strengths-Finder test posted in their cubicle.

Across the board, Dave’s organization does a great job of knowing and working within their individual strengths to better function as a whole (sounds a lot like 1 Corinthians 12, doesn’t it?).

How about you? Are you focused on your strengths? What are some things that you are doing now that could be better done by someone else?

All in all, these three factors hold a key to whether or not our churches will make the Kingdom impact that God intends us to make.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20

P.S. Does your church have a plan to get from where you are to where God wants you?
Take a look at The Strategy Seminar.
Lessons Learned from Dave #2

Originaly Posted on June 2, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

I kicked off a new series of posts yesterday called “Lessons Learned from Dave,” sharing some of the most powerful things I’ve learned from Dave Ramsey. You can find that post here.

Today I’m going to share Lesson #2:

Groups that make a difference exhibit
ORGANIZATIONAL QUICKNESS!

One huge observation of Dave Ramsey and his company is that they are FAST. There is a small period of time between making a decision and implementing that decision. That’s one of the reasons that Dave and his team are able to pull off big things: Success loves Speed.

For example, a while back I posted about Dave’s “Town Hall for Hope” event. Over 1 million people watched in more than 6,000 locations nationwide as Dave took the stage and did his best to put some context to our current economic situation and to give people hope for the future.

All of that (one of the largest live webcasts in history, over 6,000 participating venues, live television coverage, and more than 1 million people tuning in) went from concept to completion within about a month and a half. That’s organizational quickness!

What does that have to do with us as church leaders? Simply put, the shorter the lag time between decision-making and implementation, the more effective we will be.

Don’t get me wrong, we need desperately to hear from God and to be clear on where He is leading us. We never want to “out-run” God, but once He tells us to do something we need to get it done.

In other words, delayed obedience is disobedience.

The secret to organizational quickness is to be always quick, but never rushed.

That’s the pace we try to maintain at The Journey, how about at your church? Is there a decision that’s been made but hasn’t yet been acted on? What’s holding you back?

You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it…

Isaiah 42:20a

P.S. Are you ready to expand your capacity to lead your church into the future? Check out Leadership Skills for a Growing Church.
Lessons Learned from Dave #1

Originaly Posted on June 1, 2009 Posted in Coaching, Leadership |

I had the opportunity a couple of months back to spend three and a half days in a special coaching experience with Dave Ramsey. One reason why I am so pumped about my upcoming Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network is because I have experienced the power of coaching from both sides.

This leadership training with Dave was an awesome opportunity for me and I felt like I was drinking from a fire hose for 3 1/2 days. I guarantee you that what I learned during this time will pay dividends for years to come. Personal growth opportunities like this one may be a high investment, but they are never an expense.

Dave Ramsey is fellow Christ follower, a highly successful businessman, a nationally recognized talk show host, a best-selling author, and a dynamic leader. In the spirit of “learn and return,” I’m going to take this week to share a few of the many lessons I’ve learned from Dave Ramsey.

Here’s Lesson #1:

THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR HARD WORK!

Dave Ramsey works hard. He is living proof that there is a direct correlation between inputs (the work you put into something) and outputs (the results of that work). You can’t spend any time around the man without realizing that he works hard.

Dave’s daily schedule alone would be enough to make many of us want to pull the covers up over our heads. I was amazed to hear him describe how he fits everything in on a day to day basis.

After an early morning wake-up, he sets aside alone time with God and exercise. His day “officially” begins between 7:00 and 8:00am when he meets with the leaders of his company. Despite all that he has going on, Dave maintains a very healthy level of hands-on leadership.

After a couple of hours in the office, he prepares for his Fox Business TV Show. The show is then recorded daily in his studio between 11:30am and 12:45pm. He has a few minutes for lunch before going live with his radio show from 1:00-4:00pm (also from his own studio). Four hours of solid talk everyday and he manages to make sense through it all.

As the day winds down (around 6:00pm), Dave takes a walk through the office sending everyone home, then heads home himself.

That, my friends, is a full day’s work. His organization employs over 280 people, he speaks to hundreds of thousands of people daily, and this schedule doesn’t even include all of his live events.

There is no laziness in Dave Ramsey OR his organization - that’s one of the reasons God has blessed and continues to bless them!

Can the same be said of me? My staff? How about you and your team?

Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards.
Proverbs 12:14

P.S. Having a hard time getting things done? Check out Time Management for Busy Pastors.
Strengthening Your Church Workshop

Originaly Posted on April 22, 2009 Posted in Leadership, Stewardship |

Many of you have heard me talk about Steve Stroope, Lead Pastor of Lake Pointe Church in Texas. It’s hard to place a value on how important he has been to my personal growth and development and to that of The Journey.

He is a great personal friend and a mentor of mine, and I wanted to let you all know about a special event that his church is hosting next month.

It’s a 2-day workshop called Strengthening Your Church in Tough Times, and it’s taking place Tuesday, May 12 & Wednesday, May 13, at Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, TX.

It looks to be a great training opportunity as we all lead our churches through these trying times, and I consider Steve Stroope one of the best resources in America today on the issue of Biblical stewardship and leading your church in that area.

For all the information on this event, go to:
http://www.ministryadvantage.org/Workshop/ConfSchedule.aspx

P.S. Steve and I recorded a downloadable audio a while back called “Money Matters in Church,” which can be found here:
https://nelsonsearcy.infusionsoft.com/cart/store.jsp?view=4&i=p699&navicat=31
Town Hall for Hope

Originaly Posted on April 15, 2009 Posted in Leadership, Stewardship |

I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to spend 3 days in Nashville with Dave Ramsey. It was a great experience and I learned a lot in those three days (I’ll share more of that soon), but I wanted to make sure you know about a special, first of its kind, event that Dave has coming up.

It’s coming up on Thursday, April 23, and it’s called the Town Hall for Hope. The concept is a nationwide town hall where Dave Ramsey will answer questions and reassure the American people that there is hope in the midst of our struggling economy.

Here’s perhaps the best part of all: it’s FREE. Dave is working with LifeChurch.tv to make this FREE event available to as many people as possible across the country. Not only is the event free to the participants, it’s also free to any venue that wants to host it for their community. To find a local host OR to become one, check out: www.TownHallForHope.com.

Here are the details:
Town Hall for Hope
Thursday, April 23
8:00 PM Eastern Time
www.TownHallForHope.com

P.S. If you’re looking to teach your church what the Bible says about financial stewardship, you might want to consider the Stewardship Sermon Series, a collection of 5 of our most powerful and popular stewardship messages:
https://nelsonsearcy.infusionsoft.com/cart/store.jsp?view=4&i=p64&navicat=31
Holding Members Accountable

Originaly Posted on April 14, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

I get a lot of questions about how we handle church membership at The Journey. We place a high value on being a member of the church and recognize that there is a responsibility on those of us in leadership to hold members accountable to what they agree to when they sign their membership covenant.

When we fail to lead diligently in this area, we aren’t doing people any favors in terms of their spiritual growth and we end up with outdated, bloated membership lists. To give you an idea of how we handle this sensitive topic, here’s a recent email that Kerrick sent out:

Subject: Your Journey Membership

Hi [[First Name]]…

I hope you are having a terrific afternoon!

I’m writing you this quick e-mail to let you know that our staff just completed our quarterly members review. And God is really blessing our church. However, our records show that you have not been able to join a Growth Group, give or serve over the last 15 months.

Trust me…we certainly understand how at times life can get crazy and how unexpected circumstances can impact our lives. Maybe that has happened to you or maybe you have moved further away recently. But because being in a group, giving, and serving are an important part of the expectations for Journey Members, what we hear you saying is that, at least for the time being, you would like to be removed from Membership at The Journey.

So, at least for the present time, we are going to remove you from our Membership list at The Journey.

Please e-mail me and let me know if you have any questions, if our records are incorrect or if you would just like to talk about your Membership. I would love to chat with you and to talk about reinstating your membership at the church.

I hope you have a wonderful evening and please don’t hesitate to let me know if there is anything at all that we can do for you. After all – that’s what we are here for!

God bless…

Kerrick

Kerrick Thomas
Executive/Teaching Pastor
The Journey Church
212-730-8300 x206
kerrick@journeymetro.com

http://www.JourneyMetro.com

P.S. We have put together everything you need to move people to membership at your church in one powerful resource, called The Maximizing Membership Package. You can find it and download your copy today here:
https://nelsonsearcy.infusionsoft.com/cart/store.jsp?view=4&i=p191&navicat=37
Q & A - Weekly Schedule

Originaly Posted on April 6, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

Q: I’m trying to get my leadership system in place and I need to rework how I set my weekly meetings up. Would you mind sharing how you guys do it at The Journey?

A: Here’s an overview of our weekly meeting schedule:

Monday:
10:30am -11:30am: Individual meetings with direct reports
11:30am-Noon: Location Service Debrief’s (R/W/M/C of services)
Noon-2:00pm: Strategic Team Meeting (Nelson’s direct reports)
2:30-3:00pm: All Staff Meeting
3:00-4:00pm: Worship Planning Meeting

Tuesday:
9:00-11:00am - Location/Teaching Pastors Meeting
11:30-12:30am - Assimilation Meeting
1:30-2:30pm - Ministry Meeting

Wednesday:
10:00-11:00am - Growth Group Meeting
1:30-2:30pm - Stewardship Team Meeting (every other week)

Thursday:
11:00am-Noon - All Staff Book Learning Meeting (every other week)

P.S. Running out of hours each week? Check out Time Management for Busy Pastors here:
https://nelsonsearcy.infusionsoft.com/cart/store.jsp?view=4&i=p257&navicat=33
Do What It Takes (A Saturday Quote)

Originaly Posted on April 4, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

“Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.”
– Jerry Rice, Football Player
Q & A - The Role of an Executive Pastor

Originaly Posted on April 1, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

This is Kerrick Thomas - Executive Pastor at The Journey. Nelson asked me to share this recent question and my answer about the role of an Executive Pastor:

Q: Would it be possible to send me your Staff Expectation Sheet for your position (Executive Pastor). I’m working on that right now with my two executive staff members and it would be very helpful.

A: We don’t have a specific position description for me, because I sort of grew into this role instead of being hired into a pre-existing position.

An Executive Pastor’s position description will vary from church to church depending on the type of church and the relative strengths of both that person and the lead pastor.

Some questions to consider:

1) What are your strengths? What responsibilities that you now carry would you delegate to the new XP? Do you need someone that can implement and create strategies for the big ideas you have? An administrator?

2) Are you looking for an XP of ministry (leads staff and oversees different ministry areas) or an XP of finances or both? I serve in some of both - although recently I have moved out of financial more and am just there in more of an oversight role rather than hands on every day.

3) Do you want someone to be a teacher? I serve as the 2nd teacher after Nelson. Do you need someone to fill that role and to be a #2 to the lead guy so that he can help shoulder some of what to this point have been lead pastor responsibilities?

4) Does he need to have a pastors heart (counseling/marriage/public) or be a behind the scenes administrator?

An XP can look different depending on what your needs are and what your strengths are. You want someone who will complement your strengths, make your job easier so you can focus on what is most important for you to focus on and who is comfortable speaking his mind and is equally comfortable if he speaks his mind but you go in a different direction.

These are some of the questions I would ask myself as I filled the role and I would look for someone who fits. Don’t use someone else’s position description if they are looking for a different type of person.

I hope this helps!

Kerrick

P.S. For help in setting up your church’s policies and structures, consider investing in The Journey Church’s Policy Manual, available here:
https://nelsonsearcy.infusionsoft.com/cart/store.jsp?view=4&i=p109&navicat=33
Pilot Your Time (A Saturday Quote)

Originaly Posted on January 31, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
– Michael Altshuler
Mastering the Management Buckets

Originaly Posted on January 28, 2009 Posted in Books, Leadership |

In Mastering the Management Buckets, John Pearson brings 30 years of CEO experience and a heart for Christian leaders to the table by outlining the 20 essential areas that must be mastered to become a great manager.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the best book on Church Management that I’ve read in over a decade, maybe ever. Pearson is motivational and refreshing in describing the “buckets” and the “balls” that must go in them.

Every Senior Pastor, Church Planter and Executive Pastor should read this book and they should make it required reading for their high level leadership teams.
Lessons Learned - Part 3 (Tim Ferriss)

Originaly Posted on January 9, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

This week I’m sharing some “Lessons Learned in 2008″ from Tim Ferriss, one of my favorite authors and bloggers. Here’s the one more:

“You’re never as bad as they say you are. My agent used to send me every blog or media hit for The 4-Hour Workweek. Eight weeks after publication, I asked him to only forward me positive mentions in major media or factual inaccuracies I needed to respond to. An important correlate: you’re never as good as they say you are, either.

It’s not helpful get a big head or get depressed. The former makes you careless and the latter makes you lethargic. I wanted to have untainted optimism but remain hungry.”

Well said Tim! To read more from Tim, click here.

Nelson
Lessons Learned - Part 2 (Tim Ferriss)

Originaly Posted on January 7, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

This week I’m sharing some “Lessons Learned in 2008″ from Tim Ferriss, one of my favorite authors and bloggers. Here’s another one:

“It doesn’t matter how many people don’t get it. What matters is how many people do. If you have a strong informed opinion, don’t keep it to yourself. Try and help people and make the world a better place. If you strive to do anything remotely interesting, just expect a small percentage of the population to always find a way to take it personally.[Ignore] ‘em. There are no statues erected to critics.”

Well said Tim! To read more from Tim, click here.

Nelson
Lessons Learned Part 1 (Tim Ferriss)

Originaly Posted on January 5, 2009 Posted in Leadership |

One of my favorite blogs is from the author Tim Ferriss. Recently he had a great post on lessons learned in 2008. This week I’m going to share some of his thoughts:

“One of the most universal causes of self-doubt and depression: trying to impress people you don’t like. Stressing to impress is fine, but do it for the right people — those whom you want to emulate.”

Well said Tim! To read more from Tim, click here.

Nelson
Year End Questions - Part 3 of 4

Originaly Posted on December 31, 2008 Posted in Leadership |

Here’s the third of my year end questions:

Year End Question #3
What do I want to do ‘less of’ in 2009?

As I reflect back on how I spent my time in 2008, it leads me to this question: what do I want to do less of in 2009? In years past, this question has led to radical changes in my life as I’ve decided to do ‘less’ evening meetings (I currently do almost none) or I’ve decided to do less preaching (no one is great 52 weeks a year) or . . . .well, you get the picture.

I’ve learned that I cram my life too full and that I have to force myself to add white space (or margin) to my life if I’m going to remain effective.

Oh, and once you ask this question you have to develop a plan to make it happen - this question ain’t a magic wand (ha!).

See you in 2009 for the final question (no post on Jan 1 - I’m taking the day off).

Nelson

P.S. If you are looking for more ways to make 2009 greater than 2008, check out my resource Developing A One Year Personal Growth Plan by clicking here.

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