Leader Fluent with Stephen Blandino

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On the Leader Fluent Podcast, we’re in a series on my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. The book addresses a host of insanely practical skills, and it provides you and your team with the tools to apply the insights to your life and leadership. The book is now available, and on this episode, you’ll get a taste of my chapter on, “How to Make Leadership Decisions.” Be sure to order Insanely Practical Leadership today and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.

SHOW NOTES:Several years ago, my wife Karen and I planted a church near downtown, Fort Worth, Texas. Well, a few years after planting the church, our building reached a tipping point. Our auditorium was full, our kid’s space stretched thin, and we knew we needed to either renovate or relocate.

After careful consideration, we decided to renovate the building. Here’s the framework we drew from to make the decision.

PRAYER: Have I Asked for the Holy Spirit’s Wisdom? 2. DNA: Does the Decision Support Our Organizational Identity? 3. RESEARCH: Have I Done My Homework? 4. EXPERIENCE: Do Lessons from Past Experience Support the Decision? 5. ADVICE: Does the Wisdom of Others Affirm the Decision? 6. RESOURCES: Can We Get the Money to Start and Sustain the Decision? 7. IMPACT: Will the Decision Deliver a Good Return on Investment?8. INTUITION: Is My Gut Telling Me to Proceed? 9. INFLUENCE: Are My Key Leaders Receptive and Supportive? 10. TIMING: Is the Timing Right for the Leader, Team, & Organization? LEARN MORE ABOUT INSANELY PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP:The teaching in this podcast series comes from my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. Get your copy of the book, masterclass, and study guide to maximize your leadership and to invest in the growth of your team. You can learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW:Would you do me a favor and leave a rating or review on this episode of the podcast. Your help in spreading the word is deeply appreciated.

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Today’s an exciting day because it’s the OFFICIAL RELEASE of my new book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. The book addresses a host of insanely practical skills, and it provides you and your team with the tools to apply the insights to your life and leadership. In preparation for the release, I’ve been giving you a taste of each chapter on the Leader Fluent Podcast. Today, you’ll get a taste of chapter 5, “How to Manage Your Time.” It’s a great way to start the new year. Again, be sure to order Insanely Practical Leadership today and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.

SHOW NOTES:Let me start this session by asking you a question: how valuable is your time?

In his book, Becoming a Coaching Leader, Daniel Harkavy offers a great perspective on determining the value of your time. He suggests that you start by identifying your desired annual income five years from now. In fact, go ahead and pick a number. How much do you hope to make five years from today?

Once you’ve picked a number, open the calculator on your phone and divide your desired annual income by 2,080. 2,080 is how many hours there are in a 40-hour workweek during an entire year. Once you divide your desired income by 2,080, you’ll come up with an hourly rate.

For example, if you want to earn $100,000 per year and you divide it by 2,080, you’ll make about $48 per hour. If you want to earn $250,000 per year, you’ll make about $120 per hour. Now, look at that hourly dollar amount on your calculator and ask yourself this question: “Is how I currently use each hour of my day worth that much money?”

You might push back and say, “Stephen, I don’t make that much money per hour.” I get it, but that’s not my question. The question is, “Is how I CURRENTLY use each hour of my day worth that much money?” Let’s make it personal.

Is scrolling through social media worth $48 an hour to you? Is watching TV for three or four hours each night worth $120 an hour to you? Is spending excessive hours on your favorite hobby worth the number on your calculator right now?

If your answer is “No,” I have news for you: If you don’t change how you use your time today, you won’t earn your desired income tomorrow. This example obviously doesn’t encompass the full value of time. After all, time isn’t just a matter of money. But this example does help us see time in a new light.

Psalm 90:12 also provides incredible perspective on the value of time. It says, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” When you realize the brevity of life, you begin to see time as a precious resource entrusted to you by God. We can spend time frivolously or invest it wisely; either way, how we use our time reveals what we value most.

So, how do you effectively manage time? Well, I believe it begins by identifying three circles. The first circle is “Why.” The second circle is “Where.” And the third circle is “How.” Let me unpack each one.

CIRCLE #1: WHY: Purpose & ValuesWithout a well-defined purpose and clearly stated values, you’ll efficiently manage your time to accomplish the wrong things. That’s not a picture of success. After all, who cares if you get the wrong things done quicker. Purpose and values are the north star for time management. So, let’s start with purpose.

If you want to discover your purpose, begin by identifying how God wired you. God designed you with your purpose in mind be depositing in you abilities, passions, and spiritual gifts. so if you identify how God designed you, you’ll begin getting clues to your purpose in life. Each of these traits are like puzzle pieces, and when you turn each puzzle piece face up, you quickly begin to see patterns emerge that give you clues to your life purpose.

What about values? Values are the people, principles, and priorities that guide our lives. They’re the internal rules of the game that influence our behavior, what we do, and how we spend our time and money. Circle #1 clarifies your purpose and values. They are the “Why” of time management.

CIRCLE #2: WHERE: Roles & PrioritiesThe “Where” circle focuses on the Roles & Priorities that will help you fulfill your purpose and values. In other words, this is “Where” you invest your time.

Let’s start with Roles. You likely serve in a variety of roles at home, in your community, on a campus, in your career, or in the church. The question is, “Do these roles help you live out your purpose and values?” The more your roles are aligned with your purpose and values, the more time you’ll be able to allocate to them.

Within each of your roles, you also have Priorities. So, what should those priorities be? John Maxwell recommends answering three helpful questions to identify your highest priorities. Question one: What is required of me? Question two: What activities give me the greatest return? And question three: what activities give me the greatest reward? When you answer the three “R’s”—required, return, and reward—for each of your roles, you will discover your highest priorities in those roles.

CIRCLE #3: HOW: Planning & BoundariesPlanning creates a system to maximize the minutes in your day. To plan your time wisely, select a good time management tool, and then conduct a weekly meeting with yourself to plan out your week. As you plan out your week, identify the three most important things you need to do that week, as well as the three most important things you need to do each day. Finally, eliminate time-wasters, automate things that happen repeatedly, and delegate tasks that must be done, but not necessarily by you. Those are the basic of how to plan your time.

In addition to planning, the “How” circle also focuses on boundaries. Boundaries are the guardrails that protect the use of your time. To establish clear boundaries, conduct a time audit so you know exactly where your time is going. Then, identify the kind of tasks, projects, and appointments you’ll say yes to and the ones you’ll say no to. Finally, set technology boundaries. When you consider that the average person spends 143 minutes per day on social media, it wouldn’t hurt to establish some technology boundaries.

The sweet spot of time management is where the three circles overlap. In other words, when the WHY, WHERE, and HOW of time management intersect, you’ll be able to allocate the precious minutes of your life to what matters most.

LEARN MORE ABOUT INSANELY PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP:The teaching in this podcast series comes from my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. Get your copy of the book, masterclass, and study guide to maximize your leadership and to invest in the growth of your team. You can learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW:Would you do me a favor and leave a rating or review on this episode of the podcast. Your help in spreading the word is deeply appreciated.

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In this Leader Fluent Podcast Series, I’m sharing some teaching from each chapter of my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. The book addresses a host of insanely practical skills, and it provides you and your team with the tools to apply the insights to your life. Enjoy this taste of what’s in the book, and learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE. In today’s episode, we’re talking about “How to Think Like a Leader.”

SHOW NOTES:Authors Mark Batterson and Dick Foth once said, “In a very real sense, my world begins and ends between my ears. I don’t have to be brain-dead to be brain-defeated.” So, how do effective leaders think? Well, in Insanely Practical Leadership, I outline eight essential mindsets of a leader. But today, I’d like to focus on three of them.

Leaders Think Possibilities vs. ExcusesUnfortunately, leaders can come up with excuses, and Moses is a perfect example. When God called Moses to return to Egypt and lead His people out of slavery, Moses tried to dodge God’s call with five different excuses.

Excuse #1: Insignificance: I’m Not Important Enough

Moses said, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” In other words, Moses felt insignificant for the task at hand.

Excuse #2: Incompetence: I Don’t Know Enough

Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” Moses didn’t have the answers to move forward. In his mind, his competence didn’t cut it.

Excuse #3: Invalid: I’m Not Credible Enough

Moses said, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?” So, get the picture: In this moment, Moses was doubting his credibility.

Excuse #4: Inadequacy: I’m Not Skilled Enough

Moses reminded God of his speech impediment. He said, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words.” Simply put: “God, I’m inadequate for the job. My skills don’t measure up.”

Excuse #5: Inferior: I’m Not Good Enough

Moses finally said, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.” In other words, “God, if you lined up a hundred other people, I’d be the least qualified. I’m inferior. Please, pick someone else.”

Have you ever used any of those excuses with God or with someone else? Have you ever said, “I’m insignificant, incompetent, invalid, inadequate, or inferior?” Well, here’s the problem with excuses: they’re the permanent exit ramp from the highway of obedience. But that’s not how good leaders think.

The most effective leaders think in the realm of possibility. Why? Because that’s where God resides. That’s why God didn’t put up with a single excuse Moses threw at Him. Instead, God told Moses, “I’ve sent you,” “I’ve equipped you,” and “I’m with you.” And the same is true for you. God has sent you. God has equipped you. And God is with you. And when that’s the way you think, you’ll lead in the realm of possibility.

Leaders Think People vs. ProgramsIndustrialist Andrew Carnegie once said, “Take away my people but leave my factories and soon grass will grow on the factory floor. Take away my factories and leave my people and soon we will have a new and better factory.”

Leadership is about the people not the programs, products, or property. You design programs, but you develop people. You create products, but you cultivate people. You buy property, but you build people. When you stop developing, cultivating, and building people, the day will come when you have no more programs, products, or property. In fact, when you think people first, you won’t have to worry about products and programs because the people will think of them for you.

So, if you’re going to think people vs. programs, then you must begin investing in people. Why do I say that? Because that’s what separates a leader from a high-achiever. High achievers are doers. But leaders are developers. One focuses on doing tasks, but the other focuses on developing people. And as a leader, the greatest fruit you’ll ever produce is the people you develop. That’s how leaders think.

Leaders Think Empowerment vs. ControlAuthor and pastor Craig Groeschel says, “You can have control or you can have growth, but you can’t have both.” To maximize growth, leaders deliberately give up control and empower the people they lead. Yes, this feels risky. And yes, this stresses out control freaks, like me.

But if you’re going to think like a leader, you must empower people with power. As Navy Captain Michael Abrashoff once said, “Empowering means defining the parameters in which people are allowed to operate, and then setting them free.” And what happens when you don’t empower people? They rely on you to make all their decisions for them. But again, as Captain Abrashoff observed, “If all you give are orders, then all you’ll get are order-takers.”

So, what does it look like to truly empower others? It requires two keys: responsibility and authority. You must first release responsibility to other members of your team. And then, you must let go of the authority that goes with it. Responsibility and authority are the two tracks that the train of empowerment runs on.

What about you? How does your thinking need to change? What mindsets do you need to embrace to think like a leader?

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW:Would you do me a favor and leave a rating or review on this episode of the podcast. Your help in spreading the word is deeply appreciated.

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SHOW NOTES:Sinkholes aren’t confined to land. They also find their way into our character as leaders. When our souls become dry, the rains of pressure and problems cause subtle character cracks to become giant sinkholes. And in the end, not only does our life collapse, but our family, team, and organization pay a heavy price.

Author Lance Witt once said, “When leaders neglect their interior life, they run the risk of prostituting the sacred gift of leadership. And they run the risk of being destructive instead of productive.” So, how do we lead with character? There are actually five layers to leading with character.

Layer #1: Identify Your ValuesValues are the character compass that point you in the right direction. And values are formed at the intersection of three things: beliefs, principles, and priorities.

Beliefs are the core set of creeds and convictions that anchor our lives. For followers of Jesus, beliefs are grounded in the truth of Scripture. Principles are wisdom and guardrails that guide us down the right path. Finally, priorities define the areas where we invest our time, talent, and treasure.

Simply put, beliefs ground us. Principles guide us. And priorities order us. Together, they form the values on which we build our lives. So, Layer #1 to leading with character is to identify your values.

Layer #2: Grow Your CharacterAuthor Bob Goff once said, “We plant sod where God wants us to plant seed. He’s more interested in growing our character than having us look finished.” Character growth is important, but it doesn’t happen by accident. It requires several practices to maximize growth.

Practice number one is to Cultivate Disciplines of Spirituality. We talked about those disciplines in the last session, and how they draw us into God’s presence where he can transform us.

Practice number two is to Create Boundaries of Accountability. Boundaries of accountability gives us the external structure we need to outsmart our weaknesses.

And practice number three is to Build Circles of Community. Community give us the wisdom and encouragement from others to help us play the long game.

These three practices provide the nutrient rich soil to grow our character. And working together, these practices prevent sinkholes from forming below the surface of our hearts.

Layer #3: Model Your BehaviorModeling behavior happens when you do what you say you will do, even under pressure. For example, modeling behavior is asking for forgiveness when you step out of line. It’s telling the truth when it’s inconvenient. It’s receiving feedback with grace and humility. It’s showing compassion when others are hurting.

These are all examples of what it looks like to model your behavior. In fact, in 1 Timothy 4:12, the apostle Paul said, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” Paul understood that character grows inwardly, but its influence is felt outwardly.

Layer #4: Debrief Your WisdomIn 2 Timothy 3:10-11, Paul said, “But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it.”

Notice, in this passage Paul highlighted several character traits, not to exalt himself, but to use each trait as a teachable moment. In other words, Paul used his life to debrief matters of character with his young apprentice Timothy. And we must do the same with our team.

The goal isn’t to brag about your character or present an image of perfection. Instead, we must give examples of when our character was tested, and how we responded. We must point to moments when we failed character tests, and then humbly share the lessons we’ve learned in the process. These “debriefing moments” are how you pass character onto the people around you.

Layer #5: Multiply Your ExampleThe example we set for others has the power to multiply far beyond us. How so? Multiplication happens when you guide the people you lead through the previous four layers of character. In other words, we must help others identify their values, show them how to grow and model their character, and then challenge them to debrief their character with the people they lead. As they exhibit each layer of the process, you’ll begin multiplying your character, and you’ll equip them to do the same.

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW:Would you do me a favor and leave a rating or review on this episode of the podcast. Your help in spreading the word is deeply appreciated.

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In this Leader Fluent Podcast Series, I’m sharing a snippet from each chapter of my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. The book addresses a host of insanely practical skills, and it provides you and your team with the tools to apply the insights to your life. Enjoy this taste of what’s in the book, and learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.

Leadership is immensely challenging. In fact, as I coach leaders, I hear stories of bold visions, heart-breaking pain, board members gone rogue, difficult leadership transitions, and situations with intense spiritual warfare.

The truth is, there is no shortage of stress and struggle in leadership. But as the external pressures of leadership increase, we need a more powerful presence within us. That’s why the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3:16, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.”

So, where do we start? Well, to become a spiritually grounded leader, we need four spiritual keys.

Spiritual PriorityAuthor Greg Mckeown made an interesting observation about the word priority. McKeown notes that when the word priority came into the English language in the 1400s, it was originally a singular word that meant “the prior or very first thing.”

It remained a “singular” word for the next 500 years, until the 1900s when we made the term plural: priorities. Well, McKeown poses a powerful question about the word “priorities.” He said, can there be multiple very first things?

Unfortunately, many people think there can be, but Jesus makes it clear only one thing can be first. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” This is the starting place to become a spiritually grounded leader. Seeking God must be our very first thing.

Spiritual PracticesAuthor Richard Foster once said, “We do indeed engage in practices—disciplines, if you will—but remember these practices earn us nothing in the economy of God. Nothing. Their only purpose is to place us before God. That is all…God then steps into our actions and, over time and experience, produces in us the formation of heart and mind and soul for which we long.”

Notice, the spiritual practices don’t change us—God does. The practices are merely the way we place ourselves before God so He can do His transforming work in us. So, whether it’s prayer, Bible study, worship, fasting, serving, generosity, or community, what are the spiritual practices you need to develop to bring you before God so He can transform you in His presence?

Spiritual PaceAfter performing a miracle where He fed 5,000 people, Jesus told His disciples to get into a boat and cross the lake. Then, Jesus went up into the hills to pray by himself. And the Bible tells us, “Night fell while he was there alone.”

But the disciples didn’t immediately get in the boat and cross the lake. Instead, John 6:16 says, “That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him.” And eventually, darkness fell but Jesus still hadn’t come back.

That passage sounds simple enough, but when I read it, I’m convicted with this thought: Has anyone ever had to wait on me to finish praying?

You see, Jesus modeled the unrushed way by not rushing His time with the Father. Despite the demands Jesus faced, His leadership pace didn’t exceed His spiritual pace. I know, unrushed time with God sounds impossible, especially when speed is the name of the game for so many leaders. But if we’re not careful, we’ll begin measuring intimacy with God by our efficiency with God.

Efficiency sounds like a good leadership tactic, but intimacy is the fuel to help you finish well. You can’t microwave maturity. And when we combine spiritual practices with a healthy spiritual pace, the transformation is deep.

Spiritual PerspectiveLeadership expert, Dr. J. Robert Clinton once said, “When a leader has a lifelong developmental perspective, that leader expects God to shape him over a lifetime. The leader views the things that happen to him as God’s sovereign way of developing him. That leader recognizes that all of life, while being vital and true for the moment, is also used to prepare him for all of the rest of life.”

To lead for a lifetime, you need a lifetime developmental perspective. You need to see pain, tests, and trials as the tools God uses to form you, grow you, and stretch you as a leader. I’m not suggesting God is the originator of all our hardships, but God doesn’t waste them either. The question is, will you?

Without a healthy spiritual perspective, you risk becoming angry, bitter, and resentful at the leadership pain God wants to redeem to shape you into a Christ-centered leader.

In fact, that may very well be the difference-maker in your leadership. Dr. Clinton said it like this: “The difference between leaders and followers is perspective. The difference between leaders and effective leaders is better perspective.” Perspective makes the difference.

So, to become a spiritually grounded leader, you need four things: spiritual priority, spiritual practices, spiritual pace, and spiritual perspective. Priority makes your spiritual growth important. Practices make your spiritual growth evident. Pace makes your spiritual growth vibrant. And perspective makes your spiritual growth resilient. This is the pathway to become a spiritually grounded leader.

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW:Would you do me a favor and leave a rating or review on this episode of the podcast. Your help in spreading the word is deeply appreciated.

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Welcome to a Leader Fluent Podcast Series based on my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. For the next few podcast episodes, I’ll be sharing teaching from the Masterclass for the book. It’s a great way to get a taste of what’s in the book, and the insanely practical skills you’ll develop. You can learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.

Personal and professional growth help you become the person, and the leader, God intended for you to become. As a leader, you are responsible to own your growth. You can’t delegate it or negotiate it. You can’t relegate it or vacate it. In fact, authors Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller said it like this: “Growth for leaders is the treasure that funds the future journey. Stop finding the treasure along the way and the journey ends.”

As a leader, you have a dream burning in your gut. But between you and your dream is a gap—a growth gap. And the only way to close that gap is to fund the journey toward your dream with the treasure of your growth. That happens when you get insanely practical about three keys: a growth mindset, a growth plan, and a growth team.

Adopt a Growth MindsetIn the Gospel of Luke chapter 2 verse 52, it says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” Notice, Jesus’ growth was intentional and continual. He didn’t think about growing—He grew. And He wasn’t haphazard about growing—He grew mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially.

Without an intentional and continual growth mindset, we’ll view growth as nothing more than a one-time event. Events such as conferences and seminars are great at inspiring change, but the change doesn’t actually happen at the event. A process of growth must follow the event which then produces long-term habits of transformation. Simply put, events inspire change, process creates change, and habits sustain change. And it all starts with a growth mindset.

Create a Growth Plan I’ve developed a growth planning model that I call “Growth TRAC”—T-R-A-C. A Growth TRAC is a specific, measurable, and accountable plan for personal and professional growth. Each letter in the word “TRAC” stands for a word, and each word is accompanied by a question to help you create your own Growth TRAC. Let’s unpack it.

The letter “T” in “TRAC” stands for Target, and the question is, “What are My Growth Goals?” Your growth goal is the target you’re aiming to hit. The letter “R” stands for Roadmap, and the question is, “How Do I Plan to Grow?” Your roadmap to reach your target is typically made up of things like training, resources, coaching, and experiences.

The letter “A” stands for Accountability, and the question is, “Who Will Hold Me Accountable for My Growth?” None of us are good enough to reach our growth goals alone. That’s why we need friends and mentors in our lives to ask us questions and hold us accountable to grow. And finally, the letter “C” stands for Check-Up. The question is, “When and How Will I Evaluate My Growth Progress?” When you conduct regular check-ups on your growth progress, you’re able to make mid-course corrections to help you reach your growth goals.

A Growth TRAC includes a Target, a Roadmap, Accountability, and Check-Ups. And when you follow your TRAC, it helps you intentionally grow.

Assemble a Growth TeamSeveral years ago, Scott Wilson introduced me to the idea of a growth team. A growth team is a group of people who help you grow in the most important areas of your life.

For example, if you’re married, your spouse will help you grow in your relationship with your family. But your growth team doesn’t end there. Prayer partners help us grow spiritually. Counselors help us grow emotionally. Coaches help us grow professionally, and financial advisors help us steward money wisely. Add to that friends and workout partners, and we find the help we need to grow relationally and physically. Together, this team helps us reach our growth potential.

So, to create your own growth team, start by identifying the primary roles and responsibilities in your life. Again, those might be spouse, parent, pastor, business leader, friend, and follower of Jesus. Then, identify individuals who can help you grow in those specific areas, and ask them to be on your growth team. And when you meet with these individuals, ask them questions to help you grow in the areas where they can help you most. Whatever you do, be sure to come prepared, take careful notes, and then apply what you’re learning.

These are the keys to growth. You must adopt a growth mindset, create a growth plan, and then assemble a growth team. All three will change and mature over time, but these are the core ingredients to maximize your personal and professional growth.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “Four Ways to Handle Criticism in Leadership.” Criticism is an increasing problem in the leadership landscape. It might be a problem, but how we handle it can become a bigger problem.

If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated.

SHOW NOTES:You don’t have to be in leadership for long to realize that criticism comes with the territory. People have opinions, and they’re not afraid to share them. That was certainly the case for Nehemiah when he began rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 4:1-3 says, “When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, ‘What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?’ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!’”

These weren’t subtle grumblings under their breath. These were blatant criticisms meant to dissuade Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem from completing the way. But they didn’t Nehemiah or the people of Jerusalem. They doubled down on their efforts until the wall was finally finished in only 52 days.

What about you? What critiques are your critics lobbing onto your leadership and the ministry God has entrusted to you? More importantly, how are you responding? Here are four ways to respond appropriately.

Consider the SourceEverybody has an opinion, but that doesn’t mean you need to give every opinion equal weight.

Sanballat and Tobiah were neither trustworthy nor interested in Nehemiah’s success. Quite the opposite. They schemed to harm Nehemiah (6:2), were relentless in their efforts to distract him (6:3-4), told lies to him and about him (6:5-9), and repeatedly tried to intimidate him (6:10-14, 19). Their critiques were born out of fear and intimidation rather than genuine care for Nehemiah and Jerusalem.

You will encounter criticism, but when it comes, consider the source. Disagreement doesn’t mean disloyalty. We must ask, is the source credible and caring? Are they trustworthy people who genuinely want what’s best for you AND for the organization?

If they only want what’s best for you, your leadership will become self-serving. And if they only want what’s best for the organization, they may be fine bulldozing you in the process. The source needs be both CREDIBLE AND CARING. Being credible gives them permission to speak into the good of the organization. And being caring sets the tone in how they treat you in the process.

Look for the TruthThere was no truth in the criticisms coming from Sanballat and Tobiah. Again, they lied to and about Nehemiah (6:5-9), and Nehemiah had the discernment to know they were lying. However, that’s not always the case. Even in hard criticisms, sometimes there’s a kernel of truth.

Several years ago, I heard Carey Nieuwhof interview Scott Sauls, a pastor from Nashville who once worked with author and pastor Tim Keller. In the interview, Scott Sauls shared a powerful response Keller had toward criticism. Sauls said, “In a dozen false things said about him, he would search for a kernel of truth that he could repent of, because every opportunity for repentance is an opportunity to draw closer to Jesus.”

What a powerful practice. When Keller found the kernel of truth, he would humbly admit it and pray over it. Notice, Sauls didn’t say, “He searched for a kernel of truth he could agree with.” Truth sets us free, and Tim Keller was determined to embrace truth, even when it hurt.

Control Your ResponseNobody likes criticisms. In fact, not only do we not like it, but we often have a visceral response to it that’s equally critical. In fact, harsher criticism is often how we repay our critics.

But you can’t search for truth if you’re swinging a sword. You have to control your response. Why? Because your response does three things: it reveals, reinforces, and reproduces.

First, your response reveals your level of maturity. Calm demeanors are more mature than rash reactions. Second, your response reinforces the truth. If somebody criticizes you for always being defensive, and then you respond in a defensive manner, the truth has been reinforced by your response. Third, your response reproduces patterns of behavior. In other words, how you respond to criticism will make the situation better or worse. Simply put, your response will reproduce bad behavior or good behavior.

Protect Your HeartProtecting your heart requires important spiritual habits such as prayer, worship, confession, and Bible Study. It requires a community of safe friends, wise coaches, and sometimes counselors. These are the practices that help you process your pain and remain spiritually and emotionally whole.

What’s the alternative? If you’re not proactive about protecting your heart, criticism will turn into cynicism. You’ll become bitter, untrusting, angry, and resentful.

What kind of criticism are you facing right now? Do an honest assessment of how you are responding. Then, consider the source, look for the truth, control your response going forward, and protect your heart. It won’t be easy, but it’s the mature way to handle our critics.

RATING OR REVIEWIf you haven’t subscribed to the Leader Fluent Podcast, you can do so today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora or your favorite podcast platform. Plus, a RATING or REVIEW will help us spread the word to other leaders. Thanks for your help.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “How to Prepare for a One-On-One with Your Leader.” If you’re a team member, I’ll share four questions you can ask to prepare or your one-on-one. And if you’re a leader, you can use these four questions to train your team how to come prepared for their meeting.

SHOW NOTES:One-on-one meetings with your boss, supervisor, or leader are an important part of organizational life. In some environments, one-on-ones are a consistent part of the workflow. In other environments, they are erratic or even non-existent.

What’s the key to a successful one-on-one meeting? Preparation. So, how can you prepare for a one-on-one meeting with your leader. I recommend four simple questions that can have a powerful impact:

1. Communication: What updates do I need to provide?This part of the meeting is primarily designed to keep your supervisor in the know. Generally, this is a quick summary of the things you want your leader to be aware of. Bosses hate surprises, and the communication part of the meeting is your opportunity to keep them aware of updates on projects, decisions you’ve made, or issues that might affect them, the department, the team, or the organization.

Clarification: What questions do I need to ask? If you don’t understand something, it’s your job to ask for clarification. You might seek clarification about unclear expectations, timelines, next steps, or other important items. Don’t leave it to chance. Ask quickly and kindly and be sure to take notes.
Challenges: What problems, challenges, or ideas do I want to discuss? Every team member experiences problems or challenges in their work. You might be hitting a wall with a new strategy, struggling to resolve a conflict with another team member, or dealing with a crisis or looming problem. Do your best to come to the meeting with solutions to problems, and then seek your leader’s perspective and advice.

On the other hand, you might have a new idea you’d like to pitch to your leader. It might be a new product, an improved service, a more effective strategy, or an innovative solution to an organizational challenge. The key is to pitch your idea without expecting an immediate response. Give your leader time to think about it without being pushy or demanding.

Coaching: In what areas do I want to learn or grow? This final part of the meeting is an opportunity to learn new insights, sharpen your skills, and enlarge your leadership capacity. This doesn’t need to be complicated. Instead, come with one or two questions you’d like to ask your leader that would help you get better. Again, don’t expect your leader to read your mind. If you desire to grow in an area, share that with your supervisor and ask for their help.

Your leader likely has a ton of wisdom to offer. Rather than waiting for them to share their insights, learn to ask thoughtful questions coupled with a posture to listen, learn, and grow.

Next time you meet with your leader, come prepared with answers to these four questions. Not only will the meeting be far more productive, but your leader is more likely to be appreciative of your initiative and willingness to learn.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “Seven Keys to Resolve Conflict.”Conflict is a part of life and leadership, and how we resolve it matters. If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated.

SHOW NOTES:Every leader encounters conflict. In fact, conflict is a part of life, whether it’s at work, at school, or at home. And one of the biggest reasons for conflict is when there’s a gap between expectations and reality. So, how do you resolve the conflict in an effective and healthy manner?

We find a really practical strategy on conflict resolution in the book of Acts chapter 15. In this passage, a conflict arises between Paul and Barnabas and some men from Judea. The conflict is over a Jewish religious practice that existed under the Old Covenant that was abolished when, through Jesus, a New Covenant was established. But these men from Judea are trying to impose this old religious practice onto the Gentiles.

Needless to say, this difference of opinion became a point of conflict in the early church. So, Paul and Barnabas head to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and elders of the church to resolve this issue. And from this meeting, we discover seven keys to resolve conflict.

Seek UnderstandingActs 15:7a says, “At the meeting, after a long discussion…” Why did these leaders have a long discussion? Because they needed to create space to hear both sides of the issue. In other words, a long discussion made room to gain understanding.

Author Stephen Covey said, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” But what do we like to do? We like to seek first to make our point, so then they’ll understand. But that rarely works. You don’t gain understanding with answers. You gain understanding with questions.

Begin with Common Ground Acts 15:7 says, “At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.”

Peter established common ground. He said, “You all know.” But again, we like to begin with what I know rather than what we know. But that approach burns the very bridges that would allow us to resolve the conflict.

John Maxwell calls it The 101% Principle. He says, “Find the 1% that you agree on, and give it 100% of your effort.” In other words, start with common ground. Start with what you both know to be true.

Articulate the Facts Without EmotionActs 15:8 says, “God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.”

Peter begins by sharing some basic facts, but he does so without emotion. Again, how we handle conflict reveals our level of maturity. If you handle conflict wisely, calmly, and with self-control, then you are being mature in how you handle it. But if you handle conflict in a harsh, demeaning, or uncontrolled manner, then you are only revealing your immaturity.

Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” Articulate the facts without emotion.

Acknowledge One Another’s ValueActs 15:9 says, “He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.”

Jews in Jesus’ day had issues with the Gentiles because they wouldn’t conform to Jewish rules. So, what does Peter—who was a Jew—do in this situation? He acknowledges the gentiles’ value, because God acknowledged their value.

If you want the other person to value your opinion more than you value them as a person, you will only escalate the conflict. Every person on planet earth was made in the image of God, including the person you’re having the most conflict with right now.

Address the Real Issue Acts 15:10-11 says, “So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.

Peter’s not hurling accusations here. Instead, he’s putting his finger on the real issue at hand. This is the part of conflict resolution that is easy to ignore. This is where we so often talk AROUND the issue, rather than addressing the issue at hand.

How do you address the real issue wisely? You have to speak the truth in the tone of grace. Truth without grace is mean. Grace without truth is meaningless. When you speak truth in the tone of grace, people can more easily digest it.

Listen without InterruptingActs 15:12 says, “Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.”

Several years ago, I was sitting in a meeting with a group of leaders from a wide variety of backgrounds, organizations, and life experiences. These were sharp people who desired to make a meaningful contribution. But the longer I sat in the meeting, the more I made an observation: the people who talked the most had the least to say. In fact, the more they spoke, the less credible they became.

Solomon warned us about this very issue when he said, “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions” (Proverbs 18:2). And in verse 13 he said, “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.”

When you begin with the posture of listening, then you earn the privilege to speak. And that’s exactly what happened in Acts 15:13-15a: “When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted.”

James spent all his time up until this point listening without interrupting. And after he had listened carefully, he was then able to say with respect and credibility, “Brothers, listen to me.”

Author and professor David W. Augsburger said: “Being heard is so close to being loved, that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.” Listen without interrupting.

Agree on a Sensible Solution Acts 15:19 says, “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” James wasn’t giving the Gentiles a free pass to do whatever they wanted, but on this issue, he presents a solution that was both sensible and biblical.

As you implement these seven keys, I believe you’ll become much more effective at resolving conflict in a healthy way.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “Five Keys to Build a High-Performance Team.” Today’s episode gives you a very small taste of a brand new coaching cohort I’m launching that’s focused on building highly effective teams. You can learn more HERE.

SHOW NOTES:Every leader wants his or her team to excel at the highest level possible. But building a high-performance team doesn’t happen just because we want it to. It requires a lot of work and intentionality with five foundational keys.

Create an Effective Hiring ProcessAuthor Jim Collins once said,“If I were running a company today, I would have one priority above all others: to acquire as many of the best people as I could [because] the single biggest constraint on the success of my organization is the ability to get and to hang on to enough of the right people.”

According to a study released by Leadership IQ, the reason for 89% of job failures is due to Attitude Issues, and 46% of them failed within the first 18 months. But here’s the kicker: 82% of managers in the study said that, in hindsight, the failed hires elicited subtle cues DURING the interview process that they would fail.

So, how do you pick up on those subtle cues that indicate whether a candidate is or isn’t a good fit? You have to create an effective hiring process. Here are three tips to start with:

Multiple Candidates – Do everything you can to secure multiple candidates to interview. In my experience, only two out ten resumes are actually worth looking at.
Multiple Interviews – Your interview process cannot be one interview. We use five different interviews including a screening interview, experience interview, deep dive, candidate and spouse interview, and team interview.
Multiple Interviewers – If possible, involve other members of your team in the interview process. This will help you see the candidate from different perspectives and catch any potential red flags.

Again, there are multiple stages to an effective hiring process, but these three keys will help you get started.

Maximize Your Onboarding SystemOnboarding is how you set new team members up for success, and that’s the job of the leader. A good onboarding system should answer several questions including:
What basic steps does the new team member need to take to be employed here?
What equipment, software, technology, and training does the team member need to successfully do their job?
What does the team member need to know about their role, expectations, and areas of responsibility?
What do we need to share with the team member about the organization’s DNA to help them successfully acclimate to our culture (things such as vision, values, culture, history, and common questions asked by new employees)
What does the team member need to know to successfully work with their supervisor?
Who do we need to introduce the team member to (including staff, key leaders, and key volunteers)?
What does the team member need to know about our facility and their budget?
What demographics and data would help the team member better understand who we’re reaching, the community we’re located in, and the growth trends of the organization?
What training, resources, and coaching does the team member need during their first 3-6 months to help them successfully integrate into our culture and maximize their performance on the job?

3. Invest in Your Team’s GrowthJohn Maxwell often says, “The only thing worse than training staff and having them leave, is not training them and having them stay.” So, as leaders, it’s our job to invest in our team’s growth regularly and systematically. By regularly, it should be weekly or at least monthly. And by systematically, it might include conferences, coaching, resources, one-on-one meetings, and staff meetings.

Cultivate Healthy TeamworkNo matter how great your team is, you must be intentional about cultivating and protecting healthy teamwork. Teamwork requires a team, and teams are made up of team members. Therefore, for teams to exhibit healthy teamwork, team members must exhibit four ingredients:
Character – Do they model integrity and spirituality?
Competency – Can they do the job with excellence?
Chemistry – Do they connect well with the team?
Culture – Do they fit the DNA of the organization?

When a staff member has a gap in any one of these four areas, it will disrupt teamwork. So, what happens when there’s a gap? Both the supervisor and the team member have three responsibilities.

When a performance gap appears, the supervisor’s role is to create awareness of the gap, provide appropriate coaching, and then hold the team member accountable to get better. The team member’s responsibility is to own the gap, be teachable, and then make improvements.

5. Improve Engagement & CultureEngagement and culture have to do with your work environment. So, what’s the difference between an engaged employee and a disengaged employee? An ENGAGED EMPLOYEE has a positive attitude and enthusiasm for their boss, their role, and the organization’s vision, values, and culture. They love what they do and feel an important part of the organization. A DISENGAGED EMPLOYEE has a negative attitude toward the organization, their role, and their boss. They feel unenergized by their work. They punch the clock, but their heart, mind, passion, and energy are elsewhere.

Clarence Francis, former chairman of General Foods made a great observation about employee engagement. He said, “You can buy a man’s time; you can buy his physical presence at a given place; you can even buy a measured number of his skilled muscular motions per hour. But you cannot buy enthusiasm…you cannot buy loyalty…you cannot buy the devotion of hearts, minds, or souls. You must earn these.”

Here’s what you have to understand about engagement. In their book, Everyone Deserves a Great Manager, authors Scott Miller, Todd Davis, and Victoria Ross Olsson make a great observation. They said, “Leaders don’t, in fact, create engagement. People choose their level of engagement. Leaders create the conditions for engagement—for better or worse.”

It’s our job as leaders to model the behavior and create the systems that cultivate a healthy work environment.

We must also create culture. Culture is the shared values, expectations, and practices that shape what an organization does and how an organization feels. So, what shapes culture? Lots of things do. For example, the leadership you emanate, the wins you celebrate, the behaviors you tolerate, and the language you articulate shape culture. Whether positive or negative, leaders shape culture.

As you focus on these five areas, I believe you’ll take your team development efforts to an entirely new level.

Join the “Building a Highly Effective Team” Coaching Experience:The “Building a Highly Effective Team” coaching experience includes five-sessions that will help you create an effective hiring process, maximize your onboarding system, invest in your team’s growth, cultivate healthy teamwork, and improve engagement and culture. In fact, here are just a few of the things you’ll learn:

The 7 stages of an effective hiring process
The 5 interviews of a great interview process, and the questions to ask during each interview.
How to create an org chart, role descriptions, set compensation, and make hiring decisions.
The 3 characteristics of a healthy onboarding system, and the onboarding checklist to equip new team members for success.
The MAPP system to lead effective one-on-one meetings and provide helpful coaching to staff members.
How to help team members create a personal and professional growth TRAC to accelerate growth and maximize potential.
How to lead effective staff meetings that improve communication, collaboration, and staff development.
How to address conflict, improve teamwork, and foster healthy team dynamics.
A goal-setting template to help staff set goals that are aligned with job responsibilities as well as the organization’s strategic priorities.
The 6 keys to increase employee engagement and 12 ways to create a healthy organizational culture.
How to administer performance reviews that evaluate leadership competencies, job performance, and alignment with team values.

PLUS, in each session, you’ll receive in depth training notes, have the opportunity for Q & A, and you’ll receive copies of my hiring process, interview questions, position profile, onboarding system, goal-setting template, performance reviews, one-on-one coaching MAPP, and more that you can CUSTOMIZE TO YOUR CONTEXT.

If you’re a pastor, executive pastor, manager, team leader, or non-profit leader, I want to invite you to sign-up for this coaching experience HERE.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “How to Equip Your Team to Set Great Goals.” We’re going to look at five questions to ask to give you the green light on your goals. Not only are these great questions to ask yourself, but they’re great questions to help you equip your team to set great goals.

SHOW NOTES:Goal-setting is designed to help us and our team make forward progress, both personally and organizationally. To help our team at 7 City Church set goals, I have a pretty particular goal-setting system. That system includes a one-page goal-setting worksheet that helps them set a clear, specific, measurable, and time-bound goal, as well as a specific action plan to reach the goal.

But in addition to these common, goal-setting components, I also include five questions that help each staff member determine if they’re ready to START their goal. When we can answer “YES” to all five questions, then we know they’re ready to pursue the goal. I use the word START as an acronym to remember the five questions:

STRETCH: Will this goal stretch you?Author Dave Anderson once said, “We are not at our best when life is too safe. In fact, too much certainty is cause for depression. Uncertainty keeps you alert, interested, and engaged.” That’s what “Stretch” is all about. It’s about setting goals that stretch you outside of your safe and secure comfort zone. By stretch, I’m not suggesting that team members should set “completely unrealistic” goals. What I do mean is that the goal should be something beyond what they’re currently doing.

TASK: Is this goal within your job responsibilities?In general, a team member’s goals should focus on the tasks you hired them to do. That’s why I include a section on our goal worksheet that lists their job responsibilities. This isn’t a detailed job description, but it’s a brief bullet point list of their six primary job responsibilities. Again, those six responsibilities don’t get into the nitty gritty…they are more like broad categories.

ALIGNED: Is this goal aligned with our vision and priorities?It’s not enough for goals to be in a team member’s job responsibilities. The goal must also be aligned with the overall vision, strategic priorities, and key result areas of the organization. Why? Because if it’s not, you’ll create sideways energy.

With those three things in focus—vision, strategic priorities, and key result areas—team members write a brief description of how their goal contributes to at least one of them. This ensures the goal is aligned with the overall direction of the organization.

REACHABLE: Do the action steps for this goal make it reachable?Without a clear action plan, team members risk setting goals that they cannot reach. Our goal worksheet provides a space for team members to list 5-7 action steps they would take to actually reach their goal. Then, when I review the action steps, one of the questions I’m thinking about is this: “How are these actions steps different than what they’re already doing?”

If what they’re planning to do to reach their goal is no different than what they’re already doing, then they’re not going to get an outcome that’s any different than the outcome they’re already getting. It’s the old saying, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.”

TIMING: Is this the right time to pursue this goal? Sometimes a team member can set a goal that will stretch them, it’s a task within their job responsibilities, it’s aligned with the organization’s vision and priorities, and their action plan is rock solid. The problem is, it’s just not the right time to pursue the goal. Sometimes, other goals would deliver a greater return on investment, making them a higher priority at this time.

When you answer those five questions, you and your team will be equipped to set and pursue the right goals.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “The 5 Stages of Vision Casting.” Vision is an important part of leadership, which means the ability to cast vision is an essential leadership skill. In this episode of Leader Fluent, we’re going to look at the five stages to casting vision, and how to maximize each stage in your leadership environment.

If you're not already a subscriber, I'd love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated.

SHOW NOTES:

Author Michael Hyatt said, “Vision, as I see it, is a clear, inspiring, practical, and attractive picture of your organization’s future.” But for that vision to have its greatest impact, the leader must communicate it in a clear and compelling way. It’s not enough to simply have a vision; you also need to create buy-in so the vision can be fulfilled. As author Ray Pritchard once said, “Good leaders have a vision; better leaders share a vision; the best leaders invite others to join them in spreading this vision.”

The question is, how do you get others to understand the vision, embrace the vision, and rally around the vision? In other words, how do you effectively cast inspiring vision in such a way that people want to join you in the journey to a better future? I believe there are five stages in effective vision casting.

1. CELEBRATION

Vision casting doesn’t start by looking at the future; it starts by celebrating the past. This lets people who have “paid the price” for yesterday’s vision know how much they are appreciated. It’s a simple way of showing honor and respect to the people who paved the way for the church or organization to get to where it is today.

Celebration sets the tone. It focuses on the wins, and it reinforces the organization’s ability to influence positive change. So, what should you celebrate? Celebrate growth, impact, testimonies, and life change.

2. THE PROBLEM

So often leaders share a vision before they’ve ever defined a problem. And yet, every vision is the answer to a problem. In this stage of vision casting, you’re introduce the problem you hope to solve.

To make the transition from “celebration” to “problem,” use a phrase like this: “We celebrate the impact we’ve made over the last 12 months, but our mission is not done.” Or you might get very specific and say, “We celebrate what God has done in the last five years…but there’s a problem.” Use statistics, research, demographics, photos, and stories to raise awareness of the need you’re trying to meet or the problem you’re trying to solve. Then, once people feel the weight of the problem, transition to the next stage of vision casting.

3. THE SOLUTION

The solution is the part you’ve been wanting to get to all along. It’s the exciting picture of the future that you want people to see. And now that you’ve honored the past and helped people feel the weight of the need, their hearts are ready to hear the solution.

Begin to unfold the vision in a clear, compelling, and specific way; the key is to connect the dots between the problem and the solution. That’s when your vision carries the most weight because people see the vision as something we must do not just something we could do.

4. THE PRICE

Every vision comes with a price tag, and the bigger the vision, the bigger the price. And the bigger the price, the more intentional you have to be about layering your vision-casting. In other words, you must cast the vision to different groups of people at different times.

At each vision gathering, celebrate the impact, I introduced a need or a problem, share the vision (which is the solution to the problem), and share what the cost of the vision will be (which by the way, sometimes the cost isn’t money as much as it is time or change).

5. PARTNERSHIP ...

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “The 5 Faces of Pride in Leadership.” Humility is often the forgotten ingredient in effective leaders, but it is essential to the health of our soul and the health of our leadership.

SHOW NOTES:

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” Pride is destructive to our souls, but the destruction doesn’t end there. Pride is also destructive to our leadership. In other words, when we’re prideful, we not only undermine our own lives, but we undermine those we influence. So, what does pride look like in leadership? A closer look at the Pharisees in Matthew 23 reveals five faces of pride in leadership.

Pretending

In Matthew 23:1-3 Jesus said, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.” And in the remainder of this chapter, Jesus calls the Pharisees as hypocrites six times. Pretending says, “Do as I say not as I do.”

Power

Matthew 23:4 says, “They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.” What were these “unbearable religious demands” that Jesus was referring to? It wasn’t God’s Law. It was the 613 laws the Pharisees added to God’s Law. So, you can only imagine how the Pharisees felt when Jesus came along and simplified everything down to only two Laws: Love God and Love People.

But that wasn’t good enough for the Pharisees because their pride had blinded them. And as a result, their pride was causing them to abuse their power to get people to obey all of their man-made laws. Whereas the “Pretender” face of pride says, “Do as I say not as I do,” the “Power” face of pride says, “Do as I say, or else…” The “Power” face of pride is based on self-serving, fear-based demands. But that’s not what a spirit of humility does.

Perception

Perception is all about how I see myself, and, how I think others see me. So, how does a prideful person see themselves? They see themselves as better than everyone else. Matthew 23:5 says, “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.” Perception says, “Look at me. Aren’t I great?”

The reason perception is such a deceptive face of pride is because it’s not based on reality. Instead, it’s based on a version of ourselves that only exists in our heads. And in our heads, we think we’re bigger and better than we really are.

Perks

We love perks, don’t we? We love to be escorted to the seat of honor. We love to show our friends our awards, prizes, and possessions. We love to casually mention in conversation that our office is in the C-Suite. Perks and privileges make us feel important. But the moment perks make us feel important, is also the moment our identity has been stolen from us. Because if who you are is based on what you have, then your life has become a hollow shell of deception.

Jesus said, “And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues” (Matthew 25:6). Perks says, “I deserve it, and I’m entitled to it.”

Now, does that mean that all perks are wrong? No. But, because perks have a way of making us feel like we deserve them and we’re entitled to them, we need a filter for our perks. My friend Steve Moore developed a great filter for perks when he developed these five questions.

Do I need—fill in the blank—for example, bigger office, special parking space, or private bathroom—to do my job more effectively?

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “Seven Words of Wisdom for Graduates.” The graduation season is a great time of celebration, but as you enter into a new chapter of your life, I’d love to share seven practical insights that will help you succeed in the future.

SHOW NOTES:

After celebrating your graduation, let me encourage you to take to heart seven practical and helpful words of wisdom.

Put Character at the Top of Your List

Be careful not to sacrifice your character on the altar of achievement and results. In other words, don’t take shortcuts that ding your character. Ruth Haley Barton once said, “We set young leaders up for a fall if we encourage them to envision what they can do before they consider the kind of person they should be.” So, what kind of person do you want to be? Work hard to cultivate character so that your success doesn’t outpace who you are.

Graduate School but Don’t Graduate Learning

Authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner call learning the “Master Skill.” In other words, it’s the skill that makes all other skills possible. Learning is the skill that opens the door to future opportunities, future growth, and ultimately the person you want to become. Today might be the day you graduate school, but the day you graduate learning should be the day you draw your last breath. Do your future a favor and be a lifelong learner.

Pursue the Boredom of Success

Success is usually perceived as a glamorous, adventure-filled road of glory, but it’s easy to forget that most overnight successes are actually twenty years in the making. Unfortunately, we tend to see the beauty of success but never the boredom of success.

So, what’s my point? Behind the glitz and glamour of successful people is usually a very routine, even at times very boring, set of disciplines. Let me say it another way: riveting success is always preceded by routine boredom. In other words, before success ever shows up, there are days, weeks, months, and even years of disciplined, step-by-step, methodical, vanilla, bland routines.

Think about it—professional golfers spend hours every day on the golf course…when the cameras aren’trolling. Musicians spend countless hours practicing…before a single concert ticket is ever sold. CEO’s spend untold hours in long meetings making tough decisions…before the bottom line ever shows a profit. And authors agonize over every chapter and go through endless rounds of edits…before a single copy of their book hits the shelves.

That’s the boredom of success. But it’s worth it. It makes the success sweeter, and it helps us develop the character necessary to sustain the success. Boredom is part of the journey. So, rather than getting caught up in looking successful, pursue the boredom of success by establishing daily disciplines that will produce long-term health in key areas of your life.

Avoid Bad Attitudes

While there are all kinds of bad attitudes, let me mention just three of them that can be particularly disruptive to your future.

An attitude of negativity

An attitude of arrogance

An attitude of entitlement.

If you avoid these bad attitudes, you will go farther, faster. If you have a positive attitude, you’ll connect better with people and you’ll be positioned with the mindset to see and seize the opportunities before you.

Develop a Healthy Perspective of Success and Failure

All of us will have both successes and failures in life. Nobody is all success and zero failure or all failure and zero success. So, here’s the truth you must keep in mind: Don’t let success go to your head, and don’t let failure go to your heart. Don’t’ let success inflate your ego,

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “Leading When You Feel Like a Failure.”The last two years have been the most difficult years to lead through for millions of leaders, and if we’re honest, we’ve all had moments in this season where we’ve felt like a failure. The question is, how do we lead in those moments. That’s what we’re dealing with in today’s episode.

Plus, if you haven’t picked up my new book, Stop Chasing Easy, I’d like to encourage you to get your copy today. It’s available in print and ebook formats, and when you purchase a copy, you’ll also gain access to several FREE BONUS RESOURCES including the “Stop Chasing Easy Masterclass for Leaders.”

SHOW NOTES:

Every leader has moments and seasons when they feel like a failure. It might be after an event that didn’t go as planned. It might be after a speech that fell flat. It might be during an extended season of decline, or maybe after a major rift in your organization.

Regardless of the area, I’m guessing at some point in recent weeks, months, or years, you’ve experienced “down and to the left” instead of “up and to the right.” So, what do you do in these moments? When you feel like a failure—even if only for a moment—how do you lead? Consider these five keys.

Remember Your Identity

It’s very easy—especially in leadership—to attach our identity to our performance and to our growth. The problem is, if we’re not careful, we’ll assume that God uses that same standard—that same measure—to evaluate us.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been studying God’s love in Scripture, which has been a pretty amazing journey. The most common description of God’s love in the Bible is the phrase, “unfailing love.” For example, Psalm 36:7 says, “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” And Psalm 52:8 says, “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.”

Here’s the good news: God’s love does not fail, even when we do. His love doesn’t fall short, break, or run dry. It is an everlasting love that stretches from generation to generation. And, as difficult as it is to believe, our performance has nothing to do with how much God loves us.

In fact, consider Jesus, for example. Luke 3:21-22 says, “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Notice, the Father declared His love for the Son before Jesus every performed a single miracle. In other words, the Father’s love wasn’t based on Jesus’ performance. His love wasn’t dependent on whether or not Jesus had a big crowd or a fruitful day of ministry. The Father loved Jesus, and was pleased with Jesus, before his ministry ever began. The same is true for you and for me. Our identity must be firmly rooted in the unwavering love of God. So, remember, even when you feel like a failure, your failure doesn’t define you. Jesus’ love does.

Reframe Your Perspective

Dr. Bobby Clinton has observed that the difference between followers and leaders is perspective. And the difference between leaders and better leaders is greater perspective. In other words, how we see life will determine how we respond to life. And how we see our leadership challenges will determine how we respond to those leadership challenges.

Elisabeth Elliot once said, “If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look ‘little’ or ‘big’.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “Five Parts of an Effective Team Meeting.” No matter where you are in the organization, you likely lead meetings with staff members or volunteers. In this episode, you’ll learn how to lead effective meetings by incorporating five practical parts.

Plus, if you haven’t picked up my new book, Stop Chasing Easy, I’d like to encourage you to get your copy today. When you do, you’ll also gain access to several FREE BONUS RESOURCES including the “Stop Chasing Easy Masterclass for Leaders.”

SHOW NOTES:

The longer you lead, the more you’ll find yourself in meetings. They might be staff meetings, departmental meetings, board meetings, one-on-one meetings, or meetings with your volunteers, but there is never a shortage of meetings for leaders to attend.

At the same time, we’ve all found ourselves in meetings that were poorly led and a total waste of our time. And if we’re honest, we’ve probably led a few of those meetings as well. I know I certainly have. So, what does an effective team meeting look like? I believe it includes five parts.

Celebration

The first part of the meeting is focused on celebrating wins. Celebrating wins will remind your team of the value and meaning of their work. Think about wins in four categories:

Stories – What stories of life change, connection, or transformation can we celebrate?

Stats – In what areas of our ministry or organization are we seeing numerical growth?

Steps – What progress are we making with our goals and priorities?

Success – What team member can we celebrate for modeling our team values?

These four areas—stories, stats, steps, and success—provide a framework to help your team think more wholistically about wins in your organization. In general, this part of the meeting usually lasts 5-10 minutes…maybe longer if you’re coming off a really big church-wide or organization-wide win.

Communication

There are usually a few housekeeping items that need to be communicated during a team meeting. For example, you might do a quick review of the calendar, or you might provide a few quick details on an upcoming event that are relevant to the entire team.

The communication part of the meeting is usually no more than 10 minutes, but it can eliminate confusion and keep everyone on the same page. The key to remember about communication is that it’s not a discussion. Instead, it’s providing simple bullet-point updates.

Collaboration

Collaboration is the part of the meeting where you dig into items that require concentrated discussion. For example, you might collaborate on an upcoming event, discuss a staff-wide goal, or brainstorm a new initiative. In general, the collaboration part of the meeting is roughly 20-40 minutes long. If it’s going to take longer than that, I’ll usually schedule a separate meeting for it.

Coaching

We have a high value for personal growth, and so we’ll often include coaching in our team meetings. By coaching, I’m referring to any kind of training or reading that’s focused on staff development. For example, we might read a book together as a staff, and then discuss a couple of chapters each week during our meeting. Or we might watch a leadership video from a great speaker and then discuss it as a team. Or I might do a leadership teaching with our staff on a topic that would be helpful. The coaching part of the meeting is usually 20-40 minutes, depending on what approach we’re taking to staff development.

Connection

This part of the meeting can play out in two ways—spiritual connection and relational connection. Spiritual connection is where we take time to pray as a team.

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I'm so excited to announce that my new book, Stop Chasing Easy officially releases today. To celebrate the launch, I'm flipping the mic on the Leader Fluent Podcast as my good friend and business leader, Derek Moffatt, interviews me about the book. We talk about several great insights including:

Three types of gratitudeTrusting God when you want to make life count Five questions to find your mission Three gifts of a mentorThe value of unity And more

If you're not already a subscriber to Leader Fluent, I'd love for you to subscribe to the podcast today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated.

STOP CHASING EASY BONUS OFFERS:

When you buy Stop Chasing Easy, you’ll have immediate access to some great BONUS CONTENT including:

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When you buy Stop Chasing Easy, you'll receive 3 great bonus resources including:

Stop Chasing Easy Sermon Series – A 4-part sermon series through Philippians (and based on the content of the book).

Stop Chasing Easy Small Group Study – A 5-part study through Philippians complete with great content and practical questions.

Stop Chasing Easy Masterclass for Leaders – A 4-session video masterclass and application guide for leaders where I apply the principles of Stop Chasing Easy to a leadership and organizational context.

All of this is FREE when you purchase a copy of Stop Chasing Easy (a $117.92 value). But there’s also additional bonus content when you buy the book in Bulk or Case quantities. If you order 10+ COPIES of Stop Chasing Easy, you’ll also receive:

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That's 10 books plus all the resources above for only $144.00 + S/H (that’s a $329.40 value). Check it out HERE.

Finally, if you buy a CASE OF 36+ BOOKS, you’ll receive all of the bonus content above as well as a ONE-ON-ONE PERSONAL LEADERSHIP COACHING CALL WITH ME. We can talk about organizational health, team development, life purpose, or whatever leadership challenges you’re facing right now. That’s only $360 + S/H (total value of $996.10) for:

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A One-On-One 60-Minute Coaching Appointment with Me

You can order Stop Chasing Easy and check out all of the bonus resources HERE. I know you’ll be challenged, encouraged, and equipped. I hope you’ll check it out today.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m sharing a lesson that comes straight from my new book, Stop Chasing Easy. In today’s episode I’ll talk about “Developing an Opportunity Mindset. Plus, in this episode I’ll share how you can get a copy of Stop Chasing Easy, along with several FREE BONUS RESOURCES including the “Stop Chasing Easy Masterclass for Leaders.”

SHOW NOTES:

Samuel Truett Cathy is remembered as the successful entrepreneur and founder of Chick-fil-A. Cathy died in 2014, but his quick-service restaurants continue to thrive today. In fact, each Chick-fil-A makes more money per store than McDonalds, Starbucks, and Subway combined. While the success of Chick-fil-A is obvious, what you may not know about is the struggle that Truett Cathy experienced along the way.

He grew up in the Great Depression. As a child he had a speech impediment so bad that he couldn’t even pronounce his own name.In 1949, Truett’s brothers, Ben and Horace (both licensed pilots), tragically died in a plane crash as they flew to Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 1960, one of his restaurants burned to the ground. The worst part? Truett only had $25,000 worth of insurance, not near enough to cover his loss.Not long after, Truett discovered he had polyps in his colon. As a result he had two surgeries, and had to have twelve inches of his colon removed.

While we admire his success, the hardships made Truett Cathy. He later said:

“The history of Chick-fil-A, in fact, is a series of unexpected opportunities. When we responded to them, we often found ourselves richly blessed. The Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich itself was born in the wake of an unexpected opportunity. When one of my first two restaurants burned to the ground, I found myself with time on my hands and the availability to develop a new recipe.”

Cathy could have wallowed in defeat—most people would if they watched so many hours of hard work burn up in flames. Instead, Truett discovered a billion-dollar idea in the ashes. What enabled Truett Cathy to successfully navigate his setbacks? The right perspective. He exchanged pessimism for possibility. He looked for the right opportunities in the uncomfortable and the unexpected. Truett once said, “We change the world, and ourselves, by our response to unexpected opportunities.”

So, how do you develop an opportunity mindset in the face of problems and hardship? It begins by taking four steps.

Embrace the Problem

Problems can be difficult, discouraging, and even downright painful. That’s why we like to ignore them. In fact, our tendency is to only address problems in two situations—when they’re easy to solve or when they’ve become a crisis too big to ignore. It’s in the messy middle that we pretend problems don’t exist. But here’s the problem in ignoring your problems. When you ignore your problems, you simultaneously ignore the opportunities buried within them.

Examine the Problem

To discover possibilities in your problems, you have to diagnose the problem. Embracing the problem forces you to deal with the problem, but examining the problem gets to the root cause. Sakichi Toyoda, founder of Toyota, developed a diagnostic approach which became popular in the 1970s, and is still used by Toyota today. The strategy is simply this—define a problem and then ask “Why?” five times until you get to the root cause of the issue.

Explore the Possibilities

Once you’ve uncovered the root cause of your problem, start exploring the possible solution (or opportunity) hidden within your problem. That’s exactly what Truett Cathy did. After his restaurant burned to the ground (which I think we would all agree was certainly a problem),

Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck--Why Some Thrive Despite Them All (Good to Great, 5)

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “Questions to Start the New Year.” As we launch into a new year, I’ve found some great questions to help me reflect on where I’ve been and prepare for where I want to go. Today, I’ll share these questions with you, and I have a very special announcement to share with you at the end of the episode. If you're not already a subscriber, I'd love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated.

SHOW NOTES:

It’s the start of a new year and that means many of us are setting goals and planning our path for what we’d like to do accomplish in the days ahead. To help you maximize where you want to go, I’d like share two types of questions that I ask myself each year at this time: REFLECTION QUESTIONS and REFOCUSING QUESTIONS. The reflection questions deal with the past 12 months, and the refocusing questions deal with the next 12 months. Under each category I have five questions.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

What am I thankful for?

When you start the reflection process by asking, “What am I thankful for,” you’re able to reframe the year from a positive perspective.

How did I grow?

This question is important because it forces me to reflect on the lessons I’ve learned over the last 12 months (in any area of life). This can happen by reflecting on my personal growth plan, life lessons in general, and the books that I’ve read.

Who did I invest in?

This question is really important because our legacy in life is often tied to the people we invested in the most. These people may be family, friends, colleagues, clients, or a host of other people. When you reflect on your list of people, you’ll quickly discover where you saw the greatest return on your investment of time and effort.

How did I spend my time?

John Maxwell says that your success is determined by your daily agenda. Therefore, each year I’ll take my calendar from the past 12 months and reflect on how I used my time each day. When I do this, I’m looking for the three P’s:

Priorities – How much of my time did I spend on my highest priorities? People – How much time did I spend with my family, friends, staff, leaders, and other important relationships in my life? Patterns – What patterns have emerged in my schedule that reveal a poor use of time?

When I go through my calendar, I’ll take notes on these three things—priorities, people, and patterns. Then, I’ll make appropriate adjustments for the new year.

How did I live out my mission and values?

Several years ago I created a life mission statement and a handful of core values. At the close of each year, I’ll reflect on my mission and values to determine how well I’m living them out each day.

REFOCUSING QUESTIONS:

What is my growth plan?

Each year I create a personal growth plan at the start of the year—I often refer to it as a personal growth TRAC…T-R-A-C. The word TRAC stands for Target, Roadmap, Accountability, and Check-Up. In other words, I identify the target areas I want to grow in, then I create a roadmap to grow, then I invite someone to hold me accountable for my growth, and finally I’ll do check-ups throughout the year to monitor progress. You can access my free ebook, How to Create a Plan for Personal Growth (which unpacks the Growth TRAC model) HERE.

What are my ministry goals?

While a growth TRAC focuses on my personal growth, ministry goals focus on the health and growth of the church I lead. So, how do you know which ministry goals you should pursue? Consider a few thoughts such as:

Will this goal drive us closer to our vision?Will this goal help us become more healthy as a church or organization?What single goal, if reached, would make the greatest difference in our organization right now?

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “Jesus on Habit Formation.” As we prepare for a new year, many of us are thinking about new habits and new resolutions, so in this episode I’ll share four keys to habit formation from the life of Jesus.

SHOW NOTES:

John Maxwell often says, “Most people have uphill hopes, but downhill habits.” In other words, lots of people have uphill dreams and goals—things they want to accomplish or become—but the problem is their habits don’t match their hopes. There’s a lot of great research on what the formation of habits looks likes, but I want to share four observations on habit formation that I see in the life of Jesus. As you read the Gospels, you discover that one of the habits Jesus modeled most frequently was prayer. Not only does Jesus’ prayer life give us a great example of prayer, but it gives us a great example of how to form a habit.

Four Keys to Habit Formation:

Habits Need a Time

When you look at Jesus’ habit of prayer, he prayed at various times, but Scripture makes a specific reference to mornings.

Mark 1:35 (NLT) – Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

Luke 4:42a (NLT) – Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place…

For a habit to form, you need a set time and a right time that works for you. When habits aren’t directed by a time, they become dictated by your feelings. And let’s be honest, we never feel our way into a habit.

There are 525,600 minutes in a year. You’ll spend approximately 175,200 of those minutes asleep (if you get eight hours a night). That means you’ll have 350,400 minutes during your waking hours. And if you have a job and work eight hours per day, five days per week for fifty weeks a year, you’ll have 230,400 minutes remaining.

So, the question is, how many of those minutes will you give to form the habits that will make you healthy. And if you think you don’t have enough time, consider one more number: 51,830. That’s how many minutes the average person spends on social media each year. It’s 142 minutes per day…863 hours per year…22% of your minutes outside of work and sleep.

Habits Need a Place

Each time Jesus prayed, Scripture refers to the place he prayed. The place wasn’t always the same, but the place was always secluded.

Luke 4:42a (NLT) – Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place…

Mark 1:35 (NLT) – Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

Luke 5:16 (NLT) – But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Luke 6:12 (NLT) – One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.

Mark 6:46 (NLT) – After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

What do all of these passages have in common? They reveal a secluded place where Jesus prayed. Simply put, every habit needs a home. That home is the place where the habit can take root and the habit can produce fruit.

Habits Need a Frequency

This seems obvious because habits imply frequency and regularity. But I believe it’s worth pointing out when it comes to Jesus’ habit of prayer.

Luke 5:16 (NLT) – But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

We know Jesus’ prayed often because of all the passages of scripture I’ve shared already. Why is this important to point out? Because frequency is what gives a habit its power. In fact, without frequency, a habit isn’t a habit; it’s a hobby. As you’re developing your habits, ask yourself this question from Dan Sullivan: "IS THIS WHERE I STOP?" Each time you answer no, you’re building frequency into your habit.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “10 Signs of an Emerging Leader.” One responsibility of a leader is to develop young leaders, but first, you have to identify the potential leaders that are emerging around you. Today, I’ll share the ten signs to look for. If you're not already a subscriber, I'd love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated.

SHOW NOTES:

How do you know if somebody has leadership potential? Leaders have the responsibility for developing more leaders, but before you can develop more leaders, you have to know what to look for in a potential leader. I want to encourage you to pay attention to ten signs of an emerging leader. I’m not suggesting that an emerging leader has all ten of these qualities; I’m simply saying, these are the qualities to pay attention to when you’re trying to determine if somebody is a potential leader.

They Have Influence

This one’s fairly obvious, because at its core a leader is someone who has the ability to influence others. If you see somebody with the ability to gather followers, that’s a sign that they have leadership potential.

They Take Initiative

When someone takes regular initiative to get things done without being asked or told, they likely demonstrate the ability to lead themselves. If somebody can lead themselves, then there’s a greater likelihood that they’ll be able to lead others. Ask yourself, “Who around me takes initiative?”

They Possess Forward-Thinking Abilities

Forward thinking abilities reveals a person’s ability to envision the future. If they can envision better ways of doing things, they may be able to use their vision to inspire others to take action.

Their Spiritual Giftedness Indicates or Assumes Leadership

Leadership is one of the spiritual gifts the apostle Paul describes in Romans 12. However, leadership isn’t the only spiritual gift that requires the ability to lead. For example, people who have the spiritual gift of pastor, or teacher, or apostle, or administration often find themselves in leadership roles as well. Consider administering a spiritual gifts assessment and look for those whose gifting indicates or assumes leadership.

They Possess Strong People Skills

Leadership is all about leading people, and people like to follow people who make them feel valued. If somebody exhibits strong people skills, they likely have greater influence with people than those who exhibit poor people skills or low emotional intelligence.

They Have the Ability to Motivate and Mobilize Others

Anybody can see a need, but seeing a need doesn’t make you a leader. However, some people not only see a need, but they also take initiative to do something about the need. These people can lead themselves, and possibly others. But other people have the ability to not only see the need and do something about the need, but they also have the ability to motivate and mobilize others to do something about the need too. These people have an even higher level of leadership capacity.

They are Problem Solvers

One of the quickest ways any leader can gain influence is to solve problems. Don’t pay attention to the people who whine about problems. Pay attention to the ones who can wrap their heads around a problem and work diligently to find the right solution to it. These are emerging leaders.

They are Growing as a Disciple

Followers of Christ are committed to lifelong growth, and part of that growth is learning to serve. And here’s the trend that I’ve noticed…when a disciple of Jesus proves faithful in serving in the small things, God tends to elevate their responsibilities—often in areas of leadership.

They are Teachable

When someone is teachable, it reveals their attitude and it enables their ability.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “Five Signs of a Hard Worker.” Most people believe they work hard, but in this episode we’ll discover that working hard is more than working long hours…it’s how we work that makes the difference.

SHOW NOTES:

What are the signs of a truly hard worker? I believe there are five signs that separate hard workers from people who simply put in long hours.

Right Priorities

A hard worker is not focused solely on getting things done. Anybody can do that. Instead, a hard worker is somebody who gets the right things done. In other words, they understand their high-return priorities, and then they allocate the bulk of their time and energy to those priorities.

So, how do you establish the right priorities? Start by practicing the 80/20 Rule. The 80/20 Rule says that 80% of your outcomes are the result of 20% of your activity. Simply put, if you have ten priorities, the top two priorities will produce 80% of your results. You can identify the right priorities by asking yourself, “Which priorities will give me the highest return on my investment of time?”

Personal Initiative

Personal initiatives show up when we practice the three P’s. First, be PROMPT. Arrive on time to work, to meetings, and to appointments. If you’re continually late, then you’re probably overscheduling, oversleeping, or underestimating how much time a task will take.

Second, own PROBLEMS. Hard workers don’t point fingers, blame others, or say, “That’s not my job.” Instead, when problems arise, hard workers take initiative to resolve them quickly.

Third, be PROACTIVE. One of the hallmarks of a hard worker is that they don’t have to be told what to do. Instead, they’re self-motivated. They take initiative without waiting on someone else to light a fire under them.

Quality Work

Years ago, Truett Cathy (the founder of Chick-Fil-A), told his vice presidents and marketing team, “Gentlemen, I am sick and tired of hearing you talk about us getting bigger. What we need to be talking about is getting better. If we get better, our customers will demand that we get bigger.”

Truett’s words that day shifted the entire conversation, and by 2000, Chick-Fil-A hit a billion dollars in sales. If you’re going to get better and do quality work, it will require a growth mindset, regular evaluation, excellent execution.

Efficient Delivery

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Work smarter, not harder.” That’s what efficient delivery is all about. It’s choosing to wisely steward time, talent, and treasure to deliver outcomes in the most efficient way possible.

One of the best ways to provide efficient delivery is create good systems. Think of the word SYSTEM as an acronym that stands for: Saves You Stress, Time, Energy, and Money. That’s what an efficient system does.

Unwavering Persistence

Author and psychologist, Angela Lee Duckworth, has done extensive research on the subject of grit. This is what she observed about grit…she said: “Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

Hard workers have the ability to stick with something even when that something is hard. They have the ability to persevere and persist. They have grit and they are resilient. So, if they have to put in more hours, they’ll put in more hours. If they have to do extra research to figure something out, they’ll do the extra research. They don’t quit.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “Eight Ingredients of Good Decision-Making.” Leadership and decision-making go hand in hand, and in this episode, I’ll share eight keys to make better decisions. If you're not already a subscriber, I'd love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated.

SHOW NOTES:

Leaders make countless decisions in their organizations, and those decisions are on a wide spectrum…from easy to difficult, from small to big, from simple to complex. The real question is, how do leaders consistently make great decisions? Let me share eight ingredients to help you make better decisions, and a simple question to go with each one.

God: What is the Holy Spirit Saying?

One temptation in leadership is to restrict our decision-making inputs to the latest research, the newest books, our closest friends, and the most respected leaders in our field. There’s nothing wrong with any of these, and we’ll talk about them in a moment, but great decision-making starts with God. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

The most helpful prayer a leader can pray is, “God, fill me with the wisdom and knowledge of your perfect will, and give me the courage to pursue it.” So, when it comes to an important decision, invite the Holy Spirit to direct you and speak to you.

DNA: Does the Decision Violate Our Identity?

Every church and every organization has a unique DNA. In general, an organization’s DNA is made up of four things:

Vision – Where you’re goingMission – Why you existValues – What’s most importantCulture – How we do things

For your DNA to positively impact your organization, you have to integrate it into your decision-making. If you don’t, you’ll start to experience sideways energy.

Research: Have I Done My Homework?

In-depth decision-making requires some in-depth research. In fact, Jesus once said, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish’” (Luke 14:28-30). The lesson is clear—good decisions require proper planning and research.

Experience: What Does Past Experience Reveal?

One of the greatest informers of future decisions is past experience. Job 12:12 says, “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” The longer you live, the more perspective you glean and the more insight you uncover. So, when you’re making decisions for your church or organization, pay attention to three types of experience:

Personal Experience – This is the experience you personally bring to the table. It usually consists of your failures, successes, habits, education, proficiencies, and observations.

Historical Experience – This experience draws on your church or organization’s historical trends, traditions, metrics, and behaviors. The purpose of historical experience isn’t so much to define a future strategy, but rather to understand how the church or organization might respond to future decisions.

External Experience – This experience comes from leaders outside of your church. You might look to a coach, consultant, mentor, or another experienced leader in your field to provide fresh input before making an important decision.

Advice: Have I Sought the Wisdom of Others?

The book of Proverbs has some of the most practical insight on the importance of advice. For example,Proverbs 13:20 says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” In other words,

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “How to Discover Your Life Mission.” People of every age and every generation have wrestled with the question, “What was I made to do?” In this episode, I’ll share four steps you can take to get greater clarity about your unique mission in life.

SHOW NOTES

“What was I made to do?” That question has haunted people of every age and every walk of life for thousands of years. And while there’s nothing wrong with that question, I actually believe there’s a second question—perhaps a better question—that will help you discover your life mission. That better question is, “How did God design me?”

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Not only did God create us to do good works, but he prepared those good works before we were even born. And here’s the good news: when God created us, He designed us with those good works in mind. The more we understand how we’re designed, the more clues we’ll discover to the mission God created us to fulfill.

Think about it like a puzzle. When you dump a puzzle on a table, what’s the first thing you do? You start turning over all the pieces of the puzzle. Why? Because you want to see the different shapes and colors so you can connect the pieces together.

Your life mission is the same way. The more pieces of the puzzle you turn over, the more you begin to discover the common themes and patterns in how God designed you. You start to see how the pieces connect together to help you fulfill a specific mission in life. So, what kind of puzzle pieces do you need to turn over to help you clarify your life mission? Start with these four puzzle pieces.

Experience

Our experience quickly reveals what we’re good at, and what we stink at. In other words, when you reflect on your past experience, you quickly discover where you’ve experienced success, and where you’ve experienced failure. This process helps you narrow the circle of your life mission. So, in what areas have you experienced the most success? Your answer to that question will give clues to how God wired you.

Destiny Markers

I learned the concept of destiny markers from my friend Steve Moore. A destiny marker is an event, experience, relationship, or circumstance that reminds you that God has a specific purpose for your life, or it provides clues to what that purpose might be.

Destiny markers come in a variety of forms. For example, a destiny marker might be a formative relationship, a personal milestone, or a providential occurrence. Destiny markers reveal how God has been at work in your past. They reveal the seeds of destiny God has been sowing throughout your lifetime.

Giftedness

In Exodus chapter 35 and 36, Moses mobilized a team of people to help construct the sanctuary. And in Exodus 35:31-35, Moses said, “The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.”

What is Moses doing in this passage? He’s describing in detail the giftedness of Bezalel and Oholiab. In the same way God gifted these two men,

Do Good Works: Am I Doing What I Was Made to Do?

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “Coaching Others to Succeed.” Coaching can make a huge difference in your life and leadership personally, but it’s also a great tool to develop others. In this episode, I’ll share three practical ways to use coaching to take AIM at others’ potential.

If you're not already a subscriber, I'd love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcast platform. And after you subscribe, be sure to leave a RATING or REVIEW of the podcast. It helps us spread the word to other leaders.

SHOW NOTES:

Coaching is a powerful tool to help people grow. I know for me, I’ve gained a huge amount of insight and perspective from the coaches I’ve had over the years. But coaching isn’t just something I’ve personally benefited from, it’s also something I’ve been able to leverage to help others grow too.

So, that raises a question: what exactly does a coach do? I like to say it like this: Great coaches take AIM at potential. AIM stands for Assessment, Insight, and Motivation. In other words, a coach will take AIM at personal or organizational potential by providing assessment, insight, and motivation so the leader or organization can realize their greatest potential. Let’s unpack each of these:

Assessment

One of the first things a coach has to do is assess the needs of the person their coaching. Sports coaches do this all the time. They observe their players, and they note what they’re doing well and how they need to improve. Why? Because you can’t help a person reach their full potential if you don’t understand their growth gaps. You have to assess where they’re at, where they want to go, and the gap between the two.

So, when you’re coaching someone, how do you assess their needs? By asking questions and administering assessments. Asking questions is important because the most significant growth in a person’s life will usually occur in the area where they have the highest intrinsic motivation to grow. Question-asking reveals those key growth areas. And assessments are valuable because they reveal how a person is wired and can often help a leader garner 360 degree feedback. A couple of great tools to help with this process is the 360 Degree Refined Leadership Test or the Leadership Practices Inventory.

Insight

Following an accurate assessment, coaches provide valuable insights that will help a leader grow, improve, and accelerate. There are four different approaches to provide insight to the person you’re coaching:

Probing – Probing happens when the coach asks good questions to uncover the insight already inside the person. In other words, by simply asking the right questions, the coach is able to pull out of the person the solution to their challenges. The solution was there all along, but it wasn’t until the coach started probing by asking good questions, that they were able to bring the insight to light.

Processing – When a person is being coached, they will often share ideas, strategies, or pathways they want to pursue. A coach’s job is to help them process these ideas and insights by serving as a sounding board, asking clarifying questions, and pointing out potential blind spots.

Permission – Sometimes the person being coached knows what they should do, but they’re lacking the confidence to do it. The person being coached doesn’t actually need the coach’s permission to act. However, when the coach affirms what the person is thinking, it gives them a confidence boost to actually act. In this way, giving permission is the insight needed to get dislodged from the paralysis of analysis.

Perspective – Perspective is all about offering breakthrough ideas, best practices, and a fresh viewpoint. In other words, the coach doesn’t just ask questions, they actually offer practical solutions. Rather than pulling the solution out of the person,

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “Delegation in 3 Simple Steps.” Delegation is critical, but it also requires an intentional process. In this episode, I’ll share three simple but profound steps to help you delegate effectively.

SHOW NOTES:

Delegation is a critical part of leadership. Not only does delegation allow you to create a sustainable pace, but it also helps you cultivate a people-development culture.

One of the greatest delegation examples in Scripture is the story of Moses and Jethro. One day Jethro, who was Moses’ father-in-law, came to visit him. After watching Moses carry out his duties, he said these words: “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?” (Exodus 18:14, NLT).

Notice how Moses responds to Jethro’s question: “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions” (Exodus 18:15-16, NLT).

Jethro could have patted Moses on the back and said, “Wow, sounds tough. I’ll pray for you, Moses.” Instead, Jethro looks at Moses and says, “This is not good!” Isn’t that what you’d love to hear your father-in-law tell you?

But then he told him why it wasn’t good. He said, “You’re going to wear yourself out – and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself” (Exodus 18:17-18, NLT). So, what does effective delegation look like? Consider these three steps.

PRIORITY ASSESSMENT

Delegation doesn’t begin by giving anything away. Instead, delegation begins by determining what NOT to give away. You have to start by identifying your priorities so that you know where to focus your time and energy. That’s what Jethro did with Moses. In Exodus 18:19-21, Jethro basically told Moses to do three things:

Be the people’s representative before GodTeach the people God’s decreesSelect capable leaders

In other words, Jethro helped Moses identify his highest priorities before he ever delegated a single responsibility. And we have to do the same. How? Start by asking yourself three questions:

What are my job requirements?What are my greatest strengths?Where do I get the greatest return on my investment of time?

Your answers to these three questions will reveal your priorities. However, where your answers overlap and intersect reveals your highest priorities. Then, once you’ve identified your highest priorities, create a second list with everything that you should delegate.

TEAM EMPOWERMENT

Team empowerment is all about empowering your team with responsibilities and opportunities. It’s handing off the things that fall outside of your highest priorities and entrusting them to your team. So, where do you start? Start with the four “A’s” of delegation. What are the four “A’s” of delegation: Assignment, Authority, Accountability, and Affirmation. The first “A” is…

Assignment: Who should I delegate these responsibilities and opportunities to?

Authority: What authority do I need to give to the person I’ve delegated a responsibility to?

Accountability: How do I need to hold accountable the people I’ve delegated responsibilities to?

Affirmation: How can I best support and encourage the people I’ve delegated responsibilities to?

Without these four steps, you’ll have nothing more than order takers. Captain Michael Abrashoff once said, “If all you give are orders, then all you will get are order takers.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “Eight Pitfalls of Teachability.”Teachability is critical to long-term success, but there are also a series of pitfalls that can undermine a teachable spirit. That’s what we’ll uncover in this episode of Leader Fluent.

SHOW NOTES:

Authors Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller once said, “Growth in wisdom has no formula, but it almost always involves at least one of four elements: rigorous self-evaluation, honest feedback, counsel from others, and time." In other words, when we do these four things, we exhibit a spirit of teachability.

Author Roger Seip describes what he calls a “Teachability Index.” His teachability index is a simple but powerful equation: Desire to learn x Willingness to change = Level of Teachability. According to Seip, if you assign a number (on a scale from 1 to 10) to your desire to learn, and a number (on a scale from 1 to 10) to your willingness to change, you can come up with your teachability index in many areas of life.

For example, if you score a nine (on a scale from 1 to 10) in your desire to learn about leadership, and you score an eight in your willingness to make changes so that you’ll become a better leader, then you have a score of 72 on the teachability index in the area of leadership (9x8=72). Again, Desire to Learn x Willingness to Change = Level of Teachability.

Eight Pitfalls to Teachability

Pride: You Think You Already Know

Most of us don’t like to admit, “I don’t know.” But true teachability is grounded in humility. Proverbs 11:2 says, “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” And Galatians 6:3 says, “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

Past: You Rely on Yesterday’s Success

Too often we let tried-and-true methods squelch new and improved opportunities. But if we’re not careful, we can turn yesterday’s success into an idol that robs the future of its potential. If you’re relying too much on yesterday’s success, one day you’ll wake up in a graveyard of irrelevance. Let truth and wisdom guide you, but when it comes to methods and strategies, honor the past but be loyal to the future. Otherwise, the past will try to deceive you into thinking yesterday is the best way.

People: You Don’t Surround Yourself with New Voices

We love to be around people who think like us, act like us, talk like us, and lead like us. The problem is, when “us” is outdated, irrelevance becomes the master teacher. As author Andy Stanley says, “If you are surrounded long enough by people who think like you think, you will become more and more certain that’s the best way to think.”

Professionalism: You’re Already an Expert

One of the biggest roadblocks to tomorrow’s teachability is the belief that you’re already an expert, and therefore you already have the answers. Take Nobel Prize winners for example. Daniel McFadden, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2000, said, “If you’re not careful, the Nobel Prize is a career-ender. If I allowed myself to slip into it, I’d spend all my time going around cutting ribbons.” And Nobel Literature winner, T.S. Eliot, said, “The Nobel is a ticket to one’s own funeral. No one has ever done anything after he got it.” To remain teachable, you just might have to unlearn some false assumptions so you can relearn some new insights. Don’t let your expertise be the thing that undermines future learning.

Plateau: You’ve Lost Your Passion and Curiosity for Growth

Just because you grew, doesn’t mean you’ll grow. In other words, yesterday’s growth doesn’t guarantee tomorrow’s growth.

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In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’ll address a topic that is often overlooked: 7 shifts you have to make when becoming a lead pastor. Maybe you’re a staff pastor right now, and one day you desire to become a lead pastor. Or, maybe you’re a lead pastor now, but you want to train and equip a new generation of lead pastors. Or, maybe you’re not in pastoral leadership at all, but you dream of one day being a CEO or serving in an executive leadership role. If that’s you…this episode is for you.

If you're not already a subscriber, I'd love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcast platform. And after you subscribe, would you do me a favor and RATE or REVIEW the podcast. It helps us spread the word and help other leaders.

SHOW NOTES:

Several years ago, I moved into the role of lead pastor when we planted 7 City Church near downtown Fort Worth. Up until that point, I had served in a variety of roles including executive pastor, associate pastor, youth pastor, as well as a leader in a non-profit organization.

But when I moved into the lead pastor role, I simultaneously had to make a series of shifts in my leadership. Here are seven shifts you have to make when becoming a lead pastor, and what you can do now to prepare for those shifts.

The Shift from Serving a Vision to Creating a Vision

When you serve on the staff of a local church, you are ultimately responsible for serving the vision set for the church by the lead pastor. But if you’re going to move into a lead role, you have to start creating a vision.

How do you make that shift? First, create a vision for whatever area of ministry you are leading right now (just make sure it’s aligned with your lead pastor’s vision). And second, start asking God to give you a vision for the church you will one day lead. That vision is often formed at the intersection of the three P’s: Problems, Passion, and Prayer. In other words, vision is formed when you understand what PROBLEM you want to solve, what you are most PASSIONATE about, and what you sense God saying to you in PRAYER.

The Shift from Being on Staff to Leading a Staff

It’s great to have a staff, but leading a staff is not always easy and it’s not always fun. In the lead role, you have to learn how to hire staff, coach staff, review staff, and make difficult staffing decisions. There will be times when you have to correct staff, deal with conflict, address performance issues, and navigate staff transitions. On top of that, you get to manage the ever-increasing costs of salaries, raises, and benefits. When you’re on a staff, you don’t think about any of these things, but when you shift to leading a staff, these issues become front and center.

So, what can you do now to prepare for this shift? Start applying many of the same principles for building a staff to building your team of volunteers. Draft job descriptions, conduct volunteer interviews, create new volunteer on-ramping systems, provide regular volunteer training, and conduct one-on-one coaching.

The Shift from Spending Money to Raising Money

It’s nice to have a budget that you can spend to do ministry, but when you move into the lead pastor role, your focus immediately shifts. Yes, you’ll spend money on ministry, but first you have to raise it (and not just for your department). Now you get to raise money for staff, buildings, multiple ministries, missions, expansion efforts…everything.

What can you do now to prepare for this shift? First, make a list of every question you can think of about church finances. Second, meet with a CFO or business administrator to ask your questions. Third, study the preaching of pastors who communicate on stewardship and generosity in a healthy, respectful, and biblical manner. And fourth, interview a handful of pastors to discuss how they do financial vision casting, how they appreciate donors,

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One of the most important things we can do as leaders is intentionally invest in our team’s growth. That’s the focus of today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast. So, whether you oversee a full-time staff, or you lead a team of volunteers, I’ll share four practical ways to invest in your team that will make a real difference.

If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, or your favorite podcast platform. And after you subscribe, would you do me a favor and RATE or REVIEW the podcast. It’s makes a difference and helps us spread the word to other leaders.

SHOW NOTES:

Leaders don’t just lead projects, they lead people. They recruit and empower people to help the organization achieve its desired outcomes. But building a high performing team doesn’t end with recruiting people and then handing off a job responsibility to them. You also have to invest in your team’s growth. Using the word TEAM as an acronym, here are four ways to do just that.

TRAINING: INVEST THROUGH KNOWLEDGE

Team members need the “know how” to accelerate in their areas of responsibility. Consider training in two formats:

Onboarding – Every person on your team should receive training as you onboard them onto the team and into the organization. That onboarding process should include important topics such as vision, values, history, ministry model, governance, goal setting, staff communication, how you make decisions, and other common questions team members’ have. Your goal in onboarding is to set your new team up for success. Ongoing – Create a systematic way to provide ongoing training to your team. This might happen through conferences and workshops, but you can also make it a part of your regularly scheduled staff meetings.

EQUIPPING: INVEST THROUGH RESOURCES

One of the benefits we have at this moment in history is the vast number of resources available to help us equip our teams. Think of resources to equip your team in two ways:

Job Resources – When it comes to job resources, ask yourself, “What does my team need to do their job in the most effective and efficient manner?” Job resources might include a computer, software, subscriptions to various programs or services, or resources specific to their role. Growth Resources – Growth resources can be books, courses, podcasts, blogs, Youtube videos, Ted Talks, audible books…the list can almost be endless. When you consider that the average commute to work is 46 minutes per day roundtrip, your teams could easily turn their drive time into growth time if they have access to the right resources.

APPLICATION: INVEST THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES

Investing in your team goes beyond simply pumping more information into their heads. True leadership isn’t learned in a classroom; it’s learned in the trenches. That’s why it’s important to focus on application. Application is where you invest in your team through opportunities. There are four levels of opportunity that will help your team grow:

Level #1: Personal Accountability Level #2: Stretch Assignments Level #3: Expanded Responsibility Level #4: Supervisor Role

These four levels of opportunity help your team apply what they have been learning. In fact, this process is how you grow leaders and help your team put what they are learning into practice in the everyday trenches of leadership.

MENTORING: INVEST THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS

The Gallup organization discovered that 65% of people that leave a company are actually leaving their managers. However, if we would mentor and coach our team members, we could dramatically increase performance and engagement. How do we mentor our team? Consider two strategies:

One-On-One Meetings – Hold weekly (or at least bi-weekly) one-on-one 45-minute meetings with each staff member that reports directly to you. Let them bring any issue or item they want to discuss to the meeting. In addition,

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Have you ever found yourself asking, “How do I influence those who lead me?” Leading Up is a unique skill set that enables you to positively influence your leader and add greater value to the organization. In this episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I'll share Ten Ways to Lead Up. Maybe you’re the newest member of the team, and you want to get off to a great start with your supervisor. Or maybe you’re in the middle of the organization—some people report to you but you still report to the Pastor, or the principal, or the CEO, and you want to gain influence with your boss. Or maybe you are the boss, and you’re wondering how to communicate to the people you lead what you look for in great team members. In this episode, I'll share the keys to leading up in a way that's healthy and adds the most value. Plus, be sure to download this month's featured resource, "The Young Leader's Guide to Building Influence."

If you're not already a subscriber, I'd love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, or your favorite podcast platform. And after you subscribe, would you do me a favor and RATE or REVIEW the podcast. Plus, tell a friend and encourage them to check out Leader Fluent today.

SHOW NOTES

Leading Up is an important skill that allows you to add the most value to your organization and be the greatest help to your leader. The question is, "How"? What does it look like to lead up in a manner that is effective and healthy? Here are ten tips to get you started.

SELF-LEADERSHIP: LEAD YOURSELF CONSISTENTLY WELL

Self-leadership is the discipline to influence your life in the right direction. If you can’t lead you, your boss won’t entrust you to lead others. So what does self-leadership look like? It's about showing up on time, taking responsibility for your character, having a lifelong learning attitude, owning your problems, taking initiative, and being disciplined in key areas of life. If you want to consistently lead yourself well, create a personal growth plan (You can access a FREE RESOURCES HERE to help you create a plan for personal growth).

RESPONSIBILITY: DO WHAT YOU WERE HIRED TO DO

The first thing your leader wants to know is whether or not you’re getting the job done that they hired you to do. To be trusted with new opportunities, you first have to show yourself trustworthy with your existing opportunities. Be responsible. Do what you were hired to do.

EXCELLENCE: CONSISTENTLY OVER-DELIVER

Whereas responsibility means you can be trusted, excellence means you can be heard. If you want your leader to hear you, he or she has to see a level of excellence that gets their attention and makes a positive impression. Doing what you’re supposed to do doesn’t get noticed. It’s expected. But when you consistently over-deliver, your leader starts paying attention.

TEACHABILITY: BE A CURIOUS LISTENER AND LEARNER

The team members that impress me are the ones who are teachable and coachable. Author Roger Seip describes a teachability equation like this: Desire to Learn x Willingness to Change = Level of Teachability. Teachable people first have a DESIRE to learn. They have a deep passion to become better at what they do. Then, they combine that desire with a WILLINGNESS to change. Without willingness, your desires are nothing more than a daydream. Willingness is where discipline turns your desires into reality. When you make yourself teachable, you endear yourself to your leader. Be humble, listen more than you talk, welcome honest feedback, and don’t get defensive when your leader gives it to you. Be a curious listener and learner.

PRIORITIES: VALUE WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOUR LEADER

If you want to lead up, you can’t put your personal preferences ahead of the organization’s priorities. That will never work. You have to embrace and personalize the organization’s vision, because if your leader ever thinks you have an ulterior motive or a secret...

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If you missed my first episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, it's a great way to kick off the new year. In this episode, I show you "How to Create a Plan for Personal Growth." You'll discover a practical framework to create a growth plan that you can use personally and with your entire team.

Plus, download the free e-book, How to Create a Plan for Personal Growth in the FREE RESOURCES section of my blog. This practical resource will inspire you to grow and give you the step-by-step process to create your own Growth TRAC that's customized to your needs. Plus, it's a great resource to help your team grow with clarity and focus.

Finally, be sure to subscribe to Leader Fluent so you don't miss a single episode. You can subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android, iHeartRadio, and other platforms. Plus, I'd love for you to leave a rating or review. Thanks for checking out Leader Fluent today.

SHOW NOTES:

What is a Personal Growth TRAC? A Growth TRAC is a specific, measurable, and accountable plan for personal and professional growth.

Target: What are my growth goals?

Spiritual GrowthMental GrowthRelational GrowthPhysical Growth

Roadmap: How Do I Plan to Grow?

TrainingResourcesRelationshipsExperiences

Accountability: Who Will Hold Me Accountable for my Growth?

Some accountability is Automated, and other accountability is Customized. Automated accountability is something you have zero or little choice in. Customized accountability is where you intentionally choose somebody to hold you accountable for a growth goal. And the best accountability partners are those who are trustworthy and they can help you reach your goal.

Check-Ups: When and How Will I Evaluate My Growth Progress?

Check-ups are all about determining how and scheduling when you’ll evaluate your progress. Check-ups are where you set deadlines for each step in your roadmap, embed your roadmap into your daily schedule, and then do in-depth check-ups monthly or quarterly with your accountability partner so you can make appropriate mid-course corrections.

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Customer service is critical in any organization. In the third episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I'll share my family's #1 customer service experience along with four keys to create service that wow's your customers. Regardless of what kind of organization you lead (business, non-profit, church, school), you'll find these four steps practical and applicable to any setting.

Check out this episode of the podcast today on iTunes, Stitcher, Android, iHeart Radio, or your favorite podcasting platform. And after you listen, be sure to subscribe to Leader Fluent and leave a rating or review.

SHOW NOTES

We've all experienced the two extremes of customer service. On one end, we've been wowed by over-the-top service that generates loyalty to a company or organization. At the other extreme, we've all experienced a failed product, bad attitude, or horrendous experience that caused us never to return again. So, how do you elevate your service to create a consistently positive experience? It doesn't happen by accident, and these four steps are a great place to start.

Create a Customer Friendly System

In their book, Be Our Guest, Disney describes an Integration Matrix that looks at two things: SERVICE STANDARDS and DELIVERY SYSTEMS. They've identified the service standards that they want to consistently deliver to their customers (safety, courtesy, efficiency, etc.), and they’ve implemented those service standards in three delivery systems: their cast (employees), setting, and processes.

Recruit People Who Love People

Retail Consultant Liz Tahir once said, “There is no way that the quality of customer service can exceed the quality of the people who provide it.” Lee Cockrell says that when it comes to customer satisfaction, the single most effective strategy is to hire people who have what he calls, “The Triple Crown.” The Triple Crown consists of:

Great SkillAn “I can do whatever is needed” AttitudeTremendous Passion for their Work

When you combine those three ingredients, they add up to the most indispensable element of great customer service: COMMITMENT.

Engage Your Customers

Build Relationships Not Just Sales - The companies where you feel the greatest sense of loyalty are the ones that are most interested in you. They don’t just want your money, they want to build a relationship with you. In his book, The Customer Service Revolution, John DiJulius shares a simple strategy to build relationships with customers. He calls the strategy FORD (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams). When you can discuss at least two of these four things with a customer, you begin to deepen the relationship.

Create WOW Experiences

Practice Team Huddles

One of the most effective practices employed by the Ritz Carlton hotels is their daily line-up before each shift. Employees gather for a brief huddle where they always review one of their service values.

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Time management is a huge challenge for leaders today. In this episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I share Six Keys to Effective Time Management. The goal isn't to just be more efficient. If it were, we would run the risk of efficiently doing the wrong things. Instead, the goal is to maximize our time by living in the sweet spot of WHY, WHERE, and HOW. When we do, we're able to invest our time doing the right things, in the right roles, in the right ways. And as a result, we're able to effectively resist the pull toward an unfulfilled, unfocused, and unhealthy life. Check out this episode and then be sure to subscribe to "Leader Fluent" on your favorite platform. Plus, stop by and leave a rating or review on iTunes or Stitcher.

SHOW NOTES:

Circle #1: WHY

PurposeValues

Your purpose and your values are like the north star for time management. They are the “Why” that directs all of your time management efforts. In fact, time management minus purpose and values equals an unfulfilled life.

Circle #2: WHERE

RolesPriorities

Roles are any place where you serve. For example, your roles might include husband, wife, father, mother, pastor, business executive, student, teacher, community volunteer…the list could be endless. We all fill multiple roles in life…whether their at home, at work, at school, or in the community. The question you have to answer is, “Do my roles allow me to fulfill my purpose and live out my values?” The second strategy in the “Where” circle is Priorities. In other words, once you identify your roles, what are the top 3-5 priorities in each role that will leverage your abilities and passions. John Maxwell offers seven questions to help you identify priorities:

What are you recognized for? (those things that others say you do well)What is required of you? (those things in your job description)What are you requested for? (those things in your roles that others request you to do because they are strengths for you)What are you rewarded most highly for? (those things others reward you for because you do them so well)What produces the greatest results? (those things in your roles that have the highest return on your investment of time)What do you rejoice over? (those things in your roles that bring you the greatest personal satisfaction)What do you want to be remembered for? (those things in your roles you want others to remember you for long into the future)

Circle #3: HOW

PlanningBoundaries

What happens when one of these six time management strategies is missing:

Time management without purpose and values equals an UNFULFILLED LIFE.Time management without roles and priorities equals an UNFOCUSED LIFE.Time management without planning and boundaries equals an UNHEALTHY LIFE.

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I'm excited to announce the launch of my new podcast, Leader Fluent with Stephen Blandino. Leader Fluent is designed to equip leaders to develop thriving churches and organizations. Each month you'll receive an insightful and engaging episode designed to maximize your growth. Whether you're a pastor, organizational leader, or simply have a passion for leadership and personal growth, you'll find Leader Fluent to be a practical resource that increases your personal and organizational effectiveness.

You can check out the very first episode today on the topic, "How to Create a Plan for Personal Growth." The new year is a great time to create a growth plan that's customized to your personal and professional goals. In this episode, I unpack my "Growth TRAC Template" to help you focus your growth and create a customized plan on the priorities that are most important to you.

Listen today and be sure to subscribe to "Leader Fluent" on your favorite platform. Plus, if you find Leader Fluent helpful, be sure to leave a rating or review on iTunes or Stitcher. You can also subscribe on iHeartRadio, Android, and other platforms.

SHOW NOTES:

What is a Personal Growth TRAC? A Growth TRAC is a specific, measurable, and accountable plan for personal and professional growth.

TARGET: WHAT ARE MY GROWTH GOALS?

Spiritual GrowthMental GrowthRelational GrowthPhysical Growth

ROADMAP: HOW DO I PLAN TO GROW?

TrainingResourcesRelationshipsExperiences

ACCOUNTABILITY: WHO WILL HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE FOR MY GROWTH?

CHECK-UPS: WHEN AND HOW WILL I EVALUATE MY GROWTH PROGRESS?

Leader Fluent with Stephen Blandino: Recent Episodes

Stephen Blandino