Define the Win

 If you grew up playing sports, then you are familiar with the thrill of winning.  You were able to look up at the scoreboard at the end of the game and feel the satisfaction of seeing your team come out on top.  Your team scored more run, more touchdowns, more baskets, more goals and victory was defined by bright number proclaiming to the world who the better team was on that day.  As the lights go out on the field, graduation happens, and the real world comes in the form of a career defining the win can be less easy.

There are still just as many team dynamics in place as when you may have played on the field formally or informally as a kid, but victory tends to be unclear.  Ask yourself this question, “Does everyone on my team know what a win looks like for his or her position?” 

Your assistant needs to know what a win looks like.  It may be in terms of productivity or tasks, but your assistant needs to know.  Your direct reports need to know what a win looks like.  If they are not striving for something, they are liable to give themselves to lesser tasks that do not support the overall mission of your organization.  From the point leader of the organization to it’s part-time employees, everyone needs to know what a win looks like for their position.

As a leader, it is often your responsibility to define the win.  Here are some principles to keep in mind as you do.

1. Make it Measureable – There has to be a quantitative or qualitative measurement that can be applied to your team’s work.  It has to be something that they can track.  Like RBI’s in Baseball or Yardage in Football, your team has to measure how their work is going in order to understand how close they are to the win.

2. Find the Finish Line – Help your team understand where the finish line is for certain tasks or projects so that they know what they are working toward.  Help them understand how to know if they have “won” once they reach the finish line.  This will motivate them toward the win in a specific time frame.

3. Celebrate the Success – Celebration has to be the culture in order for the win to mean something for the people pursuing it.  This means pausing for recognition of key team members who fought hard to get to the win.  If there is a celebration of the win, your team is more likely to get back out there and compete again.

Don’t let your team become dispassionate in a winless culture.  Define the win and motivate your people toward it!

THE 8 BEST WORST IDEAS FOR LEADERSHIP GROWTH EVER

The following is an article from catalystspace.com by Margaret Feinberg.  These are great principles for leaders to keep in mind.


Many articles are dedicated to nurturing a leader's growth, giving practical advice and insights. But what about those who don't want to grow to become a good leader? Look no further. Here are the 8 best worst ideas for leadership growth:

1. Don't delegate jobs. Do it all yourself! Why get eight hours of sleep when you can survive off two? Many people in your ministry have hidden talents you may not be aware. To engage them in a job would be an ineffective use of energy. Instead, burn yourself out by amassing large amounts of responsibility you can't manage. Besides, the bag-under-the-eye look is popular right now.

2. Stop learning. Don't read any journals or up-to-date blogs to expand your thinking. Refuse to change your perspective once you learn other's opinions and methods. Why become more compassionate and well informed if you can close your mind to any learning opportunities?

3. Invest in fiscal irresponsibility. Make a paper airplane out of your ministry's budget sheet. Don't worry yourself about staying within financial boundaries. Good stewardship? Pitch it. Don't try to seek wisdom in handling money from those gifted in this area, either. Saving and planning for the financial long term only decreases your present momentary pleasure. Rent a pony for the office!

4. Make your ministry all about you. This is an awesome opportunity to build your pride. Become upset when others take their attention off you to serve others. Print 12x8 autographed posters of yourself and hang them in place of the cross. Focus on your needs, your goals, your expectations, and not on Christ's command to love others as he loves us.

5. Forget a vision or big picture plan. Why stay on track with your goals when you can be spontaneous all the time? When a big picture unifies a team you miss out on the fun of constant bickering, arguing, and awkward tension. If you also cut off communication between workers, you give everyone the opportunity to create their own mini impenetrable fortress within the ministry. Provide building blocks to add to the excitement.

6. Under all circumstances, refuse to take charge. If the floods come and heaven's lightening is falling like rain, don't give into pressure to take charge. A group of people can lead themselves. Oh, they may wander around a bit, acting as though they are lost, but eventually they'll get it. Don't act on the ministry's best interests or squash false rumors. Better yet, don't act at all. They may have hired you to be the leader, but it's not what they really want, right?

7. Promote inconsistency. Pull as many U-turns as possible by retracting promises and not practicing what you preach. Don't show up when you said you would be there. Be wishy-washy in your directions by being vague, ignoring consequences, and then changing them right before they are completed. Cause people to question your trustworthiness.

8. Don't invest in next generation leaders. Destroy all the hard work you and others have done by making sure your ministry will come crashing down without you. Don't prevent future mistakes by sharing what you've learned with young leaders. Why bother impacting and shaping upcoming enthusiasts when you won't be around to see what they do?

 

What bad ideas would you add to this list?

Margaret Feinberg is author of The Organic God, The Sacred Echo, and Scouting the Divine and their corresponding DVD Bible studies. Follow on facebook or Twitter.

Who's Next?

Photo credit to Noman Ahgharian at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomaan/3634270675/in/photostream

We live in a world that always begs the question… What's Next?  The next task on the To Do list.  The next date on the calendar.  The next project to tackle.  We constantly feel the pressure of "What's Next".  Perhaps we get so caught up in thinking about what is next that we lose sight of an all important question that every leader faces at some point… Who's Next?

When another offer comes and God leads you elsewhere, who is next in line?  When the unthinkable happens and you are no longer able to lead, who will inspire those you lead toward the vision?  Not every organization allows their leader to decide who sits in their chair next, but every leader is responsible to equip heirs to the vision and mission.  Leading requires thinking beyond yourself; that includes your timeline.  You will not always occupy the leadership role you are in today.  Who's Next?  

Sustainable leadership toward real results often takes generations of leaders who have poured into the lives of others.  For this reason, leaders need a plan in place to develop, empower, and hand-off to other capable individuals.

So how do you identify "Who's Next"?

Look for Potential.  There are people around you even now that have incredible potential.  Start helping them unleash that potential toward performance.  Look for opportunities not only to teach them, but to give them practical experience.

Who is Already Doing It? There are usually others that are doing a lot of what you do to a lesser extent.  With or without the title, these are the kind of people who are going to get the job done.  These are capable people.  Start plugging them into your hand-off plan.

Help Them Soar.  Let them into your world.  Show them what you do and how you do it.  Give them the distinct advantage of being eye-witnesses of the process.  Once they have seen it, let them do some of it for themselves.  Help them learn and support them when the going gets tough.  Continual development is a must here.  It will take time, investment, and a great deal of patience.  Then, when they are ready help them soar.

Cut Your Losses. Sometimes the heir we choose turns out to be somewhat of a disaster.  When this is the case, you could spend your energy and reputation trying to right a sinking ship or you could begin looking for a better "next-in-line".  Opt for looking for someone else having learned the difficult lesson of choosing someone who couldn't cut it.  It sounds harsh, but often you and the person that you are cutting loose end up being relieved that the pressure is off.

We owe it to leave the people we leave with options once we move on.  Begin thinking and dreaming of "Who's Next". They may be the one to take that which you led further than you ever dreamed possible.

Leadership Resolutions for 2012

This morning, we wanted to share with you an excellent article, found at the churchexecutive.com, challenging you to rethink your leadership skills at work, and set new resolutions in your leadership style for 2012!  You can find the link to the article at the bottom of this post.  Happy reading!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Five leadership resolutions for 2012

By Sam S. Rainer III

Specific changes with followers in mind can help leaders create a more impactful ministry.

New Year’s resolutions are often self-centered; it’s understandable. Successful people often reflect on who they are. They try to be more self-aware. They desire to develop themselves. So, good leaders often make resolutions involving individual goals, desires and objectives. Many leaders have resolve — the determination to see a goal and achieve it.

Too often these goals involve what individual leaders can do on their own. By the nature of their roles, however, leaders have people around them – teams, subordinates and followers – who are necessary components of success.

Allow me to challenge you to make resolutions this year with followers in mind. Here are five areas to consider in making specific leadership resolutions this year that benefit your followers.

Serve first. Everyone in an organization, from the top to the bottom serves the mission. As a leader you cannot serve the mission without also serving others. The best leaders are passionate about a mission, and they are willing to serve others who join them on that mission.

These leaders realize organizational goals and individual goals cannot be attained with an attitude of “Me first.” Leaders who show the way by serving others (as opposed to self-serving) help create a culture of sacrifice to a mission. Resolve this year to serve the mission by serving others.

Simplify work. Many people look for ways to simplify their lives this time of year. But the mantra to simplify lasts about a month before the complexities of life sneak in by Groundhog Day. Then an endless string of complex days continue until the following year’s resolution. One of the best gifts a leader can give followers is simplicity. Complexity may dominate your followers’ lives in every way, but you can grant them simplicity in the one area in which you have control. Managers who simplify work for their subordinates often create more work for themselves. Resolve this year to simplify for your followers, even if it means more complexity for you.

Release problems. Some problems are unsolvable. This creates a dilemma for leaders who have an innate desire to fix everything. Idealistic leaders will often present good solutions to the wrong problems.

Sometimes the “best” solution will not work. In certain cases, followers may never grasp the best solution. Let it go. Leaders serve people, not ideals. Resolve this year to release your followers from the burden of idealistic solutions to unsolvable problems.

Yield preferences. Most followers have a keen radar for the personal preferences of a leader, especially when these preferences are spun as vision. Leaders have positional authority over followers, and those in charge have more opportunities to voice opinions and vocalize what they like.

The best leaders find ways to create a collective vision with input from a variety of followers. They do not champion their preferences as the vision for all. Resolve this year to yield your personal preferences and build a collective vision from a variety of followers.

Recognize pride. Humility is the most difficult leadership trait to see in ourselves. The opposite of humility, pride is the most destructive leadership predisposition. Great leaders never stop fighting the battle to recognize pride and remain humble. It’s the quintessential leadership struggle. We stand on a sliding scale somewhere between healthy humility and unhealthy pride.

Even at our best, determining where we are on this scale is tough. We rarely recognize our pride until it’s too late. Followers often see it long before leaders become self-aware of arrogance. Great leaders appoint accountability partners at all levels of the organization to call attention to potential problems originated in pride. Resolve this year to put measures in place to recognize prideful tendencies and give key followers permission to call out problems associated with your pride.

Leadership is a gift from followers. Graciously accept this gift by resolving to serve followers by putting them first. Make 2012 the year of your followers.

Thanks Sam S. Rainer!  Click here to find the complete article online!

Sam S. Rainer III is the president of Rainer Research and senior pastor of First Baptist Church Murray, Murray, KY. www.rainerresearch.com,www.fbcmurray.org

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!!!

We hope that you are enjoying your Christmas with Family today!  We sure are!!

Our daily, 'Navigating the rope' posts will resume January 2nd, 2012!  For this next week, take some time and enjoy being with family!  

Coming soon!  

Tips on how to make New Year's Resolutions Last, 

as well as a list of attainable New Year's Resolutions! 

Avoiding Grinch-Like Leadership

At this time of year, it is only a matter of time until you hear the following lyrics played…

You're a mean one Mr Grinch

You really are a heel

You’re as cuddly as a cactus

You're as charming as an eel

Mr. Grinch

You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel

You're a monster Mr. Grinch

Your Hearts an empty hole

Your brain is full of spiders

You’ve got garlic in your soul Mr. Grinch

I wouldn’t touch you with a

39 and a half Foot pole

You’re a vile one Mr. Grinch

You have termites in your smile

You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile

Mr. Grinch

Given the choice between the two of you

I’d take the a seasick crocodile

You’re a foul one Mr. Grinch

You’re a nasty wasty skunk

Your heart is full of unwashed socks,

Your soul is full of gunk

Mr. Grinch

The 3 words that best describe you, are as follows, and I quote

Stink, Stank, Stonk

You’re a rotter Mr. Grinch

You’re the king of sinful sots

Your hearts a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots

Mr. Grinch

Your sole is an appalling dump heap

Overflowing with the most disgraceful

Assortment of deplorable rubbish

Imaginable, mangled up in tangled up knots

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch

With a nauseous super naus

You’re a crooked jerky jockey and,

you drive a crooked horse

Mr. Grinch

You’re a 3 Decker sour kraut and toad stool sandwich

With arsenic sauce!

Of all the Christmas tunes out there, this one is the least likely to give you the warm fuzzies.  Still, the funny little tune is adored as listeners recall the classic book and cartoon from the mind on Dr. Seuss. 

The Grinch would have made a terrible leader as you can imagine.  Here are a few reasons why.

He was isolated.  The Grinch lived atop a mountain outside of town with little interaction with anyone accept for his dog (and even that wasn’t pleasant).  When leaders become isolated from those they lead, the result is a perception that the leader doesn’t care for his or her followers.  Interaction with those you lead is vitally important in order to be effective.

He was bitter.  For some reason, the Grinch was bitter and it defined him.  Bitterness comes across loud and clear to those you lead.  It wears on your team to the point that they will eventually abandon you.  Deal with your bitterness and get rid of it.  When you do, your team will be much more inclined to follow you whole-heartedly.

He was self-focused.  The Grinch did not take into account the thoughts, feelings, and dreams of those around him.  If he did, he would have never attempted to steal Christmas in the first place.  When leaders become self-focused it can become easy for them to use and abuse others.  As leaders, we have to get beyond ourselves.

One positive about the Grinch, he was willing to change.  It took a lot, but somehow his shriveled little heart began to expand.  This can be true of any leader as well.  When we find ourselves displaying Grinch-like characteristics in leadership, it is time for a change. 

If those you lead wrote a song about you, would it resemble the popular Grinch theme song or would it be a different kind of tune?  As a leader, you are responsible for the song your followers sing about you.

Leadership Secrets from Santa Claus

While perusing the internet this morning, looking for Christmas leadership ideas, I ran across a list of leadership lesson we can learn from none other than the famous, Old St. Nick!  I’ve listed them below for you to consider, and provided the link to which I found them below.  Enjoy!

      1.     Santa Builds a wonderful workshop – Santa has a clear purpose, and focuses on creating an environment that allows him to soar within that purpose.

      2.     Santa is like-able – “Leaders need not be friends with those they lead, but if they want to have greater influence and impact, they must be friendly personable, and likeable.”  Sometimes, as leaders, it’s easy to become stressed or frazzled, and take it out on those that are following.  Don’t steamroll others on your quest to accomplish your goals.

      3.     Santa Inspires – “Good leaders bring out the best in others!”  Santa is able to work with the elves, and encourage and equip them to want to do their best in building toys for children everywhere!

      4.     Santa is Innovative – Just because an obstacle comes his way, Santa is undeterred!  He’s willing to take risks (like finding a red-nosed reindeer to guide his sleigh in a snowstorm), in order to accomplish his mission.

      5.     Santa chooses his reindeer wisely – Santa didn’t look at Rudolph the way that others did.  He developed his own opinions of Rudolph, and determined that he would be the best fit for the position he needed.  He filled his team with A-list individuals, placing them in positions that would allow their strengths to soar.

      6.     Santa makes a list and checks it twice – “In your climb to success, make the most of what you have, create a business plan, and know the power of a deadline.”

      7.     Santa is Consistent – You can expect that from Santa, you’ll always see an older man with a great white beard and a deep “Ho Ho Ho.”  Are the people around you seeing a consistent message day-in and day-out?

      8.     Santa listens to his elves – There is no way that Santa could accomplish everything he needs to do by himself.  He has developed a stellar team to work around him, and listens to their suggestions and ideas for improvement.  Good leaders are willing to listen to those around them.

      9.     Santa goes beyond “red wagons” – “Santa understand that great leadership is about moving hearts and minds, not just about moving presents around the world.  This season, as a leader, make an emotional connection with your team, instead of just giving them a present.”

      10. Santa has a willingness to connect personally – Very few people have actually ever met the real Santa Claus, but everyone knows that he cares about you.  “As leaders we must connect with those we lead.  It’s important and makes a difference.”

      11.  Santa shares the milk and cookies – Santa doesn’t just determine what he stands for and remain quiet about it… Instead he shares his message of joy and laughter with everyone he meets.  Are you sharing your message with others?

      12. Santa knows who’s naughty and nice – Santa knows the importance of rewarding performance, and overall accountability.  Keep tabs on your team, and be sure to praise their successes, and have conversations about blunders when you can.

      13.  Santa has impact through presence – Santa has great impact whenever people see him, whether in a holiday parade or in a mall food court.  Your presence holds great impact, make sure you are intentional in your time with others.

      14. Santa holds great Project Management Skills – He knows his mission: To deliver toys and gifts to boys and girls all over the world on one night.  In order to accomplish such a huge mission, Santa has to have a plan in action and the ability to execute it. 

      15. Santa has to sacrifice – Santa sacrifices his time, energy, and even resources to deliver toys to children everywhere with efforts to make them happy.  “Leaders must find the opportunity to create lasting impressions in the lives of their members.”

      16. Santa is the best mentor – “Yes, Santa is larger-than-life, has a larger-than-needed belly, and is overly found of red clothes.  Sometimes the best mentors are different from us – have you sought mentors that can provide you with such a fresh perspective?”

Thanks Sompong Yusoontorn!

Leading the Withdrawn

Years ago I was invited to sit in on a staff meeting of an organization I greatly admired.  When I entered the room I was greeted by a number of staff members before finding a seat at the large table where everyone sat.  Throughout the meeting there was laughter, thought-provoking questions, updates, and a lot of discussion.  Most were participating, but there was one individual seated toward the middle of the table who seemed like he could care less.  His computer was opened and he was more attentive to whatever he was typing than to the conversation.  He was disengaged and only participated when he was called upon.  Even then he had to ask the person addressing him to repeat the question.  He was withdrawn.

Occasionally, as a leader you will face the difficult task of leading a person who has become withdrawn.  You notice the person does not interact with others in the organization.  The withdrawn keep to themselves and do anything but contribute.  They may still do their job, but it is with minimal energy usually resulting in minimal results.  Questions are met with short answers.  Objections are met with a short fuse.  This is the plight of a withdrawn team member.

Depending on what the problem is leading the withdrawn can prove to be difficult, but not impossible.  Here are some common reasons people move from dialed in to withdrawn and what to do about it.

Hurt Feelings.   This is way too touchy feely for a lot of leaders, but the reason why many team members become withdrawn is because they have been hurt.  Maybe it was another team member.   Maybe it was leader of the team. Whatever the source of the hurt, it needs to be addressed so the withdrawn person can be reengaged.  Find out the hurt, apologize if appropriate, and move on.  If this team member is in a constant state of being offended, it may be time to rethink their position.

Dispassionate About The Mission.  A common problem with people who are withdrawn is they simply do not get excited about the mission or direction of the organization.  If you find this is the withdrawn person’s issue there are two responses.  1 – If the person is an all-star on your team, they may have some valid reservations about the direction that need to be heard.  The leader needs to listen and possibly make some changes.  2 – If the mission and direction are where they need to be, then the withdrawn individual may need to seriously think about whether this is the team they need to be on.

A New Direction. It could be that the withdrawn person is thinking about a new direction in their life’s work.  It may be working in a completely different field or doing something else within the organization they are already a part of.  Sit down with the withdrawn person and figure out a plan to get them from where they are at to where they want to be.  If it is leaving the organization, help them get to the next position.  If it is changing places in the organization, keep your eyes ad ears open to moving them if you value having them on the team.

Being withdrawn is difficult.  Leading the withdrawn can be even harder.  Define the problem the person has and work the solution from that point.  Don’t assume they are withdrawn for a bad reason or that they need to be let go (though this is the case sometimes).  Work toward a beneficial solution for the team and the withdrawn member if at all possible.

Waiting or Anticipating

Years ago, my father was attending a soccer tournament my sister was playing in.  As is common at these events, there were a number of fields with some pathways in between so players and spectators could make their way to the next field of play as they advanced through the competition bracket.  As dad was walking around the rear of one particular field he was hit squarely with a soccer ball which was intended as a goal shot. 

The ball hit landed hard in his torso.  He felt the impact and a good deal of pain along with it.  After some time had passed, the pain did not subside.  Within hours, he was in a hospital bed awaiting surgery.  The loose ball he collided with had ruptured his spleen.  While soccer can be a tough sport, this is not a normal injury for those hit with a ball. 

The reason this particular impact was so damaging was because Dad never saw the ball coming.  He told me later that he never tensed the muscles in this body in anticipation of the blow.  Therefore, when ball hit him his defenses were down.  The doctors believed that had he tensed his torso before the ball arrived the blow would have hurt, but not injured an internal organ.

Just as my dad never saw ball coming his direction, we cannot predict every threat, failure, or situation that will arise in the organizations we lead.  However, leaders have a choice: Wait or Anticipate.  Given the environment we find ourselves in we can lead strategically in thinking about issues which seem more likely to arise.  In this way, we are planning and preparing those we lead for the impact of a potential problem.  With enough anticipation as a leader, we may even be able to avoid the problem altogether.

Conversely, we can also assume a posture of waiting.  This is knowing that something could occur, but not actively seeking out what that something is or how we could prepare for it.  Waiting passively for events to occur almost always leads to energy and time spent cleaning up rather than averting danger. 

Take for example the issue of hiring. If you are leading your organization to be proactive in finding the right person to fit the right job position with the right stated expectations you are more likely to make a good hire.  You have anticipated potential issues on the front end of the process and will avoid unnecessary organizational heartache.  However, if you fail to anticipate potential problems with personal, position, or stated expectations you could have a real mess on your hands that will divert your attentions for days if not weeks.

This is not to say you have to create an endless list of “what if’s” or spend your days stalling decisions that need to be made because of unlikely possibilities that could arise.  Leaders have to be decisive and act upon the information they are given.  The point is to create a culture of anticipation within yourself and those you lead.  Teaching yourself and your people to be proactive keeps you on mission instead of constantly picking up the pieces.