The Turnaround

                Hello, my name is Brian and I’m an Atlanta Falcons fan.  Wait a minute…this isn’t Football Fans Anonymous!! Sorry!!  I bring up my fanhood today to discuss a very crucial part of church ministry in general and revitalization is particular: The Turnaround.  Being a Falcons fan I’ve learned what a good turnaround looks like.  Atlanta’s head coach, Mike Smith (Smitty as the Falcons faithful refer to him), has led the once hapless team of misfits to becoming a relevant franchise in the National Football League.  We still have our hurdles to jump (like winning consistently in the post season), but thank God we aren’t what we used to be!!

                Coach Smith has led the turnaround in at least 4 ways that are helpful for us as ministry leaders to take notice of:

1.       Place key people in powerful positions – A few key people on in the Atlanta Falcon’s turnaround are quarterback Matt Ryan, Running Back Michael Turner, and Wide Receiver duo Roddy White and Julio Jones.  Smith’s first year as coach of the Falcons was on the heels of the Michael Vick debacle and the “rebuilding” year that resulted in what many refer to as “The Lost Year.”  Despite all the turmoil around the franchise, Coach Smith (and general manager Thomas Dimitroff) aggressively went after new leaders and assembled a great team of talent that would become the new face(s) of the team.  They understood the value of placing key people in powerful positions. 

             The same is true for your ministry.  Regardless of past defeats make your mind up to     aggressively go after great key leaders.  Remember: proper people placement prevents problems.

2.       Remember the small picture – Smith has a mantra that all of his players can repeat easier than they can repeat their address, “One game at a time.”  In the week-to-week world of the NFL it’s easy to overlook an opponent because the team is looking too far down the schedule.  Smith keeps his team focused on the goal by reminding them that it is one game at a time.  He is intentional about the small picture. 

                Keep your team focused on the task at hand in ministry by celebrating small wins.  Don’t be so caught up in where you are going that you don’t see where you have been or where you are at.  Slow down.  Dig in for the long haul.  Enjoy the small things.  Keep your leadership focused on “one game at a time.”

3.       Honor your players in public – I love watching Coach Smith in interviews.  He is always the consummate professional in the face of harsh criticism and jovial success.  What draws me to him the most is his attitude toward his players especially following a loss.  Smith addresses the fact of the loss, but validates the truth that his players are great and capable of winning big.  He never throws a player under the bus.  Smitty accepts the responsibility of the defeat and gives all the credit for the win to his players and staff.  Now that’s good leadership. 

                Make it a habit to publicly praise your team.  Don’t just encourage them in the hallways, do it from the stage too.  And never, never, never, never blame someone for a “loss!”

4.       Learn from defeat – This is the hardest of these keys for me to write because I am a fan of the team.  Prior to Coach Smith’s tenure with the Falcons the team had never had back-to-back winning seasons.  They’ve never won a Super Bowl and the post season record isn’t exactly bragging material.  Smith breathed new life into a dead franchise.  In 5 years he has become the winningest head coach in the team’s history.  He has never had a losing season and has hosted the NFC division championship game in Atlanta.  But…against all of that success Smith has never won the “big game.”  Atlanta has had some bitter defeats in the Smith Era and none more crushing than this year’s NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.  Atlanta had home field advantage and jumped out to a huge lead in the game only to let go of the lead and watch the 49ers march through the Georgia Dome on the way to the Super Bowl in New Orleans. 

After the biggest loss of his coaching career Coach Smith responded by saying, “When you start the season you have your goals and your expectations and I’ll say our goals and our expectations were much higher than just playing in this game yesterday as a team. You never know when you’re going to have that opportunity to have that situation arise again. The only thing you can do is try and take advantage of it. We didn’t take advantage of it yesterday, so now we have to regroup and talk about moving forward. Moving forward for us and our football team is getting prepared for the 2013 season.” 

He acknowledged defeat and focused on looking forward.  In ministry, we will have those moments of “defeat.”  The key is to learn from them and move on.  Don’t dwell on the mistakes or let downs.  Accept the fact that sometimes things don’t go as planned and learn to “roll with the punches.”  It will make your leadership journey a lot better!

 

                There are several other areas that Coach Smith can teach us about our leadership.  These are just a few to ponder and see how they fit into your particular context. 

10 Things Every Pastor Must Know About Team Ministry

1. Other people on your team have the idea that you've been waiting for. 
2. You don't have it all figured out -- get over yourself. 
3. Team members rise to the expectation of the leader that is willing to empower them. 
4. Spend time laughing while you are leading -- part of the mission is enjoying the mission. 
5. Invest personal time with each team member -- don't just see the group, see individuals. 
6. Celebrate other's success regularly and publicly. 
7. Restate the vision constantly - teams thrive with a constant big goal in front of them. 
8. Apologize in front of the entire team when you get it wrong. 
9. Share the praise/credit with the team publicly. 
10. Take the blame publicly - never pass the buck!

Becoming the Best Me

Recently while reading Samuel Chand's book Cracking Your Church's Culture Code I came across a powerful quote that made me stop in my tracks:

"What is it about me that keeps me from becoming the best me that God intended me to be?"

That question needs to be regularly wrestled with by every leader. The truth is we all want to be successful in our fields. No one ever dreams of becoming the Vice President. We want the secret service ushering us onto Air Force One referring to us as "Mr President!"

If we are ever going to fulfill our potential we must come to terms with our own limitations and setbacks.

Each of us has limitations and setbacks. Every leader has a niche and a land mine. So the more time we spend analyzing and confronting them the better we are in the long run. Here are a few suggestions that have proven to be helpful to me along the way:

1) Don't try to eliminate every weakness

Our strengths, not our weaknesses, are the keys that unlock the doors of effective leadership. I'll bet most of you are paid for your strength. It's what makes you valuable to your organization. So to spend more time and energy focussing on your weakness than your strength actually robs your leadership of its greatness. Accept limitations. Eliminate what you can. Delegate what you can't. Refuse to buy into the myth that a good leader is a "balanced" leader. All great leaders have been unbalanced toward the area of their strengths and have learned to surround themselves with people who are strong in their areas of limitations. You'll be wise to do the same. 

2) Pay extra special attention to character weaknesses

While you will not be rendered useless because you aren't good at administration your leadership will definitely become paralyzed because of major character flaws. Character is the currency of great leadership. If you have character flaws work on them! Take the time to work through issues that hinder your integrity. A healthy organization is strong at the top due to the high integrity of its leaders. Find your flaws. Focus on fixing them. Let people into your lives that can help you on the journey. Integrity is a team sport!

3) Invite people into your life

When I was in college I learned the importance of community. There is something powerful about having a handful of people that are given permission to speak with authority into our lives. We all need a few people who have gone ahead of us that can coach us along with their wisdom and experience. I call these leaders "Pauls" after the great New Testament mentor and apostle. Likewise, we can benefit profoundly from having a few friends who are lateral mentors. These people are fellow journeymen running beside us at the same pace that we can draw mutual encouragement and share resources with. I call these leaders "Barnabases" after the great encourager from the New Testament. We also need a few people who we are pouring our lives into. These leaders are typically younger and less experienced and our task is to share with them and help challenge them to shoot for the stars. I call these leaders "Timothys" after the loyal follower of Paul in the New Testament. These types of 360 degree mentoring relationships are crucial to helping us become all that God intends us to be. 

4) Commit to the process

I'm not going to lie to you, the process of becoming all that God designed you to become is a long process filled with high points and low places. Most leaders thrive on accomplishing tasks. The journey of leadership is not a series of tasks it is a lifelong process. Don't get discouraged because you aren't making the progress you would like to see. Stay faithful to the process. Pastor Craig Groeschel once said, "Most leaders overestimate what God wants to do in their lives in the short run and underestimate what God wants to do in the long run." God is committed to your entire life...we must be too. Keep your hand to the plow. You'll be thankful you did. 

5) Celebrate small victories

I can't stress this point enough. Learn to celebrate each and every victory no matter how small it may seem. When we can become grateful in the small victories we set ourselves up for success in great battles. In the Old Testament account of David and Goliath we find a young shepherd boy named David who defeats a mighty military hero with a simple sling and a "smooth stone." Develop the habit of enjoying the "smooth stones" in your life and leadership. Don't try to overpower everything with your own charisma or experience. Rejoice in the smallness of your "smooth stone" moment. Set crazy goals that challenge your team, but along the way take the time to memorialize the small victories. Do this personally and corporately and you will energize yourself and the team that you serve. Life is too short to waste another minute complaining about the size of your "Goliath" be intentional about celebrating small victories on the journey to success!

These are just a few suggestions to help as we all reflect on our calling as leaders. What are your thoughts?

Champion Style Free Throws

Recently I witnessed the power of consistency at work in a significant way.

I am not a basketball fan, but I caught myself watching the NBA finals this past week as the Dallas Mavericks battled the Miami Heat.

As you may know now, Dallas won and are the current NBA champions.

A huge key to their success came from the accurate free throw shots made by power forward Dirk Nowitzki. Every time Nowitzki stepped up to the line it resulted in points for the Mavs. He never missed! Not once!!

The actual stat for Nowitzki's free throw performance was 94.1%!

Now that's consistency!!

As it relates to leadership, my question is: when we step to the "line" can we make the shot?

Consistency is getting the job done the same way every time. That is what the people we lead are looking for from us. More than being a "hit-or-miss" player, we have the burden of responsibility to be focussed and steady over the long haul.

1. Consistency says, "I'll be there"

2. Consistency says, "My character is rock solid"

3. Consistency says, "I'm the same person off the stage that I am on the stage"

4. Consistency says, "My emotions are in check"

5. Consistency says, "You can trust me"

I challenge us all to reflect on our consistency or lack thereof and see what our leadership-lifestyle is telling us and those we lead.

Drive...

Okay so we enter into part 2 of our theme: 3 words - drive, consistency, celebration

Thought for today: drive is the byproduct of passion

Think about this for a moment, no one has to pry you out of bed to do the things that you love doing. We rarely have to set alarm clocks for those events and activities that "get our motor running." If you are anything like me you will actually plan for and heavily anticipate those moments. We live our life constantly moving in the direction of our passions.

As leaders if we expect any drive we must learn to tap into our passions.

It's that simple. So from now on find out what makes you come alive as a leader and shift a great majority of your time and energy into refining those few things. Now don't misunderstand me there will be seasons that we must focus on other things that aren't as immediately fulfilling, but these are only "pacers" in our lives.

By "pacers" I am referring to things that help us regain our course and prepare for the next leg of the race. Being from the south I am constantly in contact with more than a few NASCAR fans (sometimes I think there are more NASCAR fans than people!). In NASCAR, just before the start of full blown 200 mph racing or whenever a crash happens the officials send out a pace car that keeps the race cars in check. Pace cars are in no way, shape, or form as powerful as the NASCARs but they serve a critical function: restraint.

Those things in our leadership that are not necessarily our passions, but are integral to the daily functioning of our organizations operate like pace cars in our leadership. Simply drop your speed, get in line, and get ready for the green flag to drop!

Now back to our passions...

I have heard said that whatever you obsess about you bring about. That is so true. If I obsess about being the greatest guitarist on the planet, I will spend my time and money making that dream a reality. If I obsess about being the skinniest person in my family, I will sacrifice eating fried chicken and cornbread so I can make that dream a reality. And in my leadership if I obsess about making quotas, gaining new ground, increasing sales, retaining members, etc. I will naturally find ways to make that/those dream(s) a reality.

Pause for a moment and make a mental list of your 5 greatest passions as a leader...

...I'll wait...

Now that you have those passions in mind ask yourself:

1. What will it take to make this a reality?
2. How much time/money will I have to invest?
3. What new skills/techniques will I have to learn?
4. What old skills/techniques/mindsets will I have to unlearn?
5. Who can help me make this a reality?
6. Am I willing to give up whatever it takes to achieve these goals?
7. Would I be able to sleep at night knowing that I am pursuing these goals?
8. Is my family 100% completely supportive of this venture?
9. Do I have the stamina to stay in for the long haul?
10. Is it really worth it?

These 10 questions will get you started as you whittle out a gameplan for your passions. I want to encourage you to stop looking outside of yourself for something meaningful to give your life to. The secret to your fulfillment is within your heart. Dig deep and find the dream that just won't die. Unearth the power of your imagination and let your heart provide the drive as you mine the riches of your passion.

Remember drive is a byproduct of passion. What the world needs is not someone who knows how to "be a leader." What the world needs is someone who knows how to be passionate about a worthwhile cause.

Passion brings promotion.

Passion brings productivity.

Passion brings purpose.

Passion brings pain.

Passion brings pleasure.

Passion brings power.

Unlock your passion and start driving today!!!

3 Words

Recently I have been a part of a "renewal" of sorts. I find myself once again faced with the reality of actualized passion and am forced to decide how I will respond. Will I let the habits and patterns that have defined me during my recent history continue to shape my future or will I chose to take the proverbial "leap of faith" and tread out into new territory.

I think I'll tread.

A few days ago, during a conversation with God I strongly sensed the voice of the Holy Spirit release 3 words into my heart that must be at the forefront of this season of my life. I believe these 3 words are not only helpful to me personally as a leader, but to all leaders in general. So with that in mind, over the next few weeks I will try my best to unpack what these words mean to your everyday leadership.

Those words are: drive, consistency, and celebration.

As a leader without drive you will never go anywhere. Regardless of whether your organization is a 1976 Ford Pinto or a 2011 Zo6 Corvette, if you don't drive you don't move.

So I ask you: how is your drive?

As a leader without consistency you will never accomplish anything with staying power. Simply put, to leave a legacy full of staying power your leadership must exemplify staying power.

So I ask you: how is your consistency?

As a leader without celebration you will never fully appreciate how far you have come and how far you can go. We must make it a very high priority to celebrate EVERY win. Both big and small. A win is a win. And wins are the fuel for organizational momentum.

So I ask you: how is your celebration?

Check back regularly and let's weigh in on these 3 powerful points of leadership!

Unicycles and Bowling Pins

As many of you know I am an avid Georgia Bulldogs football fan.

With that being said, I recently heard an amazing story about star (sadly former) wide receiver A.J.Green that simply blew me away.

A. J. is a multi-talented player on the football field, but what many people don't know is that he has also mastered the art of juggling. Now that doesn't impress many people these days, but consider this: he juggles while simultaneously riding a unicycle!

Yep...a unicycle. We're talking full blown Wringling Brothers stuff here.

I can't think of a better picture of what everyday leadership looks like. You and I have answered a high call to be out front blazing the trail of our organizations. We take many hits and make many decisions all looking into the future success of our teams. There are countless meetings, conversations, goals, and people that we constantly are forced to juggle in order to make the whole thing flow.

Our ability to keep everything in the air is nothing short of miraculous! My encouragement to you in this season is to keep juggling. It may seem like you are trying to balance a unicycle and keep a bazillion bowling pins from hitting the ground, but keep juggling.

That's kind of the definition of management. Now for years many people have thought that management was a bad word in the arena of leadership, but this is false. You show me a great leader and I'll show you a great manager. The two are inseparable. So brush off those people skills, get your daily planner out and make it happen. I have come to learn that often it is in the juggling that we are silently driving our organizations forward. So you may feel like a clown at the circus, but the "greatest show on earth" is your group gaining new ground and making things happen positively for your team.

Getting back to A. J. the big thing about his amazing talent of juggling while unicycling is that he started doing it to do something "cool" and to improve his hand-eye coordination. As a wide receiver in division 1 college football (and the NFL where he is headed) hand-eye coordination is crucial.

Realize that your juggling is actually making you a better leader. You're not juggling for juggling's sake, you are getting better everyday.