Less is more Leadership

I did a book report in a staff meeting a while back. It was an excellent book. The author of the book is Dale Burke. The theme of the book is: How to lead and still have a life. Some key points I picked up are:

1. The parable of the talent teaches us that we are to maximize whatever talent we have. We are to not try and muster up talent we don’t have, but recognize and maximize the talents we do have. “Run to your strong side.” (41).

2. He talks about the 4 V’s of leadership: Voice (Whose voice is most important when everyone has a different opinion?), Vision, Values, and Vital relationships (51).

3. People are drawn to and stick like glue to humble leaders. Humble leaders: Accept responsibility (Pride blames others), promote objectivity( Pride causes us to live in denial), are teachable (Pride causes us to be closed minded), stimulate creativity ( Do what you feel is right, just keep it between the ditches) , are flexible (pride causes rigidity, do it my way or I am out of here), Build a team (Pride causes low morale), foster loyalty , and pursue excellence (78-79).

4. How do we speak Humility? Hello, please, thank you, sorry and can I help?

5. Jesus said that if you want to be great, you need to serve. One of the ways we do this is by “Listening to the customer”. We don’t assume we know what they need. We need to listen to them (81).

6. He talked about some vision questions: Where are we going? How? Why bother? After defining the vision, we need to continually evaluating how we are doing. What’s working well? What’s not working well? Based on the above, let’s set 1-2 goals to work on this year. (111).

7. Followers want comfort and stability. If that is all you ever give them, you are not leading them you are babysitting them. We all need to be challenged to go beyond our yesterdays (114).

8. At first, change causes chaos. Expect it. Plan for it. “We are going to have chaos on Sundays for at least a month, and don’t expect all our problems to be cleared up as soon as we get into the building. But eventually we will settle into a new routine. You will learn where to park. How to get around. And God will use this for his glory and the growth of our church. Here are some places you can go if you need more help making this adjustment….(115).

9. How do you mobilize people for ministry? 1. Let them be a part of the dreaming process 2. Let em do it. 3. Encourage them. He talked about the “80 % rule”. When someone can do something 80% as well as you can, give it up (128).

10. How can I lead like Jesus?

11. Stripping it down to it’s essentials, leadership involves three things: A leader, followers, and a common goal (133).

12. Why healthy churches need change? 1. Our world is constantly changing 2. Our mission is yet to be accomplished 3. Our people are constantly changing 4. Every new generation is a new challenge 5. Change is easier when you are healthier, not unhealthy 6. Scripture gives us our functions not our forms. 7. Flexibility should be the norm if we value people over programs 8. Creativity should flow from children of the creator 9. The church is a body, a living organism, and body must change to grow 10. Every church or ministry has a natural life cycle and will eventually die unless it is “reborn” from with in. (167).

13. Every leader needs to set aside time to think, pray, and contemplate, and reflect. Furthermore, we need to lead in response to reality, not from what we wish it was (170).

14. How to plan your week? Plan it around the 4 R’s (Rest, results (What are the miss ional critical issues? Give the best part of your day to these things), response (What do I need to clean-up and follow up?), refocus (During this time you work on the mission not in the mission. You assess. You adjust. You innovate).

15. Foster hope in people (H-elp…how can I help?, O-ptimism…you can do it. P-ersitence…it is always too soon to quit. E-xplore options. You have options)