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Tag: leadership (Page 9 of 16)

Character > Competency

October 4, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Imagine that you have a job that really needs done. I mean really needs done. You have a deadline that is rapidly approaching. And your back is against the wall to get this thing completed. These are the scenarios when we are more likely to make a really bad decision, so here’s your caution.

The greater the emergency we face the more likely we are to choose someone for what they can do, not for who they are. Let that sink in for a second. It’s super easy to choose someone for their competency and capacity and ignore their character and integrity.

Character trumps competency any day of the week!

There’s a saying in leadership that goes something along the lines of you can never out lead your character. Man is that true or what! Have you ever seen this? Someone has all the right stuff to get the job done, but they’re a real selfish jerk. You do know that won’t end well right?

I remember when I was a car salesman. We had a great team, for the most part. There was that one sales person however that was really good at what they did, but they had some spots on their character that were pretty questionable. Now questionable character isn’t about being a good vs bad person. It’s about being immoral and selfish vs a kind team player. No matter how many cars this person sold, no one wanted to be around them. And they had fewer repeat and referral customers because this person was obviously in it for themselves and thought waaaay too much of themselves!

Character trumps competency any day of the week.

So when it comes to hiring or staffing for the next job or bringing on volunteers to help with that thing your nonprofit is doing, take a few extra minutes to look beyond a person’s capacity. Ask a few character questions to make sure they don’t burn the organization to the ground while they’re getting the job done.

Here are some of the quick character questions I use.

  • How well do I really know this person?
  • What do their friends/family say about them?
  • What are they really good at doing?
  • What are they really bad at doing?
  • Ask the person when’s the last time they failed, and how they reacted. This is less about competency and achievement. The purpose here is to determine if they are willing to admit mistakes and how well they recover from those mistakes. These are character issues.
  • What one word do others use to describe this person?

There are a ton more questions you can ask. I’d love to hear what character questions you find helpful in this process. By the way, these questions are good questions to use on yourself as well. Your character matters too!

The Same Team

October 3, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I’m a pretty big sports fan. I love college football. As a matter of fact I will do just about everything in my power to rearrange my life for 14 Saturdays a year just so I can watch what in my opinion is the best sport around. Now you don’t have to agree with me. But it’s not going to change my mind.

I really think we can learn a little from the sport of football. Life lessons. Business approaches. Relationship learnings. And I really think the church can take a lesson or two from the game of football as well.

It really hit me the other day when I was looking at the sideline. Why was the coach on the sidelines wearing that bright green shirt? Then another coach for the same team was wearing a bright blue one. These are not their colors. What’s the deal? Why not wear apparel for the team you’re coaching?!?! It seemed really absurd to me. Until I realized who they were and what role they had. Then it started to make a lot more sense!

You see one of the coaches on the sideline was one of the defensive coaches. He was letting the defense know how they should be lining up based on what the offense was showing. The one in blue? Yeah he had a different function. Not defense but his position on the team related to the offense.

They had to stand out so the men on the field could see them easily enough in the moment. They were on the same team, but they had different methods for achieving the same goal. They both wanted the team to win. They both wanted their team to score more points than the other team. One dealt with a really strong offensive strategy. For them it was all about scoring points. The defense however wasn’t as focused on scoring points. They just didn’t want the other team to score. While their tactics were different their end goal was the same.

Then it hit me. It’s the same way in the church. It’s not about offense and defense but different approaches to accomplish the same goal. What’s the goal of the church? According to the Bible the goal of the church should be to equip the saints for works of ministry and to disciple people through relationships built around God’s promises (baptism) and His commands (obedience).

Nothing in that tells us what color shirt to wear. As a matter of fact there is a ton of flexibility in developing relationships leading to discipleship. And just as much freedom in equipping the saints. As long as the end goal is the same – eternal life in Jesus. It’s about believing and living out the belief that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

He doesn’t tell us to wear special clothes when we preach or teach. He doesn’t tell us what songs are better than others. He doesn’t have a preferred musical styling. It’s almost like Jesus knew that one day we’d have a full team standing ready on the sidelines. It’s almost like Jesus had some kind of knowledge that helped him realize we don’t all learn the same way.

As big of a football fan as I am, I am a much larger fan of Jesus and the way he describes his church in the Bible. I’m not really a huge fan of how the church functions in the world all of the time today however. I’ve been on the receiving end of comments saying you’re not a real pastor because you don’t wear a robe. Or others have told me you’re not really teaching the Bible if your church is growing that fast. You mean that teaching the Bible is a deterrent for growing the local church?! Yikes! Pretty sure someone needs to read the bible a bit!

Look, I know that one size doesn’t fit all. And that’s the beauty of the church. Some of us are wearing the blue shirts of the offensive line coach. While others feel more comfortable in the stylings of the defending the ways we’ve done it approach. Both offense and defense are necessary for a football game! What’s it going to take for us to get this through our thick skulls?

It’s like this – Jesus is the only way to heaven. But my blue shirt or your green shirt are not the only way to Jesus. We’re on the same team, so for the sake of everything holy let’s act like it!

Respond Don’t React

September 27, 2023 / / 0 Comments

There’s a little known secret about me that is soon to not be so little known. I can’t stand it when someone slaps my back. Partially because it’s not the nicest feeling thing in the world and second because it triggers a reaction in my brain that isn’t healthy. You see when someone slaps my back (even as a nice gesture if that’s even possible) it makes my defense mechanisms of fight go into high alert.

It’s like a multi alarm fire going off in my brain. Someone slaps my back and then my body tenses up and all of the endorphins start moving around. My blood pressure rises. My face gets a little red and my muscles tighten up. Inherently my hands clench into fists and I have to put all of my energy into NOT letting my arms come out swinging.

I know it’s an overreaction. I know it’s not good, healthy, or even warranted. But it’s the reality. So please after reading this don’t be the person that tries it out. Just don’t be that person. Please.

I tell this little story because I want you to see how bad reactions can be. Sure some reactions can be good – lay my hand on a hot surface and my reaction is to remove it quickly. Not all reactions are bad but some are very bad and very destructive. Those are the reactions to which I’m referring in this post.

Do you know your back slap kind of reaction triggers? Maybe it’s a word someone says or a type of comment? Something the just triggers a massive fight or flight reaction from you.

The difference between a reaction and a response is time. That’s really all it is. A little bit of time separating their initial action and your way of answering back. If you answer quickly, chances are you’re on the fast track to a reaction. But if you allow the action to simmer for even a second or two, you are more likely to come back with a response that isn’t so harsh and punching someone because they slap your back.

I’ve had this happen in my life far too many times. Someone says something and my gut reaction is to talk. I react. And it rarely is helpful, beneficial or godly. And often a reaction will cause hurt, brokenness, and division in ways we could never predict.

In the heat of the moment it’s just not the right time to find your comeback. Think about it for a minute. Have a good thought out approach that is more likely to win the day than lashing out with your gut reaction.

I know some of you are probably saying hypocrite much. Look I already told you I’m not perfect at this thing. Just because I know the right way to handle things doesn’t mean that I do it right all the time (or even most of the time).

It’s really simple but simple doesn’t mean easy. Simple in that there are two really critical steps but hard because we’ve gotten so used to reacting that stopping to think isn’t our first choice.

The two simple steps are to know your triggers and create a better response. I know way too simple but it’s just that simple. Do you know your backslap moments? If so, what are some ways you can flip the script your brain tells you and instead of tensing up and wanting to pummel someone take a different approach?

Reactions are good in some scenarios. But know when a reaction is warranted and when a response is more appropriate. And don’t slap my back. It won’t end well for either of us.

Power of Habits

September 26, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I’ve been back on a kick of listening to podcasts and books on my drives to the gym and work. One of the concepts that came out of my drive time listening this past week was about the power of habits. This isn’t like some power of positive thinking or self help kind of deal. But the consistency of doing small things well as part of a regular regimen. Really the goal is to build momentum.

Momentum is a powerful asset in life but you can’t have momentum without the small steps getting started.

All too often we tend to look at a lofty goal and want to achieve it. We tend to think as long as there’s a goal, we should be able to just push hard enough and get it done. But that’s not really the way things work.

Think of a big goal or vision statement as a ladder. The end result is the top rung of the ladder. We’d never grab a 30 foot ladder and just jump to the top step. It doesn’t work that way. We need to find the lower rungs to help us get started. Each rung on the ladder is another step toward the top. Each one helps us build momentum to get closer to that final goal of reaching the top.

The same is true for some of the goals we make in our daily lives. Often it’s not about the top rung of the ladder. The greatest differences can often be made on the short, seemingly small steps taken one after another to get there.

Ok so here’s a real life example. Many people have a goal to lose a few pounds after the first of the year. We’ve packed on some holiday blubber and want to lose a bit of it so our pants fit better. We buy a gym membership and new gym clothes. We pick up a new water bottle because this is the year we’re going to drink a gallon of water a day. We get all the right things and set the goal of dropping 25 pounds. But how often does it actually happen?

The problem is we miss the small rungs on the ladder. Sure getting the workout gear and the gym membership are helpful but we haven’t created a habit yet. We haven’t set the daily steps we’re going to take to get there. What if we set alarms on our phone to tell us when to get up and walk throughout the day? What about getting one of those apps that reminds us to drink a glass of water now please? Those are steps in the right direction as well.

But a habit isn’t about ideals or intentions. Habits are about actions. Consistent actions taken over time. This is what a habit is all about. This means that when the alarm goes off earlier than you like to wake up, you still get up. You find someone to hold you accountable to being at the gym. Because we all know letting someone down is harder than just not showing up yourself. Every day we take these small steps to create a habit that one day will do more than help you lose 25 pounds. It becomes a lifestyle where those 25 pounds come off and muscle is formed in their place.

The same can be said for most anything. It’s about the small steps we need to take regularly to get us to the intended destination. Habits are powerful but a word of caution. They can easily be derailed if we don’t keep ourselves accountable. As hard as it is to establish a habit, unfortunately it’s super easy to fall out of it. This is where we have to be intentional about each and every step along the path to that top rung of the ladder.

To sum it all up, habits help but habits are more than thoughts. They’re actions done repeatedly over time. They eventually become part of who we are. What habit do you need to start today to get you where you’re going?

The Necessity Of The Hunter

September 7, 2023 / / 1 Comment

Yellowstone National Park is a beautiful place. My family took our last long vacation out to Yellowstone and the surrounding area. We absolutely loved everything about it. The scenery was amazing. There was wildlife everywhere. The trees were huge and fields filled with green grasses and other natural elements. The rivers were beautifully bubbling streams of sparkling water. But it didn’t always used to be that way.

In the early 1990s things in the park didn’t look quite like this. The elk had nearly overpopulated the park. The grass was more sparse. The trees were stripped of bark. The rivers and streams weren’t as clean. All of it because there were too many elk populating the park. But why were there so many elk? Good question! I’m glad you asked.

It all started in the late 1800s and early 1900s when it was open season on the gray wolf. By the end of the 1920s the gray wolf was eradicated from the park altogether. Some thought this was going to be helpful. From not having to worry about visitors to the park region being attacked by a wolf to giving some freedom for the elk to run free, getting rid of the wolf seemed the right thing to do at the time. But little did they know at the time, removing the hunter from the park would have drastic effects on the entire ecosystem of Yellowstone.

Then in 1995 a truck carrying eight gray wolves came into the park and released a controlled population back into the system. What followed could only be hoped for…the park returned to a thriving ecosystem. It turns out hunter are necessary for a thriving system. Predators, while doing bad things in the eyes of some, are necessary to create an atmosphere where all can thrive.

This truth transfers beyond wolves in a national park. As a matter of fact, I think in our lives in general we need predators. We need those people who contradict us and challenge us. Those who seemingly are out to get us because they keep us on our toes.

Just like bringing the wolves back to Yellowstone balanced the ecosystem and brought the elk population back in check which made the rivers run cleaner – so also having some of these challenges in our lives brings our lives back on track as well.

We like to eliminate the problems and run from adversity, but perhaps we should embrace some of the challenges in life a little more intentionally. Perhaps we should give thanks for the circumstances in our lives that make us more alert. Paul tells us to rejoice in all things and to even have joy in our trials. This is very likely the reason why.

In the church we like to complain when things don’t go right, when the government oversteps a line, when we feel like being a Christian is hard. But living a life without challenges is a lot like Yellowstone without wolves. We become complacent and think the world owes us something. We dry up and start caring less about the world around us. Eventually the streams of life get all muddy with troubles of the world and we forget what’s most important.

I’ve heard so many lately say that it’s getting harder and harder to be a pastor in the world. Oddly enough Jesus never told us it would be easy. As a matter of fact if it is easy, I tend to believe that we’re probably not doing something right. Jesus told us that we’ll have struggles in this life. He said the world will try to do to his followers what they did to him. Sure sounds like we should be expecting trouble of some sort doesn’t it?

Look. I know it’s no fun being pursued by wolves. I’ve been in my fair share of situations where someone has thought I was prey. But when we have friendships where people turn on us, jobs where coworkers don’t like us, scenarios where we’re not fully embraced – those moments shape us into who we’re supposed to be.

My advice. Don’t necessarily pray for wolves to surround you. But I would thank God for the times when you are pursued by a predator because predators aren’t always evil. Sometimes predators are necessary to help you live a more alert, focused, and dynamic life.

Outreach Doesn’t Work

August 8, 2023 / / 0 Comments

If you’re a church going person then this will likely hit you hard. You probably won’t like these words. And there’s a chance you might be put off by some of what I’m about to say. That doesn’t change it from being true however.

Not liking getting a speeding ticket doesn’t make it so I don’t have to pay for it. It just means I don’t like the harsh realities that stand before me. Sometimes the truth hurts. And lest someone pull a Bible verse out of context speak the truth in love please read what that’s about. It has nothing to do with calling out a misinterpretation or a misunderstanding. Ok with that out of the way, here we go.

I’ve read far too many articles, social media posts, how to bloggers, podcasters and more on the topic of outreach. I’ve heard people ask for the best outreach strategies. Today I read a question about what are the most effective outreach strategies your churches have done.

Sorry friends you’re asking the wrong question because outreach won’t work.

I say this as a former mission and ministry coordinator. I was an outreach pastor. I do outreach events, although very limited few of them. I slowed that way down when I realized I had it backwards.

Outreach does not work!

Look think of it this way. Who is going to come to a church’s outreach event? I mean who attends your VBS? Easter Egg Hunt? Block party? Normally the ones that come are the ones that have a predisposition to the gospel. They’ve already heard the message. Will you get to connect with someone who doesn’t have a church home currently? Maybe? Possibly. But are they people who don’t know Jesus? Are they people who have limited knowledge of the workings of God in their lives? Probably not.

The people who come to church events, even the cool outreach ones, have some acceptance factors built in toward the church already. They’ve already been in a church before. You might be shuffling people around from one church to another. You might gain another face or two. But where are they coming from? Probably, if stats hold true they’re from another church down the road. The church that just got a new pastor or whose pastor isn’t cutting it for them anymore. That’s not the purpose of outreach.

Outreach doesn’t work because it’s not for the purpose we think it is.

Churches tend to want some silver bullet type of outreach strategy. We try to find the one thing that will work across all spectrums, races, economic levels, just simple and easy. Plug and play. Well that actually does exist but it takes work. It’s not quite easy but it’s actually pretty simple.

The best outreach you can do for your church is to not lower expectations. Don’t make it easier to just be a butt in a seat. Do you expect the people who call themselves members of the church to be involved in the life of the church beyond Sunday? Volunteerism? Ministry leadership? Actually doing something?

The Bible doesn’t tell us to be about outreach. It tells us to be about discipleship. If we’d focus on discipleship, you know equipping the saints for works of ministry and all that, then the outreach stuff would happen organically, naturally and constantly!

Please stop looking for the best outreach method when you’re not willing to sink the time and effort into raising up and equipping the men and women that you already have. What makes you think that God will send you new people if you’re not leading the ones you have (parable of talents anyone).

I’m not trying to be snarky and nasty or mean or rude. It’s just quit griping and complaining about how hard life and ministry are if you’re not going to double down on the talent God has given you. Don’t complain about something God never promised. Don’t focus on the things God never told you to make your main focus.

That’s it. Outreach does not work. But working on discipleship has tremendous impacts on outreach.

Why are churches closing?

May 26, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I recently listened to a podcast by Issues Etc that peaked my interest. The title was increased church closings. The speaker was the director of witness and outreach for the church body to which I ascribe. The statistics shared weren’t really all that surprising and unfortunately neither was the proposed solution. The problem is, the solution doesn’t address the real issue.

So why are churches closing? And why does it seem like they are closing so much faster today than ever before?

Well, churches close all the time. It’s nothing new to have a church close its doors due to lack of funds, community shifts, membership decline, large business closes and people move away, any number of things can lead to a church closing. Some of those are out of our control, but others are fully within grasp. As for why they’re closing so fast now, well the short answer is the pandemic changed the way people see the world, spirituality and service. If a church isn’t living in the integrity of its confession, then it’s pretty obvious to this society and they’ll disengage. Also we’ve set the bar way too low for church membership which makes leaving that much easier.

The podcast speaker says “the importance of religion is declining at a very rapid rate” in the US, and this is one of the main causes of church closures. Is it really that religion and spirituality are on the decline, or is it that the institution of the local church is no longer viewed as important? I don’t think the two are the same thing.

I don’t see, in the pockets of the country I’ve visited or discussed, that people are less spiritual or religious. I see a lot of people saying why do I need to belong to a church to do the things they do? There’s a large and ever growing number of people that are simply disenfranchised by the church’s lack of loving the least of these or loving our neighbors as ourselves. The old accusation of the church being full of hypocrites is all too often true in the church today. We hold the banners of what sins we think are worst, and at the same time neglect to share the fellowship and friendship that the gospel commands.

The number one reason I see people disconnecting from the local church is because of poor discipleship. We’ve thrown all of the discipleship eggs into one basket – the Sunday morning worship service. But is that really biblical? Does the Bible really tell us that the primary mechanism for making stronger, more devoted followers of Jesus is to put them in a room on Sunday morning when they can’t talk or interact or serve and just listen? That’s what a lot of Sunday morning worship looks like to a person who’s unaware of what we do in worship.

Now before you go and get your panties in a bunch don’t fill in the blanks here with some nasty assumption. Worship is important to the life of the follower of Jesus. And worship is part of discipleship, but it’s only part of it. There is so much more to being a follower of Jesus than Sunday morning worship.

Jesus raised the bar for what it meant to be his follower. He didn’t lower it. Making discipleship solely about worship attendance and how much money we give cheapens the role of the Christian in the world today. Christianity is not a hobby we pursue when we’re bored, but if Sunday morning is the only or even main place discipleship happens it’s easy to view it as merely a hobby.

I’m honored to be part of a network of Jesus loving men and women who want to see the Body of Christ grow and thrive. We’re doing this by helping churches see more clearly who they are and who their community is. This allows them to align their efforts to better meet the needs in their community and infuse a gospel presence into local neighborhoods more effectively. And one of the coolest parts is that we walk alongside churches the whole time. We take phone calls and text messages, set up zoom calls, and even will be boots on the ground to help local churches break through the barriers they’re facing.

If you’re a church leader or part of a church that’s on the decline, I’d love to chat with you about how to raise the bar of discipleship and how we can work together with other Jesus followers to more effectively and efficiently reach our neighbors with the love of Jesus and connect them to deeper relationships as growing disciples. Hit me up here or on social and let’s find a time to chat!

To Die And Be Forgotten

March 3, 2023 / / 1 Comment

I know the title is a tad morbid and depressing but just give me a few minutes and read on. We all have goals in life. Some want to be millionaires or even want to have a street named after them. Some desire to climb the corporate ladder or become the biggest name on the block. There are some with life goals that leave a legacy for their family or friends or followers. But some of us really don’t see it that way.

I was recently listening to a podcast on one of my drives to the gym. The speaker, who I honestly can’t remember anymore, said something that really stood out to me. It was kind of shocking in a good way. It’s almost as if this person speaking was saying something that’s been my way of living lately.

I want to share the gospel, die and be forgotten.

Wow how cool is that! I mean that’s exactly what I want my life to be about. No this is not a depressing statement. Actually it’s quite the opposite. I think it shows that my priorities are in the right place.

Let’s look at it a little differently. As a pastor, there are those people who are part of the church because they have family there. There are others who are present because a friend invited them. Some are there because the church teaches the Bible or has engaging ministry programming. But there are some who are only at a given church because of the pastor. Don’t believe me? What happens when the pastor leaves?

In the average church, when the pastor or other key ministry leader leaves, there is a minor exodus. Some leave because the leader is no longer there and they really liked that leader. I’ve seen it in my ministry. When I come in to a church and people quickly realize that I am not the same as the guy before me, there are some who just don’t like it. And they leave.

I really hope this doesn’t happen to me ever. I never want to leave an organization or church and have people leave because I’m no longer there. Don’t come to church because I’m there. Don’t come because I’m the pastor. I really don’t want it that way.

My heart’s desire is that I get to preach the gospel. Then one day I will die. And when I do, it’s ok to forget me. Actually please do forget me! I would much rather in those moments that you cling to Jesus than some memory of me.

You see that’s why my goal in life is to one day die and be forgotten. It was never about me in the first place!

What’s Your Why?

March 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments

If you’re a parent, or you remember your childhood at all, you likely have a love-hate relationship with the word why. While this is a question I have asked more times that I can even count, it’s a question that I couldn’t stand receiving from my children.

So to be totally honest, I don’t have a problem with the word why, it’s generally the tone in which it is spoken that’s of great disturbance to me. The word is normally said through a sigh or a whining voice. It normally comes with the word but preceding it. This is the kind of why that I really can’t stand!

There is another why that I believe is really important. Many years ago a friend told me the importance of knowing your reason why. He said – if your reason why isn’t strong enough, you’ll always find a reason why not. So very simple of a thought but it explains so much that’s wrong in our world and culture right now.

This is why our New Year’s resolutions don’t typically last. Our why is too weak. I’ve seen this far too often. She wants to lose some weight to fit into her wedding dress. It works for a time but she quickly loses steam. Her why was too short sighted. He wants to stash away a few extra dollars for a rainy day but can’t seem to get any traction. His why was far too broad.

You see the why must be greater than any excuse or why not we can come up with or we’ll lose. This is why our attempts at the new year body don’t generally make it beyond February. We don’t have a good long range picture or reason to keep driving us forward.

What’s your why?

Ok so here’s a warning. I’m going to get a little “churchy” on you for a second. Don’t tune out just yet though. This is a bible example to help drive our point home.

There’s a passage in the latter portion of the Bible that is generally answered wrong. It is in one of Peter’s letters and he says always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you.

Did you get it? What’s your why?

We generally read that verse and say our hope is in Jesus. And while this is correct, it’s answering a question that wasn’t asked. He didn’t say where is your hope. He said why is your hope there. This is a big difference.

Knowing your reason why is really important. Have you ever seen someone go through a really bad time in life and waffle in their faith? I don’t mean they were late for work or overslept kind of bad time. I mean lost their spouse or their house burned down in a freak accident kind of bad day. In these types of situations our why is tested tremendously.

What’s your why?

So often when we go through these really challenging moments in life, we default to asking things like where is God or how could he let this happen to me. We then wonder if it’s all worth it. I’ve been there. I know how this goes.

But what’s your why keeps you from falling off the deep end when trouble and struggle and hardship arise. When we know the reason for the hope that we have, we’ll be able to see that there’s a bigger picture at play here. We’ll be able to get through some of the hardship and struggle and pain because we know something that we can’t see is just around the corner.

Ok back to that summer swimsuit body or wedding ready figure. If this is as far as you can see, then when the wedding is over or summer is past you’re likely going to fall off the wagon. But if you have a big enough reason why to drive you, then even when the event is over you’ll still have a habit and lifestyle that will continue.

I’ve been asked why I get up at 4:30 in the morning to go to the gym. I used to do it to be able to lift a certain amount of weight. But then I met that goal and it was tempting to let things slide. Now the reason is much bigger than bench pressing 350lbs or running a certain distance in a set timeframe. It’s about overall health, wellness, mental clarity, stress management, being around to see my kids get married, meet my grandkids, manage my property, take care of my family. These are reasons why that will far outlast my ability to lift certain amounts of weight or run a set speed.

What is your why? When you can answer this with a big enough and strong enough reason, then you’ll be able to stop every excuse from flooding into your mind.

Know the reason why and soon you’ll have a lifestyle that matches the desire of your heart today.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution

February 3, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Have you ever wondered why some people are more inclined to be productive and others tend to flounder? Ever have one of those projects that needed done but you just couldn’t get the wheels moving in the right direction? Overwhelmed by the tasks in front of you and don’t know how you’re going to get it all done?

I know that I’ve wrestled with these and many other hurdles in trying to be productive. This week’s book is another very practical type of read. Sean Covey writes a pretty simple to follow and sensible book on how to execute and create a culture of execution in life, business and ministry.

The four disciplines are pretty straightforward: Focus on your wildly important goals, Act on lead measures, Keep a compelling scoreboard, Create a cadence of accountability. Each of these are very important in their own right. A book could likely, and perhaps already is, written on each of these topics on their own.

Covey does a great job stacking these principles to show how each one builds on the one before it.

Your wildly important goal or WIG for short is that one driver that moves you. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s why you and your organization exist. It’s pretty much what it says the most wildly important thing in front of you right now.

Lead measures was the section that I found the most interesting personally. There are two kinds of measurements we generally use lead and lag measures. Lag measures are the ones that are the final outcomes. They’re often the big deals, or so we think. Lead measures however are the ones that need to be our focus in order to get to the lag measures and make them happen. If we can’t achieve the lead measures, we’ll never make our way to the lag measures. I’ll let you read it to figure out what he’s talking about in greater detail.

Compelling scoreboards are super important. How will you know if you won? This is a section devoted to the idea that the person who is being scored should have a say in and thoroughly understand the score card used for them. So often as leaders in various places in the world we use scorecards that make sense to us but give little thought to what the person being scored thinks of the score card or if they even understand it.

Finally the book addresses the idea of accountability. A regular rhythm of accountability is essential in making sure things get accomplished. If no one holds you accountable and you’re not a person with terrific drive, then there’s a good chance you won’t actually get done what you need to get done.

All in all this book is good for anyone but seems to really focus on those in a leadership capacity. It’s an easy read and has some strong take aways that can easily be implemented nearly immediately without disrupting much of your current schedule.

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