One thing leaders often get wrong that diminishes their organization's impact

 

Over the years I have had the privilege of consulting with numerous organizations. As a consultant I am often engaged to help resolve problems within the organization. This is counterintuitive but I have often found that in their desire to serve their constituents, leaders, even very good leaders hurt their organizations because they neglect their staff.

They don't see staff as their first priority. Thus they don't invest much time in developing staff members, helping them be successful at their work. Here is a common theme by staff: I don't get enough time with my leader. I get the leftovers of their time and energy. But here is the thing - simply stated.

The key to an organization's success is the staff. The heathier and more engaged the staff is, the greater the impact they will have. When a leader makes his/her staff the second priority in order to serve their ultimate customers they actually lose because unhappy, unaligned, undeveloped staffs eventually implode. And when they implode who gets hurt? Those they are there to serve. Ironically, the leader is often caught in the fallout as the staff no longer respects them. Neglect your staff and everyone suffers!

Organizational leaders serve through their staff team, not around their staff team. Staff are not a distraction but the key to the organization's success. If you are a leader who is too busy to spend the time that your staff needs with you, you are not leading. And, your priority of serving your constituents at the expense of staff will end badly for you, the staff and your customers. It just does!

I have helped to clean up too many situations because leaders neglected their staff. Don't let it happen to you.

How would your staff and board actually describe your church and why it matters

 

Here is an instructive exercise if you want to think about what your church is about. Ask your staff and board this question: How would you describe our church? Forget about vision and mission statements and focus on how you would actually describe the church. For real!

In fact, take this one step further and describe the positive pieces of your church culture, the problematic pieces and the negative pieces. Put those in three columns on a white board and have a discussion around all three columns. 

Think about these questions;

• How can we capitalize on the positive pieces of our culture and continue to encourage those pieces?
• What can we do about the problematic pieces of our culture?
• How do we address and change the negative pieces of our culture and where do those influences come from?
• How do these three columns impact new people who come into the congregation?
• What impact do the three columns have on the spiritual health of our congregation?
• Do we have the courage to address the negative pieces of our culture?

My guess is that such a conversation will open up some honest and candid dialogue among your staff and leaders. The problematic and negative pieces of a congregation's culture are often ignored or left as elephants in the room. Don't ignore them because they impact the spiritual lives of your people for good or bad. In fact, at some point, in some way, it is necessary to address those negative pieces of your culture and that takes courage and a long term plan.

It starts with a conversation. 

The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart - Peter Wehner in the Atlantic

 

THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH IS BREAKING APART

Christians must reclaim Jesus from his church.

By Peter Wehner

American missionaries and family members kidnapped in Haiti - Washington Post article

 

American missionaries

 and family members 

kidnapped in Haiti by

 ‘400 Mawozo’ gang,

 groups say

Ten ways to evaluate whether your ego is getting in the way of your leadership

 An overly inflated ego is one of the challenges of leaders who are often in their positions because they have seen success. The success that positions one for leadership can also be our subtle undoing when we allow it to feed our ego which has a voracious and unrelenting appetite. 

Most of us like to think that we are not conceited and yet that is the greatest conceit of all. However, we can be aware of signs that our ego (and conceit) are getting in the way of our own emotional health and leadership. Awareness can help us manage the appetite of our egos.

Being defensive or angry when we are challenged.
Defensiveness is nothing more than our ego screaming "don't challenge me because I am right" even when we are not. It keeps us from hearing truth and perspective from others leaving us with only our limited perspective. This is why the best leaders train themselves to be open to differing perspectives and cultivate a non-defensive attitude.

Being reluctant to delegate

An unwillingness to delegate is often our ego speaking: "No one can do this as well as I can." Actually, in most things others can do things better than we can but who wants to admit that! Healthy leaders do. In fact, they encourage others to find better ways of doing things in order to build better organizations. We may not realize it but an unwillingness to delegate can be a sign of an unhealthy ego.

Needing to always get our own way
Why would we need to always get our own way if not because our own self worth or conviction that we are always right reveals an overinflated and unhealthy ego? Healthy leaders desire to do the best thing to reach the desired outcome which has nothing to do with whether it is their way or not. Unhealthy egos demand their way regardless of whether other ways might be better.

Being jealous of the success of others
Whenever we become jealous at the success of another we ought to sit up and take note that we have an ego problem. Jealousy over the success of another is a sign that we believe their success in someway diminishes us! Only unhealthy and hungry egos react this way. These egos will resist hiring anyone who might outshine them in some area and is a dangerous trait.

Taking credit for success and deflecting blame in failure
This happens in ministry, in business, in politics and everywhere there are people. We love to overinflate our abilities and underinflate our weaknesses. Accolades feed our hungry egos and those same hungry egos don't want to admit failure so they deflect it to others. Healthy egos share success with the team and are willing to take responsibility for failure. Healthy egos never need to be fed at the expense of others in success or failure.

A critical spirit
Critical spirits can come from a need to build ourselves up by putting others down or an attitude of superiority - both of which are connected to unhealthy egos. If we find ourselves becoming critical we need to ask ourselves why we find a need to diminish rather than encourage others. An attitude of criticism is rarely a sign of a healthy leader and it usually has to do more with them than with those they are critical about.

Slowing down on learning and developing
How is this related to ego? It is an assumption that we no longer need to learn new things or put another way, we already know all that we need to know. That is a lie of our ego. If anything, the need to invest more time in learning is critical because our world is changing at an increasing rate. Humble individuals invest in learning while proud people feel they don't need to.

Inability or unwillingness to listen

Those who don't listen or who listen and ignore the perspectives of others are sending a message that they don't need the input of others. That is Ego all the way. Humility requires listening as well as openness to the opinions and suggestions of others. Those who don't listen are actually saying, "I don't need you or your input. Just do as I say." That is arrogance!

Unkind or demeaning words

Those who put down others, treat them unkindly, demean them or their efforts, use words that hurt rather than help, use unkind words or speak in an unkind way are placing themselves above others (pride and ego) rather than treating people with the dignity and compassion that they would want themselves. Humble individuals are kind and understanding. Ego driven people are often unkind and place themselves "over" others rather than "alongside" others. 

Why does this matter? The behaviors above are toxic to those around us, to our team and to our organization. More importantly they are toxic to us because when our egos get in the way of our leadership we are both hurting our leadership and our own hearts and minds are compromised. Ego hurts others but it also hurts us. 

The correlation between Emotional Intelligence and organizational culture

 It is a given that the Emotional Intelligence of an organization is the sum of the EQ of its members. In other words, the organization's EQ reflects the general emotional health of its people. When I ask people about the culture of their workplace, they can quickly identify the positive and the negative aspects of their organization. What they often don't realize is that they are describing the EQ of those who work there. 

In effect, the EQ of the organization (which reflects the EQ of the individuals within the organization) creates the organizational culture. There is a direct correlation between EQ and culture. So, if one is going to change the organizational culture, it becomes necessary to grow the EQ of its members. 

For instance, if one has a culture that is rife with gossip, backstabbing, unhealthy competition, conflict, and people taking credit when they should not or blaming others when they are to blame, one has a dysfunctional culture that reflects poor Emotional Intelligence among its members. The core issue is not the culture but the people who make up that culture and their level of emotional health.

The lower the EQ of the staff, the more dysfunctional the organization is. The higher the EQ of staff, the healthier the organizational culture. And the culture almost always reflects an organization's leadership as people take their cues from leaders.

Because we don't often think of organizational culture as related to the EQ of its members, we become frustrated with our inability to deal with issues in our organizational culture. However, by teaching and coaching in EQ, we can directly impact the culture of the organization in healthy ways. 

One issue that is often ignored is this: The EQ of leaders has a disproportionate impact on the organization as they are the ones who set the standard for behavior. They set the tone for how others are treated, how they serve, and how they lead from a place of humility. 

Some behaviors need to be illegal in an organization because they are antithetical to healthy relationships and interactions. As someone has said, Culture is what we create or allow. In creating a healthy culture, we model good EQ. In disallowing unhealthy behavior, we set a standard for what personal and relational health looks like.

It is instructive to look at your own organization and ask what the corporate EQ quotient is. Are you intentionally creating a healthy culture, or are you allowing things that hurt your culture?

All cultures have positive and negative aspects to them. Take a moment and think about the problematic areas of the culture of your team or organization, and armed with that knowledge, do some teaching and coaching in the requisite areas of EQ that are involved in the problematic areas.

For examples of the signs of good and poor EQ, click here.

Why self evaluation by church boards is so critical

 It is an interesting thing that church boards are quick to evaluate what is happening in the ministry of the church, their pastor and staff but slow to evaluate themselves. This lack of self evaluation is ironic given the expectation of a healthy staff while they do not apply the same expectations to themselves. I am speaking of how the board deals with one another, the issues they face, the intentionality of their leadership and their own effectiveness.

Some of the dysfunctions of church board internal dynamics include:

• An inability to deal with known issues in the church because raising the issues would cause controversy. Thus elephants are allowed to linger on the board, sometimes for years.
• In the interests of "harmony" board members are unable to candidly evaluate their senior leader or other issues in the church.
• Board members have distinct skill sets but are often unwilling or unable to tell a board member that they are "out of their lane" of effectiveness. 
• A lack of periodic discussions as to the overall effectiveness of the board and the contribution that each board member is or is not making.
• Ineffective conflict resolution and unresolved tensions.
• Board members who take disagreement personally and allow their ego to become bruised.
• An unwillingness to submit to the will of the board as a whole.
• A lack of candid, truthful but loving dialogue with one another.
• Passivity toward ministry issues.
• An inability to speak the last 10%.
• Not fully resolving issues because of an avoidance of conflict.
• Avoidance of learning and growing as a board and in their leadership assignment.

If you have served on a church board for any length of time you undoubtedly could contribute to this list. All of these dysfunctions are avoidable if boards would adopt the following practices.

One: Set aside a board meeting annually or twice a year to specifically ask how the board itself is doing. This might include ways to measure health from board development materials. One set of questions you may find helpful are these 15 questions. White- board areas where the board is doing well. And, where the board has challenges and can become better. For those areas that you need improvement, list concrete steps that will help you improve.

Two: Do not gloss over relational difficulties on the board. Usually where these exist, no-one wants to take the risk of speaking about it. It is often the elephant in the room: We know it exists but don't talk about it. That is a mistake because if a church board cannot biblically resolve conflict one cannot expect the congregation to do so. The health of the board does spill over into the congregation as a whole.

Three: Understand that ego is the enemy to healthy boards. Ego pushes us to want to get our way, to put down others or their ideas, to be slow to resolve conflict (I am right after all) and often those with ego issues work the back room with politics to achieve their goals. Jesus blesses humility but hates pride. Many relational issues are related to pride. 

Four: The better the board, the better their work. Ongoing continuing education in how a healthy board functions is just as important as it is for the staff of the church. Often boards don't do their ongoing learning but the best boards do so on a regular basis.

Five: Learn to evaluate issues in the church honestly. One of the barriers to honest evaluation is that board members don't want to speak ill of anyone. There is a difference, however between speaking ill of a person and honestly evaluating their performance. When we are not honest about what is truly happening, boards do a disservice to the church that they are responsible for leading. Allowing issues to exist without honest discussion contributes to elephants in the room and elephants always hurt a board and a church.

Six: At the end of every board meeting take three minutes and ask how you did in the following areas:

• Did members listen well?
• Was their disagreement (a good sign)
• Was everyone able to share their views honestly?
• Did we make decisions?
• Did we follow the agenda well?
• What did we discuss that we left unresolved?
• Did everyone come prepared?
• Did we start and end on time?
• Did we allow the Holy Spirit room to interrupt us at any point?

Healthy boards do not just happen. They are crafted through hard work, good relationships, honest dialogue, egos that are checked at the door and intentional leadership. 

Churches that smell like Jesus have these seven characteristics

 "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved." 2 Corinthians 2:15

In conversation after conversation, I encounter people who have become cynical about the church. I am not one of those because I understand that Jesus is the hope of the world, and He has chosen to work through His bride, the church. 

Having worked with many churches, I have seen almost everything but retain what I call an irrational love for the church.

However, I understand the frustration of many who read Scripture and then have a hard time finding love, grace, and acceptance in a local fellowship. My own view is that there are too few churches that smell like Jesus. What are the smells that churches have that don't reflect Jesus? I think of legalism, judgment, conflict, self-absorption, or maybe a country club. This is why congregational cultures that are focused on being like Jesus are so wonderful and powerful. In fact, they are irresistible.

Churches that smell like Jesus intentionally cultivate the following Jesus characteristics, attitudes, and practices.

Grace

Think of the way that Jesus interacted with people: The woman at the well; the woman caught in adultery; the rich young ruler; the blind man who wanted healing; the woman who poured expensive oil on Jesus' feet; Mary and Martha, and the list could go on. In all of these cases, what stands out is the amazing grace of Jesus. Grace with the hurting, the broken, the guilty, the searching, the sick, the wounded, the criminal, the outcast, the poor, the alien, and we could go on. 

Jesus gave grace where others didn't. Jesus gave grace where it was not deserved. Jesus didn't require people to meet their expectations before He extended grace. Jesus was safe. He was gracious, and He was non-judgmental even when He spoke truth - with the exception of the Pharisees, who were deeply hypocritical. This leads me to wonder what He would say to some evangelicals today. We, too, can be accidental Pharisees.

Truth

Jesus was about the truth of God. Truth is often a limited quantity in our world, and we need to understand the truth about God, ourselves, His character, the life he calls us to, and our own need for salvation and grace. In almost all cases, Jesus delivered truth with compassion, love, and understanding, but He always spoke truth. Truth without grace is not like Jesus. Grace without truth is not like Jesus. Grace and truth go together.

Love

Love for one another is the mark of disciples. In fact, "The entire law is summed up in a single command; 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Galatians 5:14). Love is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. It always speaks the best, wants the best, thinks the best, and treats one another as Jesus treats us - with patience and grace. One of the most toxic characteristics of any church is a lack of love: conflict; uncharitable language; gossip; backbiting; and poor attitudes. 

Having attended many congregational meetings, I tend to think this is where the true character of the congregation is displayed. In many cases, the Holy Spirit must be embarrassed. In my first congregational meeting in one church, I was a part of, the chairperson asked someone to call the police! Yet where love prevails in a congregation, it is powerful and infectious.

Generosity

God is a generous God who did not spare His own Son but sent Him to die for us. If you want your church to have the aroma of Christ, it will be generous with what it has. Many churches are generous toward themselves, investing heavily in their stuff. Fewer churches are generous toward the community, and other churches, meeting the real needs of those around them as well as being significantly involved in the world. Generosity is contagious within a congregation and to outsiders who see people who are open-handed.

Humility

I think this is one of the more difficult character traits of churches that want to reflect Christ. We can be very proud of who we are and the glory days we have experienced in our ministries and often believe that we somehow are better ministries or Christians than the congregation down the street. These are signs of pride rather than of humility. It is ironic that the one Being in the universe who has no need to be humble is the most humble: Our God. Philippians 2 calls us to the same humility as that of Jesus! Humble churches are not filled with their own importance but rather with God's importance. That is a key distinction.

One of the key signs of humility is a congregation's willingness to work with other churches in the community across denominational lines for the cause of the Gospel. Prideful churches won't do that, but kingdom-minded and humble churches do.

Engagement

God's kingdom and God's people are about action. We are called to a life and a mission that reflects the life and mission of Jesus. He had many hangers-on who liked to be around Him and be entertained but were not interested in truly following Him. The church does as well! 

But churches that look like Jesus are filled with people who are actively living out their faith: loving on one another, loving on the community, caring for the poor, the marginalized, and those without anyone to defend them. They care about racial reconciliation and justice as Jesus does. They address community needs in Gospel ways because engagement is to be like Jesus. 

Discipleship

There is no Jesus culture without Jesus followership. This is a followership that involves not only the hour of worship on Sunday but life throughout the week. It is a place where becoming like Jesus is the norm in all walks of life. It is highly practical in helping people follow God more closely and is a place where transparency, pain, and failure can be translated into lives where God uses all of our biographies to be used by Him. In discipleship, each of the prior characteristics is lived out in real-time and in real ways.

If you are in church leadership, it would be worth your time to evaluate how you, as a congregation, are living out these seven characteristics.