Counting and Measuring
As senior leaders, we are responsible for shepherding the overall health and wellbeing of our organizations and teams. To do so effectively, we must have access to good information. Without good information to guide our decisions, it’s easy to pursue priorities and projects that may actually be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of our […]
Dropping Anchors
Anchors. Big, heavy pieces of metal that sailors use to keep the wind or current from moving their ship. The ship may swing, sway, and be tossed around, but the anchor is there to keep it secure. Every leader has to know when is the right time to drop their anchor. Likewise, there may be […]
Curating Good Ideas
How close are you to your next good idea? As a person who has spent the last thirty years generating content for sermons, classes, articles, and speeches, I’ve had times when the ideas flowed abundantly and times when they seemed to dry up altogether. Regardless if they were abundant or scarce, the need for good […]
4C’s of Effective Leaders
I’ve been in and around executive-level leadership for nearly thirty years. This includes my own experience as a senior leader as well as having the privilege of knowing college presidents, founders of technology start-ups, and CEO’s of companies traded on the NYSE. Many of the best leaders I’ve ever known are far from famous. They […]
How Leaders Absorb Chaos
2020, the year of COVID-19, racial unrest, economic challenges, and political uncertainty. In other words, the year of chaos. Any leader who leads long enough will eventually encounter a period of chaos – it might last a few minutes or even days. Every now and then, it might even last for an extended season. In […]
Mindshare
For a number of years, I have been fascinated by neuroscience and how it applies to our daily lives. In particular, I’m interested in the connection between the brain and how habits and faith are formed. It wasn’t that long ago that scientists believed that once the brain was fully developed, it became fixed and […]
Social Distancing and Loneliness
Social distancing. Now that’s a phrase that has catapulted into everyday conversations. In an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked people to gather in smaller and smaller groups while maintaining six feet of separation. Since the virus spreads from person-to-person, creating the appropriate distance […]
When Overwhelmed
As human beings, we like to be in control. There is a (not-so-small) part of us that wants to know every detail and to have every answer … about every problem … every single time! In dealing with the current realities of COVID-19, I’m reminded that there are two types of situations in life: Those […]
Year-End Coaching Questions
Each month I do one-on-one coaching with all of our ministry leaders. Each person discusses the same questions (which change from month-to-month), allowing me to listen across the spectrum for common issues, patterns, and opportunities. It also ensures all of our leaders are reflecting on the same themes at the same time. Yesterday, I sent […]
Connection Not Perfection
From an early age I learned I enjoyed public speaking. I don’t remember the first time I stood in front of a group and gave a presentation. It might have been “show and tell” in kindergarten. As a kid growing up in a local church, it could have been reading scripture or praying during midweek […]