LeaderBuilder Track - STEP 6

OBJECTIVE:
Build a culture where the health of the leader is a priority.

Those new to leadership often have a healthy balance in life but let that slowly erode for the sake of the cause. As a young pastor I was guilty of this and admit it is an area I’m still working on. Whether it is scheduled down time, learning to delegate, or setting goals, every leader must have a strategy that keeps them focused and effective.

Margin, reflection, and self-discipline is defeated by the waving hands of distraction. The whirlwind will always demand your attention. Intentionally watch for wonder, seek silence, reflect, stay curious, and breath in moments joy.

TEAM DISCUSSION:
The following points are suggestions on how to be a strategic leader. Your Pathway Stepping Stone for this final step will be carved out of the following points and anything else you believe to be essential to every leader in your church.

Me Time: Me time is first. If leaders are unhealthy, they will never create a healthy leadership culture. You can not expect others to nurture a community of excellence unless you are leading from a place of wholeness and balance. Jesus made a regular practice of slipping away to be with his Father. He needed time away from the crowd. If Jesus needed it, we are foolish to think we don’t.

I have a framed picture of a rowboat tied to a dock hanging in my office. It is simple. It is peaceful. Every time I see it, it reminds me I need regular time to step into the boat and push out into the deep. My heart and mind need to drift to a quiet place of reflection; a place to practice the discipline of devotion and prayer, and make a list of personal things that must take priority again.

“Me time” is different than relaxation. What are your leaders doing to take care of their heart, mind, and spirit? Healthy leaders must be filled and be purposeful about being filled; it’s not selfish, it’s biblical.

Delegation: As a young leader, one of my faults was the inability to delegate. I understood the concept, but I had bought the idea that if you wanted it done right you should do it yourself. This added more stress in my life and was not affirming to those around me. This is a terrible way to build your team culture.

Because team strengths are identified, good leaders hand off jobs and responsibilities to those who possess the ability and even those who are growing their ability. Someone who is just beginning their leadership journey will be excited when given a responsibility their leader believes they can complete. People who are believed in are highly motivated to be successful. They will rise to your expectations, so keep them high.

Steps for delegation:

1. Be clear about the “what.” Communicate exactly what needs to be done. Get specific about important details. Foster accountability by letting others on the team know about what they are working on and the end goal.

2. Be clear about the “when.”(see goal-setting) If the delegated task includes a deadline, be clear about when it should be completed. It would be smart to include a meeting or phone conversation between the moment of delegation and when it should be done. Use this connection time for encouragement, reminders about the what and why, and make sure they are on task and on time. Finally, ask if there is anything they need or are missing that would help facilitate their success.

3. Discuss how you have delegated in the past and any changes or additions you should make moving forward.

Goal-setting: Goal setting can be a simple but an important part of your teams success.

1. The Why of your Goal: Goals need to be valued, so the “why” of your goal should be written down.

2. Write down the When: Set your completion date and make sure all involved know exactly when the task should be done.

3. Create Milestones: Milestones are moments along the goal timeline when you recognize on-task completions. It is motivational knowing you are making progress. Milestones are not the final completion, but rather measures along the journey.

   Example: If your goal is to launch 5 new small groups by September 15th, you might set up a milestone as having locked down one leader and host commitment every three weeks until you reach that date in September.

4. SMART Goals: Most of us know this acronym and it is a good reminder to keep your goals Simple, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time bound.

5. Be accountable: If you never state your goal to anyone, to whom will you be accountable? Let your team know what your goal is and ask them to keep you accountable! You are not in this alone!

6. Completion Date: Of course there should be a clear date on the calendar when the goal must be completed.

Discuss what practical way leaders will set and display their goals. Will you have a central war room where each BHAG (Big Harry Audacious Goals) is displayed, accountable and celebrated? Is there a digital way you will organize leader and team goals?

Personal Development. Another part of a healthy leadership culture is to insist that all team members are pursuing personal growth through on-going education, reading, research, interviewing leaders in their field, mentorship, community involvement, etc. This goes back to Step 4.2 of personal growth.

Consider a quarterly report from all leaders. In this report each leader must record what they have done to further their personal development. Leaders could present their new discoveries during a leadership meeting, or they could write a brief report on a life-changing book they read and how it changed them.

Celebration! Often we are simply relieved a project or assignment has been completed. Instead of checking the proverbial check box and moving on, take time to celebrate and be grateful for a job well done.

All of us need affirmation and encouragement, but it is rarely given in significant ways. A recent Department of Labor statistic states 92% of people feel underappreciated in their job. Be a cheerleader on your team. Give away a coffee card or buy them their favorite drink. Think about a simple way you can bless someone. If the accomplishment is significant enough, thank and honor them in front of the team or the entire church!

Discuss how your church will celebrate wins. Sunday morning feature on the screen as people walk in? Bulletin highlight? Staff meeting celebration?

Relaxation: The life of a leader must be in balance. If you are out of margin, exhausted, and stressed, you are not living as Jesus wants you to live. If these are the hallmarks of a leader, then that leader will be ineffective.

Plan to relax: If you have Friday off from the church and team activities, then guard your Friday and learn to say “no.” Your time off needs to be your time off. It is not ungodly to miss a church function if you need to be refreshed. Have a regular plan/date on the calendar to simply clear your schedule and have some personal time to refresh.

Family: If you are married or are a single parent, you have an incredible responsibility to pour into your spouse or children. Protect those relationships. As a church, it should be part of your culture to do a “family check-in” regarding the health of relationships. Talk with the spouse or even the children of leaders and get their real opinion, then take steps to support the family. Many times I have spoken with people in ministry whose family, including children, have called them out for going too far and beyond the call to the detriment of those closest to them. I know there were times I was guilty of this. While there are times when our families will sacrifice your presence, make it rare not regular.

Fun: All leaders need to be regenerated by diving into a hobby, a sport, a camping trip etc. Part of your leadership culture should be to make sure your leaders have calendarized fun. If that prescription is difficult, build a fun activity into your team’s weekly routine -- play a game of corn hole, cards, Pictionary, take two hours to go play Frisbee golf. Essentially work fun into your team; it will not only be refreshing, but it is guaranteed to build relationships.

Sabbatical: When I was working on my Master’s degree in Strategic Leadership, one of my professors turned me onto the idea of “mini-sabbaticals.” The idea is to stop for 5 minutes during the day and sabbatical your mind and heart. Do this periodically through the day and refocus your heart and spiritual ears to the voice and nudges of the Holy Spirit. Recenter in the midst of the whirlwind. Remind yourself of your “why,” and then keep moving.

If your church leaders do not have a strategy for success, success will be elusive.

Use the worksheet here to hone your leadership strategy.

PATHWAY STEPPING STONE 6: How we will proactively develop our leaders…