Originally posted November 22, 2011 Your biggest obstacle might be the person who agrees with everything you say. If you’ve been around leadership circles for any length of time, you’ve no doubt experienced this phenomenon for yourself. The scenario might go something like this. You’re in a leadership meeting where you present an idea for…
How to Bring Clarity Through Tuning-Fork Leadership
Take a minute and ask yourself these questions: Is everyone in the organization clear on our overall direction? Is everyone clear on our highest present priorities? Does everyone see how their contribution fits into the big picture? If any of these questions cause your leadership alarm bells to go off, it might be time for…
Why Leaders Need to Think Beyond the Group
In any organization one of the most potent threats to clear, effective leadership can be “groupthink”. And perhaps no organization is more susceptible to groupthink than the local church. The term and concept was coined in the early ’70s by social psychologist Irving Janis, and refers to what can happen when judgment is short-circuited through…
Are You Measuring What Really Matters?
Whenever pastors get together it isn’t long before the question is asked, “So…how are things going in your church?” Often that question is answered something like this; “Oh, great! Attendance is up 12% year over year and giving is up 19%!” But in a sense, this is like answering the question, “How are things going…
13 Key Questions to Ask Before You Let Someone Go
Recently I helped facilitate a pastor’s roundtable discussion, in which staffing issues were discussed. When it came to the painful subject of having to release staff, Greg Hochhalter of Sherwood Park Alliance Church referenced a very practical tool. Below is an article written by Matt Boda, District Superintendent of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Pacific…
