In the early years of my faith journey I was fortunate to be surrounded by people who loved Jesus and did their best to live like Jesus.  I watched my mother faithfully dig deep into God’s Word.  I observed my father consistently make integrity based decisions.  I witnessed my  Jr High Sunday School teachers ability to show unconditional love.  I looked on as my High School English teacher practiced relational evangelism.   From their examples I learned to live like Jesus.

But somewhere in that process of learning to live like Jesus something switched.  Discipleship took on a different dimension for me.  It didn’t just happen one day, in fact I can’t tell you when it happened, all I know is it happened.  My growth journey went beyond learning to live like Jesus to learning to lead like Jesus.  Suddenly there was a greater recognition that my life wasn’t about me.  There was a strong awareness that God wanted to use me to influence the spiritual journey of others.  I don’t know that anyone clarified this distinction for me, it came from simply watching and catching the spirit of the leaders around me.

As spiritual leaders we must help others experience that switch.  Yes, learning to live like Jesus is a lifelong never ending process.  But at some point we have to challenge people to that level of surrender that expands the influence of their lives.  We must challenge them to lead like Jesus.

Who are the mature believers in your life that need to be challenged to learn to lead like Jesus?

In Janurary Seacoast Church hosted a Leaders Conference for the leaders from all 13 of our campuses on one night via webcast. With over 1200 leaders attending together we learned how to catch and cast vision for our family, workplace and ministry.  The video below is the first portion of the Leaders Conference featuring Pastor Greg Surratt who talked about “What I know About Vision”.  Watch the video and follow the steps below to help you apply these principles. 

Every Tuesday for the next 4 weeks I will be posting one video from the different conference speakers which included:  Reggie Joiner (How to Cast Vision for your Family), Ray Snyder (How to Cast Vision in the Workplace), and Steven Furtick (How to Cast vision as a Ministry Leader).  Enjoy!

Leadership Conference – 2010 – Greg Surratt from Seacoast Church on Vimeo.

ACTION STEPS

1.  Watch Pastor Greg’s teaching on Vision and take notes in the space below

What I know About Vision

• A clear vision _______________________ in your life.
• A clear vision ________________________ to keep moving forward
• A clear vision ________________________________
• A clear vision _______________________________ of other people

How to Get a Vision

• Create _________________ in your life to listen to God.
• Ask God to _______________________ in the process.
• Keep a ________________________
• Write the _____________________________ of what the future looks like.
• Set ___________________ so every day you get closer to the vision.

2. Set aside several hours and write “the story” of the future for your family, work and/or ministry.  Follow the five steps Pastor Greg listed in his talk.

3.  Identify the major distractions that are keeping you from being lazer focused on your vision.  What adjustments do you need to make in your schedule to gain greater clarity and focus?

4.  Buy a good book on vision and read it over the next 30 days.  Here are a few good reads…

• Making Vision Stick, Andy Stanley
• The Power of Vision, George Barna

Isn’t it frustrating when people don’t get your vision.  You share it eloquently, convincingly and passionately yet within 24 hours someone asks you a question or makes a statement that indicates they just didn’t get it.

Being a visionary is patient business.  However the irony is most visionaries aren’t patient people.  I was struck with this truth recently when I was having lunch with a staff person who said, “You know you’ve been talking about leadership development here for years.  I’ve always heard what you’ve said, but I’m just now really beginning to understand.”  (Okay, you’re saying, “Mac is a lousy vision caster so I probably shouldn’t read any further“…but stick with me for a minute)

As leaders we have this misperception that a vision caster is like a carpenter who nails or duct tapes his vision in people’s minds and it’s supposed to stick.  But the truth is visionaries are more like artists who etch, sculpt and paint on the canvas of people’s minds until they see the image of what’s in the artist mind.  Vision isn’t something that STICKS immediately, it’s something that’s SHAPED over time. 

So don’t get discouraged when people aren’t getting it.  Vision casting takes time.  The artist knows when people need to hear it, see it, feel it, experience it, or share in it.  All of these are tools the visionary artist uses to bring the vision to life in the minds of their followers. 

How are you going to share and shape vision in the minds of your followers this week?

There are many people who hold a position of leadership but don’t hold the power of leadership.  If no one is following you then you’re not really leading.  I was speaking on The Urgency of Leadership at a conference recently when a young lady came up afterward and asked, “What do I do if no one is following me?”  She explained how she had been on staff at a church for one year but had been unable to make significant progress because her team just didn’t seem to be responding to her leadership.  If you find yourself struggling with this same issue here are a few questions to consider.

• Is it a Relational Problem?  Influence generally begins with relationship.  The greater the level of relationship the greater the potential for influence.  Perhaps others are not following because they don’t feel like you know them or like they know you. 
• Is it a Credibility Problem?  Trust is the most important element in the leader- follower relationship.  So when a leader acts in a way that damages trust people will not follow.  There are many factors that can damage a leaders credibility: a lack of experience, lack of integrity, lack of follow-up or lack of follow through.  A leader must do all he can to guard his integrity because once it’s lost he’s lost his influence as well. 
• Is it a Vision Problem?  Having a vision is not enough.  As leaders we must show people how their gifts and strengths fit into that vision.  It’s not hearing, “we want to baptize 100 people”, “build a new bulding” or “transform a local neighborhood” that excites people.  It’s seeing how they can help contribute to the vision that ignites their passion.  People aren’t interested in just sitting by and watching “your vision” happen, they want to be a part of a God thing. 
• Is it a Performance Problem?  People will not follow incompetent leaders.  If they sense you don’t have leadership competency they will subtly or not so subtly distance themselves from you.  This is why it’s important for every leader to have a commitment to self-development.   
• Is it an Empowerment Problem?  Be aware and maximize the strengths of those on your team.  If we don’t pay attention to the giftings of our team members then we tend to treat everyone the same.  This is a recipe for frustration.  Simply giving out tasks makes people feel like a cog in a machine.  But when a leader asks someone to use their gift to make a difference it electrifies their involvement.   
• Is it a Development Problem?  Leaders are responsible for coaching their followers job performance.  An underdeveloped team member easily  becomes complacent.  One of the most important things a leader can do is ask questions, listen and coach the individuals on their team.  This makes people feel valued and increases their desire to make you successful as well.

What else would you add to this list?

Usually when something isn’t working we immediately begin to look for something new to replace it.  When a management approach isn’t working we change our management approach, when a program isn’t working we change programs, when a system isn’t working we change systems, or when a strategy isn’t working we change strategies. 

This type of change or abandonment is sometimes necessary.  But too much change can lead to a continual starting over and have a destabilizing effect in your organization.  Staff will lose confidence, become cynical and fail to comply to the continual changes.

So next time something isn’t working in your organization instead of looking for something new, first  ask “why”.  Examine your execution to find out why it’s not working like you want.  You may discover that you have a good management approach, solid program, wise process or workable strategy that just hasn’t been executed well.    Understand that the disciplined execution of the right process leads to success.  Evaluate before abandoning, it may save you a lot of starting over and end up being the best thing for your organization.

This Weeks Leadership Challenge:  Evaluate one thing in your organization that isn’t working like you want.  What needs to be done to improve the execution?

When I was a church planter I quickly discovered the critical value of lay leaders. In the beginning we had little time, money or resources but we had some amazing volunteer leaders who became my most valuable asset.  We established a leadership team of seven point people to oversee the primary ministries of the church. While I knew it was the wise thing to do, I really didn’t have a clue what I wanted these leaders to do. That’s when I wrote out this seven part job description. Their job was to be L.E.A.D.E.R.S who would provide the following for their area of ministry:

• Leadership development – provide initial and ongoing training for the members of your ministry team.
• Empowerment – Delegate roles and responsibilities that ensure your ministry area is operating effectively. 
• Affirmation – Encourage your team members in the use of their gifts and strengths. Catch people doing things right.
• Direction – Cast a compelling vision that is in alignment with the overall vision of the church.
• Evaluation -Lead your team through regular evaluation identifying areas for continual improvement.
• Recruitment- Work with team members to continually enlist new volunteers and adequately staff your area of ministry.
• Soul Care – Encourage the spiritual development and health of those on your team.

Providing this simple job description gives point leaders the definition and latitude they need to lead effectively.  It also gives you a tool to evaluate and coach them in their role.

Are there days you just want to quit?  Quitting occupied my thinking most Monday’s when I was a senior pastor.  Everyday there are leaders who’ve responded to God’s calling that find themselves tempted to give up.  For one reason or another they leave a job, abandon a project, walk out on a vision, ditch a  dream or give up on a goal.  The thing that once stirred passion in their soul somehow became a burden, a chore or an anxiety they could no longer endure.  

Quitting isn’t always a bad thing, in fact there are times it’s the wise thing to do.  But other times a leader finds himself in a dangerous place spiritually, emotionally or physically where he feels he just can’t go forward.  Elijah reached this point in 1 Kings 19 when Jezzabel was seeking to take his life.  He said, “I have had enough Lord take my life.” 1 Kings 19:4.  He had hit a quitting point.

So why do we sometimes find ourselves tempted to quit?  There are lots of possibilities….

• We get… tired, discouraged, criticized, opposition
• We run out of…time, money, opportunity, resources
• We lose… support, confidence, faith, passion, vision

Regardless of what got us to that point the fact is we find ourselves in a place where we’ve lost hope.  So how do we reduce the temptation to quit?

• Get rest – An angel came to Elijah in his depressed state and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” (1 Kings 19:7).  When a leader is physically drained he becomes emotionally weak and finds it easier to give up.  Get rest, eat right and exercise and you will regain the energy to keep going.  A wise leader pauses regularly to rebuild his reserves.
• Get Perspective –   Elijah moaned that he was the only righteous one left and was feeling isolated and abandoned.  So God told him, “Go out and stand before me on the mountain.” 1 Kings 19:11  It was there God spoke to him and gave him a whole new perspective. Most of the time when we’re tempted to quit we’re looking at our situation from a wrong perspective.  It’s easy to find ourselves looking through the lens of discouragement or criticism.  Instead we must discover God’s perspective on our situation.
• Get a Fresh Direction – God spoke to Elijah and gave him instructions for what was next, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. 16 Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet.”  1 Kings 19:15-16.  Sometimes simply getting clarity on our next step is all we need to gain the strength to move forward.
• Get Support – God directed Elijah to find Elisha and anoint him as his understudy.  “So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat…then he went with Elijah as his assistant.” 1Kings 19:19,21.  When discouraged it’s essential that we surround ourselves with others who’s faith is strong.  Leaning on someone else in times of discouragement is a sign of wisdom, not weakness.

What helps you push through quitting points?

Yesterday I wrote about the dangers of falling into maintenance mode.  All of us have found ourselves in that place where we’ve lost our passion, energy or vision.  So here are a few questions to help assess what cause us to drift into maintenance mode and some suggestions for finding our way out.

1. Is it a spiritual issue?  You may be stuck because you’re simply not hearing anything new from God.  He led you to the place you are currently serving and when you first arrived you had vision, momentum and inspiration.  What do you need to do to get a fresh word from God again?
2. Is it a physical issue?  If you’re tired, stressed and unable to sleep then your maintenance mode problem may be from a lack of eating right and exercise.  It’s difficult to build organizational momentum when you don’t have the physical energy to move things forward.  A lifestyle change rather than a diet is the best solution. 
3. Is it a mental issue?  I was talking with a friend recently who told me, “I’ve gotten lazy mentally, I’m no longer on the cutting edge, I’m not reading, watching others, or learning.”  Mental laziness can lead to a lack of creativity and innovation.  Practice exposing your mind to something stimulating every week to keep your thinking sharp. 
4. Is it an emotional issue?  Sometimes as leaders we run so hard and fast that we get emotionally drained and it’s all we can do to maintain our baseline responsibilities.   Practice the weekly discipline of taking a day off.  This time of rest and recovery will keep you emotionally filled and fuel your creative energies.
5. Is it a relational issue?  There are times we allow others to drag us into maintenance mode.  Make sure you have people around you that challenge you, stretch your thinking and dream about future possibilities with you.  And on the flip side make sure you’re not spending too much time with people that drain you.

Which of the issues above tend to throw you into maintenance mode?  Which of the areas do you need to work on this week to keep youself sharp?

Are you living with a high sense of momentum or have you fallen into maintenance mode? 

In the world of software development programmers use the term maintenance mode to refer to that time which a program is considered to be complete and further development is unnecessary.   There have been times I’ve found myself at this point, not because I consider myself complete, but because I’ve lost my energy, passion or vision.  While maintenance mode is a good thing for a computer program, it’s a dangerous thing for a leader or an organization. 

When a leader hits maintenance mode he suffers from  boredom, feels unchallenged, let’s opportunities pass him by, settles for good enough, speaks less frequently about the vision, no longer carries a passionate energy and worst of all he stops looking for God sized things to happen.   If you stay there to long it has a negative impact on your organization.  Here are five common dangers when a leader gets stuck in maintenance mode

• It breeds a spirit of complacency among other team members
• It causes the organization to miss prime opportunities
• It kills creativity and innovation
• It causes others to settle for mediocrity
• It reduces fresh movements from the hand of God
• It brings growth to a halt

Do you see signs of maintenance mode in your leadership?  What do you need to do this week to stir a fresh momentum and movement of God?  If you could see God do one thing in your life or ministry over the next 30 days what would it be?

Why is it that simplicity is so difficult?  As leaders we recognize the wisdom of keeping things simple, yet we seem inexplicably drawn to complexity. 

When I planted a church in 1997 my mantra was “Do less and do it better.”  When pressed to start Sunday  School, Wednesday night services or special ministries I answered, “No, we’re going to do less and do it better.”   For three years I held true to that principle until we moved out of a weekly set up and tear down facility into our own building.  Suddenly we went from doing a few things well, to starting a multitude of new ministries, programs and events that served to reduce our effectiveness .  Quantity won out over quality and it hurt us.

Why did it happen?  Lots of reasons…the pressure to please people, neglecting our predetermined strategy, getting caught up in our success and loss of focus, just to name a few.  It’s easy to build a complex church, ministry or life, all you have to do is add more.  But simplicity is the product of intentionality and discipline.  And it’s this focused simplicity that allows us to be more effective in what we do.

Are you longing for excellence?  Maybe your next step isn’t improving what you have, but eliminating those things that aren’t absolutely essential to your mission.