Leadership Torque

Leadership that Clings 2

To leaders in the second position (see blog post below for further reference) I would want to say:

To empower leaders fully always means that you will need to relinquish something. Often that is control. If you cannot let go of that which you were once in control of, and give it to someone else then growth and development of that ministry and of that leader will never be able to fully occur. It is your role as a leader to work your way out of a job. To become so good at identifying, training up and releasing people that they end up doing your job. When this happens it means that growth has occurred and if growth has occurred there will most certainly be other tasks that God needs you to do.

If you lead with too much of a controlling desire, that everything needs to be done your way, the way you would do it, then such much is actually lost.

I think also when empowerment occurs and when permission for another to go for it occurs then as a leader you need to be very careful about whether you take that back and under what circumstances.

Maybe too, that if there is something occurring that only you can do, but you need to find someone else to take it on because you can't sustain it, but there is no one to take it on. Then I would challenge you that either this endeavor or another item on your To-Do list needs to stop.

If we hold onto ministries too tightly we actually fill the space where God's spirit could move both to stop, start, continue or change direction of things and people that are already in place. Maybe if this is you, you need to take a step back, take a breath, say a prayer and work out if your leadership is a leadership that clings or holds something loosely. The more loosely we hold it, the more tightly God can!

Leadership that Clings 1

I received and email from a friend of mine the other day who is facing the issue of taking over a ministry area from someone who knows it's time to relinquish it but isn't finding that easy. Maybe I'll start with an exert from my friends email:

"The thing is as I was driving off today I thought its so hard for God to do what he wants when we hang on to stuff that he wants us to let go of. Its like our hands are full and nothing else can fit in. If we release and let go of the things we are holding on to he can fill our hands with new and better stuff.  I know that if I let go and wait he will do his thing and it will all work out but <name of leader> had real fear/something in her face and I just wonder about leadership that doesn’t allow freedom to those who want to serve to be all God is calling them to.  Leadership that clings."

To leaders in my friends position I want to say:

Be careful. Leaders who are passionate about something but need to let it go will struggle to, none the less you can help by helping that leader know it will be left in good, capable and safe plans. That the past and what has already been put in will be honoured and valued. That the passion you bring to it will be to see the work that has already occurred strengthened and continued. What you can't afford to let happen is to be railroaded into a certain course of action or way of operation. You have to help the leader see that you have been chosen, asked and called by God to continue non this task and their final act of servanthood to these people and this ministry is to free you and support you to do that.

And to those leaders who are struggling to let go... REad more in the next installment!

To delegate or not to delegate?

"Have you any advice on delegation? We have just had a classic when <insert leaders name> delegated a task last week which then blew up in her face. Its so much easier to do it yourself but then its not good leadership practice is it?"

That was the question I was emailed which I do have some thoughts on:

When you delegate you have to make things clear. The person you are delegating a task to must need to know exactly what is expected of them.

They need to know the time frame and that they will be held account to it and how that will happen. Ie. "So I'll be checking on Friday to see how you went".

They also need to know the importance of the task. What balance gets upset if failure to complete happens? Who misses out if the task isn't completed? Who benefits and is relying on you to complete the task?

They should be well resourced to achieve the task, whether that be people, money, equipment, etc.

They should be only asked to do it if it sits within the range of their potential. Asking someone to do something that is outside of what they are capable of will never work. I have learned this the painful way! Some people who we lead are simply not up to some of the tasks we may assume they are.

I think they are some good pointers to go by when thinking of empowering leaders! But when/if it 'blows up in your face' which can and often does, then it's important that the leader who you gave the task to but did not perform knows they came up short. Affirm their success, but point out their shortcomings and the affect of these. IT's important that you don't attack the value of the person at this stage. They should know they've let you down.

Finally I would be reluctant to give them another task in the immediate future (certainly not with the same level of responsibility) without giving them lesser tasks first and seeing if they can prove themselves.

To Flourish or Flounder in Leadership: 1.Initiative

If someone has initiative it doesn’t mean they are a great leader. But you cannot be a great leader without having initiative. A business dictionary describes initiative as “The action of creating or starting. A manager with initiative possesses the aptitude to bring forth new ideas or techniques; he will take action on his own without having to wait for instructions. People with initiative are self-starters and self-motivators. In the business world, initiative is associated with entrepreneurial activities.” Having said this however, to take initiative must be accompanied with permission from your leader. If you don’t have permission to do you’re walking into a mine field. In my opinion (to simplify the above) initiative is the ability to evaluate a situation, identify the felt need and respond to it appropriately without specific permission to do so from your overseer.

There are several things required to become and initiating leader:

A) Step over your fear of failure, because honestly you will muck up and it is ok.

B) Look for immediate ways to serve that contribute to a successful outcome.

C) Free yourself to think creatively about problems in order to solve them efficiently.

D)    Do that which you see needs to be done.

E) Make sure that your actions would fall within the bounds of acceptable actions.

Then you need to be wise but courageous. Taking initiative means that the scope to mess it up is substantially larger than it was previously, but lean on the fact that you have been given permission. Therefore embrace the opportunities that are before you and take initiative, but do it within the confines of what is helpful to the vision, in line with the aim and values and if pressed what you think you’re leader would agree with and support.

Entitlement Attitude

Have you ever met someone who felt entitled to know something about you that wasn't their business, or have an opinion about you that wasn't there right to have. I'm sure if we all - the four of us who read these blogs ;) - thought about it would could identify those people who we know.

A number of people have raised this with me concerning people they know and how frustrating it is and how enormously harmful it can also be (and usually is). This attitude rears it's ugly head when a) Someone who isn't entitled to know something demands to know or b) Someone offers you unwanted opinions or criticism. When this occurs it highlights several things that I think are worth noting:

Someone who has this Entitlement Attitude:

1. Operates from an insecure place.

2. Believes that their opinion is superior to others.

3. Feels that much of their life is out of control and therefore they have a need to gain control of other's lives.

4. Always seeks to tear down, criticise or destroy.

I believe it's important to recognise these things, you'll know the person when you meet them: It won't be a close, trusted friend, after the conversation or comment your first impulse will be to say 'what right do you have', their opinion will not be sought after but rather offered, and the person will be more concerned about voicing their opinion and being heard than listening to your story.

So be aware, and weigh their words in light of this information!

Abortion and Politics - Power abuse

I know in writing this I'm stepping into very controversial territory. But I'm going to risk it.

I was just watching the news with a head cold and a nose full of snot, I think I can say snot here, it's not an inappropriate blogging word is it? Anyway, onto the screen pops an article about Victoria's new laws that are being proposed regarding abortion.

Rob Hulls, who is the Victorian Deputy Premier, said two things which were completely ridiculous relating to this issue. He is the one that it would appear is trying to push through this new legislation, that's how it sounded anyway. One of those things relates to leadership and the other to culture.

Firstly he said, that this debate is the one we have to have! Well I've only been around 30 years but for those 30 years I'm pretty sure that there has been a continual debate raging around this issue. One of my close mates lost a friend who was a security guard at an abortion clinic, because the shooter was an anti-abortionist, sounds like he had a fairly strong and opposing view to the issue, the result of vigorous ongoing debate. Why say all of this? Because Rob Hulls isn't actually wanting to engage in a debate about this issue, he's wanting to make sure the legislation changes in favour of abortion and has provided three options to choose from (all affirming the legality of abortion).

Secondly... (see the Beanbag blog...)

That would seem like a complete misuse of power would it not? Regardless of the issue. The truth is that this, and other inconsistencies and vacuum of character, integrity and leadership seem more and more and more apparent in the lives and policies of those leading us. I speak from a naive and not necessarily informed perspective but I do have an intention which is more than just whinging. That is that the difference begins with the way you live and the way I live and the patterns of living and attitude that we choose to abide by. So go and do something selfless for someone tomorrow, and maybe together - the four of us who read this blog ;) - can make a small but significant difference, as it would appear that a change is not going to begin with those we wish it would begin with.

I wish I was more politically minded and assertive. I think this is the first piece of writing I’ve ever written in response to a political issue, I know some of you are very disappointed.

Power and Love

When power increases love decreases.

When love increases power decreases.

Those who rule with power, ofter throw their hierarchy, authority and position around to achieve a goal. It happens at the cost of those they are leading. A culture emerges where the achievements of the leader are far more important above and beyond anything else. These things are often justified by a leader saying they have the people's best interests at heart, and that the benefit of doing this 'thing' is for people, but when power seems to be the driving force, love is not!

If you look careful you can see it clearly in the life of such leaders. They throw their weight and authority around, they manipulate, they guilt people or worse, they blatantly force people into doing things that will benefit the cause. When this occurs, love is not present, it cannot be, as the need, abuse and hunger for power squeezes it out!

Always lead with love!