LeadershipConneXtions

Movements That Change the World

I have had an interest in "movements" for some time. The biggest reason is that i am interested in starting one. Well, that sounds a little grandiose, so let me say, I am interested in being one more person who facilitates a movement that produces a new kind of leadership.

So I study movements. I have read some very helpful, popular level treatments of movements.

The Starfish and the Spider by Brafman and Beckstrom

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

Tribes by Seth Godin.

   

And I am reading some more technical stuff as well.

A new book I read in one sitting is a great introduction to movements and specificallly, Chrsitian movements.

Movements That Change the World by Steve Addison. It is 130 pages of concise, illustrative, motivational teaching on the nature of Christian movements.

If you are a Christian leader, get this book immediately. Block about two to three hours to read it. Then, sit down and start thinking about your organization and ministry in light of this book.

This book is basic and insightful. It focuses on the Five Core Principles and illustrates them nicely. It is biblicall based, especially looking at Jesus and the Gospels and then illustrated with some of the great movemetns in the history of the church AND, current historical examples. He also provides "just enough" sociological explanation of movements, to understand their nature and power.

After two introducory chapters, one on St. Patrick of Ireland as a case study, and then a short chapter on why movements matter, the heart of the book focuses on the five main principles found in movements,with a chapter devoted to each one.

1. White hot faith
2. Commitment to a cause
3. Contagious relationships
4. Rapid mobilization
5. Adaptive methods

I won't go into what he says in each of these chapters, but each chapter is highly accessible. The great follow through challenge will be for leaders and readers to assess their own organizations in light of these principles, and then the even bigger challenge will be how to "infuse" these principles back into the organization if they are lacking.

We live in a time when there is a lot that is up in the air for "negotiation, re-engineering (what a modern term), revisiting, revisioning and renewing about the church. We live in a time when some of this renewing work might become a movement (or might not). For those who are interested in renewal on a large scale, this is a good book to read.

Brian K.Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International 
www.lci.typepad.com

Organizational Leadership and the Seeds of Its Own Demise

Here is a great idea from Seth Godin that I read a few days ago. I sent it out to a dozen or so leaders and it all spoke to them. In one way or another, they all said they have seen this dynamic in operation. For anyone who is leading an organization, or for that matter a part of one, this is a principle that is work in organizational life.

Here's a rule that's so inevitable that it's almost a law:

As an organization grows and succeeds, it sows the seeds of its own demise by getting boring. With more to lose and more people to lose it, meetings and policies become more about avoiding risk than providing joy.

Worth reflecting on. Do you see this happening in your organization.

Brian Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Organized Religion's Management Problem (by Gary Hamel)

Here is a really thoughtful article sent to me from my friend Lanny Kilgore, pastor of New Covenant Community Church in Delta

Click here to read the essay by Gary Hamel speaking about Organized Religions Management Problem.

Here is the same article in a more printer friendly version.

I think it is good to read assessments of the church and what we are doing and how we are doing from "outsiders." It gives a fresh perspective.

And Gary Hamel is certainly one of the true experts on this subject.

Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Finding Talent (One of Our Very Scare Resources)

I have had a number of situations over the last year that remind me of how hard it is to find "talent" and almost impossible to find "really good talent." 

LWCC has had some job searches that remain open because we can't find really good talent. Finding Talent is going to be crucial for the future of those ministries.

I talked with a friend who is looking in vain for some really talented individuals who want to work in some very challenging circumstances. Finding Talent is crucial for my friend.

I have recently read two different things that reminded me of this issue.

One was about the Jesuits in the days of Ignatius. The opportunities and needs facing the Jesuits were almost staggering... and they were seriously understaffed. 

Standing firm against the pressure to relax and lower the standards for new recruits, Ignatius kept the standards high in his search for talent. In fact, as he was dying, one of his regrets was that he did not MAKE THE STANDARDS EVEN HIGHER AND TOUGHER to be a Jesuit!

Wow!!!
 

And then I recently read an article about Wendy Kopp, the extraordinary female leader who started the Teach for America organization.

This is the home page for Teaching for America, check it out.

And check out this Wiki article while you are at it.

Wendy Kopp says her hardest challenge is Finding Talent. For her, talent is the key element because "it solves all the other problems." Wendy looks for the cream of the crop of college grads who will spend two years working in the inner city school system. She says NO to many more applicants than they accept.

Finding Talent.
Talent will solve all your other problems.
Not having talent will create a host of new ones for you.

And in the language of Jim Collins, the wrong hire is much worse than no hire.

So, don't settle for less than you need. Find Talent and do whatever you can to keep it.

Brian Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
www.lci.typepad.com

p.s.  If some of my other reading is correct (and I am thinking of some words from Seth Godin) we really have to ramp up our interview processes... for they are woefully deficient in helping us find talent.

Why Work at Google

In a recent post, I asked - why would anyone follow you?  Here is another question:  Why would anyone want to work at your organization?  Or perhaps better: Why would the best people want to work at your organization? Here is Google's list of company benefits.

1.  Lend a helping hand.

2.  Life is beautiful.

3.  Appreciation is the best motivation.

4.  Work and play are not mutually exclusive.

5.  We love our employees and we want them to know it.

6.  Innovation is our bloodline.

7.  Good company everywhere you look.

8.  Uniting the world one user at a time.

9.  Boldly go where no one has gone before.

10.  There is such a thing as a free lunch after all.

I found this list in Google Speaks by Janet Lowe.

What do you think about it. Some pretty cool stuff in there.

If you were going to come up with a top ten list of reasons to work at your organization, or to be a part of your church, or join up with your team - what would you have on that list.  Leaders - give this one some time and thought and then make it known.

Brian Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International

Goggle's Ten Principles

I am not exactly sure what to call this Google Ten Principles List.  No matter . . . this is their culture, their belief, their values, their passion.  And they do it quite well.

 

 

1.  Focus on the user and all else will follow.

2.  It's best to do one thing really, really well.

3.  Fast IS better than slow.

4.  Democracy on the web works.

5.  You don't need to be at your desk to need an answer.

6.  You can make money without doing evil.

7.  There's always more information out there.

8.  The need for information crosses all borders.

9.  You can be serious without a suit.

10.  Great just isn't good enough.

I really like this list and it sure does make sense in light of what I know and experience about Google. And I love the last one. Okay, my obsessive compulsiveness is kicking in a bit... and my idealism...  but it is good.

When organizations have clarity about what is important and relentless attention given to those things, then results are generated.

So what is on your  Top Ten List?

Brian Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International

Bored Customers - - - Disappearing Congregants

Retain and Acquire.

Every organization needs to figure out how they will acquire new "customers" or people who are interested in what the organization has to offer. Then they have to determine how they will retain those people.

In terms of the church, we call the acquiring - evangelism strategies. And if the stats are true, most churches are doing poorly with their acquiring strategies. We don't grow because our acquiring approaches are out of date or because people are not interested in the "product" we are "selling."

But, even when we have customers, we can't assume we are going to keep them. We have to work to develop "loyal" customers. Even more, we have to work very hard to turn loyal customers into "raving fans" who become the best advertising for us which leads to more acquiring.

Here is a reality that EVERY organization must face. It does not matter what line of work, what the type of business, what the product, what the experience . . . we are all affected.

Our customers, our clients, our congregation, our consumers --- they get bored with what we are giving them.

It is not that familiarity breeds contempt (although it may in some cases do so). But it is that familiarity breeds complacency.

It is the "been there, done that, heard that, saw that, experienced that" problem.

Is that it?

Is that all?

When people start asking that question, and they are asking it internally before they say it out loud, we are in trouble.

This is simply human nature. It is not even sinful human nature. It is just human nature. Now, what we may do with our boredom and complacency may be very sinful . . . but the experience itself is just what is involved in being human.

However, this experience is exacerbated because we live in an Entertainment Culture with approximately a gazillion options that are easily accessible. So, the ease and speed with which we become complacent is accelerating.

Added to this overload of possible experiences is that fact that the Competition is out there, it is growing, in fact it is multiplying, and it wants your customer.  Brand loyalty is a thing of the past. It no longer matters what you did for people yesterday. What matters is what you are doing for them today. And if you aren't doing much . . . the Competition is there to snatch them up.

The complacent, bored customer always asks:  What is in this for me?  Now, we may bemoan this. We may rail against it. We may be frustrated and even angry about it. But the fact is - that is exactly what the customer thinks. 

The world of business tells us that we must constantly work to gain new customers. We must constantly work to keep current customers satisfied. Failure to do either means your organization is going to go out of business.

I know that many Christians will just ignore this, thinking it is misguided insight from the world of business and that it is the wrong metric for Christians and churches to use, and that we will be led down wrong paths for thinking like this.

I'm sure they will be saying the same thing when they finally close their doors and put up the sign "Out of Business."

I think this is an idea worth considering. If your customers, if your clients, if your congregation members are leaving - they are doing so for a reason.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Speed and Depth . . .

Speed of the leader . . . speed of the team.

It's a catchy slogan that communicates an important idea.

In conjours up activity, energy, productivity, enthusiasm, passion, commitment, a get-it-done mindset, press on, take the hill, work hard and generate results.

And it reminds the leader, that the team, the followers, the group usually doesn't move faster or work harder and have more energy than a leader. Perhaps they will "occasionally." But it is definitely the exception and not the rule.

When I read a book about Jobs and Apple, it was so obvious that here was a leader moving at warp speed and motivating an entire company to produce at his level. Which is one of the reasons why Mac has produced some of the very best, most innovative products in the world.

So the leader models and shows the way by actually doing what she or he wants others to do. The leader does not expect the team to do what she or he is not doing. The leader motivates others to performance by example.

Let's change this a little bit.

Depth of the leader . . . depth of the team.

If speed is about performance and accomplishment, perhaps we can say depth is about character, heart, substance, soul, wisdom, and maturity.

Depth is about prayer, friendship, awareness, and EQ.

Just like speed inspires and motivates the team to perform, depth also inspires the team to pursue transformation, community and God's Presence.

But there is a problem. In the North American culture, successful leaders are those who work hard (high speed) and not necessarily those who go deep.

I am more and more convinced that only depth will sustain speed. Without depth, speed leads to burnout/depletion. It leads to wipeout crashes. It leads to broken relationships, flawed performance, faulty products and not finishing well.

So - how fast are you going?

How deep are you going?

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

As Many as Possible of the Very Best

The Jesuits (Society of Jesus, the Ignatians) were one of the greatest gatherings of God followers in the history of the church.

They were a learning community of the highest standards.

They were a community bonded together by the practice of the most rigorous spiritual disciplines ever developed.

They were a leadership group of the highest caliber.

And they were relentlessly "missional" on a global scale.

To be this kind of community, they sought after the very best candidates. Their pool of possible members would be from the top 1% of the European elite. Those who were spiritually devout, totally committed and highly motivated as self-starters and intellectually vigorous.

They would have to debate in Latin with the leading Protestant theologians and then talk about the same ideas to the illiterate peasants!

They would have to be equally at home teaching in the halls of academia and working in the wards of the leper hospitals.

They would have to be instantly ready to precisely obey orders given to them and equally prepared to innovate wildly in the moment.

Talk about BOTH/AND and a Level 5 level of leadership! The Jesuits were such leaders.

But, they weren't readily available. It was noted in their records, "Those who are good and learned are few." Even so, they did not relax their standards like so many Christian organizations do today. Warm bodies to fill empty positions was NOT the Jesuit way. They continued to recruit the

aptissimi (very best).

In fact, their recruiting motto/slogan was:

quamplurimi et quam aptissimi

As many as possible of the very best.

And when they weren't available or didn't excel, the Jesuit company came up with an obvious solution - train them, empower them, stretch them, educate them, raise them up ourselves if we can't find them elsewhere.

I love it.

For the very HIGH calling and very HARD work of God in the world, we should seek after the very best we can find.  If the very best don't exist or are not interested in what we invite them to, then we take those who are interested and available. Then, we provide rigorous learning and training and depth formation and turn them into the very best.

It takes time for organizations to do this. It requires a commitment of resources of time and money and personnel on the part of the organization. It needs major commitment to be a highly intentional, spiritually forming, learning organization. But that is what we need. That is what Jesus did for three years with the twelve. That is what the Jesuits have done for centuries.

Leaders - look for as many as possible of the very best.  Train those you do have to be the very best.

And for all of us - let us seek to become the very best.

(The historic information in this post is from Heroic Leadership by Lowney. This is a study of Jesuit leadership and a core book I highly recommend.)

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Sustainability

I have been thinking about this one a lot lately.

Can I sustain what I am doing? Can I sustain the new thing or the next thing I want to do?

Finishing well requires sustain-ability, not start-ability.

Everything . . . every program, event, relationship, mission, vision, process, activity, cause . . . that I launch, needs continual resources to sustain it.

There is no such thing as a perpetual motion ministry machine. That is the stuff of science fiction and desperate leadership dreams.

The perpetual motion machine was a science fiction idea of a machine that once built and turned on, would run forever, on its own and without the addition of any outside energy!  It was self-perpetuating.

There is nothing in the created order that is a perpetual motion machine that self-perpetuates without the addition of outside energy. Everything you do, initiate, launch then requires ongoing resources to keep it going. And it requires a lot of resources to keep it going well.

As soon as you stop providing those resources (of time, $$$, staff, creativity, prayer, etc.) then the ministry or program starts to slow down, stagnate and eventually die. The shell remains, they may be going through the motions, but nothing is really happening any more.

So, leaders - here are a few questions to ponder.

ONE:  What is around you in your sphere that is running down, running out, and running on empty because you have not been sustaining it with necessary resources? Make a decision. End it or supply it. Don't let it linger.

TWO:  What new thing are you about to launch? What will be needed to sustain it? What will you need to do six months from now and a year from now to sustain it? If you don't have or will not have the resources needed - then think carefully about whether you should launch it in the first place.

THREE:  You have heard the old saying, "robbing from Peter to pay Paul."  I think a lot of this goes on when it comes to our ministries. To sustain them, we are borrowing resources from Peter to sustain a new Paul. That does not bode well for Peter. It is better to do a few things very well than to do many things half.

Pull your team together and think through these issues of sustainability.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

For the idealist who needs more convincing about the impossibility of the perpetual motion machine, read this article.

Learning Organizations

I have always been interested in learning. But it wasn't until I read Senge's The Fifth Discipline (sometime around 1996 or 1997) that I began to think about learning organizations.

In one sense, you would think that the church is automatically a learning organization, since the church spends so much time teaching to inculcate belief systems in its people. But, in the words of the famous and erudite theologian, "It just ain't so." (Yogi Berra)

It takes a lot of hard work to create and sustain a learning culture. The evangelical church has been much more concerned about having teaching/preaching events instead of facilitating learning cultures.

Three things are needed for an organization to become a learning organization:

ONE:  A culture and ethos that supports and encourages learning. Such a culture will provide psychological safety as people learn, appreciate differences of opinion, have an openness to new ideas generated by the learning process, provide time for reflection and give people the freedom to differ from the powers that be.

TWO:  Specific and concrete learning processes and practices must be implemented. In other words: how, when, where and in what way will learning take place in your team or group or organization? Discussion groups, distribution of articles, blog sites for discussion, work hours set aside for study and reflection, seminars that are promoted and which have follow up dialogue. Be specific as you design learning processes.

THREE:  Leadership that models the way (Kouzes and Posner). When leaders are learning, when leaders are seeking to learn from others, when leaders seek out new ideas and input from the team - that communicates the importance of learning.

So leaders, here are a few questions to ponder:

(1)  What is your current, up-to-date learning adventure? What are you reading, studying, thinking about, processing in terms of new ideas?

(2)  What are you currently doing to encourage your team, group, etc. to become a learning group and what did your team learn this week?

(3)  What is on the docket for next week? Where will you direct the learning energies of your group?

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Denial

A recent HBR issue had a brief note that mentioned that 10% of all U.S. companies disappear every year.

My first response was - WOW!

My second response was - WHY?

One of the main culprits in this is the problem of DENIAL. The 10%  or organizations that disappear every year are often living in denial about the changing realities around them and about the inadequacies within them to respond to that change.

It is the problem of the ostrich with the head in the sand.

And the worst thing about living in denial is that you also "deny that you are living in denial." It is an insidious problem.

So, it is probably a wasted attempt to have you personally wrestle with the question - what are you in denial about.  (Sorry about that dangling participle, it just sounds right to this south central Pennsylvania linguistic culture raised kid.)

Perhaps you could try this instead. Invite two or three people to answer that question from their perspective. They need to be placed close enough to you to have enough perspective to work with. Give them permission to be frank and honest with you. Then at least you will know what you are in denial about. Do your best to be receptive and not argumentive or offering rationalizations that explain or justify your behaviors.

Or you could go to the next level and engage in a professional 360 Degree Assessment.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions, International

Your lack of planning . . .

"Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part."

I don't know who said it, but I love it!

Have you ever been sucked in to someone else's emergency that was due to their lack of planning and preparation. Something for which they were responsible was not done and an emergency/crisis arose because of it. The lack of timely action by them generated a serious problem. It is the issue of missed deadlines, delayed results, failed objectives.

Lack of planning on the part of one person creates emergencies for many. It puts us into situations where we must wing it, improvise, offer ill-thought responses, play catch up, offer up the desperate prayer for help, bust ourselves to deal with the emergency, drop everything else we are working on or sometimes, just clean up the mess!

I've been pulled into someone else's emergency that was due to lack of planning!  (And unfortunately, I have pulled people into my emergencies as well.)

Sometimes we play the role of the rescuer. We moan and complain about being pulled into the emergency, but actually, we like to rescue, to save the day, to be the good guy who comes through at the moment of crisis.

But when we do this, we become the co-dependent leader, the enabling leader (not empowering). So we must resist the tendency to be pulled into someone else's emergency (remember - this is the kind that is due to lack of planning). Instead, we must allow them to face the consequences of their lack of planning.

What if those consequences spill over and affect us? I know that is a problem and one that we use to justify care-taking, enabling behaviors. Obviously we have to be responsible and not let the team or organization suffer. But make sure you have some pretty honest assessment about the other person's lack of planning and empower them to become a pro-active planner and not an Emergency Creator.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Dead Horses (and what not to do about them)!

Alright. Pardon the image, but you should have seen the pictures of real dead horses. Disgusting. Ugghh!  And maybe that is an image we need to have in our mind . . .

A "Dead Horse" refers to anything that was once useful in an organization, but is no longer. It can be a program, a position, a title, a strategy, a vision, a department, a team, a methodology . . .

A dead horse once made a contribution, but for a variety of reasons, it no longer does. Dead horses are to be found everywhere. The church is not immune from these carcasses, only we call them "Dead Sacred Cows."

What must you do if you discover you are still riding a dead horse (or milking a dead sacred cow)?

DISMOUNT!

But as obvious as that it, we don't do it. Instead, we try lots of other things. Here are a few of the things we try (they are part of a longer list found in Toy Box Leadership, see side bar on books).

1.  Buy a stronger whip, a bigger club, or sharper spurs.

2.  Change riders and look for someone lighter.

3.  Appoint a committee to study the dead horse.

4.  Visit other places to see how they deal with dead horses.  (A variation of this one is to go to a conference that specializes in dead horses.)

5.  Lower the standard to include dead horses.

6.  Reclassify the dead horse as "living impaired."

7.  Hire an outside consultant (like W.H.I.N.N.Y.) to come and do something about the dead horse.

8.  Put several dead horses together so as to increase their workload potential.

9.  Allocate additional funds and resources to help the dead horse.

10.  Wait a little longer to see if the dead horse is faking it. Or perhaps it has just fainted.

11.  And finally - promote the dead horse to leadership.

If Jesus does not appear to supernaturally resurrect that dead horse, then you have only one other good option.

DISMOUNT!

Brian Rice, Leadership ConneXtions International

Your "Critically Important" Tasks

Marcus Buckingham and the Gallup Organization (originally together, but now two seperate groups) helped us gain great clarity about our personal strengths and how to develop them.  They did a better job on the discovery part and less so on the developmental work, but still, their approach was and is highly useful for effective leadership.

There is another related but different awareness that leaders need. Once you know your strengths - make sure you know your three or four "critically important tasks" (CITs) you must do.

The CITs may be tasks that you are just one of several in the organization who have responsibility for the same task. Or it may be a task that ONLY you are responsible for. If the CIT is one that only you are responsible for, then it becomes a Crucially, Critically Important Task (CCIT).

A CIT and a CCIT is where the Pareto Principle comes in. You will generate 70-80% of your results from these two, three or four tasks. Imagine the results if we could spend closer to 50% of our time working on our CITs?

I've always been a bit surprised by two things:

First, how many leaders don't really know their CITs.

Second, even when we do know them, how litle percentage of time we spend on those CITs, but instead, spend our time on much less significant tasks.

Here are a few practical suggestions for you about CITs. Take these suggestions and turn them into a little exercise.

Exercise for Implementation of This Idea

(1)  Make a list of your three or four CITs. Indicate if any of these CITs is a CCIT.

(2)  Think back over the previous week and determine how much time you spent on each CIT.

(3)  Now, think ahead to the next week. How much time should you be spending on each CIT.

(4)  What will be your plan to give more time to the CITs? You will have to decide to stop doing some other things so you can give more time to your CITs.

(5)  Are there any CITs you must do that you really do not have the Strengths set to do well? If so, this will create inevitable problems of frustration and lack of results. You will have to take steps to change this situation.

(6)  Here is one for managers or supervisors of others to ask: Do the people on your team or under your supervision know their CITs, are they spending enough time doing them, do they have the strengths to do this?  If not - then your responsibility is to attend to this with some reorganization and/or developmental work with your team.

Blessings,

Brian Rice, Leadership ConneXtions International

Times of Crisis and Decision Making

In the Greek language, the word "krisis" means - decision.

A crisis is a decision making time. A crisis forces us to make a decision concerning the issues that have arisen.

In times of crisis, impulsive, unthoughtful responses are disastrous.

In times of crisis, timid, afraid to choose responses are just as deadly.

In times of crisis, to make good decisions you need to know:

Who you are - your identity and values,

Why you are here - your purpose and calling,

What you're trying to accomplish - vision and mission.

When you are centered on these things, when you have discerned and understood the issues of the moment, when you have listened to the still small voice of God and sensed His presence, then you are ready to act congruently and then trust God with the results.

Brian Rice

A Safe Place for Dangerous Truth

Annette Simmons has written I book that I have not yet read, but the title alone intrigues me:

A Safe Place for Dangerous Truths.

Not all truths are equal and not all truths are equally received and heard. Some truths are dangerous truths. These dangerous truths are disturbing and demanding. They shatter our illusions and upset our routines.

In too many organizations, it is not safe to speak opinions that are contrary to the prevailing opinions (ideologies).

It is not safe to say something that the senior leadership does not agree with or approve of (sorry for dangling participles).

It is not safe to critique ideas and strategies that have "favored status."

It is not safe to vigorously debate the things that matter the most.

It is not safe to point out naked emperors (or naked advisors to naked emperors). It is not safe to identify the elephants in the living room (which are also probably naked). Nor is it safe to inquire about the "things in the bushes" or "sacred cows." The former prefer to remain hidden and the latter just worshipped.

Every organization (team, family, class, group) has its own portfolio of unmentionables (Carucci's phrase).

If you are a leader of an organization, DO NOT ASSUME that things are fine on this matter. Do not assume that people feel safe to talk about dangerous truths. Do not assume you know what people really think.

Leaders must create safe places and trusting spaces for dangerous truths to be put on the table... for the sake of the organization.

Brian Rice

Execution (Getting It Done)

The bottom line for leadership is execution. Leaders produce results. When it comes to the things that matter the most in an organization (or in a life) great leadership gets it done.

(NOTE:  There may be a great difference in what a leader determines matters the most; but in the end, once that is determined, great leadership gets it done.)

This is just one of the differences between average leaders and great leaders. Great leaders get desired results.

Howard Behar says, "Words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises - but only performance is reality."

You may have a simply brilliant idea, a breathtaking plan, an awesome strategy . . . but if you can't execute it and turn the idea, plan, strategy into reality - well, from a leadership standpoint - you've failed. The road to many mediocre and failed organizations is paved with brilliant but non-executed ideas.

I've had too many brilliant ideas (okay, semi-brilliant ideas) that were never implemented. I love the world of ideas. I love to think and to theorize. I love to have great discussions about important things. I enjoy good debates that examine the merit of different ideas. But in the long run, without execution the thinking, theorizing, discussing, debating matters little.

Jesus said:

My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work (John 4:34). Jesus didn't say his food was to think about the will of God or to theorize about the work of God. Doing it and finishing it is what mattered to Jesus.

It is finished (John 19:30).

I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do (John 17:4). Okay, to belabor the point, God isn't glorified by our theologizing and talking about his work. Completing it is what counts.

If many of our organizations would just implement and consistently execute even a half decent idea, we would be in much better shape than just endlessly meeting to come up with the brilliant idea.

Of course we don't want to implement ridiculous or unthoughful ideas. This is not a post on action above thinking. But it is making the point that truly good thinking becomes action.

The word PRAXIS is a good word on this and I'll blog about it sometime.

Get it done. 

Develop a plan. 

Make it S.M.A.R.T. 

Have some accountability.

Do it together with others.

Check out Bossidy and Chan's book, Execution, for more on execution.

Brian Rice

Leaders Who Care (and the Followers Who Believe Them)

Caring, it is what life is all about. We talk about professional care, health care, home care aids, pastoral care and so on.

Here is a paraphrase of a well known quote: 

Followers don't care how much a leader knows until they really know how much the leader truly cares.

On June 10 I did a post on caring and empathy and while reading  Behar's book about Starbucks (see the sidebar- CURRENT READS) it really hit me again. Caring is vital to leadership.

Jim Collins talks about moving from good to great. Howard Behar wold say that "caring" is part of that move and part of the essence of great leadership.

When I read Behar, I think he either has had some significant Christian worldview imprinted on him at some point, or that he is just the blessed recipient of an unusual amount of common grace and natural revelation.

Behar talks about the leader caring for others proactively (do it first), unconditionally (whether it is returned or not) and sacrifically (take the heat and take the bullet aimed at others). Hey - that is a three point message right there. Although the best messages are lived for a season before they are spoken.

Caring for others in this way is at the heart of great people leadership and great organizational leadership. Behar thinks that MBA programs ought to offer Love and Caring 101 in their curriculum.

The point of this is to do some reflection and assessment:

• Do you really care for the people you lead?
• In what ways do your actions line up with your answer?
• Who don't you care for?
• And - if you asked those around you (and if they would give honest answers) would they name you as a caring leader?

It is important for leaders to remember that the definition of care changes somewhat (much like the Love Language idea) from person to person.  We have to be "careful" to understand what others really need in terms of care.

Maybe it is time to come up with your Personal, 2008 Gift of Caring Project.

Brian Rice

Making Judgment Calls

Tichy and Bennis describe the making of judgement calls as "the ultimate act of leadership" (HBR, October 2007). Effective leaders are those who make a high percentage of good judgment calls at the times when they matter the most.

But what exactly is a judgment call? What exactly is taking place during a judgment call? Is it intuition? Is it common sense? Is it a hunch, a gut level feeling...? Is it a left brain thing or a right brain thing?

The theory and research on this is pretty under-developed...

We do know that most judgment calls have to do with the issues of (1) people, (2) strategies, and (3) times of crisis.

Some of the research done by Tichy and Bennis have identifed "a bit more" the dynamics that are taking place in times of making judgment calls. Here is a brief and basic recap of some things they have found. (If you want to get into this a lot more - check out their book.)

A judgment call is not an event, but rather a process.

It is a process that has three phases to it.

The first phase is a time of preparation where the leader is framing and understanding the issue in its organizational context as well as doing preliminary alignment of those who will be a part of the judgment call or affected by it.

The second phase is when the call is actually made.

The third phase is the execution phase where the leader now follows through, makes happen, executes the call and moves into REDO LOOPS where adjustments are made as new information comes in.

Are you facing any situations where you are going to have to make a judgment call in the near future? If so - try thinking about it in terms of the three phases above and see what happens.

I liked their article so much that I went out and bought the book. Haven't had time to get into it yet, but it is on my list for the summer.

Brian Rice

Alienus Nun Diutius (For all those who failed or neglected to take high school Latin, see the bottom of the post for the translation)

Pixar has a remarkable organizational culture. Here are a few things about that culture.

They fund the career development of their employees.

They made the jump from being an idea-centered business to being a people- centered business. Instead of developing ideas, they now develop people (who develop ideas).  A BIG DIFFERENCE!

Everyone who works on the movie in any capacity is viewed as an artist. Everyone works together to tell a story. The motto is "Art is a team sport."

Employees can devote four hours of work every week to taking classes. Pixar has created a learning organization as part of their culture.

It is a fun and nurturing place to work.

In an industry that is hypercompetitive and where insecurity and burnout are the norm, Pixar has created a place of colloboration, teamwork and learning.

The opportunity to learn and create and work alongside other talented people - this is the greatest reward for working at Pixar.

Alienus nun diutius means:  Alone no longer.

It is the inscription on the crest of Pixar University.

Awesome.

I think this is what our churches and missional organizations should be like. And I wonder why so many of them are not like this?

Brian Rice

Why Pastors Get Fired

This TOP TEN LIST that was in Leadership (Spring 2008, pp 12) grabbed my attention.

Here are the TOP TEN REASONS pastors get fired in the Southern Baptist denomination.

TEN:  conflict with other staff

NINE:  sexual misconduct

EIGHT:  administrative incompetence

SEVEN:  weak leadership style

SIX:  decline in attendance

FIVE:  conflict pre-dating the pastor'sarrival

FOUR:  too-strong leadership style

THREE:  poor people skills

TWO:  church's resistance to change

ONE:  control issues  (the top reason every year since this survery was first started in 1996!)

Here is a short article with a few suggestions about how to leave if/when you've been fired.

Brian Rice

Career-Track Leaders, and the Fate of Organizations

Becky gave me an article that was in one of her monthly journals:

Leadership and the Fate of Organizations was an article in the February-March 2008 issue of American Psychologist. The authors are Kaiser, Hogan and Craig.

It was a very scholarly study on the issue of what kind of leader is needed for optimum team performances.

The authors made a very striking case that there is one group of leaders who are more focused on CAREER SUCCESS and another group who are focused on ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS. And there is a world of difference in the qualities needed for those different objectives.

With just a little bit of spoofing, the Career Success Driven Leader is committed to:

• looking good
• avoiding confrontation
• withholding suggestions for improvement
• not asking the boss to champion unpopular positions.
• always agreeing with the boss
• having good presentation skills
• looking good in meetings where superiors are present
• sustaining an intense desire for career advancement
• not pointing out the uncomfortable realities
• not initiating adaptive realities

The conclusion in the article is that what is good for teams is not what career-minded leaders tend to bring to the team.

And the last paragraph is very intriguing.  They talk about presidential campaigns being decided on "the basis of self-presentation skills and charm more than talent for leadership."

Ulysses Grant and Dwight Eisenhower were were two of the greatest leaders in America's military history, but they were charismatically challenged/deficient. On the other hand, John Kennedy and William Clinton were two of the most charismatic presidents, but who did not leave a record of impressive  achievements. The personal need for attention on the part of Kennedy and Clinton caused them distractions from doing their presential duty well.   (Note: These are the words of the authors and not my aown ssessment.)

I got to thinking about their comments in light of the upcoming Democratic Primary in Pennsylvania! Since the article was a recent article, I couldn't help but wonder if the authors are subtly or not so subtly asking questions about a certain very charismatic candidate? 

Brian Rice

Reference: American Psychologist, Vol. 63, No. 2:96-110

Creating Organization Culture (and Life)

One of the most important skills of leadership is for the leader to be able to create the organizational culture (or feel or ethos or spiritual/emotional/values rich environment).  Edgar Schein believes it is one of the unique tasks of leadership.

Here are some GREAT words (from Walter Wright) on the kind of culture we should be creating as leaders.

A culture where people experience trust and respect, generous affirmation, and recognition of their personal lives encourages loyalty, continuity, and longevity. It is good to work where you are appreciated and respected, where you belong, where people listen and take you seriously.

When the character of leadership is expressed with integrity, it nurtures a culture of openness and trust (or conversely secrecy and suspicion), which builds the social connections that make the experience of work positive and productive (or negative and confining). Leadership shapes culture and that contributes to people finding satisfaction and fulfillment in their work.

What kind of culture is prevalent in your organization or team or family?

What can you begn to do to create the kind of culture described above?

Brian Rice

Exit Interview

I keep forgetting to write a blog about this, so here goes. A couple of months ago I was asked to do an exit interview with Christian Associates, the organization Susy and I served with for many year.

One of the board members, Len, and I met in Los Angeles when I was visiting there. He asked me a series of questions about my years with CA: what was most impactful, how the organization can develop, what I think is hindering it, etc.

Many organizations (especially Christian ones!) and people avoid exit interviews. They are awkward, to say the least. But my interview was a very positive experience, in part because Len was very gracious with me and because I think highly of Christian Associates and its people. Sure, there are ways that CA can grow and improve (as is the case with every group) but also ways in which God is using them for His Kingdom.

- Brian Newman

P.S. The cartoon is a joke! Laugh, please!