Leaders Do This One Thing Frequently

As we embark on a new year, one leadership axiom is ringing in my ears.

See for most of 2017 I spent time recruiting volunteers and empowering volunteers to make a difference in the world. This, on the surface seems admirable. The problem is, all I was doing was delegating tasks.

Whether you work with volunteers or line-manage employees, the truth is you can only do so much if you just delegate tasks to others.

Here's my thought: We must train and develop leaders, not just give tasks to followers.

We effectively need to delegate authority, not just responsibility. When you delegate authority you empower someone to be a leader.

That is surely one of the ways we can maximize our leadership effectiveness in 2018.

God bless.

Pete.

The Truth About Leadership - Kouzes & Posner

The Truth About Leadership is written by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner (2010). This blog contains leadership tips and leadership insights taken from this book. I highly recommend you grab a copy of this book, which is a great read and provides a decent broad sweep of the topic of leadership.

• After critically analysing over a million respondents to a questionnaire Kouzes and Posner found that age made no difference on whether a leader was effective or ineffective. It is worth noting, that the context of leadership may change, but the content of leading (and how to lead) changes only slightly (page xvii). The fundamentals of leadership barely change, regardless of context!
• It is much easier to write about leadership than it is to practice leadership (page xxv). I must agree with this. I could rattle off theory on emotional intelligence and how strong leaders are emotionally intelligent people, but to practice that theory is a step up from merely communicating about it.

TRUTH 1 on Leadership: You Make a Difference

• Is leadership accessible to anyone? Yes. 'Leadership is much more broadly distributed in the population, and it's accessible to anyone who has passion and purpose to change the way things are' (page 5).
• The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership (Kouzes & Posner) are
• Model the Way
• Inspire a Shared Vision
• Challenge the Process
• Enable Others to Act
• Encourage the Heart (see page 13)
• Marianne Williamson once wrote: 'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us....Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you....And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.'

TRUTH 2 on Leadership: Credibility is the Foundation of Leadership

• After years of research (Kouzes & Posner) amongst varied demographics, people groups, etc, one characteristic continues to rate the highest on what people seek most from great leaders: Honesty. People will willingly follow, good, honest leaders.
• The top 4 characteristics of admired leaders are being honest, forward-looking, inspiring and competent (page 21).
• Credibility is built when your actions and your words are consistent. See also John C. Maxwell on the Law of the Picture. He picks up on the same thing. 

--> Also have a look at the TOP 100 Leadership Tips here.

TRUTH 3 on Leadership: Values Drive Commitment

• Kouzes and Posner quote Olivia Lai who writes, 'Becoming a leader is a process of internal self-discovery. In order for me to become a leader and become an even better leader, it's important that I first define my values and principles. If I don't know what my own values are and determine expectations for myself, how can I set expectations for others? How will I convey confidence, strong will, and empathy? Without looking within myself, it's not possible for me to look at others and to recognize their potential and help others become leaders' (page 32).
• The authors quote another emerging leader, 'You have to understand what you really believe deeply. People won't follow you, or even pay much attention to you, if you don't have any strong beliefs' (page 33).
• Values are what drive you, they are the essence of who you are. They affect every facet of your life, including things like whether you return the extra money the sales assistant gave you, or where you will invest your time and energy.
• Values will drive your commitment. To drive this point home, Kouzes and Posner quote Arlene Blum, an experienced mountain climber. She said, 'As long as you believe what you're doing is meaningful, you can cut through the fear and exhaustion and take the next step' (page 35).
• Some interesting research from Kouzes and Posner, show that if people have clarity of organizational values, but low clarity on their own values, their commitment to the organization will be lower than if they had clear personal values, but were unclear of the organizational values!
• Integrity is maintainted when your personal values align with organizational values.
• Leaders are good at building and affirming a 'community of shared values' (page 43).

TRUTH 4 on Leadership - Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart

• The Truth About Leadership speaks of people who dream, who believe for a better future. The difference between a dreamer and a leader, is the leader takes 'dreams seriously and act to make them happen' (page 45).
• Remember I mentioned the top 4 characteristics of admired leaders (above), and only second to honesty, is forward-looking.
• Future-minded leaders know how to envision the future (page 50). In fact, they spend more time in the future (page 51). Leadership requires an element of being visionary. Also, see my post on 'What is a Visionary?'

TRUTH 5 on Leadership - You Can't Do It Alone

• We are reminded by Kouzes and Posner, that, 'no leader single-handedly ever gets anything extraordinary done' (page 62). Leadership is always best expressed in a team context. In fact effective leadership is not effective without others!
• Kouzes and Posner begin discussing the importance of emotional intelligence and how good employers seek to employ people who are good at working with others. They quote Egon Zehnder who writes that all the evidence, '....clearly demonstrated that the classic profile organizations look for in hiring a senior executive (relevant experience and outstanding IQ) is much a predictor of failure than success, unless the relevant emotional intelligence competencies are also present. In fact, serious weaknesses in the domain of emotional intelligence predict failure at senior levels with amazing accuracy' (page 64).
• The point is, IQ is quite often overrated! You need emotional intelligence! Leaders must know who to interact with others! Kouzes and Posner write, 'When leaders are in tune with the emotions of others, they create resonance between leader and constituent and among constituents, much like the musicians in an orchestra create resonance when their instruments are in tune' (page 65-66).
• This chapter is saying more than just having people along side you in order to achieve a vision. Good leaders  help others feel more confident and capable.

TRUTH 6 on Leadership - Trust Rules

• Trustworthiness is a component of credibility (page 75).
• The Truth About Leadership highlights four actions to keep in mind in relation to developing trust.
• Behave predictably and consistently
• Communicate clearly
• Treat promises seriously
• Be forthright and candid

TRUTH 7 on Leadership - Challenge is the Crucible for Greatness

• Think about any leader and you can probably think of challenges that came their way; whether it be poverty for Mother Teresa, war for Winston Churchill, injustice for Martin Luther King Jr; challenge is present.
• Brick walls test commitment and can strengthen resilience.
• 'It takes determination and strength to deal with the adversities of life and leadership' (page 99) and this is what Kouzes and Posner label as grit. They quote Angela Duckworth who writes that grit is, 'perseverance and passion for long-term goals'
• The authors assert that learning doesn't take place in the absence of mistakes. I would rather assert that leadership is strengthened when you learn from mistakes. Challenges are the building blocks to great leadership.

TRUTH 8 on Leadership - You Either Lead By Example or You Don't Lead at All

• Kouzes and Posner like the phrase, 'Do what you say you will do'. Other ways of putting it are, practice what you preach, walk the talk, put your money where you mouth is, etc (page 107).
• Tony Simons (a professor) calls this 'behavioral integrity', and he firmly believes that research shows that managers who lead by example and followed through on promises and demonstrated good values, were better leaders than managers who scored low on these aspects.
• Good role models will always trump bad role models and good leaders understand this!

TRUTH 9 on Leadership - The Best Leaders are the Best Learners

• Research completed by Bob Eichinger, Mike Lombardo and Dave Ulrich report that the best predictor of future success in management is 'learning agility'. They define learning agility as, 'the ability to reflect on experience and then engage in new behaviors based on those reflections (page 123). They are then quoted as saying, 'Learning agility requires self-confidence to honestly examine oneself, self-awareness to seek feedback and suggestions, and self-discipline to engage in new behaviors' (page 123).
• The crux of the chapter in The Truth About Leadership is that if you want to be a better leader, then have the discipline to learn! You need to have what psychologist Carol Dwech labels as a 'growth mindset'. This is, 'based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts' (page 124). You can grow, and therefore you can learn, and your can improve in your capacity as a leader. If you fail to believe that simple princple, then you will not bother reading and learning.
• There's no fast track to success. You don't become an expert pianist by looking at piano keys! Deliberate practice is needed. A great reminder, that as Jim Collins labels it, fanatical discipline is required.
• Deliberate practice has five elements:
• It is designed specifically to improve performance
• It has to be repeated a lot
• Feedback on results must be constant
• It is highly demanding mentally
• It is not all that fun (pages 128-130) See also Geoff Colvin, Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else (2008).

TRUTH 10 on Leadership - Leadership is an Affair of the Heart

• Without heart, leadership is void of something essential. No one wants to follow a leader who is not inspired by the path in which the leader wants others to embark on. Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt (author of Freakonomics) write, 'When it comes to choosing a life path, you should do what you love - because if you don't love it, you are unlikely to work hard enough to get very good' (page 146). I would note, if you don't love it, you are unlikely to be fulfilled in life, and you will be very unlikely be able to motivate others to follow your cause.

Let's finish this outline on The Truth About Leadership by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, by quoting them, 'Leadership begins when you believe in yourself and that you can make a positive difference in the world' (page 159).

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Find more extensive blogs on leadership here, written by Pete Brookshaw.
Also: What's the difference between a manager and a leader?

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The Most Important Truth About Leadership

Leadership is elusive. How can you gauge when you have mastered it (if there is such a thing)? How do you know if you are failing miserably? What is the most important factor in leadership? If someone knows the most important thing you need to know as a leader, then let the world know.

It might sound crazy to you, but I think God downloaded a one-liner that will revolutionize my future. It will stop me thinking about things out of my control. It will keep me focused. So, I'm about to give you the most important tip on leadership anyone could ever give you. Possibly.

We are bombarded with information in this age of technology and resource rich environment. In fact we have so much information and resources on our fingertips we at times are overwhelmed. Let's knuckle it down. What is the most important truth for a leader?

John C. Maxwell drilled down leadership to 21 Irrefutable Laws. Posner and Kouzes in The Truth About Leadership nailed down ten truths that encapsulate good leadership. Others like Pastor Bill Hybels have knuckled leadership down to four fundamentals, like vision and character. Authors like Jim Collins offer us insights into developing level 5 kinds of leadership. Stephen Covey leaved a legacy of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and added an overarching 8th Habit later on.

I am about to give you the one most important leadership tip you will ever read. That may be a big call, and I am happy to hear something different on the matter! It will focus your leadership development, it will help you understand conflict, and it will help you realise the hurdles and the reason for the occasional stumble. It  will help you focus on what you can change, and not what you can't.

So, what is my most important truth about leadership? 

The number one leadership idea came to me while being a Leader on a Youth Camp. I was laying on the dormitory bed, reflecting on the day that had just been. I was reflecting on the challenges I was facing. I was thinking about the future, the possibilities, the change that could happen, the difference that could be made... I prayed. I asked God to equip me to be a better leader. 

Then something popped in my mind, that had me sitting up straight immediately. I call it a 'Word from the Lord', and some of you might just call it an idea that sprung into my head. It nonetheless lifted me from any sort of slumber and made me take notice.

Here it is...

"The greatest challenge you will ever face in leadership, is you."

I thought about this. Surely not?! What about Mrs. Jones, and that annoying manager, and that controlling so-and-so. What about the autocratic leader, or the unteachable team member, or the child who won't listen to the parent... No. The greatest challenge in your life, and your journey as a leader is and will always be, you.

I thought about my relationship with others. I considered all the times of conflict resolution and still thought to myself, 'Surely the greatest challenge is that other person.' Then I reflected a little further. 

If someone frustrates me, I am challenged to consider my response. If someone bad mouths me, I am challenged by how I handle the situation. If a project is not completed on time, I should not be blaming the part-time receptionist. If an employee has a character flaw, the greatest challenge personally is my capacity to graciously help the employee see what may need to change. If the team does not reach its goals, you generally fire the coach. 

See, the greatest challenge, and the most important truth about leader development, is the need to grow yourself. 

As a Christian, the challenge for me, is to be more Christlike, to grow in holiness and to let my life encapsulate Servant Leadership or Spiritual Leadership and be gracious, compassionate, and assertive in leadership that draws people together to change the world for God!

For you, in whatever field of work, and whatever your passions are, and whatever dreams keep you up at night, remember, the greatest challenge in leadership will always be... you.

Also have a look at the TOP 100 Leadership Tips here.

Rinse your Cottage Cheese and other Great Leadership Tips

A great leadership tip is like a good toothbrush to a dentist, it helps a leader brush up on their skills and not get bogged down by plaque!

Leaders are not simply born, they are made. I assume Winston Churchill never woke up one morning and said, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I am now a leader'.

This is the thing: leadership development is not just gleaned from a one off conference where the facilitators are nice enough to let you get to keep the name-tag! The leadership development process is a day-to-day adventure, of grabbing hold of God-given dreams, inspiring others to help you, and to change the world in the process!

Amongst the plethora of leadership teachings, tips and ideas, leadership Blogs, leadership articles and great leadership books, here's another Blog post. A Blog post that offers ten leadership tips and will take you a step further along the adventurous road of leadership discovery and growth. 

So here is my 'Rinse your Cottage Cheese and other Great Leadership Tips' post:

Leadership Tip No. 1: Rinse your cottage cheese. One small step of discipline can make all the difference. Jim Collins in Good to Great writes:

The analogy comes from a disciplined world-class athlete named Dave Scott, who won the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon six times. In training, Scott would ride his bike 75 miles, swim 20,000 meters, and run 17 miles - on average, every single day. Dave Scott did not have a weight problem! Yet he believed that a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet would give him an extra edge. So, Dave Scott - a man who burned at least 5,000 calories a day in training - would literally rinse his cottage cheese to get the extra fat off. (p. 127)

Leadership Tip No. 2: Integrity  and trust are the foundations of leadership. Without good character, and developing trust, sooner or lately the foundations will crack.


Leadership Tip No. 3: A positive mental attitude is much better than a mind that wanders down a road of negativity.


Leadership Tip No. 4: Without vision the people wander aimlessly (Proverbs 29:18).


Leadership Tip No. 5: Developing leaders who develop other leaders creates multiplication.


Leadership Tip No. 6: The sweet potato credibility test - You cannot take a sweet potato and sniff it, bake it and garnish it, and thus make it into a normal potato. It will always be a sweet potato. Likewise, you cannot dress up someone without good character and sustain credibility for very long. People will see right through it.


Leadership Tip No. 7: Leaders have a different vocabulary. You do not hear words like mediocrity, apathy and half-heartedness often. Tenacity and perseverance is the order of the day.


Leadership Tip No. 8: Godly leaders set their hearts on things above (Col 3:2); not on worldly success, fame, fortune or any other hedonistic ambition.


Leadership Tip No. 9: Proximity changes perception. Allowing people in your circles of influence to be involved in understanding your decision making processes, and to be up close and personal to the leadership challenges you face, will change their perception. Proximity builds understanding. How often have you whined about a Prime Minister, Queen or President? Now, how often have you been inside their office, read their emails, understood the pressure they are under and worked as hard as they work? Proximity changes perception. 


Leadership Tip No. 10: Leaders create, build and sustain momentum. Like the winning team in a game of football, the momentum shifts. It is hard to knuckle down what this element is, but holding on to it is great!


Now that you have brushed up a little on some leadership tips, keep scrubbing and check out more leadership tips and teachings here.

Join Disciples in Training on Facebook for more discussion.

Visionary Leadership

Visionary Leadership is Vital!

Visionary Leadership is a must! The old proverb says that without vision the people perish; or as some say, without vision the people wander aimlessly.

I spent some time with our leadership team recently speaking about the vision of our church for next year, and the years to come. Why? Well, without a clear vision, it is so easy to wander aimlessly. It is so easy to merely work and work, and become busy 'doing' lots of things, and the question is whether you are achieving what you should be achieving. A vision keeps you on track. A mission statement highlights what your main purpose is, but a vision gives you an idea of the preferable future for your organisation.

A visionary leader motivates the troops. Without a dynamic vision, people will wander aimlessly not really understanding their purpose within the organisation. A vision helps people be on the same page, and to be striving for the same goals. A good vision will ignite passion in you to see change and transformation. A good vision will see people signing up to be a part of it. See Seth Godin's Blog.

• What are you doing to inspire vision in the organisation that you are a part of?
• Do you find there is a greater clarity and direction when you have a clear and purposeful vision?

Obstacles to Visionary Leadership

Commissioner Joe Noland of The Salvation Army, said:

"Do not let your vision be hindered by your resources
Do not let your vision be hindered by your experience
Do not let your vision be hindered by your self-esteem"

When we attempt to fulfil the vision laid on our heart, we inevitable hit roadblocks at times. The question is not whether we will have obstacles in our quest to fulfil vision, but how we will overcome them. Some of the obstacles we might have to reaching our dreams/visions are:

• Lack of personnel - lack of trained staff, committed volunteers, etc.
• Lack of resources - finances, buildings, tools/equipment, personnel, etc.
• Lack of insight - the lack of wisdom and understanding of how to strategically plan to fulfil the vision - i.e. the vision is out of your current capacity!
• Lack of confidence - young leaders especially question themselves at times, to their current capacity to actually work towards the vision they have.
• Lack of support/buy-in to the vision - If the vision doesn't touch the heart of the people, and doesn't inspire them, then you will have a tough time reaching the vision on your heart.

We can overcome most obstacles. We need time to sit in our lazy chair and consider the options. We need to plan and learn and discover. I am reminded of Thomas Edison who didn't discover the Light Bulb on his first go; not even on his 20th attempt. It took him hundreds of adaptations to finally fulfil his dream of inventing the light bulb! So, do not give up on the quest for visionary leadership, especially if the vision is a God-honouring, kind of vision.

• What are the obstacles you currently face to fulfilling the vision on your heart?

Visionary Leadership that Stagnates

'Decline is never the only answer' is an article from Leadership Journal.net. It mentions that nothing defeats the human spirit like stagnation. You know, that place you find yourself, where nothing is moving, nothing is changing, nothing seems to be working. So you stop; you stagnate. (Find the article here).

What needs to change first, is growth of the spirit inside the leader doing the work. That's so true. If the leader has lost the vision, don't expect others to keep the vision very long. When the leader grows in their ability to persevere and be strong, and be passionate, then they will battle against stagnation and decline.

Leaders who have fallen into a pit of despair need to pick themselves up and keep moving. 

Don't fall into the trap of denial - trying to justify to everyone that nothing is really wrong, that nothing really needs to change. Try not to fall into a place where you lack motivation. See the dream, and live it out. Let the vision and working towards its fulfilment be an absolute roller coaster, exciting journey! Don't be dismayed when few people are signing up. 

Consider whether there is something in your leadership style or behaviour that needs to change. Consider whether there is a different approach to the fulfilment of the vision. Maybe you need to head south-west, instead of south-east, so to speak. Consider whether you have let circumstances dictate your feeling about your vision - maybe its time to reengergize people with the value of what the vision/dream will mean, what it will affect, how things will be different when it is fulfilled. Maybe its time to turn the heat up on communicating the vision.

Become a visionary leader! 

Don't let vision stagnate. Don't let mediocrity set in.

• Is your vision at the forefront of your communication and thinking?

--> ALSO - What is a Visionary and when should I eat that Pie in the Sky?

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Continue the discussion on Visionary Leadership at Disciples in Training on Facebook.

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Addicted to Mediocrity - Tips on Beating Apathy and Half-Heartedness

This is a post I have procrastinated about for months. Maybe that is because half-heartedness is so easy to achieve. Maybe the cause is apathy. The reason is, mediocrity is so much easier!

Leadership teachings tell us, the fulfilment of any vision in life cannot be accomplished with apathy; not at least if the vision is grandiose! Apathy and a mediocre attitude will never allow you to rise up and reach those heights you dream of.

I want to give you some tips on how to beat mediocrity. This is by no means a complete list, but a list that will help you rise up to new heights!

Tips on beating mediocrity and apathy:

1. Be Decisive - When you are lying in bed wondering whether you should get up or not, you need to be decisive, and choose to get up! When you are sitting in the office wondering whether you should refresh your facebook page, or finish that document you know you need to complete, you must be decisive
2. Press In - These are the two words my wife Jo and I use often. When things get tough, either physically, emotionally, or spiritually, we look each other in the eye and say, 'It's time to press in'. What we mean by that, is that we are choosing to push on and persevere. The only other choice is to give up, and that is where mediocrity happens! (See Philippians 3:12).
3. Be a Learner - Mediocrity at times can be closely linked with ignorance. We remain ignorant about a particular subject, and therefore feel alright not to have to do anything about it. Let me give you an example. When you learn, you become informed about information that now requires you to make a choice. When you learn about extreme poverty in Sudan, for example, you are now privy to information that should cause you to respond. Learning about a particular topic can help deal with mediocrity, as it informs you about the topic at hand, and generally can equip you to make an appropriate response (See Daniel 1:3-4). Another example is this: I am mediocre at times with administrative tasks (probably because I put more emphasis on people becoming followers of Jesus than admin!). Part of that apathy and mediocrity about balancing the finances is because of my lack of understanding of the processes and procedures required to fulfil the task. So, if I learn, it helps me deal with mediocrity.
4. Find Creative Solutions - Sometimes we ebb and flow out of half-heartedness because we lack the capacity to implement an appropriate solution. The challenge, is to continue to learn (as previously stated), and to brainstorm creative solutions to the problems. Rather than giving up, which results in apathy and mediocrity, hone your skills in gathering the right people around you and implementing a creative solution. An example would be a time I had two community groups wanting to hire our facilities at the same time. I procrastinated with responding, because I had not chosen to sit down and nut out a creative solution! Some would relate this to intuition.
5. Let the Cause Drive You - Mediocrity can be nipped in the bud by allowing the vision you have for your organisation, family, business, church, etc, to be greater than your desire to do nothing! Let the cause be so strong that half-heartedness is not an option! For me, as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have such a passionate desire to see people saved, set free and part of the journey of faith (see Isaiah 61:1, Matthew 28:19-20 and other Scriptures), that any inkling of giving up, letting go, sitting down or going through the motions, is not an option! If it becomes an option, then I must revisit the original vision I had, and ask myself whether that vision is worth working hard for...
6. Do it Anyway Attitude - How often are there tasks to complete and expectations to rise up to, and you wonder whether it's worth it? For me, this is often. The choice for me, is a lousy attitude, or a 'Do it anyway' kind of attitude. I can sit and complain about the task at hand (whether it be work, home duties, etc), or I can simply press in, and have a decisive attitude that will finish what it required of me.

Well, I hope those tips on beating apathy and mediocrity were helpful. I write these as a personal challenge for myself in leadership, and hopefully you have been inspired by some of the tips yourself.

Don't be addicted to mediocrity, but committed to excellence.

Tips on How to Communicate Effectively - You don't speak German Cat to a Polish Mouse.

This is for all communicators. Politicians, preachers, teachers, business leaders, parents, corner shop owners, PHD recipients, mangers, and even for all the 14 year olds that are doing their first oral presentation!

I love to preach. Though most of all, I love to preach when people are listening. Further still, I love to preach, when people are listening, engaged and willing to respond to the message that is being shared. See one of my little pet hates, or frustrations, is when I communicate in a way that fails to evoke a response. I think to myself - why am I bothering? What is the point of communicating something that is not being heard?

Over the last 12 years I have spoken to various size crowds, and have learnt some things along the way. There are times I think to myself - 'YES! That was it! That really connected!' and of course there are other times I have said, 'WHY do I evennnn bother! Even I was falling asleep at one point!'

So, here are some tips on communication, or rather, tips on how to communicate effectively:

• Know your audience - I have shared stories of Youth Groups with old people that fall on deaf ears, and I have spoken deep theological truths to young people who sit there and say, 'Huh?' The method of communication should change depending on your audience. What is interesting is that currently where I preach/communicate (Palmerston Salvation Army, NT, Australia), I am speaking to 0-90 year olds, with all the age ranges in between. I have learnt that it IS possible to engage everyone from the 7 year olds, to the youth, to the young adults, to the baby boomers, to the 80 year olds. It can be done!
• Inspire your audience - Surely this is dead simple? I wish every communicator knew how to inspire their listeners! Sadly, many don't know! I don't always get it right, but let me add some thoughts to the mix. Whatever you are communicating, it should inspire; it is irrelevant at this point what the content of the message is, but what you are saying should positively grab the listeners ear and hook them in. On an aside note, one of the main reasons Australians are very despondent now about politics, is because every public speaker is dead boring!! Folks, you CAN make governmental policy exciting, if you think it through a little more, and attempt to engage the audience with the message.
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• Be creative! Recently I spoke about the book of Philippians (from the Bible), and to intro the book, I had two people up the front to guess the answer to some questions. Now two of the questions were: "Who wrote the book of Philippians?" (Answer: Paul) "To what place was the book of Philippians written?" (Answer: Philippi) To help with the answers to the questions I had some products up the front to provide clues. The first clue, was a 'PAUL'S iced coffee' (A Northern Territory Australia thing). The second set of clues were a packet of Philidelphia Cheese and a Meat Pie (Phili - pie...). Anyway, the play on words was interactive, all age appropriate, and simply a creative way to engage people with what otherwise may have been a boring beginning to a series of a book of the Bible. Be creative! Don't send the listeners to sleep! "Good morning, today I am going to speak to you about the book of Philippians. This book was written by... zzzzzzzz...." I do want to add something here. Some think that being creative dilutes the importance and/or depth of the message being spoken, and I believe this to be a false paradigm. Creativity need not dilute the message, and can and usely does in fact strengthen the message, and strengthen the intellectual engagement with the content of what is spoken.
• Ebb and Flow on Depth - This is something I have learnt about communication over the last few years, and this is most appropriate when you have a wide range of age groups present. Let me explain. In the context I am in, I have people in my congregation who are wanting to know the epistemological underpinnings of God's salvific purposes and others who are just there to hang out with their girlfriend. You understand the dilemma this poses for a communicator? Well, I think you need to tell a story and engage the crowd, then maybe go deeper for a minute, then come back out again and lighten the mood, then you might flow back into a deeper thought, and then you come back up for some lighter air. Do you understand what I mean? The depth of what you are communicating ebbs and flows. This is of course related to your context. If you are receiving a prestigous award for Physics, you may just go for a dive into the depth of scientific knowledge, and stay there for a while. BUT, I would say, that even with key note addresses like those, the audience is always appreciative of the occasional joke, or light-hearted remark. So I say again, ebb and flow on depth.
• Understand the context - I have briefly mentioned this idea, and it is very important. I love to use humour to engage the crowd, as it lightens the mood and seems to engage the listeners. Humour is greatly effective, but is not always the best communication tool in the toolkit! Take for example, I have found it a nice challenge and a privelege when I am able to lead the ANZAC Day services in my region, where 700 people gather for a Dawn Service to pay their respects to defence force personnel, both past and present... Humour generally does NOT work in this context!! Understand the context, and use humour, stories, charts, graphs, YouTube, reports, flip charts, handouts, Powerpoint AS it is appropriate for your context. Can I say, the occasional short YouTube clip in a business meeting, can help break the ice and save everyone from business nausea.
• Know your Content - It is much easier to communicate well, when you know your material. If you are preaching a sermon; know your Scripture back to front. If you are politician; know your policy back to front. A businessman? Know your core business back to front. An entrepreneur? Know your product back to front. A teacher? Know your curriculum back to front. You get the point. You should be spending time connecting your audience with your content, not spending your time playing brain games attempting to remember your content.
• Speak to evoke a Response - If what you have to communicate is worthwhile, then surely you are hoping to create a response from those listening? Is it harsh to say that too many people communicate with no expectation of a response? Whether you are selling your business to investors, or preaching a sermon to a congregation, the ability to evoke a response is vital. Now, how do you do that? You speak stories/narratives that delve into the deepest parts of the human heart. If you are speaking to a crowd about vacuums it may be that the vacuum makes cleaning more efficient and thus allows you to spend more time with the family (the later being what creates an emotional response). Learning to communicate so as to evoke a positive response to the message being spoken, is something I want to learn more and more of in the future!

Thanks for letting me share some tips on communication. I will no doubt learn many more tips along the way and you may have some thoughts you want to post on to the site. 

Leadership Insights from Jesus

As a Christian, I find much of my leadership development comes from the Bible and predominantly from Jesus Christ himself. Now, this is not to say, that I fail to learn tips of leadership from other avenues, e.g. the business sector, philosophy, nonforprofits, etc, but I do say this: My capacity to lead, from my opinion, must derive itself from the inspired Word of God, and must reflect (within my 21st Century context), the principles and guidelines given from Jesus. From a purely historical perspective, you could say Jesus was the best leader the world has ever seen, especially if your mandate is to have as many followers as possible!

Some of the leadership teachings I have taken from Christ, and which empower me in the area of leadership are:

·         When Jesus challenges the disciples about their heated discussion on who is going to be the greatest, he points to a little child and mentions we should have faith like one of these. This is Jesus confronting the elephant in the living room with the disciples!

·         He also publically confronts Judas about his impending betrayal during the last supper. Most leaders would have kept quiet and swept it under the carpet.

·         Jesus makes a whip and cleans out the temple, so there would be a focus on prayer and not commercialism.

·         Jesus has a heart to heart with Peter following his resurrection, about the need for Peter to feed his sheep, and fulfil his mission in the world.

·         We see Jesus investing a greater amount of time in just three – Peter, James and John.

·         Jesus sets an example of having compassion on the large crowds, and he has faith to minister to them, practically and spiritually.

·         Jesus is an outstanding example of servant leadership (Jesus washing the disciple’s feet).

If we want powerful examples of leadership, then we only need to look to Jesus. We can obviously gleen tips and teachings from many, like Augustine, Martin Luther, Isaac Newton, Abraham Lincoln, Billy Graham, Jim Collins, Stephen Covey, Mother Theresa, Jack Welch, etc, though we find richness in the teachings of Jesus, that have inspired a movement that is still billions strong today! 

Leadership Tips on Creating Change and Innovation

A good leader inspires people to achieve God given visions. Elmer Towns comments on visionary leadership and says, "Problems arise for leaders, however, because they are imperfect, and exercise imperfect communication to followers who have imperfect powers of observation; thus arriving at imperfect interpretation and imperfect understanding of the task at hand. When an imperfect relationship exists between leaders and followers, the less than perfect situation creates a barrier to change or innovation." (the Role of Innovation in Leadership - Elmer Towns).

At times leaders are misinterpreted, whether that be something that is communicated verbally, or just a misinterpretation of a leader's body language. These can create barriers to effective visionary leadership. Elmer Towns offers some basic presuppositions leaders should grasp when attempting change or innovation.

1. Change or innovation usually begins with the leader. A leader must first be willing to change. I think broadly of leaders being not only willing to change their organizational output, but be willing to change and grow personally (morality, integrity, etc.)

2. Followers must be prepared to change. I have heard of some that say a leader needs to be able to create urgency for change. Some even go so far as to say we should change things around all the time, just to stay in a state of changing. My philosophy is not to change for change sake, but to help people be aware that when change comes along it will be worthwhile!

3. A leader must know what to change. This requires wisdom and discernment and understanding of the group you are leading, what you are aiming to achieve and a decent grasp of the organization of which you are part. They say, "Methods are many, principles are few. Methods can change, but principles never do." It's really that discussion about orthodox belief and methodology. Within the Christian church for example, beliefs stay the same, but methods that are used to help people engage with those beliefs change.

4. A leader must communicate the value of the change/innovation. If the perceived value of the change is less than the perceived value of the way things are, then you have a change issue. All the best trying to inspire followers to change when they believe they are better off the way things are. A leader must communicate, communicate, communicate the great value of the changes. Promote the vision. Inspire the listeners. Let people know things will be better off after the new changes than right now.

5. Celebrate the wins along the way. Discuss the progress. Keep people informed. Through the upheaval of change and innovation there needs to be time to celebrate how far you've come. Celebrate the progress. Continue to show people as you reflect on your progress, that these changes are worth their salt!

God bless you as you strive to lead well, and to manage the change process and the inevitable transitions involved. I hope these leadership tips on the change process have been helpful!

Creating A Healthy Culture in an Organization - A Culture of Integrity

One of most important leadership tip anyone could ever give in relation to creating healthy organizational culture, has to be the need for integrity. Now, this might seem simple enough, and we may well agree with the statement. It is when the rubber hits the road, that I wonder whether people really understand the importance of integrity.

Stories upon stories are heard of corrupt CEO's, abusive authoritarian leaders, a lack or morale because what the leader communicates does not match their actions, and the list goes on.

Most leadership books comment on the importance of depth of character, integrity and a sense of morality/conscience and the effect this has on those you are leading. John C. Maxwell devotes a chapter to integrity in Developing the Leader Within You (1993). He says:

• Integrity builds trust
• Integrity has high influence value
• Integrity facilitates high standards
• Integrity results in a solid reputation, not just image
• Integrity means living it myself before leading others
• Integrity helps a leader be credible, not just clever
• Integrity is a hard-won achievement (p. 35-48).

Why does integrity amongst leaders help create a healthy organizational culture? Firstly, as already noted, trust is built. When the leader says something, you know they will be trustworthy, based on previous experiences. It is demoralizing to not be able to trust a leader, as this becomes an infectious disease within the organization! Secondly, integrity is paramount to this healthy organizational culture, because a leader exemplifies the 'do as I do, not just as I say' kind of rhetoric.

You may not be able to cause someone else to have integrity, but you can cause yourself to have it!

That's the end of this Leadership Training Module Two on Creating Healthy Organizations. Feel free to comment below, and I hope you enjoyed and were challeged by the content.

Creating A Healthy Culture in an Organization - Free Online Leadership Training Module Two

Welcome to our free online leadership training module. This is module number two, and is about creating a healthy culture in an organization.

STOP! You find yourself here because organizational culture can at times be depressing and draining and you're looking for a solution. Well I will outline some leadership tips for you which, I believe, will be helpful and will equip you in improving the culture of your organization (or atleast assist you in understanding what parts of your organizational culture needs work). I write this, not as some hopeful blogger, that wishes to splat more useless information over the already overloaded internet. I write this as someone who serves God as an Officer in The Salvation Army (in the northern parts of Australia), and has managed employees, and empowered volunteers to reach for their best. I completed a Bachelor of Business, and have read a myraid of books related to empowering people and organizational culture, creating excellence and change management. That is not mentioned, to puff up, but rather to offer some context for the following blog and hopefully some credentials to allow you as the reader to read on, and embrace the few elements in this list.


Creating a healthy culture in an organization is vital, if an organization is going to be effective in the long term. We know stories of businesses that have crumbled because of a lack of integrity by the CEO, or a church that has closed because the senior pastor didn't know how to inspire a great culture within their church. How many morning tea times are full of gossip and frustrated employees who wish their business had a better culture? How many emails are sent daily complaining about the ins and outs of the workplace, all because leaders have not developed a great culture in their workplace? How many secret facebook messages do business people send to their friends, during work times, that relate to issues of culture?

Be encourages as you read through this free online leadership training module on "Creating a Healthy Culture in an Organization".

Click here for the first leadership tip for creating that healthy culture.

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Creating A Healthy Culture in an Organization - A Culture of Big Vision

Here's another leadership tip for creating a healthy culture in an organization. This one is a culture of BIG Vision.

Culture of a Big Vision - Without vision the people wander aimlessly says an old proverb. Without vision it is very easy to cruise through life, and to step back a year later and say, 'Have I actually gone anywhere?' 'Have I actually achieved anything that is purposeful?' While vision in itself is not enough to arrive at a place of effectiveness; vision helps inspire you, your team, your family, your co-workers, to reach for new heights.

If you aim at nothing you'll hit it every time. Vision is important to me, because if I aim at nothing, I'll reach it! Though, if I aim at cloud number seven, and only reach cloud number 3, I've still gone further than if I have aimed at nothing! So vision, personally, provides an injection of passion and direction, that when aligned with strategy can produce great results.

A big vision in an organization helps produce a healthy culture, primarily because employees, from the cleaners to HR professionals to managers stop talking about what brand of coffee they are drinking, and start talking about the possibilities of the organization in which they work. It lifts their eyes from the mediocrity of mundane day-to-day work, to consider adapting their work choices, in order that vision can be accomplished. For more on vision, read through the free online leadership training module on vision - click here.

• Does your organization have a culture of big vision?
• What do people talk about when they are grabbing their coffee? Is it about the organization's future and possibilities and potential? Is it a healthy discussion?

There are two more posts related to creating healthy organizational culture. And are probably the two most important! Click here for the next one.

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Creating A Healthy Culture in an Organization - A Culture of Execution

Another Leadership Tip for Creating A Healthy Culture in an Organization - A culture of execution
Culture of Execution - This is the mantra that says, 'If you say you're going to do it, then do it'. This builds trust amongst the people of an organization. It's about following through with agenda items, and implementing the ideas into concrete realities. Within a business, a culture of execution might look like the announcement of a new product range - an idea that could transform the business! A healthy culture of execution gets the job done! The idea doesn't just sit on the desk, or in the heart of the leader, it is communicated, thought through, researched and if appropriate, is actioned. A culture of execution inspires people to move from ideas and abstract concepts to implemented tangible practices.

Within a church, for example, a culture of execution is needed, because so many visions and dreams sit on the leader's desk, or even in the minds of the people. There needs to be encouragement to follow through and make it happen, with God's help, so the dream is not just some pie-in-the-sky concept.

Following through on tasks and commitments are important. Employees within organizations are disempowered if leader's don't attend the meetings they say they will, or if the leadership committee put forward another grandiose idea that everyone know will never happen. A culture of execution, lets people know, that people will do what they say. They will complete the assignments set for them, they will make the appropriate changes, because they believe in a culture of execution. This is a helpful leadership tip for creating a healthy culture in an organization! 

• Do you follow through with the ideas, strategies, visions you communicate? 
• Why do you think people are disempowered when there is a lack of a culture of execution? 

There's still more on creating healthy organizational culture. Click here for another leadership tip.

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Creating A Healthy Culture in an Organization - A Culture of Planning

Here are some leadership tips for creating a healthy culture in an organization.

Firstly, an organization needs to have a culture of planning. Ever heard, without a plan you plan to fail? Too many businesses go about everyday business without planning. Two questions need to be asked. Firstly where is our intended destination and secondly, how are we going to get there? The first question is a vision question, the second is a planning question.

You can't climb Mount Everest without a plan, nor should we cruise through our workdays without planning how we will achieve what we are hoping to achieve. While the implications of bad planning (or no planning) for the Everest Climber is death, for an organization bad or no planning might mean a loss of income, loss of personnel, etc. A culture of planning, is a culture of strategic thinking. It is about looking at the mission, vision and values of the organization, and saying, 'How are we going to achieve this?' 'What is our strategy?' 'What is our plan?' High performing organizations execute plans well, and adapt them as circumstances change. They create a culture within their organization of strategic thinking and planning.

The reason a lack of planning creates dysfunctional organizational culture, is because spontaneity reigns, and while this can at times be managed, quite often it simply means there is organizational choas and lack of direction. A culture of planning is needed.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed" - Proverbs 16:3

Continue on with more on creating a healthy culture in an organization. Click here.

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