What Emerging Leaders Need To Excel

Last week Dan Sadlier asked if I would take part in a blog series called Letters From The Future. Each post would be from a young, emerging leader and would answer the question “what do you need from your leader(s) to excel?”

Rather than search the infinitely expanding blog world I wanted to share out of my own practical experiences what I believe to be 5 key things that emerging leaders need in order to excel.

PERMISSION

This isn’t freedom, this is different than freedom. Freedom is needed and a good thing, but permission… permission is intentional. Give me permission to fail, to lead, and to win. Let me show you what I can do without you tell me what you think I can do. This flows directly into the next thing young leaders need. Restriction.

RESTRICTION

Wait… what!? Yea I know… I so badly didn’t want to write this one down but the more I think about it the more it’s true. I see young leaders in my generation screaming for freedom (and that’s good) but I don’t think we necessarily know what we’re asking for. Give me complete freedom and chances are the project won’t get done on time, i’ll be less likely to change the vision to fit what I want and i’ll probably burn myself out in the end. Yes, I am an adult. Yes, I am responsible, but if you show me the sandbox that I get to play in, i’ll build a better sandcastle. Show me the beach… i’m going surfing.

RELATIONSHIP

In order for me to follow you I need to know YOU.  Not just what you do in the context of what we do together, but who you are. Healthy relationships are open, honest, communicate intentionality, and build trust. I love meeting with those who are leading me and hearing “so, what do you need?” or “what do you have for me”. It shows that a leader cares about me as a person, rather than a producer. The world needs intentional leaders, not managers.

VISION

give me THE vision, and if the above four are present then I will do the best with what i’ve been given to carry it with me in all that I do. If the vision is clear, or isn’t often communicated it leaves it open to interpretation, which can be a dangerous thing. It also helps if the vision makes sense. I work for a church and I can’t tell you how many mission statements, vision statements that i’ve seen that are a paragraph long which by the end of them you’re left scratching your head wondering how to make sense of it. 

PASSION

I will champion the vision and the mission if I believe in it. I believe it when I see that you believe it. I’m bringing my own form of awesome-sauce to the table but it’s so much more refreshing to work with and for leadership that is passionate about what they do and where they do it.    

I’m grateful for Dan’s friendship and continued leadership in my life. Read his blog. Follow his tweets.

Gridlock And The Creative Roadblock

Every day I take the same route to work

5 years, the same route. It gets me from point A (our apartment) to point B (NorthRidge).

Until 3 weeks ago…

Three weeks ago I left with plenty of time to get to my office on time and then I hit the worst traffic EVER. I don’t know why I sat in that traffic as long as I did but by the time I pulled into the parking lot at NorthRidge I had been in my car for 1 hour and 15 minutes. That’s more than twice the time it would normally take me. I could have easily gone another way, taken a different route to get to where I needed to go but for some reason…

I sat

I tweeted 

I checked email

I read my bible

I got angry 

tweeted and Instagram’d some more 

and then got angry again because I WASN’T GOING ANYWHERE!

I think the same can be said for our creative efforts. We sink into a formula that we think will get us from point A (awesome idea) to point B (awesome finished thing) the best way possible. Even when it doesn’t we stick to the same ways, the same path, the same routine, expecting results and determined to make it work. 

I think the best results come when we can adapt to our surroundings, see the road blocks and adjust our plan.

A few questions you can ask yourself if you’re finding that the usual way of doing things has slowed down:

1. What is preventing me from getting ______ done? 

2. Did I put those road blocks there or is someone else responsible? 

3. What’s the best thing I can do NOW to make progress?

4. Is there a better way?

Lead from the thankfulness you have for the church God has put you in, the team he’s put you on, and the people he’s put you in front of.

The Servants Primary Goal

I keep a copy of Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost For His Highest at my bedside. This particular copy was given to me by my youth pastor when I graduated high school and i’ve had it with me ever since. I’ve been through it about 4 times cover to cover but nowadays it sits on my nightstand and I occasionally read a passage before going to sleep. Chambers has a way of speaking right to my heart; and a couple nights ago was no exception.

 

We make it our aim… .” It requires a conscious decision and effort to keep our primary goal constantly in front of us. It means holding ourselves to the highest priority year in and year out; not making our first priority to win souls, or to establish churches, or to have revivals, but seeking only “to be well pleasing to Him.” It is not a lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but a lack of working to keep our eyes focused and on the right goal. At least once a week examine yourself before God to see if your life is measuring up to the standard He has for you. Paul was like a musician who gives no thought to audience approval, if he can only catch a look of approval from his Conductor.

Any goal we have that diverts us even to the slightest degree from the central goal of being “approved to God” (2 Timothy 2:15) may result in our rejection from further service for Him. When you discern where the goal leads, you will understand why it is so necessary to keep “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). Paul spoke of the importance of controlling his own body so that it would not take him in the wrong direction. He said, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest … I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

I must learn to relate everything to the primary goal, maintaining it without interruption. My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life. Is my primary goal in life to please Him and to be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how lofty it may sound?

I read this passage two nights ago and I haven’t been able to shake it since. The last phrase that I bolded holds so much truth for us as leaders. We so often seek the approval of others first and silently disregard the One who’s approval actually matters. We establish our worth in this world and The Kingdom by what we DO, rather that who we ARE. We create out of the desire to honor and glorify God but often we fail to ask Him if He is pleased and proud of our endeavors. 

What is your goal in life? I hope that you stop trying to simply please people and desperately seek to please Him. 

                 My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life.

Finish Strong

I just wrapped up a crazy busy weekend. Working at a church, for The Church means most weekends are pretty busy as it is but this was one of the busiest I’ve had in awhile:

SATURDAY

1:30 load in

2:00 soundcheck

4:00 production meeting and service run through

5:00 team prayer

5:15 lead worship

5:45 dinner and debrief with band

7:00 team devo’s and prayer

7:30 lead worship

Talk to and be with people

Home by 10:00

SUNDAY

8:15 arrival

8:30 soundcheck

9:00 prayer

9:15 lead worship

10:00 prep to lead Velocity (high school)

11:30 lead worship

1:00-1:45 food, bathroom, silence, prayer, me time

1:45 soundcheck

2:00 rehearse with choir for mid-week worship set

3:00 soundcheck/rehearsal for Velocity

5:00 production meeting and run through

6:00 eat leftover Subway

6:45 prayer

6:55 lead some rowdy high school students

8:15 teardown

9:45 home

The truth is that there are a whole lot of pastors and worship leaders out there who have to do it all, or at least think they do. No matter if you work at a mega-huge church with hundreds of volunteers just chomping at the bit to step in and serve or you’re at a place in ministry where you have to bear a lot of the day-of ministry; this is for YOU. Here are some tips that have helped me, and will help you finish strong during a crazy day of leading and serving others.

Leave the building. Get in your car and go somewhere. Coffee shop, restaurant. Just drive. Being cooped up all day in the building is going to wear on you. Remind yourself that it’s still daylight out. The world is bigger than your church building (and most likely much prettier)

Eat smart. I’ve screwed this one up so many times. I’ve had 6:30am call times and will have coffee on the way there and not eat anything for the rest of the day. Break out that lunch box and pack some good food. If you’re going out to eat stay away from greasy, heavy and fatty foods; they’re going to slow you down and wear you out. When I’m super busy I’ll hit up Subway and get a foot long chicken breast with tons of veggies; half for lunch, half for later when I start to crash again. If you’ve gone an entire day without eating then you know it’s one of the worst decisions you could make knowing that your primary role is to communicate Gods truth or connect and unify your church in passionate, energetic worship.

Drink lots of water. Dear worship leaders; next to resting your voice, this is the best thing you can do to ensure that your voice holds out the entire day across multiple sound checks and services. 

Silence and solitude. Add up all the sound checks, run through’s, last minute message prep, services, talking to and connecting with people and that’s a lot of noise; enough to where it can drive you nuts. Go to a quiet place where you know you can be alone. Turn off your phone for 15 minutes and just be. Silence yourself and quiet your soul and allow God to speak to you. You may just be surprised what happens.

Pray. Pray alone or with your team(s). Prayer is powerful stuff. Prayer is encouraging to your soul and those around you. Need strength? Ask God. Need perspective? Ask God. You get the idea. I regularly ask people to pray for me as I step out on stage. 

Go to the bathroom.  Yup.

Ask for help. Our human nature tells us it’s a sign of weakness to ask others for help. I guarantee someone is waiting for you to ask for help. One of the many things I love about the team of volunteers I lead at NorthRidge as well as our NRSM staff is that everyone is always willing to help. Asking for help is a sign of humility and responsibility. It shows that you know that the mission and vision is bigger than you and that you can’t do it alone. I’d much rather do ministry with others than by myself.

Don’t lose sight of the vision. Think about why you’re leading in the first place. What brought you to where you are right now? Have your church/ministry/team vision statement memorized and on your heart all time. When you’re wore out and run down nothing can refocus you and provide some fresh perspective than the true vision behind your ministry.

Finish strong. Tell yourself this repeatedly throughout the day. Give your very best. Leave it all out there on stage. Pour yourself out for those you are serving and leading; It’s why you got involved in the first place isn’t it? Give it your all. You will be thankful you did. 

What about you? What do you do?