Leadership Thoughts (and a Video) From Hoosiers, Part II

Last week I shared a leadership principle illustrated in the film, Hoosiers. That principle is the importance of commitment to the foundational truths and values of the organization you are leading and reinforcing them in a consistent and systematic way. As you do this, you build into your organization and your people the values and competencies that allow your purpose and vision to be fulfilled. But what you also do is broaden the base of those who believe in and are committed to that purpose, thus expanding the leaders and resources available to you.

I highlighted the coach of Hickory High School (played by Gene Hackman) and his commitment to the fundamental values he believed in even when they didn't produce immediate results or ingratiate him to the community. At a crisis point, when he was about to lose his job, the local basketball hero - Jimmy Chitwood - gave him his endorsement and joined the team. This final piece (as Jim Collins would say, "getting the right person on the bus") helped to turn the season. The right players are on the floor doing the fundamental things that achieved their purpose. The team began to win and they eventually found themselves in the state championship game - the smallest school to ever get there. The decisive moment of the game came with nineteen seconds left and the score tied. Hickory stole the ball and called a timeout to set up the game winning shot. The coach called a play that would use Jimmy as a decoy, but it is obvious from the body language of the players that they did not think his plan is the best one. When he asked what was wrong, Jimmy simply said, "I'll make the shot."

This is my favorite part of the movie. At this point, the coach did something he had not done throughout the film. He listened to his team and he scrapped his plan for theirs. And they won.

Here's the principle: as a leader, you have to be willing to listen to those on your "team". The players had proven themselves. They had bought into the system. They had built a foundation. They were solid on the fundamentals. They believed in the vision and purpose. And now the coach listened to them to get to the next level.

We need to do the same thing. When we have people around us who share our vision, believe in our purpose, and live out our foundational values we need to give them a voice in the direction of the organization. They often have fresh ideas and different perspectives that can sharpen our strategy and make the organization more effective. This does not mean we abdicate leadership. We just allow more people to share in that leadership and take ownership of the organization and its success. In our ministry to college students, those who begin to catch our vision and live out our foundational values have a great deal of input in the decisions we make as a group.

The principle applies to any area of leadership. A wise leader will listen to those who share the vision, believe in the purpose, and live out the foundational principles of the organization - whether it be a church, a business, a club, or a group of officials at a track meet.

I want to be involved in ventures that are too important to be left up to just my wisdom and experience. But I also want to make sure that those I listen to are ones who share the vision, believe in the purpose, and live out the foundational values of the organization.

Leadership Thoughts (and a Video) From Hoosiers, Part I

 

There really aren’t many good movies about basketball. There are quite a few good baseball movies. And several good football movies. There are good track and field movies, auto racing movies, golf movies, and even rugby movies. But there is only one really good basketball movie – Hoosiers.

 

Not only is Hoosiers a great movie about basketball, it also contains some great principles for leaders of every type. In this post and the next one, I want to look at a couple of those principles.

 

The first is this: We need a firm and consistent commitment to the foundational principles that will allow us to accomplish our purpose or vision. Gene Hackman’s character in Hoosiers, the new coach at Hickory High School, stuck relentlessly to what he felt were the fundamental values of winning basketball. Conditioning. Passing. Defense. Even when their was dissent on his team, he stuck by his values. Even when immediate results weren’t evident and the team was losing, he stuck by his values. Even when there was dissatisfaction in the community and his job was in jeopardy, he stuck by his values. He was convinced that these foundational principles would produce the results desired if he continued to practice them. And, ultimately, they did. Successful coaches are really good about this. But often times other leaders are not, especially those in ministry.

 

This is a truth that I need to remember. There is a vision, a purpose, to which God has called us. And there are foundational values and practices that will allow us to accomplish that purpose. But these fundamentals rarely produce immediate results or overnight success. They are vital, but often not glamorous. They are things like the centrality of God’s Word, a focus on producing disciples and leaders, and investing in individuals. They are values like teaching students about intimacy with God, integrity of life, involvement in community, and influence in the world rather than just getting their bodies to a meeting. These things are like defense, passing, and conditioning to a basketball team rather than slam dunks and three-pointers. They are the foundations of continued success and accomplished purpose.

 

But it is easy to get distracted from them and to start looking for the next new thing. What will draw a crowd? What will make us look appealing? What will make our audience like us? What are the “successful” (meaning larger) groups doing? What tickles the ears? What appeals to the masses? What is easier? What is more immediately gratifying?

 

As leaders, we have to keep pointing back to the fundamentals, the foundational values that long term success is built upon. We have to be convinced that if we continue to practice these foundational things – specifically, methodically, and consistently – then we will fulfill the purpose to which we have been called.

 

What are the fundamental principles that are essential for success in your sphere of leadership? Are you practicing those things specifically, methodically, and consistently? Are you keeping your eyes on the vision and purpose to which you have been called and the foundational values that will get you there? Or have you allowed yourself and your organization to get distracted and off course?

 

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As a “treat”, here is a very nice video called Hoosiers Revisited. After the next post, I’ll add a video that features players from the 1954 Milan, IN team that the movie was based on.

Thinking About Leadership: Harbaugh, Hedgehogs, Movies, and Young Leaders

 

Here are a few things I’ve read recently that have some great leadership information. If you’re a leader and are influencing younger leaders (and all of us lead in some realm, whether it be in a job, on a team, in our family, in our church or ministry), you will find some helpful insights among these stories. So read on …

 

Jim Harbaugh has proven himself to be a successful coach at both the NCAA and NFL level. I saw this story just today. I love the way that Tom Crean – his brother-in-law and head basketball coach at Indiana – summed it up:

 

"I think it goes to show why he's a very successful leader as a player and certainly now as a coach, because there's no job above him and there's no job beneath him and it's all about winning.”

 

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I was pointed to this post on organizational culture that develops young leaders by my friend Tim Casteel’s blog. Tim is the Director of Cru on our campus and a great leader. If you are in campus ministry, you need to be reading his blog.

 

So the question is: is your organization giving young leaders a chance to flourish? Or are you stuck in an organizational culture that keeps them bound – and frustrated?

 

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Jim Collins is one of the best business/organization/leadership writers of the past few years. In this post, Mark Howell does a great job of summarizing some of Collins’ main concepts. It will just take you a few minutes to read the post, but you should really spend several hours thinking through and implementing the ideas.

 

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Finally, Tim Elmore came up with this list of the greatest leadership movies. If I had to choose my top few from this list, the would be (in no particular order):

 

The Last Castle

Braveheart

Remember the Titans

Dead Poet’s Society

Miracle

Hoosiers

Twelve Angry Men

Apollo 13

 

What are your favorite leadership movies? Why?

Intentionally Developing Leaders

 

One final post flowing from the 2011 Catalyst Conference in Atlanta.

 

In the final session of the conference, Andy Stanley challenged us with the question: “What is your strategy for developing leaders?” Most of us in leadership can talk a pretty good game on the importance of developing leaders. But the real question is: Do you have a strategy or plan for it? And are you working that strategy? For many, developing leaders is more talk than action. Stanley called those in attendance to “Intentional Apprenticing” – selecting, modeling, and coaching for the purpose of replacing yourself.

 

What Stanley described is just following the example of Jesus as he poured his life into the lives of his twelve apostles. Jesus began his public ministry with succession in mind. He didn’t ask for volunteers, but handpicked those with whom he would entrust his mission. He did ministry with them and sent them out to do ministry without him – but brought them back for a time of de-briefing and training. He was constantly preparing them to carry on his mission once he was gone from them physically. I would be remiss at this point if I didn’t point you to Robert Coleman’s classic book, The Master Plan of Evangelism, for a great study on Jesus’ strategy of preparing leaders.

 

As leaders, that is part of our call. But we are often held back by some common concerns. We are afraid that if we give special attention to a few rather than to the many, some will think it unfair. And they may. When Jesus chose the twelve in whom he would invest his life, there were probably some who had been following who felt he was unfair not to include them. But it was essential that he focus on a few if he was to adequately prepare them to carry on his mission.

 

At other times we feel inadequate for the task – we feel that we don’t know enough or that there are others who know more. The truth is that we will often feel inadequate, especially if we are working with younger, high-capacity leaders. But we are not responsible for passing on what we don’t know, but for passing on what we do know.

 

Our responsibility is to empty our cup - our life, knowledge, and experience - into the lives of others.

 

One of the measures of success as a leader is whether or not we leave our responsibilities in capable hands.

 

So leaders: Who are you intentionally apprenticing? Who are you raising up to replace yourself? How are doing in emptying your cup into their lives?

Great By Choice

 

One of my favorite authors on leadership and organization success spoke at the Catalyst Conference earlier this month. Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great, should be required reading for anyone leading an organization. In fact, I have gone back through it and reviewed my notes in it since I have returned from Atlanta.

 

This year he spoke from his new book, Great By Choice. I have not had a chance to read it yet, but I am looking forward to doing so soon. But he did share the key points.

 

First, he emphasized the points that “good” is the enemy of “great” and that greatness is a matter of choice and discipline.

 

He then went on to identify three important practices (evidenced by nine years of research) of leaders who choose to be great. To illustrate, he used the story of two teams racing to Antarctica in 1911. One team was led by the British explorer Robert F. Scott and another team was led by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Amundsen beat Scott to the South Pole by practicing these three things:

 

Ruthless Discipline — Leaders who choose greatness practice an almost fanatical discipline. Amundsen decided to walk 17-20 miles a day. No more, no less. Come wind or snow. No matter what happened they stayed the course. Scott would sometimes not go far enough or push his team too hard. Collins said that the signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.

 

Empirical Creativity — Leaders who choose greatness do their “homework.” The majority of them are not pioneers, but they learn from those who are. And then they innovate. They don’t look to other’s practices and replicate; but look to the data for understanding and then become creative. It’s ok to say “I don’t know” and learn from those who do. This is how true innovation happens. They also look at the hard date and decide the best way to attack their challenges. One a side note, that is one thing I took away from the movie, Moneyball – rethinking the data, the goal, and the steps to reach it.

 

Productive Paranoia — Leaders who choose greatness know that you have to be prepared for what you cannot predict. They channel anxiety into productive action and reduce probability of failure.

 

So ….

 

How do you practice ruthless discipline in your leadership context? What is your plan, your “2o miles”? Are you and your organization disciplined and sticking to it, or does inconsistency seem to be more prevalent than discipline?

 

Who are the pioneers or entrepreneurs that you are learning from? Who is leading the way in your field? What does the “hard data” say about the direction you are heading and the way you or your organization are doing things?

 

Are you prepared for what you can’t predict? That sounds counter-intuitive, but it is an essential discipline to reduce the chances of catastrophic failure.

 

Do For One

 

Last week, our staff made it’s third trip to the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. Catalyst is two days that pack your heart and mind with all kinds of truth, dreams, and lessons.

 

There are great times of worship, led by some creative and talented people. Last year I came back from Catalyst a new fan of Gungor and John Mark McMillan. This year, I came back a fan of Seryn. You need to check them out.

 

And there are always special guests. This year’s Catalyst included the Sh’Boss Boys and the Russian Bar Trio from America’s Got Talent. Jeff Foxworthy also made an appearance, but not to do comedy. He talked about the Bible study he leads at an Atlanta homeless shelter and introduced us to one of the men whose life has been changed.

 

But the best part of the conference (at least for me) are the great speakers that come in from around the world. These folks don’t just work in the church world, but in business, social justice, and other areas. In the next two or three posts, I’m going to share some of the highlights regarding leadership that I learned this year.

 

The one speaker who is there every year (and, in fact, speaks twice each year) is Andy Stanley, pastor of the North Point Community Church in the Atlanta area. This is fine with me because there are few that I enjoy hearing more than Andy Stanley.

 

Here are some thoughts from his first talk:

 

The more successful you are, the less accessible you become. Refuse to face this reality and face burn out by trying to be accessible to everyone. On the other hand, some use success as an excuse to be more inaccessible than necessary.

 

So the leader faces this dilemma: You can’t shut it all out. You can’t take it all in. What do we do?

 

Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.

 

We can’t do it all, but we need to do it for some. Otherwise, our hearts will grow hard.

 

To some, this won’t seem fair. But we don’t need to be fair. We need to be engaged. If we follow this principle, we can be engaged without being overwhelmed.

 

To do this, Stanley offered these tips:

 

* Go deep rather than wide.

* Go long-term rather than short-term.

* Go time, not just money.

 

When you do for one, you often end up doing for more than just one.

Leadership Quotes from Steve Jobs

 

As most of the world knows by now, yesterday Steve Jobs retired as CEO of Apple – one of the most successful and innovative companies in US history. He was one of the co-founders of Apple in 1976 and what that company is today is a direct result of the vision and person of Steve Jobs.

I admit that I am (or was) a reluctant user of Apple products. I always fought the “hip” (which is pretty obvious if you know me as I have never been accused of being “hip) and superior image that Apple projected. Plus, most of the world and the tools I used were all PC-related. But I have had an iPhone for almost two years and love it. I have had an iPad since June and love it. And though I don’t ever see myself switching all the way to a Mac computer, my attitude toward Apple products has changed.

 

Steve Jobs has been an incredible leader and innovator. So, in light of his retirement, here are some quotes from Jobs that I think have some application to our leadership in whatever sphere we find ourselves – including ministry. Most of these quotes were gathered from a post by Casey Chan at Gizmodo.com and from the book The Steve Jobs Way, by Jay Elliot. (I drew from the review by David Mays. You need to check his website as he gives a summary of dozens of great books.)

 

On the importance of innovation:

 

"Nothing in companies is as blinding as a strategy, an approach, or a product line that has worked before. Success can be self-defeating, if it leads you into the rut of repeating yourself. Too often we cannot envision a different world because we've gotten into the habit of looking at our world with the mind-set of what has worked before."

 

"Innovators create products that are an outgrowth of what they imagine, things that help them create a world they would like to live in."

 

"Every team needs the spark of at least a few truly creative people who 'think different'--different enough to set an example for everyone else."

 

"We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas." PBS Documentary, Triumph of the Nerds, 1996

 

"It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them." BusinessWeek, 1998

 

"Apple should be the kind of place where anybody can walk in and share his ideas with the CEO."

 

On the importance of being focused as an organization:

 

Jobs pulled the plug on established, steady-selling products in order to focus on a few of the best. [Apple currently sells only 20 products.] He said, "I'm as proud of what we don't do as I am of what we do."

 

On the importance of passion:

 

"Great products only come from people who are passionate."

 

“You won't get people working for you fired up with enthusiasm unless you're fired up yourself . . . and you let everyone know it."

 

On his goal:

 

"The goal was never to beat the competition, or to make a lot of money; it was to do the greatest thing possible, or even a little greater."

 

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me ... Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful... that's what matters to me.” The Wall Street Journal, 1993

 

"I want to put a ding in the universe."

 

On vision:

 

When Steve Jobs recruited John Sculley, Exec VP of PepsiCo to be CEO, the clincher appeal was this: "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugar water, or do you want a chance to change the world?"

 

I’ve used that last story many times in sermons. I think too often we in the Church have been content to run programs or keep people entertained rather than aim for changing the world. To do that, leaders need to lead. Be innovative. Be creative. Be focused. Don’t look at how we have always done things, but look for how we can do things better, with more excellence, and in ways that actually “produce” what we say want – men and women who have been transformed by God and who are working with Him to influence the world. Not just men and women who are addicted to a religious habit.

Favorite Quotes from the Global Leadership Summit

 

A few days ago I “attended” my first Global Leadership Summit – an event simulcast around the world to almost 180,000 people by the Willow Creek Association. I love these type of events, where you are exposed to leaders from a variety of fields who can stretch the way you think. There were twelve different speakers from the fields of ministry, education, business, politics, and psychology. They all did a great job and had valuable things to share. The quality of speakers made the two days worth the time and cost. Being a simulcast event, it didn’t have some of the elements of the Catalyst Conference (no live worship bands, no one being shot out of a cannon and you were in a comfortable room with 150 people instead of in an arena with 12,000).

 

So here are some of my favorite quotes from the Summit:

 

Len Schlesinger (President, Babson College; Harvard professor)

 

“If you can’t predict the future, create it.”

 

“You can’t think your way into an unknowable future, you must act.”

 

Cory Booker (Mayor of Newark, NJ)

 

“Everyone is born an original, but sadly, most die as carbon copies.”

 

Steven Furtick (Pastor, Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC)

 

“The difference between a vision and a daydream is the audacity to act.”

 

“If your vision isn’t intimidating to you, there’s a good chance that it’s insulting to God.”

 

“God doesn’t give you the faith to finish what he calls you to; he gives faith to start it.”

 

Mama Maggie Gobran (Stephen’s Children Ministries, Cairo, Egypt; Nobel nominee) 

 

Silence your body to listen to your words;
Silence your words to listen to your thoughts;
Silence your thoughts to listen to your heart
Silence your heart to listen to your spirit
Silence your spirit to listen to His Spirit.

In silence you leave the many to be with the One.

Dr. Henry Cloud (Psychologist)

 

“When your maturity is not strong enough to change something, add external structure.”

 

John Dickson (Director, Centre for Public Christianity; Minister, St. Andrews Anglican Church, Sydney, Australia)

 

“Humility is the noble choice to forgo your status and use your influence for the good of others.”

 

Erwin McManus (Cultural Architect, Mosaic of Los Angelis; Activist, Filmmaker, Author)

 

“When we live our lives connected to the Creator, we become part of the creative order – part of God’s tools of creativity…. We are called to create a world that reflects the character and nature of God.”

John R. W. Stott (1921-2011)

 

 

Word has spread that this morning, John Stott went to be with his Lord. Much of the world won’t recognize his name, but for many of us in ministry John Stott was a mentor through his writings. Books written by Stott are throughout my library and there has probably not been a better Christian thinker and writer over the last fifty years. Christianity Today has posted a thorough obituary that is worth reading.

 

However, his legacy is bigger than that. I never had the chance to meet the man, but those who knew him speak so eloquently of his character and humility.

 

Justin Taylor quotes Stott’s long-time assistant, Timothy Dudley-Smith:

 

To those who know and meet him, respect and affection go hand in hand. The world-figure is lost in personal friendship, disarming interest, unfeigned humility—and a dash of mischievous humour and charm. By contrast, he thinks of himself, as all Christians should but few of us achieve, as simply a beloved child of a heavenly Father; an unworthy servant of his friend and master, Jesus Christ; a sinner saved by grace to the glory and praise of God. (“Who Is John Stott?” All Souls Broadsheet[London], April/May 2001)

 

From Mel Lawrenz’ post on “The Impact of John Stott”:

 

One day New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote a piece called “Who Is John Stott?” Brooks was bemoaning the fact that the media always choose the wrong people to represent evangelical Christianity, putting the microphone in front of people who are, in his opinion, “buffoons.” If reporters were smart, Brooks said, they’d look to John R. W. Stott as the voice of evangelical Christianity. It is a voice that is “friendly, courteous and natural. It is humble and self-critical, but also confident, joyful and optimistic.” Brooks went on to reflect on why this evangelical preacher is so compelling to him, a Jew. It has to do with Stott’s uncompromising “thoughtful allegiance to scripture.” Brooks concluded: “most important, he does not believe truth is plural. He does not believe in relativizing good and evil or that all faiths are independently valid, or that truth is something humans are working toward. Instead, Truth has been revealed.”

 

John Stott was a pastor in London for many years and gradually became a friend to dozens of countries he visited in his itinerant speaking ministry. He never tried to invent something new, but was driven by his conviction that the truth of God in Christ is at the core of the mission that believers share. He never flaunted the fact that he served as chaplain to the Queen of England, or basked in the multitudes of accolades he received. He lived as simply as possible, writing books in a simple cabin in Wales, never married, called “Uncle John” by hundreds of younger people to whom he was mentor.

 

What a legacy – friendly, courteous, humble, confident, and joyful with a uncompromising allegiance to Scripture. Unfortunately, Christians are often seen as anything but those things. We are seen as either arrogant, judgmental, sour or compromising.

 

John Stott believed that God’s Truth has been revealed and he spent this life working to make that Truth clear and known. May we follow that legacy with the same spirit and character.

Random Thoughts: Creativity & Organization, City Ranks, and the Value of a College Degree

 

Summer traveling has taken a toll on my ability to write on here regularly. Here are some items that I have come across that you might find interesting…

 

Gina and I have just returned from a couple of weeks of vacation and we had the chance to visit some great cities: Vancouver (arriving the day after the hockey riot), Seattle (and we got to take in a Mariners game), Eugene, OR (a great college town), and Yachats, OR (city might be the wrong word, but a great place to spend some quiet time on the Pacific coast). In honor of our nation’s cities, here are two informative lists:

 

America’s Most Well-Read Cities

 

America’s Most Dangerous Cities

 

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There can be great discussions about which is more important: creativity or organization and structure. There can also be great frustration between those who are more creative and those who are more structured. This great video by Scott Belsky shows the importance of both. I would encourage you to follow him on Twitter (@ScottBelsky) and to subscribe to his website.

 

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Georgetown University has released a study showing what various college degrees are really worth in dollars and cents, as well as differences in pay because of gender. Let’s just say that if you are an art major, I hope you enjoy what you do.

AND

 

Last August, I pointed you toward a book by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay entitled, The Tangible Kingdom. It is a book that expresses the concepts of missional and incarnational ministry that I believe reflect the heart of God. Over the course of the past year, our staff has read it and we have used their Tangible Kingdom Primer with our student leaders and in some of our Cords (our missional communities on campus).

 

Last week, I finished their sequel to The Tangible Kingdom. It is called AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church. In the book, they discuss the balance of a Biblical church (or campus ministry) – where people are both scattered through incarnational communities and gathered through structures that hold them together and provide encouragement and vision. It is, again, a book I would highly recommend to church leaders and church planters.

 

Here are some highlights. Hopefully some of them will provide you with food for thought.

 

"In Genesis 12:2-3, ... the people of God are being sent to live in a pagan land. Why? So they may bring the blessing of God wherever they go."   p. 34

 

“Missional isn't a form of church. It's a label we give to the qualitative or descriptive aspect of how a church actually lives. It's about how much like Jesus those people become and how much they influence, woo, and transform the culture in which they are placed. In other words, how 'missional' you are is largely determined by the extent to which your people model the life, activities, and words of Jesus."   p. 52

 

"Being missional is about our sentness - it represents the directional impulse of every church and every Christian in the world. Being incarnational is not so much about our direction; it's more about how we go, what we do as we go, and how we are postured in the culture God calls us to engage. Incarnation is the personality of our proclamation."   p. 56

 

"The principle is indisputable: the great things of God cost us our life. The more missional you want to be, the more incarnational you're willing to be, the more you release your people out into the world, the more you desire to equip and empower young leaders, the more effective and faithful you want your church to be ... the more you'll have to die to yourself."   p. 80

 

"Sadly, many people really are content to live as consumers, and they are just looking for a place to hold their beliefs together and to provide a sense of belonging relationally. In other words, all they want are some sermons and some friends.... We have to realize they aren't looking for transformation, either for themselves or for the world."   p. 106

 

"If you're worried about how to keep halfhearted, recreational Christians from leaving your church, I fear you've lost the big story."   p. 108

 

"What brings meaning to your gathering is how well you scatter. Jesus gave us the key to helping people find meaning when he said, 'Whoever wants to save their life will lose it.' (Mark 8:35 TNIV). Corporately, it's the same. If we want people to find meaning in our church gatherings, we must help them to gather for the purposes and people outside the gathering."   p. 174

 

"God's highest goal for our children isn't to keep them busy and safe. Our roles as stewards over the spiritual life and legacy of our kids is to model a holistic life of apprenticeship under Jesus - to invite them and include them in as much as you can and to trust that God will grow them, protect them, and use them to change the world."   p. 182-183

 

"Sermons have been an important part of our spiritual formation and will continue to fill that role, but we must also face the fact that even though we preach well, our focus on preaching as the main thing has not produced the level of discipleship we had hoped it would. Even more, our priority for pulpit-centered Christianity may actually be one of the most consumer-oriented aspects of evangelicalism today. Just as we must reimagine the church gathering, we must also have the courage to reimagine how we teach our people the Scriptures."   p. 183-184

 

What think ye?

Leadership Lessons from SWAT

 

Over Spring Break, while the rest of our staff and many of our students were working in New Orleans, I spent time visiting with former students in Tulsa and Little Rock. One of the rewarding things about campus ministry is seeing where your alumni wind up and the ways they find to serve the Kingdom of God. During that week, I got to visit with ministers, college professors, an architect, an attorney, a nurse, an accountant, a NCAA Div. I head coach, a software tech and Sergeant in the Army Reserve, a banker, a financial consultant, missionaries, and the Central/Eastern Europe director for Heifer International. These are men and women with whom I spent a lot of time during some of the most important years of their lives. Some came to Christ while at the UofA. Others developed spiritual values and maturity. I performed many of their weddings. And though our time together during their student years was relatively short, each of them (and hundreds of others) left a mark on my life.

 

The most unusual visit, however, was with a former student who is now the commander of the Little Rock SWAT unit. When Tim heard I was going to be in town, he invited me to go along as they served a warrant on a narcotics dealer. I was able to meet the team, sit in on their planning, ride along with them during the raid, get a “tour” of the home and drug stash once the scene was secure, and listen in on the debriefing after it was over.

 

I was reminded of an important lesson as I watched Tim lead his team – the importance of planning, preparation, and review even with something that you have done over and over again. Though the SWAT unit is trained for hostage and/or barricade situations, there are fortunately only a few of those a year. So they help the police force by securing scenes so that the narcotics officers can safely serve warrants and shut down narcotics operations. Last year, the SWAT unit served 220 narcotics warrants! Though they have done this type of thing hundreds of times, the time they took to plan and prepare was significant.

 

They had maps of the neighborhood and photos of the house. They knew how many doors and where they were. They knew how many windows and where they were. They knew where the bathrooms were. They knew how many people were usually around during that time. Their eleven man unit knew exactly who was doing what job – who was using the battering ram, tossing the flash-bangs, going right and going left. And even though the operation went smoothly, there was a thorough debriefing after they returned to headquarters. Each officer reported on what he had done and any problems that occurred.

 

The lesson is even with something you have done hundreds of times, you need to make sure that you and your team are focused and prepared. Why? One reason for the SWAT unit is that they were entering into a potentially dangerous situation and they needed to be sure that everyone was sharp and focused. Though our leadership may not be in an arena that is physically dangerous, we should believe (especially in ministry) that every event, conversation, service, or study is spiritually significant. We need to be sharp, focused, and prepared for that.

 

Another reason for good preparation is that it prepares you to deal with the unknown. When the SWAT unit enters a situation, they don’t know exactly what will happen. How many people will be there? Will they have weapons? Will there be children? How will those being arrested react? Because of the exact preparation, the unit is better prepared to deal with any situation. They know which of their team is doing what. Who will be going where. They know where their people will be. That knowledge removes a lot of questions and uncertainty. Good preparation on our part makes us better able to be flexible and respond to the needs or opportunities that arise unexpectedly.

 

A final reason for focused preparation is that when you are doing something that you have done over and over again, it is easy to relax and not work as hard in preparation. When that happens, things get forgotten. Assignments get dropped. Problems develop. We need to approach even regularly occurring events with an attention to detail that won’t let us slide by with a half-effort.

 

Two side notes: 1) SWAT team members don’t eat donuts. They drink protein shakes. 2) The one question I never resolved was what is the appropriate thing to say to a handcuffed drug dealer who is laying on the ground as you step over him? “Excuse me?” “Nice house?” “Dude, you’re busted?”

 

************

 

One more baseball recording that I should have mentioned a couple of weeks ago: If you haven’t heard Garrison Keillor’s story “Babe Ruth Visits Lake Wobegon”, you need to. He is a gifted story teller and this story about Babe Ruth and the Lake Wobegon town team is classic.

Happy Opening Day!

 

Today is the Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season. Those who know me well know that I believe this should be a national holiday – that everyone should stay home from school or work and watch baseball today! But, alas, that will not be. However, I will make my annual trek to Kansas City for the Royals’ home opener. I’ll tailgate with three of my best friends from high school and we’ll cheer on the Royals with hearts confident that this will be the year! (You are know we are true fans, because who but true fans would continue to cheer for the Royals after all these years of disappointment.)

 

In honor of Opening Day and the start of a new season, here is my lists of the best baseball movies and the baseball songs. They aren’t in any particular order. Let me know what you think or what I may have missed …

 

Best Baseball Movies

 

The Natural (A little slow in spots, but the final home run is classic.)

A League of Their Own (Even if it is about girls, they can play the game.)

The Rookie (I love stories of people who got to fulfill their dreams.)

Bull Durham (Some of my more conservative friends will probably disagree, but it’s a great and funny baseball movie.)

The Sandlot (A little cheesy but brings back a lot of memories for those of us who spent our summers at ballparks or on schoolyards.)

Eight Men Out (Not every baseball movie is about just the good things and happy endings. Most Royals’ games don’t have either.)

Field of Dreams (Not sure of the metaphysics of it all, but James Earl Jones’ soliloquy on baseball is classic.)

 

Best Baseball Songs

 

Who’s on First – Abbott and Costello (A classic who can listen to and laugh at again and again)

A Song About Baseball – Bob Bennett (Wish I could have found this online. A great song on unconditional love set to a baseball theme. Worth the time to track down.)

Willie, Mickey, and the Duke (Talkin’ Baseball) – Terry Cashman (This song just got Cashman into Cooperstown. I couldn’t find a link to the original, so here is a link to the Tigers’ version.)

The Cheap Seats – Alabama (We love minor league baseball. Go Naturals – the team that gives us Royals fans hope!)

Centerfield – John Fogerty (Brings back memories of when I coached the Kiwanis Babe Ruth team. Don’t ask.)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame – Edward Meeker (A 1908 version of the baseball classic with verses I had never heard.)

 

What do you think? What have I missed?

Leadership: The Trap of Pleasing Everyone

 

After almost 29 years of campus ministry experience I have learned at least one undeniable thing: You cannot please everyone. That hasn’t been an easy lesson to learn. I want people to like me and to like Christ on Campus – our ministry, our worship, our teaching, and our purpose. I want them to want to be a part of what we care doing and the direction we are heading.

 

But that doesn’t happen. Every leader knows what it is like when people opt for another church, another ministry, another leader that better “meets their needs”. Every time someone decides that Christ on Campus isn’t for them, it hurts a little. When that happens, a part of me wants to say, “Let’s see if we can work something out.”  No matter what I tell myself or others tell me, a part of me takes it a little bit personal. There is a small feeling that it is me they are rejecting.

 

Yet you never find Jesus running after those who chose not to follow him. Though he looked with love on the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22), he didn’t try to “renegotiate” when the young man walked away. And when many chose to no longer follow him (John 6:66), Jesus didn’t chase after them and try to change their minds or soften his stance.

 

How was Jesus able to deal with this so confidently? Because, as John tells us in John 13:1-4, Jesus knew who he was and what he was called to do. He knew where he was going and how to get there. So he was content to let those who didn’t share that vision or calling to walk away. Some will choose not to walk with us for a variety of reasons. But if we remember who we are and to what we are called, we can handle this like Jesus.

 

Those in leadership must have a clear sense of vision and direction. And that doesn’t come through a congregational vote or democratic action. It comes through time spent alone with God, seeking him and searching his Word. It comes as you hammer it out with godly and like-minded leaders who are seeking God with you. If our ministry is driven by the wants and desires of the people or community around us, we are setting ourselves us for disappointment and frustration. If we think our purpose is to gather a crowd or provide entertainment or keep everyone happy, we are looking to please men more than God. In these cases, we are taking our cue and calling from men – not from God.

 

God’s call on the Church is to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), bring them to maturity in Christ (Colossians 1:28) and equip them for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16). These are the values that should shape the vision and direction of our churches and ministries. We have to beware of calendars that are full of activities without substance that keep people involved but produce little maturity. Our campus ministries cannot be “spiritual baby-sitting services” – designed to keep students busy and entertained, making sure that students stay in church and out of trouble.

 

Not everyone who walks through our doors has this perspective.

 

Two writers that I resonate with are Hugh Halter and Matt Smay. (I would encourage Christian leaders to read The Tangible Kingdom and AND.) In talking about those who don’t stay, they write:

 

“Sadly, many people really are satisfied to live as consumers, and they are just looking for a place to hold their beliefs together and to provide a sense of belonging relationally. In other words, all they want are some sermons and some friends. Now, neither of these is bad in and of itself, and any person who grows into a community ought to find that these come naturally; but if they are the only two reasons people are coming to our church, we have to realize they aren’t looking for transformation, either for themselves or for the world.”   AND, p. 106

 

All of our ministries experience this dynamic. When our ministry has a clear sense of vision and direction, we are better able to deal with those who have yet to catch it. We don’t want to run people off, but we realize that not everyone is at the same place we are. Like Jesus, we teach and cast vision and help others gain a sense of excitement about our calling. We invite them to watch and listen and be a part of what we are doing, but we don’t design our programming around them or change our vision to please them.

 

One of the traps of Christian leadership is trying to please everyone. When we do that, we lose a sense of ourselves and our calling and fail to please the only one whose opinion ultimately matters. Jesus’ eyes were continually set on his Father and his calling. That shaped what he did and it influenced who chose to follow. And he seemed to be OK with that.

Leader vs. Contractor

 

Collide Magazine has a great post today on the role of a leader. The basic point of the article is this:

 

“A leader doesn’t execute what the people want — a leader guides the people toward what they need…. The leader’s job is to evaluate needs and wants and to pursue the long-term vision. That doesn’t mean leaders are infallible, nor does it mean a leader should be isolated from feedback and counsel. It’s just that the leader still has a decision to make after everyone else has said their piece.”

 

Far too often I have seen those in positions of leadership in Christian organizations abdicate their role of leading those whom God has entrusted to them. They function more as contractors or managers than leaders. As the article states, we do have to listen to those around us and take seriously their input. But ultimately, the leader or leadership team has to set a direction and a strategy that gets the organization to accomplish their purpose and fulfill their vision. Then you have to cast that vision and strategy to those in your organization.

 

Leaders need to lead.

Leadership and Seeing the Big Picture

I’m getting to spend this week at Camp Allendale in Trafalgar, IN working with four good friends. Roger, Tim, Don, Barry, and I are serving as officers for the Association of College Ministries – a group of about 110 campus ministries around the world. This is the third time in my 29 years of campus ministry that I have served as an officer of this group. Probably now , more than at any other time, I feel a responsibility for the care and success of those ministries and the over 300 folks who serve with them. We’ve spent the week talking about and planning retreats and conferences, but also about how we can add value to others’ ministries and help equip them for success over the long haul.

 

The week has also got me thinking about how one’s perspective changes the longer one is in leadership. The first time I served as an officer (about 20 years ago), my vision in all areas was more limited. Most of it centered on my specific ministry – our growth and development and needs. Though I had friends ministering in other places, my mind was mostly wrapped up in what I was doing where I was at. That wasn’t true of just the ACM (or the NACSF as it was known then), but also of my ministry at the UofA. I didn’t have much of a relationship with the other ministries on our campus. I was busy working to build and shape Christ on Campus.

 

Now I find myself thinking a lot about the big picture of furthering God’s Kingdom. That doesn’t mean I’m not totally invested in our ministry. I am as committed as ever to our growth and success in reaching and equipping students on our campus. But I also realize that God’s vision for our campus – and for our world – won’t be accomplished just by our efforts. So I’m concerned about and interested in the other Christ-honoring ministries on our campus. One of the most important appointments on my calendar is our weekly campus ministers’ prayer time when leaders of a dozen or so ministries gather to pray for one another. And I’m interested in and committed to the success of other ministries around the world that share the same desire to further God’s Kingdom.

 

This week has been about the Kingdom of God on a bigger scale. Teaching, training, and encouraging campus ministry staff and students from around the country. Strategic partnerships with other like-minded ministries.

 

I believe that is one of the tasks to which leaders are called. We are to be looking ahead and considering the big picture, the ultimate purpose. It is not just about the success of this event, but how does this event move us toward our purpose, towards God’s purpose. It is not just about the success of my group, but the advancement of God’s Kingdom and His glory. As a leader, your ministry needs you to be looking ahead and thinking strategically about the big picture – your purpose and the steps it will take to get there. Don’t get side-tracked by the immediate. Keep your eyes on the big picture – what will it take for God’s vision to be accomplished and God’s Kingdom furthered.

Thoughts on Leadership - Tension is Good

The theme of Catalyst, which our staff attended a few weeks ago was "Tension is Good." That seems counter-intuitive at first glance, but if we think about it we realize that it is tension that allows us to grow, mature, move forward, and reach new territories - both personally and organizationally. It is the tension in a violin or guitar string that allows it to make music. It is the tension in a pole vaulter's pole that sends him over a crossbar three times his height.

Tension isn't a negative in and of itself. We need it. But we need to learn how to properly deal with it personally and organizationally. Tension can produce opportunity or stress, all depending on how we choose to respond to it. As I consistently tell my students, "All stress if self-induced." Stress is a result of how we choose to respond to tense or difficult "opportunities". (I'm not sure my students believe me.)

Here are some thoughts on tension for us who serve as leaders. They come from a variety of sources, with major contributions from Andy Stanley.

Every leader has a motivating tension. That's what keeps us moving and pressing forward - the thing that drives us to achieve. What is the motivating tension in your life? How can you harness it to be more effective - not just professionally or organizationally, but personally and spiritually?

Tension adds depth to our story. A movie without tension is a boring movie. The tension and its resolution is what makes a good story a good story. A life without tension is boring. It is often lived without a sense of our need for God or testimony of God's work in our life. The tension in your life enhances your dependence on God, gives Him room to work, and adds depth to the story of your relationship with God.

Every leader should learn to overcome the fear of tension. Leaders shouldn't dread tension but realize that it is an inherent part of leadership. In fact, tension tells you a lot about your organization and its needs.

It is impossible to love people and avoid tension.


Our role as a leader is to break through the tension to something significant. Tension is necessary for any organization that wants to make progress. Great organizations learn to use tension. The role of leadership is to leverage the tension to the benefit of our life and organization.

Tension is a powerful platform to clarify what is important. Tension helps us identify our priorities and the things in our life or organization that interfere with those priorities.

Change, Restorers, Generations, and The Corner - Catalyst Day 2

It was my intention so post this earlier, but travel and schedule kept me from getting it done. Here are a few more highlights from last week's Catalyst Conference:


Seth Godin on change:

"Change comes from people who accept responsibility without demanding authority."



"If you want to succeed, you have to be wiling to fail. In fact, you have to be willing to embrace failure as a benefit."

Gabe Lyons on the next generation of Christians:

"Restorers are provoked to engage a broken world. Rather than complain, they create. They're not critics, but creators. They respond to calling where they are."

Craig Groeschel on generational tension:

"Older generation: don't resent or criticize the younger generation. Invest in them and empower them.... Delegate authority. This produces leaders."

"Younger generation: Don't over-estimate what God wants to do through you in the short-run. Don't under-estimate what God can do through you in the long-run."

"Honor publicly leads to influence privately." Andy Stanley

"When we honor Jesus, we will learn to honor those he has put in authority over us. Respect is earned; honor is freely given."

T.D. Jakes on getting out of our comfort zone:

"Leadership is about getting 'off the corner' and the community where we are comfortable, with its limited worldview."



"Are we armed with the language that reaches the masses or a language that alienates the world?"



"If you live in a room where you're the smartest person, get out of that room."

Leadership Thoughts: Dealing with Criticism

Regardless of what level of leadership in which you serve - from the Chairman of the Board to a parent - you are going to have to deal with criticism. It come with the territory. You are not going to be able to avoid it (unless you choose not to lead), so you are going to have to deal with criticism constructively.

Of course, that is easier said than done! My natural tendency when I receive criticism is to get defensive - even when it is constructive criticism from friends. That response never helps. When I get defensive, I quit listening for what truth or helpful information there might be in the criticism and start justifying myself (at least mentally).

For example: Last week, I served as the head high jump official at the US Track and Field Championships in Des Moines. Our crew of six officials was responsible for each of the eight high jump competitions that took place during the Championships. In this size of meet, there are all kinds of people who are looking over your shoulder and evaluating the event: Meet Directors, Referees, National Technical Officials, officials working other events, media personnel, etc. And there were several who had suggestions for me about how our event should be run.

As mentioned earlier, my first response was defensiveness. My ego kicked in: "This is my event and my crew. We will do things my way." But when I was able to step away from that response and really listen to the suggestions being offered, I found that some were valuable. I listened to some of the criticism and it helped us run a better event. Other suggestions I listened to and chose not to follow. But all the suggestions were considered and evaluated.

If you are going to be effective as a leader, you are going to have to learn to do the same thing - to listen, evaluate, and choose what to keep and what to disregard. This is especially true when you are surrounded by people who are as committed to the "cause" as you are. They need to know that they are heard and their input is valuable, even if it doesn't always result in change. Ultimately, as the leader, you have to decide which suggestions to heed and which to disregard.

This is also true for those of us who are parents as our children grow into their teen years. They need to know that their concerns matter and that we will listen to them. We might not take the course of action that they would prefer, but they need to know that their voice is heard.

So when criticism comes:

* Let go of defensiveness and ego.
* Listen and learn.
* Ask yourself, "Does this criticism have validity? Does this suggestion help us to better accomplish our purpose?"
* Determine what actions, if any, you need to take and move forward.

"He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray." Proverbs 10:17

"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1

"Wounds from a friend can be trusted ..." Proverbs 27:6

Leadership Thoughts: Changing the Way Ministries Think

It's a pattern that I have often seen in our ministry:

The longer one is a Christian, the more their life gets wrapped up in Christian activities and the more their circle of friends becomes exclusively Christian.

This is the typical pattern in most churches and Christian ministries. At first glance, it seems like a positive thing. Christian activities - worship services, Bible studies, prayer groups, accountability groups, etc. - provide valuable input. Christian friends are essential for spiritual growth.

The problem is that it doesn't take long for our focus (individually and corporately) to get turned inward rather than outward. The Christian life becomes about our spiritual "needs", our preferences, our comfort, our convenience. Relationships with those who don't share our spiritual convictions are sometimes left behind. We get so busy being religious with other religious people at our religious building that we forget that God never called us to that.

I'm always intrigued (and convicted) by the fact that the people most attracted to Jesus were the least religious while the Bible scholars of the day were the one's most opposed to him. Jesus didn't fit the way they thought a godly person should live - even though he was God in the flesh!

God has called us to live and minister as Jesus did - living out the Kingdom of God wherever he has placed us. Our call isn't just to invite people to our religious activities, but to follow Jesus' example of "incarnational" ministry - living out the reality of God's Kingdom in the world in which we live and demonstrating Christ's love and values to those around us.

Our Christian culture often works against this. We want our members to come to one more meeting, take part in one more Bible study, play on our ministry softball team, and patronize our Christian businessmen. We are so busy directing people to another Christian activity that soon there is hardly time for family, let alone time to know and care for those who aren't already in the group.

Our students are starting to get the idea. We don't want them to think about having another Bible study for their Christian friends, but to think in terms of missional and incarnational communities - groups of students who are living out the Kingdom of God where they are. They are seeking ways to serve and care and model Christ's values and life in their residence halls, labs, jobs, fraternities/sororities, etc.

Here is a short video by Jeff Maguire that does a good job of communicating the concept.