Off the Agenda: Conversations for Building Church Leaders

Leaders are learners. Here are a five leadership lessons I’ve learned in the last five years. (Now you can learn them in less than five minutes.)

The “God thing” comes before the vision. Most leaders make the mistake of thinking that change starts with their vision. Instead, change starts with a “God thing.” The leader’s job is to identify where God is at work, communicate the vision of what God is doing, and articulate how we must get involved in His work.

Money always follows vision.
People give money to a compelling cause with a clear vision. When economic times are hard, leaders are tempted to reduce the budget and the vision. No! Increase the vision and money will follow. Never forget—God is always at work and vision is free!

Make it fit on a napkin.
If it can’t be explained on a napkin, it is too complicated. Make sure everything from your slogan, to your process for disciple making, to how you will create a movement can be explained on a napkin. If it is simple and reproducible, you can mobilize the masses.

Lead with a “yes” and ask “how” later.
If you want to bring about innovation, learn to lead with a “yes” and not a “how”. People are born with dreams from God and they want to make a difference. What they need most is a leader who will say “yes” when they ask for permission to give it a try.

Take risks on emerging leaders and artists.
Resist the urge of telling young leaders to wait a few years; they need and deserve opportunities to lead, so take a risk on them now! Likewise, good art always involves risk. If you want good art in your church you must take risks on your artists!

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