Dean:
Now is the time to apply all the things we’ve learned as a Christian Leader/Servant Leader. These are the type of leadership principals that are going to lead the way. As leaders, everyone needs to pitch in and make sacrifices across the board.
Tony:
The people we work with - our team and those we serve, really need to come first.
Communication needs to be frequent, personal, and authentic
A leader’s job is to define reality and provide hope.
Honesty, positive, and creating an environment that provides hope
We’re in this together and sometimes we don’t have all the answers.
Doug:
My leadership can prove to be compassionate for my employees because what I’m doing is working for them. Having a foundation in Jesus allows us to focus on people.
My personal speculation is truly useless. To be anxious about what may happen tomorrow is comical. It’s a great biblical principle that God has taught us. (Matthew 6)
Be true to who God made me and use those skills to honor him and to lead people.
Who are we at TBC. We have to stay true to our values. Comparing yourself to others is a dangerous place to be. - Ron Moore
Dean:
It’s a great normalizer of people within hierarchies.
The first is last and last, is first. This time has stripped away those hierarchies and hopefully, everyone will be treated equally across the board.
People are resilient. We can adapt and handle more than we think we can.
Trusting that people can navigate through.
We’re giving our team the opportunity to find their way through and make their mark.
Tony:
Technology is vital and changing the way we operate rapidly.
It was important and critical before the pandemic. This crisis is going to accelerate and change the way we use technology.
Stay clear on your priorities and values - at the same time be nimble with how you deliver your message.
Doug:
Problems feel bigger than they are. Putting things in perspective.
- 2 Chronicles
People are thankful that they trust in their eternity and not the outcome of this pandemic.
Dean:
People over programs or people over profits
There is still sin and evil and we have to figure out how to address that during this time.
Under pressure, the real us comes out. We have to seek the Lord for help in these areas.
Tony:
You see so many cultural norms being challenged.
Things change constantly around us. One thing doesn’t change and that’s the word of God. Everything else is noise around us and history proves that.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. - Isaiah 40:8 (ESV)
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. - Psalm 119:9 (ESV)
Doug:
Everyone can show great leadership. We’ve seen people operating out of fear and then we’ve also seen people who are trusting, understanding the situation, serve others, and willing to take responsibility for what they can do.
When we see the negative responses, I almost can always bring it back to something that we didn’t communicate well as a company. If something isn’t communicated clearly, people get frustrated.
What would you want to tell a young leader right now:
Dean - Now’s the time. Doesn’t matter where you think you are in the pecking order. people need each other right now. Leadership needs each other right now. Be a leader and in the time of crisis
Tony - the importance of servant leadership. Everyone has a chance to be a leader. Be there for your team. Be compassionate. Be a listener and someone who can help.
Doug - Be joyful in what you’re doing and who you’re leading. Seek to understand. Communicate with clarity. Be reliable.
What’s the most important thing you’ve done to prepare yourself as a leader:
Dean - The best way to get where you want to go is to put yourself last. Servant leadership is backward, but the more you put others first, the more you’ll find yourself in a position of leadership.
Tony - Work hard. Give it your all. Be honest. Help people. Give others credit before you take it yourself. Work ethic is so vital.
Doug - You have to always be willing to be learning, to be developing, to be challenging yourself, and to be improving.
I am so glad I had this in place when COVID-19 hit:
Ron - We put together a Lead Team in January.
Dean - We had recently made a big deal about our Core Values for our organization. We refer back to them so many times during this crisis.
Tony - Business - understanding and always being tied to our mission/objective/goal and that everyone is invested in that. The WHY. Personal - Support network at home. So thankful for their support as I work from home.
Doug - Great staff and culture. You can’t have a great culture unless you have great staff. Transparency of conversation. We don’t talk around things, we’re very specific. Having common goals.
We’re better today than we’ve ever been. Through this pandemic, groups of people and individuals are finding ways to do things better.
