Leader Fluent with Stephen Blandino

In this Leader Fluent Podcast Series, I’m sharing a snippet from each chapter of my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. The book addresses a host of insanely practical skills, and it provides you and your team with the tools to apply the insights to your life. Enjoy this taste of what’s in the book, and learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE. 

Leadership is immensely challenging. In fact, as I coach leaders, I hear stories of bold visions, heart-breaking pain, board members gone rogue, difficult leadership transitions, and situations with intense spiritual warfare. 

The truth is, there is no shortage of stress and struggle in leadership. But as the external pressures of leadership increase, we need a more powerful presence within us. That’s why the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3:16, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.” 

So, where do we start? Well, to become a spiritually grounded leader, we need four spiritual keys. 

Author Greg Mckeown made an interesting observation about the word priority. McKeown notes that when the word priority came into the English language in the 1400s, it was originally a singular word that meant “the prior or very first thing.” 

It remained a “singular” word for the next 500 years, until the 1900s when we made the term plural: priorities. Well, McKeown poses a powerful question about the word “priorities.” He said, can there be multiple very first things?

Unfortunately, many people think there can be, but Jesus makes it clear only one thing can be first. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” This is the starting place to become a spiritually grounded leader. Seeking God must be our very first thing.  

Author Richard Foster once said, “We do indeed engage in practices—disciplines, if you will—but remember these practices earn us nothing in the economy of God. Nothing. Their only purpose is to place us before God. That is all…God then steps into our actions and, over time and experience, produces in us the formation of heart and mind and soul for which we long.”

Notice, the spiritual practices don’t change us—God does. The practices are merely the way we place ourselves before God so He can do His transforming work in us. So, whether it’s prayer, Bible study, worship, fasting, serving, generosity, or community, what are the spiritual practices you need to develop to bring you before God so He can transform you in His presence? 

After performing a miracle where He fed 5,000 people, Jesus told His disciples to get into a boat and cross the lake. Then, Jesus went up into the hills to pray by himself. And the Bible tells us, “Night fell while he was there alone.” 

But the disciples didn’t immediately get in the boat and cross the lake. Instead, John 6:16 says, “That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him.” And eventually, darkness fell but Jesus still hadn’t come back.

That passage sounds simple enough, but when I read it, I’m convicted with this thought: Has anyone ever had to wait on me to finish praying?

You see, Jesus modeled the unrushed way by not rushing His time with the Father. Despite the demands Jesus faced, His leadership pace didn’t exceed His spiritual pace. I know, unrushed time with God sounds impossible, especially when speed is the name of the game for so many leaders. But if we’re not careful, we’ll begin measuring intimacy with God by our efficiency with God. 

Efficiency sounds like a good leadership tactic, but intimacy is the fuel to help you finish well. You can’t microwave maturity. And when we combine spiritual practices with a healthy spiritual pace, the transformation is deep. 

Leadership expert, Dr. J. Robert Clinton once said, “When a leader has a lifelong developmental perspective, that leader expects God to shape him over a lifetime. The leader views the things that happen to him as God’s sovereign way of developing him. That leader recognizes that all of life, while being vital and true for the moment, is also used to prepare him for all of the rest of life.”

To lead for a lifetime, you need a lifetime developmental perspective. You need to see pain, tests, and trials as the tools God uses to form you, grow you, and stretch you as a leader. I’m not suggesting God is the originator of all our hardships, but God doesn’t waste them either. The question is, will you? 

Without a healthy spiritual perspective, you risk becoming angry, bitter, and resentful at the leadership pain God wants to redeem to shape you into a Christ-centered leader. 

In fact, that may very well be the difference-maker in your leadership. Dr. Clinton said it like this: “The difference between leaders and followers is perspective. The difference between leaders and effective leaders is better perspective.” Perspective makes the difference.

So, to become a spiritually grounded leader, you need four things: spiritual priority, spiritual practices, spiritual pace, and spiritual perspective. Priority makes your spiritual growth important. Practices make your spiritual growth evident. Pace makes your spiritual growth vibrant. And perspective makes your spiritual growth resilient. This is the pathway to become a spiritually grounded leader. 

The teaching in this podcast series comes from my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. Get your copy of the book, masterclass, and study guide to maximize your leadership and to invest in the growth of your team. You can learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE. 

Would you do me a favor and leave a rating or review on this episode of the podcast. Your help in spreading the word is deeply appreciated.

Welcome to a Leader Fluent Podcast Series based on my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. For the next few podcast episodes, I’ll be sharing teaching from the Masterclass for the book. It’s a great way to get a taste of what’s in the book, and the insanely practical skills you’ll develop. You can learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.

Personal and professional growth help you become the person, and the leader, God intended for you to become. As a leader, you are responsible to own your growth. You can’t delegate it or negotiate it. You can’t relegate it or vacate it. In fact, authors Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller said it like this: “Growth for leaders is the treasure that funds the future journey. Stop finding the treasure along the way and the journey ends.” 

As a leader, you have a dream burning in your gut. But between you and your dream is a gap—a growth gap. And the only way to close that gap is to fund the journey toward your dream with the treasure of your growth. That happens when you get insanely practical about three keys: a growth mindset, a growth plan, and a growth team. 

In the Gospel of Luke chapter 2 verse 52, it says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” Notice, Jesus’ growth was intentional and continual. He didn’t think about growing—He grew. And He wasn’t haphazard about growing—He grew mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. 

Without an intentional and continual growth mindset, we’ll view growth as nothing more than a one-time event. Events such as conferences and seminars are great at inspiring change, but the change doesn’t actually happen at the event. A process of growth must follow the event which then produces long-term habits of transformation. Simply put, events inspire change, process creates change, and habits sustain change. And it all starts with a growth mindset. 

I’ve developed a growth planning model that I call “Growth TRAC”—T-R-A-C. A Growth TRAC is a specific, measurable, and accountable plan for personal and professional growth. Each letter in the word “TRAC” stands for a word, and each word is accompanied by a question to help you create your own Growth TRAC. Let’s unpack it. 

The letter “T” in “TRAC” stands for Target, and the question is, “What are My Growth Goals?” Your growth goal is the target you’re aiming to hit. The letter “R” stands for Roadmap, and the question is, “How Do I Plan to Grow?” Your roadmap to reach your target is typically made up of things like training, resources, coaching, and experiences. 

The letter “A” stands for Accountability, and the question is, “Who Will Hold Me Accountable for My Growth?” None of us are good enough to reach our growth goals alone. That’s why we need friends and mentors in our lives to ask us questions and hold us accountable to grow. And finally, the letter “C” stands for Check-Up. The question is, “When and How Will I Evaluate My Growth Progress?” When you conduct regular check-ups on your growth progress, you’re able to make mid-course corrections to help you reach your growth goals. 

A Growth TRAC includes a Target, a Roadmap, Accountability, and Check-Ups. And when you follow your TRAC, it helps you intentionally grow. 

Several years ago, Scott Wilson introduced me to the idea of a growth team. A growth team is a group of people who help you grow in the most important areas of your life. 

For example, if you’re married, your spouse will help you grow in your relationship with your family. But your growth team doesn’t end there. Prayer partners help us grow spiritually. Counselors help us grow emotionally. Coaches help us grow professionally, and financial advisors help us steward money wisely. Add to that friends and workout partners, and we find the help we need to grow relationally and physically. Together, this team helps us reach our growth potential.

So, to create your own growth team, start by identifying the primary roles and responsibilities in your life. Again, those might be spouse, parent, pastor, business leader, friend, and follower of Jesus. Then, identify individuals who can help you grow in those specific areas, and ask them to be on your growth team. And when you meet with these individuals, ask them questions to help you grow in the areas where they can help you most. Whatever you do, be sure to come prepared, take careful notes, and then apply what you’re learning. 

These are the keys to growth. You must adopt a growth mindset, create a growth plan, and then assemble a growth team. All three will change and mature over time, but these are the core ingredients to maximize your personal and professional growth. 

The teaching in this podcast series comes from my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. Get your copy of the book, masterclass, and study guide to maximize your leadership and to invest in the growth of your team. You can learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.

Would you do me a favor and leave a rating or review on this episode of the podcast. Your help in spreading the word is deeply appreciated.

In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “Four Ways to Handle Criticism in Leadership.” Criticism is an increasing problem in the leadership landscape. It might be a problem, but how we handle it can become a bigger problem. 

If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated. 

You don’t have to be in leadership for long to realize that criticism comes with the territory. People have opinions, and they’re not afraid to share them. That was certainly the case for Nehemiah when he began rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 4:1-3 says, “When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, ‘What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?’ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!’”

These weren’t subtle grumblings under their breath. These were blatant criticisms meant to dissuade Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem from completing the way. But they didn’t Nehemiah or the people of Jerusalem. They doubled down on their efforts until the wall was finally finished in only 52 days. 

What about you? What critiques are your critics lobbing onto your leadership and the ministry God has entrusted to you? More importantly, how are you responding? Here are four ways to respond appropriately. 

Everybody has an opinion, but that doesn’t mean you need to give every opinion equal weight. 

Sanballat and Tobiah were neither trustworthy nor interested in Nehemiah’s success. Quite the opposite. They schemed to harm Nehemiah (6:2), were relentless in their efforts to distract him (6:3-4), told lies to him and about him (6:5-9), and repeatedly tried to intimidate him (6:10-14, 19). Their critiques were born out of fear and intimidation rather than genuine care for Nehemiah and Jerusalem.

You will encounter criticism, but when it comes, consider the source. Disagreement doesn’t mean disloyalty. We must ask, is the source credible and caring? Are they trustworthy people who genuinely want what’s best for you AND for the organization? 

If they only want what’s best for you, your leadership will become self-serving. And if they only want what’s best for the organization, they may be fine bulldozing you in the process. The source needs be both CREDIBLE AND CARING. Being credible gives them permission to speak into the good of the organization. And being caring sets the tone in how they treat you in the process. 

There was no truth in the criticisms coming from Sanballat and Tobiah. Again, they lied to and about Nehemiah (6:5-9), and Nehemiah had the discernment to know they were lying. However, that’s not always the case. Even in hard criticisms, sometimes there’s a kernel of truth. 

Several years ago, I heard Carey Nieuwhof interview Scott Sauls, a pastor from Nashville who once worked with author and pastor Tim Keller. In the interview, Scott Sauls shared a powerful response Keller had toward criticism. Sauls said, “In a dozen false things said about him, he would search for a kernel of truth that he could repent of, because every opportunity for repentance is an opportunity to draw closer to Jesus.”

What a powerful practice. When Keller found the kernel of truth, he would humbly admit it and pray over it. Notice, Sauls didn’t say, “He searched for a kernel of truth he could agree with.” Truth sets us free, and Tim Keller was determined to embrace truth, even when it hurt. 

Nobody likes criticisms. In fact, not only do we not like it, but we often have a visceral response to it that’s equally critical. In fact, harsher criticism is often how we repay our critics. 

But you can’t search for truth if you’re swinging a sword. You have to control your response. Why? Because your response does three things: it reveals, reinforces, and reproduces. 

First, your response reveals your level of maturity. Calm demeanors are more mature than rash reactions. Second, your response reinforces the truth. If somebody criticizes you for always being defensive, and then you respond in a defensive manner, the truth has been reinforced by your response. Third, your response reproduces patterns of behavior. In other words, how you respond to criticism will make the situation better or worse. Simply put, your response will reproduce bad behavior or good behavior. 

Protecting your heart requires important spiritual habits such as prayer, worship, confession, and Bible Study. It requires a community of safe friends, wise coaches, and sometimes counselors. These are the practices that help you process your pain and remain spiritually and emotionally whole. 

What’s the alternative? If you’re not proactive about protecting your heart, criticism will turn into cynicism. You’ll become bitter, untrusting, angry, and resentful. 

What kind of criticism are you facing right now? Do an honest assessment of how you are responding. Then, consider the source, look for the truth, control your response going forward, and protect your heart. It won’t be easy, but it’s the mature way to handle our critics. 

If you haven’t subscribed to the Leader Fluent Podcast, you can do so today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora or your favorite podcast platform. Plus, a RATING or REVIEW will help us spread the word to other leaders. Thanks for your help. 

In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “How to Prepare for a One-On-One with Your Leader.” If you’re a team member, I’ll share four questions you can ask to prepare or your one-on-one. And if you’re a leader, you can use these four questions to train your team how to come prepared for their meeting.

If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated. 

One-on-one meetings with your boss, supervisor, or leader are an important part of organizational life. In some environments, one-on-ones are a consistent part of the workflow. In other environments, they are erratic or even non-existent. 

What’s the key to a successful one-on-one meeting? Preparation. So, how can you prepare for a one-on-one meeting with your leader. I recommend four simple questions that can have a powerful impact: 

This part of the meeting is primarily designed to keep your supervisor in the know. Generally, this is a quick summary of the things you want your leader to be aware of. Bosses hate surprises, and the communication part of the meeting is your opportunity to keep them aware of updates on projects, decisions you’ve made, or issues that might affect them, the department, the team, or the organization. 

If you don’t understand something, it’s your job to ask for clarification. You might seek clarification about unclear expectations, timelines, next steps, or other important items. Don’t leave it to chance. Ask quickly and kindly and be sure to take notes.

One-on-one meetings help leaders cultivate healthy people, teams, and organizations. In this insanely practical guide, you’ll learn the why and how of leading one-on-one’s, and how to introduce the idea to your team. Plus, you’ll get two tools: 1) A meeting planner to help team members prepare for a one-on-one; 2) A One-On-One Supervisor Meeting MAPP to help you guide the meeting. Download this 21-page guide today.

Every team member experiences problems or challenges in their work. You might be hitting a wall with a new strategy, struggling to resolve a conflict with another team member, or dealing with a crisis or looming problem. Do your best to come to the meeting with solutions to problems, and then seek your leader’s perspective and advice. 

On the other hand, you might have a new idea you’d like to pitch to your leader. It might be a new product, an improved service, a more effective strategy, or an innovative solution to an organizational challenge. The key is to pitch your idea without expecting an immediate response. Give your leader time to think about it without being pushy or demanding. 

This final part of the meeting is an opportunity to learn new insights, sharpen your skills, and enlarge your leadership capacity. This doesn’t need to be complicated. Instead, come with one or two questions you’d like to ask your leader that would help you get better. Again, don’t expect your leader to read your mind. If you desire to grow in an area, share that with your supervisor and ask for their help. 

Your leader likely has a ton of wisdom to offer. Rather than waiting for them to share their insights, learn to ask thoughtful questions coupled with a posture to listen, learn, and grow. 

Next time you meet with your leader, come prepared with answers to these four questions. Not only will the meeting be far more productive, but your leader is more likely to be appreciative of your initiative and willingness to learn. 

If you haven’t subscribed to the Leader Fluent Podcast, you can do so today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora or your favorite podcast platform. Plus, a RATING or REVIEW will help us spread the word to other leaders. Thanks for your help. 

In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “Seven Keys to Resolve Conflict.”Conflict is a part of life and leadership, and how we resolve it matters. If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated. 

Every leader encounters conflict. In fact, conflict is a part of life, whether it’s at work, at school, or at home. And one of the biggest reasons for conflict is when there’s a gap between expectations and reality. So, how do you resolve the conflict in an effective and healthy manner? 

We find a really practical strategy on conflict resolution in the book of Acts chapter 15. In this passage, a conflict arises between Paul and Barnabas and some men from Judea. The conflict is over a Jewish religious practice that existed under the Old Covenant that was abolished when, through Jesus, a New Covenant was established. But these men from Judea are trying to impose this old religious practice onto the Gentiles. 

Needless to say, this difference of opinion became a point of conflict in the early church. So, Paul and Barnabas head to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and elders of the church to resolve this issue. And from this meeting, we discover seven keys to resolve conflict. 

Acts 15:7a says, “At the meeting, after a long discussion…” Why did these leaders have a long discussion? Because they needed to create space to hear both sides of the issue. In other words, a long discussion made room to gain understanding. 

Author Stephen Covey said, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” But what do we like to do? We like to seek first to make our point, so then they’ll understand. But that rarely works. You don’t gain understanding with answers. You gain understanding with questions. 

Acts 15:7 says, “At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.”

Peter established common ground. He said, “You all know.” But again, we like to begin with what I know rather than what we know. But that approach burns the very bridges that would allow us to resolve the conflict.  

John Maxwell calls it The 101% Principle. He says, “Find the 1% that you agree on, and give it 100% of your effort.” In other words, start with common ground. Start with what you both know to be true. 

Acts 15:8 says, “God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.” 

Peter begins by sharing some basic facts, but he does so without emotion. Again, how we handle conflict reveals our level of maturity. If you handle conflict wisely, calmly, and with self-control, then you are being mature in how you handle it. But if you handle conflict in a harsh, demeaning, or uncontrolled manner, then you are only revealing your immaturity.

Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” Articulate the facts without emotion. 

Acts 15:9 says, “He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.” 

Jews in Jesus’ day had issues with the Gentiles because they wouldn’t conform to Jewish rules. So, what does Peter—who was a Jew—do in this situation? He acknowledges the gentiles’ value, because God acknowledged their value. 

If you want the other person to value your opinion more than you value them as a person, you will only escalate the conflict. Every person on planet earth was made in the image of God, including the person you’re having the most conflict with right now. 

Acts 15:10-11 says, “So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.

Peter’s not hurling accusations here. Instead, he’s putting his finger on the real issue at hand. This is the part of conflict resolution that is easy to ignore. This is where we so often talk AROUND the issue, rather than addressing the issue at hand. 

How do you address the real issue wisely? You have to speak the truth in the tone of grace. Truth without grace is mean. Grace without truth is meaningless. When you speak truth in the tone of grace, people can more easily digest it. 

Acts 15:12 says, “Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.”

Several years ago, I was sitting in a meeting with a group of leaders from a wide variety of backgrounds, organizations, and life experiences. These were sharp people who desired to make a meaningful contribution. But the longer I sat in the meeting, the more I made an observation: the people who talked the most had the least to say. In fact, the more they spoke, the less credible they became. 

Solomon warned us about this very issue when he said, “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions” (Proverbs 18:2). And in verse 13 he said, “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.” 

When you begin with the posture of listening, then you earn the privilege to speak. And that’s exactly what happened in Acts 15:13-15a: “When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted.”

James spent all his time up until this point listening without interrupting. And after he had listened carefully, he was then able to say with respect and credibility, “Brothers, listen to me.” 

Author and professor David W. Augsburger said: “Being heard is so close to being loved, that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.” Listen without interrupting. 

Acts 15:19 says, “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” James wasn’t giving the Gentiles a free pass to do whatever they wanted, but on this issue, he presents a solution that was both sensible and biblical. 

As you implement these seven keys, I believe you’ll become much more effective at resolving conflict in a healthy way. 

If you haven’t subscribed to the Leader Fluent Podcast, you can do so today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora or your favorite podcast platform. Plus, a RATING or REVIEW will help us spread the word to other leaders. Thanks for your help. 

In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “Five Keys to Build a High-Performance Team.” Today’s episode gives you a very small taste of a brand new coaching cohort I’m launching that’s focused on building highly effective teams. You can learn more HERE. 

If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated. 

Every leader wants his or her team to excel at the highest level possible. But building a high-performance team doesn’t happen just because we want it to. It requires a lot of work and intentionality with five foundational keys. 

Author Jim Collins once said, “If I were running a company today, I would have one priority above all others: to acquire as many of the best people as I could [because] the single biggest constraint on the success of my organization is the ability to get and to hang on to enough of the right people.” 

According to a study released by Leadership IQ, the reason for 89% of job failures is due to Attitude Issues, and 46% of them failed within the first 18 months. But here’s the kicker: 82% of managers in the study said that, in hindsight, the failed hires elicited subtle cues DURING the interview process that they would fail.

So, how do you pick up on those subtle cues that indicate whether a candidate is or isn’t a good fit? You have to create an effective hiring process. Here are three tips to start with:

Again, there are multiple stages to an effective hiring process, but these three keys will help you get started. 

Onboarding is how you set new team members up for success, and that’s the job of the leader. A good onboarding system should answer several questions including:

John Maxwell often says, “The only thing worse than training staff and having them leave, is not training them and having them stay.” So, as leaders, it’s our job to invest in our team’s growth regularly and systematically. By regularly, it should be weekly or at least monthly. And by systematically, it might include conferences, coaching, resources, one-on-one meetings, and staff meetings.

No matter how great your team is, you must be intentional about cultivating and protecting healthy teamwork. Teamwork requires a team, and teams are made up of team members. Therefore, for teams to exhibit healthy teamwork, team members must exhibit four ingredients:

When a staff member has a gap in any one of these four areas, it will disrupt teamwork. So, what happens when there’s a gap? Both the supervisor and the team member have three responsibilities. 

When a performance gap appears, the supervisor’s role is to create awareness of the gap, provide appropriate coaching, and then hold the team member accountable to get better. The team member’s responsibility is to own the gap, be teachable, and then make improvements.

Engagement and culture have to do with your work environment. So, what’s the difference between an engaged employee and a disengaged employee? An ENGAGED EMPLOYEE has a positive attitude and enthusiasm for their boss, their role, and the organization’s vision, values, and culture. They love what they do and feel an important part of the organization. A DISENGAGED EMPLOYEE has a negative attitude toward the organization, their role, and their boss. They feel unenergized by their work. They punch the clock, but their heart, mind, passion, and energy are elsewhere. 

Clarence Francis, former chairman of General Foods made a great observation about employee engagement. He said, “You can buy a man’s time; you can buy his physical presence at a given place; you can even buy a measured number of his skilled muscular motions per hour. But you cannot buy enthusiasm…you cannot buy loyalty…you cannot buy the devotion of hearts, minds, or souls. You must earn these.” 

Here’s what you have to understand about engagement. In their book, Everyone Deserves a Great Manager, authors Scott Miller, Todd Davis, and Victoria Ross Olsson make a great observation. They said, “Leaders don’t, in fact, create engagement. People choose their level of engagement. Leaders create the conditions for engagement—for better or worse.” 

It’s our job as leaders to model the behavior and create the systems that cultivate a healthy work environment. 

We must also create culture. Culture is the shared values, expectations, and practices that shape what an organization does and how an organization feels. So, what shapes culture? Lots of things do. For example, the leadership you emanate, the wins you celebrate, the behaviors you tolerate, and the language you articulate shape culture. Whether positive or negative, leaders shape culture. 

As you focus on these five areas, I believe you’ll take your team development efforts to an entirely new level.

The “Building a Highly Effective Team” coaching experience includes five-sessions that will help you create an effective hiring process, maximize your onboarding system, invest in your team’s growth, cultivate healthy teamwork, and improve engagement and culture. In fact, here are just a few of the things you’ll learn: 

PLUS, in each session, you’ll receive in depth training notes, have the opportunity for Q & A, and you’ll receive copies of my hiring process, interview questions, position profile, onboarding system, goal-setting template, performance reviews, one-on-one coaching MAPP, and more that you can CUSTOMIZE TO YOUR CONTEXT.

If you’re a pastor, executive pastor, manager, team leader, or non-profit leader, I want to invite you to sign-up for this coaching experience HERE. 

If you haven’t subscribed to the Leader Fluent Podcast, you can do so today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora or your favorite podcast platform. Plus, a RATING or REVIEW will help us spread the word to other leaders. Thanks for your help. 

In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “How to Equip Your Team to Set Great Goals.” We’re going to look at five questions to ask to give you the green light on your goals. Not only are these great questions to ask yourself, but they’re great questions to help you equip your team to set great goals. 

If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated. 

Goal-setting is designed to help us and our team make forward progress, both personally and organizationally. To help our team at 7 City Church set goals, I have a pretty particular goal-setting system. That system includes a one-page goal-setting worksheet that helps them set a clear, specific, measurable, and time-bound goal, as well as a specific action plan to reach the goal. 

But in addition to these common, goal-setting components, I also include five questions that help each staff member determine if they’re ready to START their goal. When we can answer “YES” to all five questions, then we know they’re ready to pursue the goal. I use the word START as an acronym to remember the five questions:

Author Dave Anderson once said, “We are not at our best when life is too safe. In fact, too much certainty is cause for depression. Uncertainty keeps you alert, interested, and engaged.” That’s what “Stretch” is all about. It’s about setting goals that stretch you outside of your safe and secure comfort zone. By stretch, I’m not suggesting that team members should set “completely unrealistic” goals. What I do mean is that the goal should be something beyond what they’re currently doing. 

In general, a team member’s goals should focus on the tasks you hired them to do. That’s why I include a section on our goal worksheet that lists their job responsibilities. This isn’t a detailed job description, but it’s a brief bullet point list of their six primary job responsibilities. Again, those six responsibilities don’t get into the nitty gritty…they are more like broad categories. 

It’s not enough for goals to be in a team member’s job responsibilities. The goal must also be aligned with the overall vision, strategic priorities, and key result areas of the organization. Why? Because if it’s not, you’ll create sideways energy. 

With those three things in focus—vision, strategic priorities, and key result areas—team members write a brief description of how their goal contributes to at least one of them. This ensures the goal is aligned with the overall direction of the organization.

Without a clear action plan, team members risk setting goals that they cannot reach. Our goal worksheet provides a space for team members to list 5-7 action steps they would take to actually reach their goal. Then, when I review the action steps, one of the questions I’m thinking about is this: “How are these actions steps different than what they’re already doing?”

If what they’re planning to do to reach their goal is no different than what they’re already doing, then they’re not going to get an outcome that’s any different than the outcome they’re already getting. It’s the old saying, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” 

Sometimes a team member can set a goal that will stretch them, it’s a task within their job responsibilities, it’s aligned with the organization’s vision and priorities, and their action plan is rock solid. The problem is, it’s just not the right time to pursue the goal. Sometimes, other goals would deliver a greater return on investment, making them a higher priority at this time.  

When you answer those five questions, you and your team will be equipped to set and pursue the right goals.

If you haven’t subscribed to the Leader Fluent Podcast, you can do so today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora or your favorite podcast platform. Plus, a RATING or REVIEW will help us spread the word to other leaders. Thanks for your help. 

In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “The 5 Stages of Vision Casting.” Vision is an important part of leadership, which means the ability to cast vision is an essential leadership skill. In this episode of Leader Fluent, we’re going to look at the five stages to casting vision, and how to maximize each stage in your leadership environment. 

If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated. 

Author Michael Hyatt said, “Vision, as I see it, is a clear, inspiring, practical, and attractive picture of your organization’s future.” But for that vision to have its greatest impact, the leader must communicate it in a clear and compelling way. It’s not enough to simply have a vision; you also need to create buy-in so the vision can be fulfilled. As author Ray Pritchard once said, “Good leaders have a vision; better leaders share a vision; the best leaders invite others to join them in spreading this vision.” 

The question is, how do you get others to understand the vision, embrace the vision, and rally around the vision? In other words, how do you effectively cast inspiring vision in such a way that people want to join you in the journey to a better future? I believe there are five stages in effective vision casting. 

Vision casting doesn’t start by looking at the future; it starts by celebrating the past. This lets people who have “paid the price” for yesterday’s vision know how much they are appreciated. It’s a simple way of showing honor and respect to the people who paved the way for the church or organization to get to where it is today. 

Celebration sets the tone. It focuses on the wins, and it reinforces the organization’s ability to influence positive change. So, what should you celebrate? Celebrate growth, impact, testimonies, and life change. 

So often leaders share a vision before they’ve ever defined a problem. And yet, every vision is the answer to a problem. In this stage of vision casting, you’re introduce the problem you hope to solve. 

To make the transition from “celebration” to “problem,” use a phrase like this: “We celebrate the impact we’ve made over the last 12 months, but our mission is not done.” Or you might get very specific and say, “We celebrate what God has done in the last five years…but there’s a problem.” Use statistics, research, demographics, photos, and stories to raise awareness of the need you’re trying to meet or the problem you’re trying to solve. Then, once people feel the weight of the problem, transition to the next stage of vision casting.

The solution is the part you’ve been wanting to get to all along. It’s the exciting picture of the future that you want people to see. And now that you’ve honored the past and helped people feel the weight of the need, their hearts are ready to hear the solution. 

Begin to unfold the vision in a clear, compelling, and specific way; the key is to connect the dots between the problem and the solution. That’s when your vision carries the most weight because people see the vision as something we must do not just something we could do.

Every vision comes with a price tag, and the bigger the vision, the bigger the price. And the bigger the price, the more intentional you have to be about layering your vision-casting. In other words, you must cast the vision to different groups of people at different times.

At each vision gathering, celebrate the impact, I introduced a need or a problem, share the vision (which is the solution to the problem), and share what the cost of the vision will be (which by the way, sometimes the cost isn’t money as much as it is time or change). 

Partnership is where you invite people to participate in the vision. This is where it becomes a shared vision. And as the leader, you must lead the way in what you’re asking people to do. 

Let me wrap up with one simple tip that I’ve found makes a big difference. When I do a vision casting talk, I always manuscript it. Manuscripting the vision helps me clearly articulate each of the five stages of vision casting. Furthermore, it helps me transition smoothly from one stage to the next, and it ensures the vision casting has substance, not hype. Substance creates security in the vision casting process. As you follow this five-step process, you’ll see the greatest buy-in to the vision God has given you for the future.

If you haven’t subscribed to the Leader Fluent Podcast, you can do so today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora or your favorite podcast platform. Plus, a RATING or REVIEW will help us spread the word to other leaders. Thanks for your help. 

In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “The 5 Faces of Pride in Leadership.” Humility is often the forgotten ingredient in effective leaders, but it is essential to the health of our soul and the health of our leadership. 

If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated. 

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” Pride is destructive to our souls, but the destruction doesn’t end there. Pride is also destructive to our leadership. In other words, when we’re prideful, we not only undermine our own lives, but we undermine those we influence. So, what does pride look like in leadership? A closer look at the Pharisees in Matthew 23 reveals five faces of pride in leadership. 

In Matthew 23:1-3 Jesus said, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.” And in the remainder of this chapter, Jesus calls the Pharisees as hypocrites six times. Pretending says, “Do as I say not as I do.” 

Matthew 23:4 says, “They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.” What were these “unbearable religious demands” that Jesus was referring to? It wasn’t God’s Law. It was the 613 laws the Pharisees added to God’s Law. So, you can only imagine how the Pharisees felt when Jesus came along and simplified everything down to only two Laws: Love God and Love People. 

But that wasn’t good enough for the Pharisees because their pride had blinded them. And as a result, their pride was causing them to abuse their power to get people to obey all of their man-made laws. Whereas the “Pretender” face of pride says, “Do as I say not as I do,” the “Power” face of pride says, “Do as I say, or else…” The “Power” face of pride is based on self-serving, fear-based demands. But that’s not what a spirit of humility does. 

Perception is all about how I see myself, and, how I think others see me. So, how does a prideful person see themselves? They see themselves as better than everyone else. Matthew 23:5 says, “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.” Perception says, “Look at me. Aren’t I great?”

The reason perception is such a deceptive face of pride is because it’s not based on reality. Instead, it’s based on a version of ourselves that only exists in our heads. And in our heads, we think we’re bigger and better than we really are. 

We love perks, don’t we? We love to be escorted to the seat of honor. We love to show our friends our awards, prizes, and possessions. We love to casually mention in conversation that our office is in the C-Suite. Perks and privileges make us feel important. But the moment perks make us feel important, is also the moment our identity has been stolen from us. Because if who you are is based on what you have, then your life has become a hollow shell of deception. 

Jesus said, “And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues” (Matthew 25:6). Perks says, “I deserve it, and I’m entitled to it.”

Now, does that mean that all perks are wrong? No. But, because perks have a way of making us feel like we deserve them and we’re entitled to them, we need a filter for our perks. My friend Steve Moore developed a great filter for perks when he developed these five questions.

Those are great questions to ask when it comes to any perks we might receive in leadership. And that brings us to the last face of pride in leadership.

Jesus said, “They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’ “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah” (Matthew 23:7-10). 

Position says, “I’m more important than you because my position is higher than yours.” Gerald Brooks offers a better perspective when he says, “The higher up you go in leadership, the less you get to think about yourself.”And C.S. Lewis said, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” 

Whichever face of pride it is—and we all struggle with at least one of them—let Jesus redefine your leadership with a different approach. Immediately following this description of pride exhibited by the Pharisees, Jesus says this in Matthew 23:11-12:  “The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

We all struggle with pride, but Jesus makes it clear what defines true greatness. True greatness is defined by humility, and our commitment to serve others.

If you haven’t subscribed to the Leader Fluent Podcast, you can do so today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora or your favorite podcast platform. Plus, a RATING or REVIEW will help us spread the word to other leaders. Thanks for your help. 

In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about “Seven Words of Wisdom for Graduates.” The graduation season is a great time of celebration, but as you enter into a new chapter of your life, I’d love to share seven practical insights that will help you succeed in the future. 

If you’re not already a subscriber, I’d love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated. 

After celebrating your graduation, let me encourage you to take to heart seven practical and helpful words of wisdom. 

Be careful not to sacrifice your character on the altar of achievement and results. In other words, don’t take shortcuts that ding your character. Ruth Haley Barton once said, “We set young leaders up for a fall if we encourage them to envision what they can do before they consider the kind of person they should be.” So, what kind of person do you want to be? Work hard to cultivate character so that your success doesn’t outpace who you are.

Authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner call learning the “Master Skill.” In other words, it’s the skill that makes all other skills possible. Learning is the skill that opens the door to future opportunities, future growth, and ultimately the person you want to become. Today might be the day you graduate school, but the day you graduate learning should be the day you draw your last breath. Do your future a favor and be a lifelong learner. 

Success is usually perceived as a glamorous, adventure-filled road of glory, but it’s easy to forget that most overnight successes are actually twenty years in the making. Unfortunately, we tend to see the beauty of success but never the boredom of success.

So, what’s my point? Behind the glitz and glamour of successful people is usually a very routine, even at times very boring, set of disciplines. Let me say it another way: riveting success is always preceded by routine boredom. In other words, before success ever shows up, there are days, weeks, months, and even years of disciplined, step-by-step, methodical, vanilla, bland routines. 

Think about it—professional golfers spend hours every day on the golf course…when the cameras aren’trolling. Musicians spend countless hours practicing…before a single concert ticket is ever sold. CEO’s spend untold hours in long meetings making tough decisions…before the bottom line ever shows a profit. And authors agonize over every chapter and go through endless rounds of edits…before a single copy of their book hits the shelves.

That’s the boredom of success. But it’s worth it. It makes the success sweeter, and it helps us develop the character necessary to sustain the success. Boredom is part of the journey. So, rather than getting caught up in looking successful, pursue the boredom of success by establishing daily disciplines that will produce long-term health in key areas of your life.

While there are all kinds of bad attitudes, let me mention just three of them that can be particularly disruptive to your future. 

If you avoid these bad attitudes, you will go farther, faster. If you have a positive attitude, you’ll connect better with people and you’ll be positioned with the mindset to see and seize the opportunities before you. 

All of us will have both successes and failures in life. Nobody is all success and zero failure or all failure and zero success. So, here’s the truth you must keep in mind: Don’t let success go to your head, and don’t let failure go to your heart. Don’t’ let success inflate your ego, and don’t let failure define you. As you move into a new season of life, you will experience both success and failure. That’s part of the journey. The difference-maker is how you respond when success and failure come. Celebration and humility are great responses to success. And reflection and learning are great responses to failure. 

Some people are extremely smart in school but extremely dumb with people. They’ve got the book smarts, but they haven’t learned how to work with people. They lack emotional intelligence, the ability to build trust, and the skills to make people feel valued. 

Please hear this: your book smarts might get you hired, but your inability to connect with people will get you fired. In fact, attitude issues and poor people skills are among the top reasons people lose their jobs. To become people smart, start with three things: 1) Control your emotions. 2) Cultivate an empathetic heart. 3) Develop a listening ear. Those three things will take you a long way with people. 

Graduating school is a transition point where we leave the familiarity of school and step into a new job, or a new role, or even a new degree program that requires a higher level of discipline and hard work. And it’s in transition moments like these that we have to learn to trust God more. 

Proverbs 3:5-8 says, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!” (MSG). 

Congratulations to all of our graduates. I hope these words help you make the next chapter in your life wildly successful.

If you haven’t subscribed to the Leader Fluent Podcast, you can do so today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora or your favorite podcast platform. Plus, a RATING or REVIEW will help us spread the word to other leaders. Thanks for your help.