Some all Time Stupid Steps Leaders Make

Failure to be life long learning is crazy stupid! What follows is my take away from Hans Finzel’s book “Top 10 Mistakes Leaders Make.”

In a time where college students were getting speaking gigs and position and status was king, I refused to lead from the top down.  I actually took what Maxwell said in his leadership ladder to heart.  Almost instinctively I flat lined the organizations that I led.  Pride lurked very close.  Perhaps in retrospect, I flat lined because that in my opinion was the best way to promote the ministry which was a classic way to promote my own reputation.  I have not always had a servant hood leadership model but most likely I was a facilitator seeking to cause those I led to be the best they could be.

I remember talking to an elder of a church I worked at and he made a chill go up and down my spine.  He said, “Leadership starts from criticism not encouragement.  Encouragement will be received as flattery and flattery never gets you anywhere.”  I was more than shocked.  My heart fell into my shoes.  I live for and love encouragement.  I do not live for paperwork.  Like the classic sanguine who puts on a melancholic mask, I learned how to do paperwork when my real passion was people.  It is the clever leader that can delegate and say, “No!” to the mounting papers and distractions leading them away from their most valuable resource of people.  I will forever be challenged by Paul’s admonition to present everyone mature in Christ.  That challenge causes me to do all that can to pass on vision and passion to people.  Doing whatever it takes, whether a huge thank you or even a small note.  People work and affirmation go hand in hand.

Since I have been blogging for over two years, I read with a pen in hand and circle potential blog ideas.  I was captured by the origin of the word maverick, one that is untainted by the brands of society or culture.  I have been labeled as a maverick from time to time.  I have struggled considerably with adults.  Having been involved in student ministry work for nearly two decades and then transitioning to adult ministry, I am not short of despair.  I sense that in so many adults, they are satisfied with status quo, apathy and ignorance.  So I count it an honor to wear the label of maverick.  I don’t want to be branded by the typical north American church going malaise.

I agree with Finzel, mavericks lead us to the future.  However, mavericks are not always the best communicators.  So in that respect, I don’t enjoy the label of maverick.  In the churches that I have worked in, communication was absolutely essential because they were larger organizations with rich histories of  having difficulty changing.  Since I was a maverick and a avid change agent, communication was a high value.  I learned my lessons early on and have understood change management the more I lead change.  I had to force myself to coach as much passion to leaders cascading information to the entire organization as I put into communicating the information to the core team.  If the nuggets sat with the core team only, then a lack of morale would soon ensue. 

Finzel’s last two principles of successors and futurist thinking were tremendous.  The lifeblood of an organization doesn’t have to go dry.  Making sure a vision and strategy carry on long after the leader leaves is not an easy task.  It can be done but it takes a leader to consider the future and act accordingly in the present.  So many churches are at least 5 years behind.  I like what Finzel said, “If it works, it’s obsolete.”  This no doubt brings great concern to leaders who have not taken the time to live into thinking about the future, delegating to others, communicating vision and ensuring organizational health long after they leave.  Their pride comes before not just their fall but the fall of the organization also.