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When [Jesus] had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4

I suppose you are familiar with this story. You may recall how Jesus got into Simon Peter’s boat and pushed back a short distance from the shore to teach the multitude of people who had gathered. Following the message, He turned to Simon, and asked him to take the boat into deeper water in order to catch some fish. Simon responded that they had already fished all night and were unable to catch anything. It is clear that Simon was tired (he had fished all night) and that he was frustrated (we toiled all night and caught nothing). Nonetheless, he deferred to his leader and headed into the deeper water. Do you recall the result of his obedience? The scripture says that, “they caught a great number of fish.” They caught so many fish that their nets began to break and they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help.

Despite his fatigue and frustration, Simon Peter launched his boat into the deep and went fishing. Here is a question that I want you to consider. Why did he do it? I am looking for the most elementary explanation. Here it is: He went fishing because his leader asked him to! I realize that there are a variety of possible answers, but this is the simplest interpretation. I believe this account is literal, but I also believe that it paints a picture of what the church is supposed to be doing. This story is illustrative of the Great Commission. Every church is a fishing boat that should be intentionally launching out into the deep (going) letting down their nets for a catch. Likewise, every Bible study group is a fishing boat. Jesus said, “Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men” [Mark 1:19].

One of the drawbacks to effectiveness in evangelism in churches today is that they have converted their fishing boats into houseboats. What do you do on a houseboat? You relax, fellowship, and enjoy those on the boat with you. You do have work to do, but it is centered on maintaining an environment of leisure. You, likewise, have work to do on a fishing boat, but the objective is different. A fishing boat exists to assist you in catching fish. A Bible study group exists to help you to grow personally as you partner together to reach out to the lost and unchurched. It is organized around affinity groups to assist in the endeavor. Middle school students reach out to middle school students, college-age young adults to college-age young adults, senior adults to senior adults, etc.

Why is it that some churches use their groups as tools for evangelism and others do not? It is because in some churches the leaders ask them to. Are you challenging your groups to be “fishing boats?” Are you equipping your groups to go fishing? Are you intentionally leading your groups to reach out to the lost and unchurched? I want to challenge you to make a commitment to convert your houseboats into fishing boats. The possibility: “For he (Simon Peter) and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken” [Luke 5:9]. I pray that this verse will reflect the testimony of your groups in the years to come. For in doing so you will have maximized your leadership.

 

 

Dear fellow leaders and workers;

Since you work so hard accomplishing your tasks day by day, I thought you might appreciate a little humor to launch your week.  Did you know…

The population of the United States now stands at 326 million. One hundred and fourteen million are over 60 years of age, which leaves 212 million to do most of the work. People under 20 years of age total 140 million, which leaves 72 million to do most of the work. Thirty-two million are employed by the government which leaves about 40 million to do most of the work. Almost two million serve in our Armed Forces leaving 38 million to do most of the work.

Deduct about 22 million who work in state and city government offices and that leaves 16 million to do most of the work. Currently there are 2,220,000 people in jails and prisons leaving 13,780,000 people doing most of the work. There are over four million people who are hospitalized or severely ill leaving only 9,780,000 to do most of the work.

Another 9,768,000 are on disability bringing the available workforce down to only about 12,000. Of those remaining there are at least 11,998 currently taking a nap. That tells us that most of the work is up to you and me and please help me because I am getting tired of doing everything myself.

Adapted from chapter one of Developing The Leaders Around You by John Maxwell.

Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame baseball player and coach, once commented upon arriving late to an event: “We were lost but we were making good time!” It really doesn’t matter how fast you are moving if you are not closing in on your destination. Leaders deal with details, problems, and people day in and day out. How can you maximize your work each day to be more productive while getting home for dinner on most nights? It is not always a matter of working harder. Sometimes you need new tools to work smarter. That brings me to this question: What is your method of time-management and task-management?

 

First, if you don’t have a system that may be your problem. Second, if you have a time-management system and fail to have a task-management system, you will head in the right direction but you will be much slower in getting there. Here are five ideas to improve your task-management on workdays (I use it every day) that will help you get more done:

 

1. Make a daily “to-do” list. Don’t tune me out yet, just because that sounds too obvious. The list can be on a piece of paper, in a time-management notebook, on your computer or tablet, or in my case as part of your Microsoft Outlook dashboard. You are more likely to get things done if you write them down and check them off. You are less likely to leave something undone or to miss a deadline when a task is written down. As elementary as it seems, make a list each day. Ideally, make it at the end of the day and have it waiting for you in the morning.
2. Make your “to-do” list horizontal instead of vertical. A vertical list would be represented by everything you need to do this week…or this month. You look at 50, 60, 70 items in front of you and immediately discouragement sets in and you feel tired before you even begin. A horizontal list is different. I make a different list for every day. Again, technology makes this easier if you use it but a piece of paper will do. Instead of looking at 70 things I need to do, I look at 12 for Monday, 10 for Tuesday, 15 for Wednesday, etc. I only have 5 for Friday with built in time to catch up or knock off early if everything is up to date. [Note here: Don’t get distracted by the “number” of items I suggested. This is for illustration only. One person might have four longer tasks for the day while another has over 30 shorter ones. It all depends on what your job assignment is.] I see my list of 12 items on Monday and I knock out 8 of them by early afternoon. I feel like I’m on a roll. The horizontal list gives me momentum and I do not feel overwhelmed. However, if I get distracted and only finish 10 of 12 items by the end of the day, no problem. I saved the less urgent items for the end. I roll one over to Tuesday and another over to Thursday.
3. Begin the day with the “quick and easy items ” I have 12 things on my list. One of them will take four hours. Five of the items can all be done within an hour. I start with items each day that takes five to ten minutes or less no matter where they fit with my priorities. Within 90 minutes of each a day I feel like I am being productive because I cut deep into my list quickly. Some would argue you tackle the toughest task first and get it out of the way. You choose. You know yourself better than anyone else. Do what works best for you.
4. Take five minutes to save hours by prioritizing the list at the beginning of the day. Suppose I have 12 items on my “to-do” list. The first thing I do in the morning is to give them a You can use letters, numbers, or colors. Let me use letters as an example. I will put an “A” beside every item that must be done today before I leave my office (barring an extreme emergency). I place a “B” beside items that must be completed before the weekend, even if they do not get done today. I place a “C” beside items that can wait another week in a pinch. Here is how I proceed: First, knock down a few “quick and easy” tasks no matter how they are coded. Next, work on items that are labeled “A” and must be done today. I almost always have these done prior to lunch. Next, work hard to get all of the “B’s” done since my weekend will be interrupted if they do not get done. When I get to my C’s, I am working in a very relaxed way.
5. Build in time for interruptions. When you are working on your calendar (i.e.: time-management), do not schedule yourself “bell to bell.” Build in time for interruptions, unexpected calls, emergencies, etc. Another way to look at it: If you have an eight hour workday (which would be highly unusual for a leader), only schedule six and a half hours of meetings, ministry, or tasks on your “to-do” list. Otherwise, you will miss dinner once again.

 

I gave you a snapshot of the way I manage my tasks via a “to-do” list. People tell me I am productive, and I do tend to get a lot done. I write an article every Wednesday (like I am doing now) and check it off of my list. The article will not be released until Monday. If I had been distracted by some urgent matter, I would still have Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Monday to write. My sermon is done for Sunday (I am a preacher), I am prepared for an Executive meeting on Thursday and Friday, and Saturday I am on schedule to hang out with the family for blessed leisure time. What is your system? You need one to maximize your leadership!

Why is it that some leaders excel, solve problems, inspire people, and make a difference? The answer to that question could fill an entire book. One thing I know for certain about effective leaders is that they are students of leadership. They seek to understand the nuances that separate leaders who make an impact from the ones who simply occupy a position. Let me share some personal observations about effective leaders:

1. The know when to shut up. While I am being blunt with the first statement you can be assured that no offense is intended. This happens occasionally and I have no doubt that you have experienced it also. It happens when you have a lunch appointment or attend a meeting and quickly find out that the other person has a lot to say. He or she talks and talks and talks and you get the picture. They have been speaking four, six, eight minutes or more and you cannot get a word in edgewise. By saying “shut up,” I am not suggesting that you should not talk. I am reminding you that a discussion involves two or more people. Be sure that you listen as much as you talk whether meeting over a meal or around a conference table. Share the conversation and listen as much as you speak. That is what leaders do. Also, in larger settings, take note of the number of people present. Suppose you are in a thirty minute meeting and the leader asks everyone to weigh in on the topic. If ten of you are present, do the math. You should only take about three minutes or so. If six people take five minutes, you have bumped four others out of the conversation. One other point, you don’t always have to weigh in. I have noticed that if 100 people are present, you can count on one or two people to say something whether their comment has relevance or not.
2. They know when to speak up. In reference to the first point, do not misunderstand. The point is not that you should never talk, but that you should be more strategic and purposeful about when you do and when you don’t. Always keep this in mind; silence is consent. It is not appropriate for a leader to go into a meeting, hear a proposal or a decision, remain silent, and then complain afterwards. Speak up if you do not agree. A leader is skilled at doing this. They know how to disagree without being offensive. While they may be passionate they are also measured, seek points of agreement, seek to characterize issues in a positive tone when possible, and attack the problems rather than people. While a skilled leader knows when to shut up, they never hesitate to speak up.
3. They know when to speed up. Effective leaders do not tend to waste time. They move meetings along covering the material without wasted time. They will cancel a meeting from time to time and seek ways to communicate efficiently. Sometimes meetings can be done online, via email, or on a phone call with equal effectiveness to a live gathering. In addition, they keep things moving forward like projects, strategies, action plans, and team tasks. They serve as the engine driving the team forward by motivating, providing guidance, and ensuring accountability. If there were a pill that could be given to learn and apply “pace” in leadership, everyone would be a dynamic leader. There is no such pill. However, effective leaders are wise and know how to keep everything moving forward. They know when to speed up.
4. They know when to back up. Leaders do not like to do this. But effective leaders are good because they are willing to do things they do not like to do. That is why some people never progress in their job or ministry. They do not like to give energy or time to things they do not like to do. A skilled leader is often ahead of his or her team, company, or congregation in terms of vision, knowledge, and desire to get to where the group needs to go. However, you do not move an organization forward by frustrating people. The skilled leader knows when to back up a step or two to get everyone on board. Sometimes the way forward is to back up a little bit.

Do you want to maximize your leadership? Know when to shut up, speak up, speed up, and back up. That is a small sampling of what separates great leaders from the rest of the pack!

Leadership is an adventure that both exhilarates and exhausts. The exhilaration tends to be high on the front end and at the pinnacles of milestones accomplished along the journey. The exhaustion comes with the length of time and frustrations, let downs, and unforeseen forces and circumstances that serve like anchors to forward progress. How can you be refreshed during those seasons of exhaustion? Bob Buford, author or Half-Time: Moving from Success to Significance suggests that it is important to pause and take stock. This exercise becomes critical as you face exhaustion and discouragement in your leadership. As you take stock:

1. Make peace. Life is too short to carry grudges. Who is it that you need to be reconciled with? Reconciliation brings refreshment and renewed energy.

 

2. Take time. Are you taking time off each week? Are you utilizing all of your vacation time? Are you spending time with your spouse, children, grandchildren and other family members? While the temptation is to think that you are missing “work” to attend to personal time, the reality is that investing in personal time and family time makes you more productive and effective when you are “on the job.” The result is that a leader can accomplish more in less time if he or she disciplines themselves to take time for personal respite and family time. More importantly, it strengthens your family. I have often heard it said that no one on their death bed reaches up to a beloved family member and says “I wish I had spent more time at work!”

 

3. Be deliberate. Have you ever been on a retreat? A retreat is a time to reflect, grow, and evaluate away from the normal hustle and bustle of responsibilities. While you are away from your work or ministry, the intent is to recharge you for the mission and work before you. A retreat can be a week or a half day experience. When you are exhausted, do not wait on your ministry or organization to take a retreat. Take one for yourself, albeit short. That one day away can refuel your tank and get you prepared for the next steps in your work. The deliberate part is based on the fact that you do not get away to “nap all day.” You purposefully spend time away from all of the noise of a common work day to honestly assess where you are, where you need to go, and brainstorm new ideas to get there. When I say “you” I am referring to both you personally and your ministry or organization.

 

4. Go to the well. Sometimes a cold drink of water on a hot day is all that you need to make it for a couple of more hours. Go back to the well to cap off the day and you leave with a thirst that is quenched. The water that a leader needs if he or she desires to maximize his or her leadership comes from the Bible, the Word of God. If you neglect it you will thirst and grow weary. If you drink from it you will be encouraged and your energy will be renewed. I have found that the best way to do this is daily. But there is no wrong time to “go to the well.” While the word “leadership” is not found in the Bible, the concepts are sprinkled throughout. It encourages, convicts, enlightens, and inspires. It shows the pathway to a relationship to God and brings the believer into a closer relationship to God. Are you regularly “going to the well?” Those who do so are not immune to exhaustion but they do have added strength. Leaders need an “edge” and there is no better “edge” than spending time in the presence of the Creator of the universe.

 

Are you exhilarated or exhausted in your leadership? Either way, these words of wisdom can help you to maximize your leadership.

The four points are adapted from Chapter Seven of Halftime by Bob Buford.

“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” – Teddy Roosevelt

 

What is the key to being an effective leader? You will be hard pressed to narrow a list down to one particular asset. What if you could narrow it down to four? That would give you as an aspiring leader tangible areas to develop than can propel your leadership forward. The Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina, studied 105 successful executives and noted these four common characteristics.

1. They took ownership of mistakes rather than blaming others.
2. They could get along with a wide variety of people.
3. They had strong interpersonal relationship skills, including sensitivity and tactfulness.
4. They were calm and confident as opposed to moody and volatile.

John Maxwell states that unsuccessful executives “tend to be too tough, abusive, sarcastic, aloof, or unpredictable. Their worst fault is being insensitive to others.” Do not be thrown off by the word “executive” here. These are men and women who have emerged into high levels of leadership and the lessons apply to all who desire to maximize their influence.

I would add a fifth item to the list for those who desire to be “spiritual leaders.”

5. They place a high priority on their personal spiritual development which results in passion for their work and compassion for people inside and outside of their organization (or congregation).

This is a good checklist from which you can self-evaluate. Of these five characteristics, where is your strength? Where are you falling short? What action(s) do you need to take to progress in the weakest area?

To revisit a quote I shared recently: “Successful leaders tend to be hard on themselves while unsuccessful people tend to be hard on others.” Evaluate yourself and commit to grow so that you can maximize your leadership!

Adapted from Chapter Seven of Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell.

Don’t tell anyone else about this. Keep it to yourself. I am about to let you in on a secret about effective leaders. They are “sneaky.” Before I tell you, please keep in mind the context that these are outstanding leaders who work hard, commit themselves to personal development, and get the job done. They are anything but lazy. But they are “sneaky.” Here is how:

1. They sometimes strategically go “radio silent.” Radio silence is a military term where all transmissions are ceased in order to protect details of a mission from enemy ears. What does that mean for the leader? He or she sometimes needs a brief reprieve from the continual stream of noise, demands, questions, and decisions. Therefore, without you knowing it, they will disconnect from social media, have all messages sent to voice mail, turn the phone to the off position, and/or do their work at a location other than their primary office. They will do this for a short period and you will not even know it. They create some space to think, plan, or rest, but do not fall behind because their system for conducting work is effective.

 

2. They sometimes sneak out to play. Whether they take a morning to fish, catch a weekday ball game, work in their garden, or get in a round of golf, you will not know it. They are sneaky. And their work still gets done. It doesn’t seem fair since everyone else is at work while they are playing. But context becomes important once again. You did not know they worked past 10:00pm three nights last week. They may not have gotten a day off last week. You may not have considered that they were at the office an hour or more before everyone every day last month. Effective leaders do not work only forty hours each week. They work hard until the job is done based on responsibility rather than clocks. But they are not workaholics either because that would cost their families and other valuable relationships. They will only do this occasionally. They don’t abuse it, but they are sneaky and refresh themselves occasionally by getting away for a few hours to play. Don’t begrudge them because they still get the job done.

 

3. They are smart and sneakily make themselves look even smarter. Effective leaders are smart, educated, and knowledgeable, but they don’t know everything. They surround themselves with talented team members. They are avid readers (researchers) and lifetime learners. But, everyone has limitations. They may not know everything but they know how to get to the information they need quickly. They do it through staff, through personal study, diligence in seeking information, persistence, and fortitude. They know a lot, but not as much as you think. They have brains, but more importantly have been sneaky about developing skills that make them appear even smarter.

 

Don’t tell anyone. But, being sneaky can sometimes help you to maximize your leadership!

We are living in a time of great blessing. The ability to travel by car or plane enables us to make journeys on a weekend or in a one-week time frame that would have been unimaginable for all of history up until the last century. We live in an economy where almost everyone has resources that would have only belonged to the wealthy in previous generations. I look forward to family vacation opportunities and I appreciate the many options that are available to my family for travel and leisure.

Here come the summer months. People are traveling and the Worship and Bible Study attendance drops. Apparently, you and I are not the only ones who appreciate the options available for travel and leisure. The lower attendance can be frustrating to a pastor or Bible Study leader. Can anything be done to stump the summer slump?

1. Make sure your measurement is properly oriented. Attendance tends to fall into a pattern of two surges and two slumps, each year in North American churches. The first surge ordinarily occurs in August (when school starts back) through October. November and December averages will generally be lower because of holiday weekends. Attendance will surge again in January through March unless the weather is extremely bad. April (with Spring Break for students) begins the second slump that may fall even deeper by July. Here is the key. Compare your attendance to the same month last year instead of the previous month. You may be averaging less in June than you did in March. But, if you will check your records you may find that you are averaging more than you did last June.
2. Spend more energy rejoicing over those present than bemoaning those who are absent. I wonder if we might sometimes feed the slump by complaining. Members can still grow and the lost can still be reached on any day or any week of the entire year including the summer months.
3. Don’t back off of the drivers of growth. Don’t let up on connecting with absentees, ministering to members, group fellowships, outreach, enlisting new members, etc. Keep your foot on the ministry accelerator or else you will feed the slump even further. You need to continue to sow these seeds with the understanding that you may not reap the results until August or September.
4. Utilize the VBS strategy. Remember that Vacation Bible School is not intended only to be a week of Bible Study for the children in your church. That is a benefit of the week. The purpose is to introduce prospective families to Bible Study, to share the gospel, to connect them to groups, and to transition them into your discipleship process.
5. Some churches successfully utilize themes and/or promotions to rally around. This particular idea does not work with every congregation. You must know the culture of your church. Many churches promote a theme and/or a promotion to spark interest and encourage faithfulness. The theme I utilized recently in the church where I served as interim pastor was “The Summer of No Fear.” The summer sermon series addressed issues related to “fear” and the Bible Study leaders participated in a promotion called the “Bible Study No Fear Factor.” In another church, we went “Contact Crazy” for the summer and tried to document our invitation of several thousand people to be our guest during the summer months.

Paul reminded the Corinthians that if they sowed sparingly they would reap sparingly. While it is an uphill struggle to maintain the same level of attendance in the summer, it is not impossible and not unprecedented. But to maximize your leadership you must be strategic and intentional. What is your plan?

“Do you think a church can be too big?” That is a question that was posed to me by a church leader. I have been privileged to minister in churches of all conceivable sizes as well as to serve on the staffs and as interim pastor in churches that ranged in attendance from less than fifty to well over 4,000 in weekly worship participation. Churches of every size possess unique advantages and disadvantages that I have come to appreciate over the years.

Yogi Berra, the Hall of Fame baseball player and coach once remarked: “No one ever goes to that restaurant any more. It is always too crowded!” Apparently, a lot of people enjoy attending larger churches and that accounts for why they are so big. Should a congregation be small, medium, or large? The Bible never prescribes the ideal size of a local congregation. There is no “wrong size” church. Thom Rainer recently pointed to a move toward smaller worship gatherings as a growing trend. Many people avoid attending larger churches because they have a deep concern for the relationships and the intimacy that a smaller congregation can provide. This desire for closeness is a legitimate need.

Can a church be too big? It can for “some” people. You could also ask, “Can a church be too small?” Again, it can be for “some” people though the Bible does not say. It is not the size of the church that makes the difference. It is the size of God that matters most. God does big things through small churches. The reality is that opportunities for ministry and evangelism are actually enhanced by the fact that congregations come in all sizes. People are internally wired with differing combinations of temperament, experience, culture, education, personality, giftedness, intellect, and preferences. The differing blends create a variety of needs. Some people’s needs can best be met by a smaller congregation while others can be addressed more effectively by larger churches.
Every congregation, regardless of size, has a responsibility to obey the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. All congregations should seek to make disciples by engaging the members in prayer, evangelism, equipping, fellowship, worship, and ministry in the same manner that the earliest congregations did as described in Acts 2:42-47. It is often easier to minister to everyone in a small congregation and it can be easier to reach larger numbers of people for Christ with the leadership assets of a larger congregation. However, the criteria for responsibility is not based on the size of the congregation, but on the teaching of the scripture.

All congregations, large and small, should seek to effectively minister to their members as well as to reach out to their community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The critical question is not, “can a church be too big?” The real question is, “can a church lose focus?” The answer is “yes” whether a congregation is large or small. The aim is to provide personal ministry to the members while proclaiming the message of salvation to the community without neglecting either. That is a great challenge for a congregation of any size. I challenge you to leverage your leadership to engage your members in doing both whether your church is large or small. The size of the congregation will resolve itself if the focus is correct!

Do you have “Frustrated Followers”? Sometimes you can do the right thing or make the right decision and still frustrate your team members. However, you want the frustrations they experience to be the exception rather than the rule. Frustrated followers will ultimately under-produce, walk away, or undermine the leader whether intentionally or unintentionally. John Maxwell, in his book Developing the Leader Within You, suggests seven ways that leaders frustrate followers. They are based on a survey conducted by J.C. Stachle and are listed in order of importance. All of these are avoidable. My comments are in italics. Here they are:

 

1. Failure to give credit for suggestions. An effective leader is more concerned with the progress of the organization, the development of the team, and the fulfillment of the mission than who gets credit for particular ideas. On the other hand, please be sure that you do not get too caught up in who gets credit if you are a team member. An effective leader will share credit for victories and take responsibility for defeats.
2. Failure to correct grievances. If you are a leader, you are a problem-solver. Your ability to discern the depth and validity of complaints along with the determination to correct grievances endears you to your followers.
3. Failure to encourage. Encourage, praise, encourage, praise, rebuke, encourage, praise. Encouragement and praise must always outweigh rebukes although the ability to rebuke and correct are also critical skills.
4. Criticizing team members in front of other people. That speaks for itself. Surely you would not do that. Would you?
5. Failure to ask team members their opinions. Leaders continually make decisions. Even the smartest and most educated leaders cannot match the combined intellect of the team. Getting their input not only helps the leader to make wiser decisions, but also makes team members feel more valued and content in their work.
6. Failure to inform team members of their progress. Followers value the perspective of the leader. When respect and trust are present, praise is inspirational and critique is motivational.
7. No one likes to feel left out of the loop or inferior to other team members. If they ever feel that way, it should not be because the leader does not make everyone feel personally valued.

Great insight to help you to maximize your leadership!

Adapted from chapter seven of Developing The Leader Within You by John Maxwell. The 
term “team members” was substituted for the term “employees” in points four, five, 
and six.