On Leading Well

Year: 2012

  • Leading 10x Bigger

    You’re probably familiar with the phrase “what got you here won’t get you there.” This means that the perspectives, skill sets, relational networks and time management practices that helped you become successful in your former role are probably inadequate to meet the new demands you now face.

    This week the executive team on which I serve is hosting a New Global Leader Orientation for 30 men and women who are experiencing their first year of global leadership in our organization. For example, John went from highly fruitful decade in one country to being responsible for an additional 19 countries. That’s 20x. And that’s fairly normal for most people in the room. And they still have the same 168 hours each week to get the job done.

    Andrea, our VP for Leadership Development, highlighted a number of the tensions we face when we accept the challenge to greater scope of responsibility.

    If you’re making such a move, here are some tensions that you may deal with:

    • Moving from “we” to a “they”
    • Scope vs. Focus
    • Immediate impact vs. Intentional change over time
    • Unity vs. Diversity
    • Simplicity vs. Complexity
    • One culture vs. Many Cultures
    • Face to face meetings vs. Online meetings
    • Single language vs. Multilingual work environment
    • Global standards vs. Local flexibility
    • Trust built through personal presence vs. Leading over distance
    • Controlling my schedule vs. Serving others in their time zones
    • Being the expert vs. Relying on others’ local expertise
    • Leading alone vs. Sharing leadership

    If you’ve made the leap to greater scope, what got you here probably won’t be sufficient to take you to the next level of success.

    What has helped you learn to lead 10x bigger?

     

  • Getting Past Fear

    The voice inside my head urged me to find a way out. Monday afternoon I had received an email from Jack, our worship leader at church. It requested my confirmation to play electric guitar and sing backing vocals at two worship services next weekend.

    “But you haven’t played live for several years,” the voice said.

    “Your chops aren’t nearly as good as the other three guitarists in the rotation,” the voice said.

    “You’re really busy during the next 10 days,” the voice said.

    “All you have to do is hit the ‘DECLINE’ button and this feeling will go away,” the voice said.

    Tuesday came. After lunch I found myself alone with the Lord, praying about other things that concerned me such as a friend who has cancer, six couples whose marriages are struggling, and new opportunities in my job that will require significant reprioritization of my time. Big stuff. Real issues. Serious challenges. Then the summons in Jack’s email snuck back into my head. Suddenly I realized what I was feeling — I was afraid.

    But then I remembered a different Voice. This Voice speaks to the heart. This Voice says:

    “You are a passionate worshipper.”

    “You love music, and you love helping lead others to worship Jesus.”

    “You don’t need to compare your performance to others.”

    “There is always plenty of time to enjoy Me.”

    “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and discipline.”

    “Go for it.”

    I know this Voice. It is the Voice of the Holy Spirit. When He says go, it’s time to obey and to rest in that simple obedience. This Voice dispels fear. Following this Voice moves me past fear into settled peace.

    I pulled out my phone, opened up Jack’s email, and clicked on the ‘CONFIRMED’ button.

    Which fears hold you back from living out who you really are?

  • What I’m Planning for My Jubilee

    Today I turned 49. I officially begin my 50th year on the planet – my jubilee.

    The term jubilee comes from an ancient Hebrew word meaning “blow the ram’s horn.” This was something to be done by the nation of Israel every 50 years:

    You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan.

    Leviticus 25:8-10 (ESV)

    The jubilee was designed to be a year of liberty. Of celebration. Of freedom. Land was returned to its original owners; families were expected to reunite.

    As I have meditated on this passage for the past few days, I’ve been praying, “Lord, how do you want me to celebrate my jubilee?” Yesterday the answer came quite clearly.

    I want to liberate the captives in my life. 

    So today I am blowing the ram’s horn. I dedicate my 50th year to freeing people whom I have held in low esteem, held grudges against, thought poorly of, entertained vacuous rumors in my head about, had unresolved conflict with, or simply not given due respect to. In many cases these people may not even know it. In some cases I may not even know it, but I am unconsciously harboring these attitudes (I do try to keep short accounts with people).

    Yes, this is all about my heart. More than anything, I desire the grace of God – which is so precious to me – to flow unrestricted through me and bless others. That would make for a great year and a truly awesome 50th birthday party in 2013.

    SDG.