On Leading Well

Year: 2012

  • Innovate or Die Trying: 3 Links

    “You win by trying. And failing. Test, try, fail, measure, evolve, repeat, persist, …”
    – Seth Godin, American author and Marketing Expert

    What does it mean to innovate? My Mac dictionary defines “innovate” this way:

    innovate |ˈinəˌvāt| verb

    1. make changes in something established, esp. by introducing new methods, ideas, or products: the company’s failure to diversify and innovate competitively.

    2. introduce (something new, esp. a product): innovating new products, developing existing ones.

    Innovation is making changes or making something new. We hear a lot about innovation today. I am surprised by the number of people, blogs, and leaders urging me to innovate! Innovate!! INNOVATE!!! without giving me some clear sense of why or how to proceed.

    Here are three really good links on innovation that came through my RSS feed this week. They address both the whys and hows of innovation.

    Why Newspapers Were Doomed All Along – HBR

    Big idea: Birmingham and New Orleans will become the first significant U.S. cities (each has a metropolitan-area population of a bit more than a million) without daily newspapers — another landmark in the sickeningly fast and sure-to-continue collapse of the once money-gushing U.S. regional newspaper industry.

    Key quote: “The Internet has unbundled the various businesses that made up a metro daily newspaper, and there’s no putting them back together again.”

    The Social Network Gospel – Christianity Today

    Big idea: How interconnectivity helps us better engage the Bible.

    Key quote: “Think big, start small, fail fast; learn rapidly.” To try repeatedly is vital in engaging people with Scripture online. The digital environment welcomes raw attempts and quickly forgives trial-and-error efforts that are promptly corrected and adapted with improvements.”

    Start-ups, Skunkworks, and Your Next Big Product  – HBR

    Big idea: For large companies to create new growth opportunities they will need to redefine what innovation means within their walls. Over the last ten years, as businesses have tried to understand and pursue innovation, their organizations have been left confused of its purpose and its benefit. Much of this confusion stems from applying one term to too many contexts. Most businesses are actually pursuing two types of innovation; product innovation and process innovation.

    Key quote: “Allow small teams to iterate their ideas, to gather data and develop performance metrics, and to quickly discard less promising in favor of stronger ones. These organizations create strong networks, provide guidance, and help fledgling companies succeed where large companies currently fail; their single goal for existing is to bring ideas to the market.” 

    Why and how are you innovating?

  • My Thesis: A Paradigm for 21st Century Global Leaders

    Do you wake up every day with a calling to lead people you can’t physically see or touch?

    Do you regularly engage in team or project work with people from other cultures?

    Do you long for the hype of “leader as omnipotent hero” to give way to a more authentic model of “leader as servant?”

    If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may be interested in scanning through “Servant Leadership Across Distance and Cultures: A New Paradigm for 21st Century Global Leaders.” Catchy title, I know. Such is the nature of academic work. You can also find my thesis on the Downloads tab on my blog. I’d love your feedback.

    Here’s the Abstract …

    This project addresses the lack of a distance leadership paradigm to adequately prepare servant leaders who are capable of leading well across distance and cultures within Campus Crusade for Christ’s (CCC) global level of leadership.

    Research explored three aspects of leadership: servant leadership, distance leadership, and cross-cultural leadership. First, servant leadership builds on and surpasses other leadership models for global work because it seeks first to serve and develop others into mature, autonomous leaders who will, in turn, serve others. Robert Greenleaf’s test for increasing personal autonomy in servant leadership is essential in distance leadership because close supervision is impossible and counterproductive to organizational effectiveness. Second, effective distance leaders learn to overcome relational distance by using advanced communications technology to build and sustain trusting relationships with followers, partners, and other leaders. Third, effective global leaders grow in self-awareness of their own cultural bias and learn how to manage cultural diversity by studying, respecting, and dialoguing about cultural differences.

    Field interviews and group discussions with more than 80 of CCC’s global leaders highlighted personal humility and building trusting relationships as two keys to effectively leading across distance and cultures. Helps and hindrances were identified in three categories: communication-rich relationships, integrity and trustworthiness in personal character, and leadership competence in using advanced communications technology. Findings strongly supported biblical servant leadership examples of Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul, Kathleen Patterson’s servant leadership virtuous construct, and the GLOBE study of 62 societies’ culturally endorsed leadership theory (CLT).

    The researcher presents a new paradigm for 21st century global leaders.

    I welcome your feedback at [email protected].

     

  • On Traveling Well

    For the past 15 years, Ann and I have been blessed to serve in distance leadership roles within our global movement. I have traveled about 90 nights per year for the past decade. During this season of our ministry we have raised two children, lived in three countries, and visited every continent except Antarctica.

    Here are a few of the lessons God has taught us on traveling well:

    • Gratefully embrace God’s call. The Spirit is always at work. Habakkuk 1:5 says, “Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder!” Being involved with Campus Crusade allows us to see God at work in unique and incredible ways. When I feel pressured by hectic schedules, jet lag, and extended time on the road, it’s good to remember that God has called us to deeply significant work with incredible people around the world.

    • It’s more about rhythm than balance. Balance implies that I need to keep all the plates spinning all the time. Trips don’t always come in evenly-spaced, manageable patterns. Most of my travel is based on the needs and best timing for our field staff. This is part of serving them well—to be on their schedule and agenda. When I have an intense season of travel (more than eight days away in a month), I try to ensure that I have equally intense time at home and time to be with the teams I’m on. About ten years ago I made a commitment to take a weekly Sabbath — 24 hours away from email and thinking about work. A Sabbath is more than a day off — it’s a day with people and pursuits that refresh me. God has used this single decision to consistently restore my heart and renew my strength.

    • Learn to discern. Being asked to speak or travel can boost my ego. But every trip costs more than just money. I keep a running list of all current travel opportunities and I check with Ann and someone on my team before saying “yes.” I ask: Do I (or we) really need to make this trip, Lord? If so, why? I created a simple worksheet in Excel to help me plan and track the number of nights away each year. I don’t want to write checks that my body and my marriage can’t cash.

    • (Pre-trip) Prepare everyone well. When our children were younger we would open a map during dinner and talk about where daddy was going and which of their friends I might see, then pray together. Often I would carry notes and gifts to friends. This helped build a sense of being in the ministry together. I also try to get sufficient information about where I’m going and make sure to clarify expectations with those I will be visiting about what our agenda will look like. Otherwise, I risk unpleasant surprises or suboptimal use of their time.

    • (During trip) Be fully present. Enjoy being attentive to God and people in the moment. That is why I’m here, right? If I’m stressing out about unanswered emails, other meetings, or problems elsewhere I am probably not engaging sufficiently. My distractedness communicates lack of personal concern.

    • (Post-trip) Follow through. What did I commit to during my trip? To pray for someone? To forward a contact? Other actions? If I can’t follow through immediately, I make sure to capture my commitments in one of three places: Evernote, my journal, or in the top right corner of any handouts. On the plane or during my next planning time, I can review all my action points and follow through appropriately. Doing what I said I would do is one of the most important ways to build relationships of trust that can handle the strains of distance leadership.

    Being aware of the challenges of frequent travel and proactively addressing them can help limit the stress you and your family face as you live out your calling and ministry responsibilities. May you go with God and travel well!

    What advice on traveling well would you add?

    Note: This post originally appeared in the ExpatExchange publication for Cru staff (June 2012).