Sheryll: sometimes what may seem like the smallest idea is the big idea that will change a job, a business, a ministry or a life forever. don't dismiss quirky ideas because sometimes they are what will get someone's attention.
Tony: I think it is so important to create & nurture a culture that encourages ideas. A yes environment doesn't mean every idea is used but that every idea is heard. Lay our ego aside & admit the obvious-sthere are sometimes better ideas than our own. make sure those we lead feel they can present their ideas. find ways to use them and they will bring even bigger & better ideas.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Axiom Chapter 9
Tony and Sheryll:
This is a challenging chapter, especially if you are a business owner or leader of a non-profit. Everybody makes sacrifices to get things going—I had one restaurant owner tell me it was over 2 years into their business before he ever received a paycheck. As our business or ministry grows, it is important to re-evaluate on a regular basis to continue bringing loyal staff and employees up toward their market value. I don’t think there is a godly business or ministry leader out there who wouldn’t like to pay everyone more.
On the other hand, there is the tension as an employee/staff member to always be worth more than what you are being paid. This is a principle my dad taught me throughout my life. He said, “You have entered into a contract with someone—you will exchange your work for their money. Always make sure you give them more than they paid for.” Because of that training, I have always found success as an employee. Even when the company I was working for was in the middle of layoffs, they found a way to keep me.
For those of us who lead volunteers, we must practice the same fair value principle by acknowledging efforts, giving praise, and embracing ideas. Most studies show that recognition rivals money as a motivator. Don’t be stingy in giving it where it is due. Heap praise on those around you who are exceeding expectations. Find something to praise in those who are not meeting expectations. Look for something good and don’t let it go unnoticed.
Sheryll and I look forward to the day when we, and those who work with us, are paid more in line with the market. But until then, we all have our eyes set on the bigger prize—transformed lives. I have yet to be able to put a price on that!
This is a challenging chapter, especially if you are a business owner or leader of a non-profit. Everybody makes sacrifices to get things going—I had one restaurant owner tell me it was over 2 years into their business before he ever received a paycheck. As our business or ministry grows, it is important to re-evaluate on a regular basis to continue bringing loyal staff and employees up toward their market value. I don’t think there is a godly business or ministry leader out there who wouldn’t like to pay everyone more.
On the other hand, there is the tension as an employee/staff member to always be worth more than what you are being paid. This is a principle my dad taught me throughout my life. He said, “You have entered into a contract with someone—you will exchange your work for their money. Always make sure you give them more than they paid for.” Because of that training, I have always found success as an employee. Even when the company I was working for was in the middle of layoffs, they found a way to keep me.
For those of us who lead volunteers, we must practice the same fair value principle by acknowledging efforts, giving praise, and embracing ideas. Most studies show that recognition rivals money as a motivator. Don’t be stingy in giving it where it is due. Heap praise on those around you who are exceeding expectations. Find something to praise in those who are not meeting expectations. Look for something good and don’t let it go unnoticed.
Sheryll and I look forward to the day when we, and those who work with us, are paid more in line with the market. But until then, we all have our eyes set on the bigger prize—transformed lives. I have yet to be able to put a price on that!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Axiom Chapter 8--Hire Tens
Sheryll:
Two things really jump out at me on this:
1) We, as individuals, must never be satisfied with our level of leadership. We must continually be improving our skills. This can be done by reading books, attending seminars, online searches, connecting strategically with people who are better leaders than we are, watching people lead and learning both what to do and what not to do. I think we sometimes forget that the reason for being the best leader we can be is because lives hang in the balance every day. Our goal should always be to reach as many of those people as we can. In order to have continuing influence and connection with those who have developed their skills to the 10 level, we need to be a 10! Let’s go for it!
2) Don’t be intimidated by people who seem smarter. It is sometimes human nature to back away and even get jealous of those who may have skills we don’t think we have. Look for the best for your teams and allow them to use their gifts. Of course, we will always have people at lower levels of leadership skills and that’s perfectly okay. Our job is to put people where they are best suited to serve. But look for those who are 8, 9 or 10 levels and find out what their gifts are. Always encourage everyone on your team to develop their skills. Give them ideas for books to read, share leadership tips with them on a regular basis, celebrate with them when you catch them doing their job well, encourage them to attend ARC conferences with us, etc.
Excellence draws people!!! God loves people and wants to change their eternal destiny. That’s what this is all about. Let’s go for it! Never settle for what we are not-there is always more.
Tony:
This chapter highlights that great leaders are not born, they are made. No matter what level of leadership ability we see ourselves as having, we can always become stronger. It is so important to read, to listen to teaching, and to have mentors that continually move us forward. Hybels lets us know that when we settle for less than the best in our own leadership, we are negatively affecting the whole local church. With all the excellent materials available to us today there is no excuse for settling for less than an 8 to 10 level in our leadership. Maxwell says everything rises and falls on leadership. I don’t know if that is completely true, but I do know that when it comes to teams and those around us it is definitely true. CAML will only be its strongest and best when its leaders are focused on being the best and attracting the best. The best leader in the history of the world is Jesus and He lives inside of us. Be intentional about tapping into His leadership expertise.
Let’s hear your comments.
Two things really jump out at me on this:
1) We, as individuals, must never be satisfied with our level of leadership. We must continually be improving our skills. This can be done by reading books, attending seminars, online searches, connecting strategically with people who are better leaders than we are, watching people lead and learning both what to do and what not to do. I think we sometimes forget that the reason for being the best leader we can be is because lives hang in the balance every day. Our goal should always be to reach as many of those people as we can. In order to have continuing influence and connection with those who have developed their skills to the 10 level, we need to be a 10! Let’s go for it!
2) Don’t be intimidated by people who seem smarter. It is sometimes human nature to back away and even get jealous of those who may have skills we don’t think we have. Look for the best for your teams and allow them to use their gifts. Of course, we will always have people at lower levels of leadership skills and that’s perfectly okay. Our job is to put people where they are best suited to serve. But look for those who are 8, 9 or 10 levels and find out what their gifts are. Always encourage everyone on your team to develop their skills. Give them ideas for books to read, share leadership tips with them on a regular basis, celebrate with them when you catch them doing their job well, encourage them to attend ARC conferences with us, etc.
Excellence draws people!!! God loves people and wants to change their eternal destiny. That’s what this is all about. Let’s go for it! Never settle for what we are not-there is always more.
Tony:
This chapter highlights that great leaders are not born, they are made. No matter what level of leadership ability we see ourselves as having, we can always become stronger. It is so important to read, to listen to teaching, and to have mentors that continually move us forward. Hybels lets us know that when we settle for less than the best in our own leadership, we are negatively affecting the whole local church. With all the excellent materials available to us today there is no excuse for settling for less than an 8 to 10 level in our leadership. Maxwell says everything rises and falls on leadership. I don’t know if that is completely true, but I do know that when it comes to teams and those around us it is definitely true. CAML will only be its strongest and best when its leaders are focused on being the best and attracting the best. The best leader in the history of the world is Jesus and He lives inside of us. Be intentional about tapping into His leadership expertise.
Let’s hear your comments.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Chapter 7 AXIOM
Chapter Seven Axiom
Sheryll:
I love that it never occurred to Paul not to go to Jerusalem. He had heard clearly from God and what else was there? Paul was totally sold out to God’s vision for His people and there were no other options. I want to be like that. It seems to me as though Paul was able to do that because he had taken sole ownership of the vision. It didn’t matter to him who agreed with him, who was with him. He was an owner and he must go. We can be totally in love with God and still not be an owner. Loving God is step one, but loving what He loves, taking ownership of it, is what will take us from a hireling to an owner. Let’s always find out what He loves and go for it.
Tony:
Each of us has probably already been at the crossroads Hybels talks about on page 37. And, as leaders, we will come to it again. However, we get to decide how often we come to that crossroad. If we are not sold out to the vision God has given us and those we are doing life with, those crossroads will come often. If we will make the decision that we are in this for the long haul, even life, then the crossroads will occur less in our lives. The more variables we allow to effect our commitment to the vision, the more we move toward hireling. Variables like recognition, work required, team members who quit, etc.
There are also indicators to tell us when we are drifting toward hireling and away from owner: walking past a piece of trash instead of picking it up, arriving late and leaving early, looking for ways to avoid continually connecting with new people, or becoming so absorbed in “my team” I lose touch with what is going on with the church.
Dana pointed out how important it is to treat the people we lead like owners and not hirelings. Take ownership of God's vision for our church and your life. Encourage those you lead to move from hireling to owner. Let’s be finishers.
Let’s hear your comments.
Sheryll:
I love that it never occurred to Paul not to go to Jerusalem. He had heard clearly from God and what else was there? Paul was totally sold out to God’s vision for His people and there were no other options. I want to be like that. It seems to me as though Paul was able to do that because he had taken sole ownership of the vision. It didn’t matter to him who agreed with him, who was with him. He was an owner and he must go. We can be totally in love with God and still not be an owner. Loving God is step one, but loving what He loves, taking ownership of it, is what will take us from a hireling to an owner. Let’s always find out what He loves and go for it.
Tony:
Each of us has probably already been at the crossroads Hybels talks about on page 37. And, as leaders, we will come to it again. However, we get to decide how often we come to that crossroad. If we are not sold out to the vision God has given us and those we are doing life with, those crossroads will come often. If we will make the decision that we are in this for the long haul, even life, then the crossroads will occur less in our lives. The more variables we allow to effect our commitment to the vision, the more we move toward hireling. Variables like recognition, work required, team members who quit, etc.
There are also indicators to tell us when we are drifting toward hireling and away from owner: walking past a piece of trash instead of picking it up, arriving late and leaving early, looking for ways to avoid continually connecting with new people, or becoming so absorbed in “my team” I lose touch with what is going on with the church.
Dana pointed out how important it is to treat the people we lead like owners and not hirelings. Take ownership of God's vision for our church and your life. Encourage those you lead to move from hireling to owner. Let’s be finishers.
Let’s hear your comments.
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