Connected

I just accomplished in four minutes and fifty-three seconds what ten years ago would have taken days. Why, because I am connected. You see, the information that I needed for this afternoon’s meeting was easily found with a web search and a few clicks. The system that we call the internet has transformed culture, increased efficiency, and made me a much better researcher. That’s what efficient systems do.

Consider the bigger question: How would you develop such a system? Imagine it’s you in 1969, sitting at the table, and someone posits the question: How can we put the entire corpus of human understanding into a location where a person can access what he wants in less than five minutes? Every needed component was there in 1969, but to conceive of, articulate and begin to build the system would have been quite impossible. Systems as transformational as the internet build with time. I would hope that if I had been in that meeting in 1969, I would not have tried to envision the modern understanding of the internet. Rather, I hope my response would have been smaller; something like, “Hey John, you have a computer at Stanford right? I do too, let’s see if we can get those things connected over a wire!” That’s exactly what happened. On October 29, 1969 Stanford and UCLA connected computers for the very first time. It was the “great first connection” known as Arpanet.

The internet sprang from that first connection, and as powerful a force as the internet has become, if we all turned off our computers at 12:01 GMT tomorrow, the internet would instantly cease to exist. It is only alive because of connections.

We have all taken part in the increased dialog about church planting. We have heard that the church planter is the top of the food chain and that all of our organizational structures exist to support them. However, let us suspend all thoughts about the church planter for now, and consider the system that we hope to create. Systems cannot exist in a vacuum, and the more focused a system is the greater chance it has for success. If we look at the entire system, like the discussion of the internet, it is overwhelming and non-realistic to think we can grasp its scope. However, if we search for the “great first connection” the system will form itself and it will be healthy and stable.

Back to the church planter...

Many of you are vested in church planting. Some of you have the ability to fund those church planters. Think before you act, it may not be the healthiest option to open the financial dialog first. The healthier path may be to formulate the connections. Many of you have heard my soapbox schpeel already, but for those who haven’t here it is:

The church planter out there, although you may never meet them, they are top priority and we exist for them. This philosophy must carry through in all that we do. It is our responsibility to care for him and his family, perhaps not directly, but in our actions. We have fooled ourselves into thinking that throwing money at something means that we care. On the contrary, it seems disingenuous. If we care we must move deeper into building connectedness. Ask questions like:

• In what local supporting pastor does this family find their spiritual covering and accountability?

• Does that same church support them financially?

• Does this family have the skills or connections for some level of self generated support?

(If a planter cannot raise some support for himself, do we really think he can plant a church?)

• Does he have financial support from other local churches, the association or state convention?

If the local field, friends, and sending church do not support him, why should you? He may be a risk.

Now, don’t misinterpret my thoughts. If the end goal is health and longevity of the planter and his family, we undermine the work of the church planter if we fail to ask these questions. Think resolutely on this: If you provide funding without the connectedness, helping the church planter formulate those connections will be more difficult. If you fund immediately, other partners will abdicate their responsibility. However, if you walk with him through the other connections, your funding can be the icing on the cake. The healthiest churches in America will be those that another church has connected with and planted. If our state and national agencies can work to support the local partners, the church planter and his family will be protected.

One final note: If in your thinking, planting a church means filing paperwork to get funding for a church planter, you are derelict in your duties. Invest yourself in that family, walk them into their first great connection, make it a local one, and watch as other partners connect into the great system that is a church plant. That system will transform the culture, increase efficiency, and make that man a better church planter. You are key to his success.

Ditch the Nav

There I sat, trying to explain to my son that there was a time-not so long ago-when there was no such tecnology as vehicle navigation. Your mom, I said, would sit shotgun, Thomas Guide in hand, calling out street names so that I could get us to our destination. "A what?" In those days we knew our streets and more often than not simply left the Thomas Guide in the glove box. We were forced to be informed and to drive with strategic direction.

Recalculating!

Today, no one knows where they are headed, yet each arrive at their destination. It's a curious phenomenon. Led by technology, without fear of error, we plug the address in and go. Previously, a wrong turn meant forced reevaluation and research to avoid getting lost. Today, the delay is short and penetrated by an annoying-yet reaffirming-voice; "Recalculating!" Within moments harmony is restored in the universe and our direction and goals clearly set, complete with a fairly accurate timetable. If all goes well, "You have arrived at your destination!"

Ditch the Nav

As a leader, you have to have an inner dependency on the "still, small voice" and forget about the noise that surrounds you. People telling you to turn right, find the off ramp, or to make a U-turn will only have you recalculating until you are useless as a leader or all hope of effectiveness ebbs away in a consuming fog. You are the leader for a reason, and it is not because you have depended on another to navigate your course. Not entirely anyway. You have been able to decipher the voices in your life that make you better, and ignore those who do not. That's why you are where you are.

Enjoy the Drive

Don't input the destination, rather return to your roots. Do the research, plot the course, and know where you are going. The problem with the navigation system is that you drive dumb, ignore the journey, and the final location is fixed. Leaders who start with a destination in mind, yet embrace the journey, often find themselves in a final location that is much different than the one they planned. They drive down the side streets and alleyways because something caught their eye, something of interest. They stop from time to time to take in the sites and gain knowledge which makes them stronger and more capable leaders. They become so independent that the only time they hear "recalculating" is when that still small voice is shouting for strategic directional change. They own that change and their world is better for it.

Brazen...

Exchange Hotel: Where "Stovepipe Johnson" marched in and demanded surrender.The day is July 18, 1862 and the events of this day would echo through history as one on the most unique, if not brazen, acts of the American Civil War. It was on this day that Colonel Adam "Stovepipe" Rankin Johnson and two confederate partisans left Henderson Kentucky and crossed the Ohio river in a canoe, walked boldly into the company of eighty-five union soldiers under the command of Colonel Bethel in Newburgh Indiana and demanded their surrender. Once the union soldiers surrendered the rest of Johnson's men, only twenty-nine in number, made landing and sacked the city. The Newburgh Siege would go down in history as the war's deepest incursion north of the Mason-Dixon.

How did Colonel Johnson succeed? He succeeded because he had both a brazen plan and two really loyal men at his side.

Before the raid Johnson had set up two "Quaker Canons." One canon was made from a charred log and the other from a stove pipe, each with a set of broken wagon wheels propped up at their side. These canons were set up on hills overlooking Newburgh at such a distance that a spotting glass could just make out their form. When Johnson and his two men walked confidently into the Exchange Hotel at what is now the corner of County Road 850 West and West Jennings Street, they were immediately drawn upon by the union forces housed there. At the end of eighty-five union guns, Johnson boldly demanded their surrender. Handing the spotting glass to Colonel Bethel, and encouraging Bethel to look at the two hilltop canons and across the bank of the Ohio where his twenty-nine soldiers waited, he convinced Bethel that hope was lost and that the entire city of Newburgh was surrounded. The quick surrender afforded the confederacy with much-needed arms, food and medical supplies. The real irony here is Johnson's men had very few working weapons, and almost no food. Any resistance whatsoever, and the plan would have failed.

As a leader you could learn much from Colonel Johnson. First and foremost, that it takes courage to be a leader, especially when so many of your directs are relying on you to lead them. They desire to see a man or woman who is unafraid, competent and willing to go ahead of them into the future. For me, the great takeaway from the Newburgh Siege is this; with a brazen plan and two good men at my side I can expand my territory beyond what reason, or anyone from the outside, would consider possible.

When was the last time that you, convinced of God's purpose and desire for the future, marched boldly into the enemy's camp and demanded his unconditional surrender?

WATCH THE VIDEO

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It's a Wiki Wiki World

In August 2011, the government of Iceland has taken it upon themselves to review a new constitution that was written entirely by the people. Iceland has long sought to revise and/or recreate their constitution because it was a quick rendition of Denmark’s constitution that was adapted when they broke away in 1944.

Enter the wiki-tution!

A group of twenty-five moderators set up a website to ask the people of Iceland what they wanted in their constitution. The response was formidable and while there were your crazies and extremists, the responses were for the most part on target and thoughtful, expanding the creative thoughts of politicians and pundits alike.

This example of trusting the people and seeing from a vantage point wholly different than one’s own, should be commended and revered as a stunning example of facilitative change. Who would have thought that the people—the non-professionals—should be tasked with the offerings of state procedure and defining of power? Furthermore, who would have thought they would do such a wonderful job?

The twenty five did!

They knew that people could be trusted with their own futures, that they could see beyond their own needs to the good of the society.

As leaders, we should remember the following:

-Our people can see what we sometimes do not.

-Our people possess transformational ideas that we need.

-Our people can be trusted with high value responsibilities.

Here is the web site if you are interested:

http://www.stjornlagarad.is/english/

Beneath the Surface

My wife and I love the beach. She loves to find a nice shady spot, open to the breeze, pull out her book and enjoy the afternoon. She enjoys the view of the water, the sights and the sounds, and watching people as they enjoy their afternoon. That type of relaxation may please her, but it drives me insane.

I look out at that big ocean and I realize there is an undiscovered behemoth that covers three-quarters of our planet. I don’t want to sit there on the beach looking at it! I want to get in and discover whatever mysteries or adventures she may hold for me.

But that’s just me.


As leaders we must realize that the majority of people will see our organization with eyes from the shore. When it looks good it looks good. “If it’s not broke… don’t fix it!” Most of our direct reports are right there, enjoying the status quo. The status quo brings them a paycheck, it is stable and stress free. There are no dangers in the status quo. However, there is also a glaring lack of adventure.

As a leader, you have no business enjoying the status quo!

When was the last time that you forced yourself out of the status quo by diving deeper into your organization? When, while seeing the surface, did you last wonder what mystery lies beneath her? What is that scary thing that you may find, and have to wrestle with, that will propel your organization to new heights?

You can only know through discovery. So, what are you waiting for, jump in!

Had a little fun with a video version: Check it out!

[ PLAY VIDEO ]

Matching Subordinate Maturity to Leadership Style

What's wrong with this pictureA few years back management experts Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard proposed what became known as the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory. The theory was really quite simple in that it set rules of engagement with direct reports based upon two scales. The first is maturity level of the led; the second, the leadership style of the leader. The theory is quite helpful and if you want to dig into the specifics of it, click the link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hersey-Blanchard_situational_theory

Based on this theory, I would remind us as leaders that many of the “proper” leadership actions that we are told will make us great leaders may need revisiting. There is no one right leadership style. In fact, leadership is a language that must be tailored to the hearer in much the same way that an adult speaks differently with their peers than with a kindergarten class. The language is common, but the vocabulary and complexity of information changes for the maturity level of the hearer.

If you have been in a position of leadership for long you will find that people generally fall into a number of groups. These groups, or maturity levels can be defined in terms of knowledge, skill set, confidence and the ability to think laterally. Depending upon where the individual is, the leader must match his/her leadership style accordingly.

As leaders we must define ourselves-and our style-as well. Our measures come in the form of our abilities to tell people what to do, coach them on how to do it, participating with them, supporting them, or delegating at various levels.

The “Aha” here is that when we match the leadership level with the maturity level production grows exponentially. If we fail, we will grow frustrated at the deficiency of our direct report. When that happens, we must remember that their deficiency is not theirs but ours. We have failed to match our style to their ability.

The Basics

The reality is that the scale is a sliding one, but the pairing runs along these lines.

The direct report whom we find at the bottom of the maturity scale, marked by a lack of knowledge, skills or confidence to work and think on their own, require a leadership style of Telling or Directing. In other words, they need to be told what to do and how to do it.

Those at the next level of maturity are marked by a willingness to engage in the work but their skill level is slightly beneath the task. The corresponding leadership style is one ofSelling or Coaching. The leader must provide information and direction as before, but there is far more “communication” and the ability to sell the bigger picture.

The third level of maturity is marked by the “ready and willing” individual. They are excited to the task and get the big picture but need input and direction to avoid progression is the wrong direction. They also may not be fully confident in their abilities. The leader must take a Participatory or Support role with these individuals, sharing the big picture but at the same time allowing the individual to give input into the decision making process.

The fourth level of maturity are those who have a strong skill set, confidence in the task, and are driven to proactivity. The leader must respond by Delegation and givingOwnership. The leader must stay in a position of oversight but allows this individual to grow, create, imagine and produce.

There is a warning—for the leader—associated with this final level of maturity. The micromanaging of this fourth level individual will backfire, resulting in less that optimal productivity. Giving ownership to this individual can lead to breakthrough results!

Helmet On... Now Run!

Paragliding MirafloresIn 2008 I was in Lima Peru with my brother Robert. We had met there to continue on to Cusco and eventually hike the famous ruins at Macchu Pichu. While in Lima we made our way to the costal suburb of Miraflores. We spent significant time seeing the sights and walking the famous cliff-side Larcomar shopping district that overlooks the historic La Rosa Náutica restaurant on the pier below. Anyone familiar with the area knows that to the north is the beautiful Parque de Amor (Lover’s Park) and just beyond that lies one of the most spectacular views in all of Miraflores, the cliff-side park atParapente. Standing there, in awe of the view, I had no idea that two years later I would find myself leaping from the two hundred foot high cliff on the southwestern edge of the park.

Like all cliff-side parks, this spot offers spectacular views of the ocean, the island in the distance, surfers that look like little bubbles on the water two hundred feet below, and the sky. Oh the sky! The view of the sky here is amazing. There on the cliffs of Parapente you understand how small and how fragile you really are. In fact, the sky that you see from that place is unlike any sky you will ever see in your lifetime; It is riddled with paragliders. You see, the winds that rise from the two hundred foot cliffs can raise a paraglider to over one thousand feet without effort, making this one of the foremost paragliding spots on earth. It was amazing to watch the ease with which these daring men and women became a strange subclass of Aves. The wind would pick up these birds, and in what seemed a choreographed dance of wonder wove them, in and out, over and under one another in a ballet of spectacular color. It is a wonder to behold.

As leaders we must remember that when we have the necessary skills to lead, from the outside our leadership can look choreographed and beautiful. Like the paraglider finding the balance in the wind, his own presence in the mix of others, and the sheer magnitude of the environment our leadership can be organized and beautiful. However, like the paraglider, if any one element fails, the ballet becomes a tragedy. Loss of wind, loss of any one other glider’s sense of presence and location, these things can change the makeup of the environment to be hostile or even deadly. Standing on that cliff, that beautiful ballet of color reminded me of how an astute leader has the ability to balance all the elements found in his or her organization and create a thing of beauty.

Fast-forward two years…

There I was, on that same cliff at Parapente, nervous yet excited as I waited for the wind to pick up so that I could paraglide for the first time. I had been here the day before, waiting. No wind, no ride. This was my last opportunity, I was leaving for home tomorrow. The wind, though the wait was excruciating, eventually cooperated.

I stood there after having paid my $35 and thought, “What on earth did I just do?” The apprehension grew a bit as they placed a helmet on my head and I told the pilot my weight. He gasped as he calculated the conversion to kilos in his head and I saw his countenance change… Not reassuring! I guess the wind was not strong enough for a 225lb., 6’-4” gringo. He hemmed, he hawed, he looked down at the $35 in his pocket and said, “Well, we can try!” … “Wait a minute… WHAT!” Clearly he was not going to give back my $35 so that left only one option… Pray and GO!

So there I stood, fifty yards from the cliff with my pilot strapping me into a harness that is attached to the biggest kite one has ever seen. I remember looking at the cliff fifty yards in front of me, and thinking one solitary thought, “Like this helmet is going to help!” Then, he tapped me on the shoulder and yelled, “Run!” Hesitant, yet obedient, I ran toward the two hundred foot cliff hoping that the drag I was feeling was the fully inflated glider behind me. There was no way to know.

Gasp!

This is the only time in my life that a non-spiritual experience brought the diametrically opposed feelings of dread and tranquility and slammed them together in an instant. Running off that cliff, and the tightening of my harness signaled the beginning of forty-five minutes of elation, beauty and indescribable wonderment. During that forty-five minute journey we ascended to over five hundred feet, smoothly traversed every manmade obstacle, mountain and valley within miles and above it all, the view was spectacular. There was not a hint of post-Parapente fear. Once the final step was taken, the ride was bliss (the landing however is another story).

Looking back at that experience I realize how many things could have gone wrong and I would not have known what to do. I was privileged to participate in a grand adventure that was only made possible by a highly skilled and trained pilot. As a leader, you must remember that at times your people will experience the fear of the unknown as they try to go with you on your journey. They must learn to trust your expertise and experience. As you sharpen your skill set and grow as a leader, you will instill trust in your abilities and provide excitement for the adventure. However, the trust of your people is paramount.

Had I not trusted my pilot that day I would have feared for the entire forty-five minutes of my flight. But because I trusted both his judgment and his skill set, I experienced a life changing, smooth flying adventure.

It is not appropriate, as leaders, to throw our people a helmet and strap them to our vision or action, without first earning their trust in our ability to lead. Should we attempt to do so, they will sit when we yell, “Run!”

Afterthought:

Was there risk even though the pilot was skilled and trained? Absolutely. That is the way of leadership and that was the reason for the helmet. Not every decision is going to play out the way you anticipate that it will. Some—by luck—will gain altitude, but many of them will plummet. This fact is the reason why it is so important to constantly refine your leadership qualities. Either train and train hard, or get off of the cliff!

VIEW THE VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id04I013TVA