Wayne Hedlund

Category: LEADERSHIP

Leadership Articles prior to 2016

  • What to Read

    Following are some more great articles I recently read and recommend to help your church succeed in fulfilling it’s mission. Enjoy.

    1

    5 Characteristics of a Strong Mind by Michael Hyatt
    No matter the circumstances around us, we will need to rely upon the mental toughness we normally look for in our heroes, not in ourselves.We admire heroes like Robin Hood and James Bond because they embody the characteristics that we’ve valued throughout the ages. Heroes let us feel what it’s like to have the mental toughness to break out of our boring little existence and enter into a much bigger world—one that is full of possibility. Read More.

    The Difference Between Floating and Falling by Scott McClellan
    Reichelt was a tailor who lived in Paris in the early 20th century and was determined to design a wearable parachute. Pay careful attention to this excerpt: “After conducting several failed experiments with dummies at low altitudes, Reichelt, who was convinced his design was perfect, decided to try the suit from a higher elevation and wear it himself.” Read More.

    Gather Stories as if Lives are in the Balance by Mark Howell
    Yesterday we talked about the 7 numbers that matter most in small group ministry.  As important as quantitative measurement is, today we need to talk about gathering stories, the qualitative aspect of small group ministry.  Why?  Let’s just say that while your ministry intelligence depends on the numbers we gathered yesterday, lives actually hang in the balance and depend on the stories you gather.  Read More.

    Why Women Don’t Like Women’s Ministry by Bianca Juarez Olthoff
    Have you ever stood knee-deep in a bad situation, yet believed good could prevail? Have you ever seen a company losing customers, yet saw the intrinsic value that the company possessed in the community? Have you ever seen an ugly duckling that you believed would morph into a swan?  I have.  Read More.

  • The Science of Productivity

    I ran across this great video the other day. Since I’m a productivity nut, I just had to share it. Enjoy.

    [su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/lHfjvYzr-3g” width=”320″ height=”200″]

  • Push that Bus!

    This article was originally posted on Transforming Leader the winter of 2010. Enjoy!

     

    Have you ever tried to push a stalled car down a road by yourself? I have. Many years ago (when I was young and stupid) my car ran out of gas right in the middle of the road. I was also only a block away from the gas station. I jumped out and attempted to push the car to the gas station. My nemesis turned out to be a red light. After excruciating effort (and several cars waiting for me) I finally got enough momentum to get across the road and to the gas station. Ugh. Besides being embarrassing, it was very hard; but I made it.

    Rewind about 4 years prior to that when I was in college. I was part of the Roberts Wesleyan College Chorale and we were in downtown New York City on a Greyhound bus. The women were dressed in black dresses and the men were wearing tuxedo’s. We were late for our next concert. The BUS died in the middle of the road, at a red light! (Did you catch we were in a bus?) All the men (and a few of the ladies) got out of the bus and pushed it down the road. Eventually, the bus driver was able to pop the clutch and get it started again. I wish I had a picture!  It was awesome, fun, and memorable . . . but most importantly, it wasn’t that hard.

    That’s the difference a team makes.

    My point. Strategic planning is NOT a solo activity. As the leader of your ministry you were not meant to plan and strategize about the future alone. It is critical that other leaders and trusted members in your church or ministry be part of the process.

    Here are a few very good reasons why you need a team of people while you plan for the future ministry and life of your church:

    • Your team will sharpen the results of strategic plans.
      You can spend hours in prayer, in the Word and in planning alone and still miss out on all of God’s purposes for your ministry’s future. God is into teams. Jesus recruited a team of disciples. Moses was commanded to pick a team of others to carry the future of the nation with him. Paul worked with a team of other disciples and leaders as he served in ministry on earth. You can only accomplish so much creatively by yourself. Your ideas are finite. Your experience is limited. Your knowledge isn’t enough. When you have a team of people dreaming together about the future, the resulting vision will be sharper, clearer, and bigger than anything you could have dreamed up alone.
    • Your team will add perspective to strategic plans.
      Have you ever had an idea in the middle of the night and thought “That’s a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that before?” and then wake up in the morning, remember the conversation you had with yourself (and the idea) and think, “I must have been brain-dead, that is totally unrealistic and inappropriate!       Your team provides that kind of perspective when you get tunnel vision. They will allow good ideas to germinate and grow and will help to kill unrealistic, narrow, or faithless ideas before they get started.
    • Your team will provide confirmation for strategic plans.
      A couple of years ago I wrote the script for my church’s Christmas production. When I finished writing the script I immediately brought it before our creative team for input. After a few minor changes, they were able to give me a thumbs up – expressing that they believed in the script and liked it. That confirmation from trusted leaders and friends gave me the confidence to run with our Christmas Eve production without worry that it would be a dismal failure. I promoted the event like it would be one of the best productions ever – which it was in my not so humble opinion. 
    • Your team will save you time and energy.
      Hours and hours of time and energy are saved when a team of people brainstorm and strategize together. Sometimes I would stand in awe of what we accomplished as a team, and how quickly and easily we did it.
    • Your team will become key stakeholders in implementing change.
      This is perhaps one of the greatest benefits of a team. When people have a chance to walk through the strategic process with you, they will also become stakeholders in it’s success. You won’t have to cast the vision to these people, trying to convince them of why it’s so important to the ministry. Buy-in will happen automatically as they dream, strategize and troubleshoot problems with you.
    • Your team will provide momentum for change.
      Not only will this team have buy-in, they will often end up being the champions for it’s success. They will talk the vision up with their spouses, family, friends, and the rest of the church for you. They will convince others what a great idea you have. And they will find ways to get involved in it’s success. 
    Perhaps some area in your ministry has stalled out. There’s a car, bus, van, maybe even a train that needs to get rolling. God has shown you that change needs to happen, and it needs to happen soon.
     

    So the real question is, are you going to push that problem down the road alone or are you going to have others who will push with you? Better spend time and energy right now getting the right people to push that bus than to kill yourself trying to get it rolling on your own.

    photo credit: lairdscott via photopin cc

  • Indescribable

    Grab a drinking straw. Walk outside on a clear starry night. Pick a blank space in the sky (no stars) and look through the straw. What do you see?

    Nothing, right. How fun was that?

    Enter the image below, which has been coined the ‘Hubble Ultra Deep Field”.

    When the experts zoomed in on a similar sized spot with a powerful telescope, what do you think they saw? More stars? Nope. Just 1,000’s of GALAXIES. In fact, the experts tell us this one image boasts somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 GALAXIES.

    (You need to click on the image and zoom in to really appreciate it!)

    ultra-deep-field

    I suspect there isn’t a scale we can adequately use to try and imagine the vastness of space and how minuscule we (humanity) really are in comparison with it. We’re overwhelmed just planning a trip to the moon. Another planet in our solar system is just out of reach – perhaps we’ll visit Mars once in my lifetime. The idea of visiting another star is the stuff of sci-fi novels. Exploring a galaxy belongs to Star Wars fans. But millions, perhaps billions of galaxy’s?

    Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV) says it best.

    The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words, no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

    Wow.

     

    Credit:

    NASA, ESA, and S. Beckwith (STScI) and the HUDF Team

  • What to Read

    Following are some more great articles I recently read and recommend to help your church succeed in fulfilling it’s mission. Enjoy.

    what-to-read

    Is Your Ego Getting In The Way Of Building Trust by Randy Conley
    Don’t kid yourself – you’ve got an ego and sometimes it gets out of control. You may not act like a pompous jerk in public, but if you’re human (and if you’re reading this then there’s a good chance you are), you’ve undoubtedly had those self-righteous, egotistical thoughts run through your mind from time to time whenever you’ve felt the need to impress someone or in response to a perceived slight. If you’re not careful to keep your ego in check, it’s likely that it’s causing you to erode trust in your relationships.  Read More. 

    10 Ways To Be A More Strategic Church by Will Mancini 
    #1 Schedule a special gathering for all leaders to inspire them with one goal for the next year. #2 Meet with a pastor whose church is 40% larger than yours and interview them.  Read More.

    5 Steps When The Changes Are Over Whelming by Ron Edmondson
    I’ll be honest. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately. In my new position, there are more opportunities than time. I’m excited about the potential, but my calendar won’t hold anymore and my mind is exploding.  One day recently, I was driving on the road which leads back to Clarksville. I considered my schedule, the enormity of the challenge ahead, the dozens of emails awaiting a response and the people I was still having to say “no” to when they ask for my time, many who don’t understand why the pastor can’t see them right away, and I turned to Cheryl and said, “Right now I wish I could just keep driving and that this had been a nice little dream”. That wasn’t reality speaking or how I really feel. It was emotions talking. I knew that I was simply feeling overwhelmed.  Read More. 

    Get Rid Of Drainy People by Maurilio Amorim
    Every minute you spend with someone who is a negative influence in your life is a minute you could spend with someone else who could be helping you grow. While such thinking might sound self-serving, and it can be if all you care is yourself, it can help you make a smart choice about investing your precious time. Read More.

    photo credit: mccun934 via photopin cc

  • Horstman’s Laws

    My boss, Joe Jansen, recently shared these laws with me which he found at a website both he and I have frequented: www.manager-tools.com. I thought they were very practical and helpful, so I asked permission from Mark Horstman, Co-Founder of that website. They gladly gave me permission, so here they are! Enjoy.

    Horstman’s Laws

    1. It’s All About People
    This is actually a hard-nosed, scientific and financial reality. Any hour you spend on people is a better investment than an hour spent on systems, processes, or policies. Great people can overcome average systems; average people won’t live up to great systems.

    action ›› Spend time with your folks every week. Learn their strengths and weaknesses. Learn their projects. Learn their children’s names.


    2. More Communication is Better
    No matter what the situation: work or home, professional or personal, boss or subordinate, it is always more communication that solves the problem or clinches the deal. And think about this: communication is what the listener does.

    action ›› Pick up the phone. Provide an update. Admit you’re behind. Over communicate, and you’re halfway there.


    3. You’re Not that Smart; They’re Not that Dumb
    You can’t fool people. Ever.The fact is, people know when you mislead them. Yes, they might go along with you, but they know that it doesn’t feel right. That you don’t feel right. After all, didn’t you used to be “them?”

    action ›› Tell the whole truth. Don’t leave anything out. When in doubt, tell everyone. Use candor as advantage, rather than seeing it as weakness.


    4. Control is an Illusion
    There is not a single person whom you think you “control” who would agree with you. If you really think you’re so good as to control another, then who in your organization thinks that way about you? Stop trying to control. You’re wasting your time. Build relationships that allow you to influence.

    action ›› Build relationships based on trust. Say, “I trust you.” Let your team choose their path at times, even when you disagree.


    5. The River is Wide, the Currents are Messy, but all the Water Ends up in the Ocean
    Watch water flow down river sometime. It doesn’t march in nice straight lines.It meanders.It’s messy. Scientists say 20% of it is actually going up river. Your organization is organic–it’s made up of people–just like a river. Your projects and timelines are going to be messy and defy control. Stop fighting it.

    action ›› Don’t worry about or punish every missed deadline–wait for a pattern. Think about a chinese finger puzzle. Sometimes a light touch is the way out. Let go–flow–to get ahead.


    6. There are No Secrets
    If you think you can keep something quiet in your organization, you’re kidding yourself. What everybody is talking about is what’s not being said. Everybody knows already. The one associate or friend that you felt you could tell has probably told someone else whom they trusted… and so on. If you try to keep secrets, others lose respect for you because you show you don’t trust them.

    action ›› Tell everybody everything. Forward every e-mail you get to all of your team…automatically. Don’t go off the record.


    7. How You Feel is Your Fault
    If you find yourself saying, “that guy/situation/boss makes me mad,” you’re wrong. They did something, and then you decided how to respond. Think about the word responsibility. (Response-ability) You’re able to choose your response.

    action ›› Choose the right response. Choose not to get angry. Choose to understand why they behave the the way they do. Your response will be more powerful.


    8. The “Other” Way Often Works Just Fine
    There’s someone else out there who has succeeded to the same level you have with exactly the opposite intuitions you have. (They wonder how you got where you are too.) Your idea that your way is the right way is routinely controverted. You just think it’s right because it’s yours.

    action ›› Try the opposite every once in a while. After your first thought, wait for a second–different–one.

    If you’d like your own copy of Horstman’s Laws, you can get them by clicking this link. To take receive more great resources, bookmark their website at www.manager-tools.com or subscribe to their weekly podcast here.

    Image compliments of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee on freedigitalphotos.net.

  • The Formula for United Change

    united-changeRecently I was talking to one of my mentors, Mike Cavanaugh, and we were discussing the overwhelmingly successful transition our church experienced when he resigned as the founding and senior pastor for more than 20 years and handed it off to a young eagle, Joshua Finley. During that year of transition, our church of about 800 fully embraced every step of the transition. When we finally got together to vote in Pastor Josh, we were mildly shocked to receive a unanimous vote. Now, if you’ve been around the church world for any length of time, you’ll know that’s a veritable miracle all by itself.

    During our discussion, Pastor Mike shared with me a formula that I’ve heard for a few years and which he has consistently used as a guiding principle whenever he has had to initiate change with his congregation. It’s a formula that will help facilitate united change.

    Here’s the formula: Communication + Time = United Change

    That’s it. Lots of communication, combined with lots of time, maximizes your chances for united change. Check out this excerpt from a book I read recently by Tim Stevens, called Vision: Lost and Found. He outlines how his church implemented a vision for a huge change, note how this formula so perfectly fits their strategy.

    I started by identifying four groups that we believed we had to have represented if our vision process was going to be complete and inclusive.

    Influencers – This included our entire staff and every volunteer leader in the church….

    Participants – Additionally, we wanted to hear from all the volunteers and those in small groups, Bible studies, etc….

    Attendees – We then wanted to catch everyone else who attended the weekend service….

    Community – And, if possible, we wanted to hear from people in the community who did not attend our church….

    I then recommended breaking our process into four distinct phases:

    Listening – it would take us a few months, but we wanted to make sure we had enough time to hear from everyone who wanted to participate. This required enough focus so people knew we were serious when we asked the questions.

    Drafting – It was going to be daunting, but we wanted to consolidate the dreams and visions of thousands of people and write an initial vision document that capture the heart of the {whole} church.

    Finalizing – Then, we would have a few cycles where we would send the written draft back out to gain feedback. This would help us refine the next version so it was more concise and clear.

    Communicating – And finally, we would agree on a final vision that would become our guiding document for years to come. We would then begin to communicate that vision to everyone who would listen.

    With these four groups and four phases as our guiding template, we began a process that would result in bringing energy and momentum back to the church like we hadn’t felt in years.

    How might this formula, and Tim Steven’s strategic plan, serve you in the new initiatives you are working on this year?

  • Elevation Church Core Values

    Elevation ChurchI’m a firm believer that defining your core values is a foundational strategic necessity for any church or organization. I’ve already discussed this in-depth in my Core Value series. That said, I thought it’d be cool to share the core values that Elevation Church has defined for themselves. These have got to be some of the most unique, well written, values I’ve ever seen. They are interesting, inspiring and instructive. When I read them, I find myself pulled towards them and that church. It makes me want to learn more about them.

    Understand, I’m not suggesting you copy these values and make them your own. I do suggest you develop your own values and consider modeling the style of how you write and communicate them after Elevation. Enjoy.

    Elevation Church Core Values

    • We Are Known For What We Are For 
      We will speak vision and life over our people. We will lift up the salvation of Jesus rather than using our platform to condemn.
    • We Will Not Take This For Granted
      What we are experiencing is not normal. This is the highest calling, and we will remain grateful for God’s hand of favor.
    • We Are All About The Numbers
      Tracking metrics measures effectiveness. We unapologetically set goals and measure progress through all available quantitative means.
    • We Act In Audacious Faith
      In order to dominate a city with the gospel of Jesus, we can’t think small. We will set impossible goals, take bold steps of faith and watch God move.
    • We Need Your Seat
      We will not cater to personal preference in our mission to reach this city. We are more concerned with the people we are trying to reach than the people we are trying to keep.
    • We Are United Under One Vision
      Elevation is built on the vision God gave us. We will aggressively defend our unity
      and that vision.
    • We Dress For The Wedding
      We will continually increase our capacity by structuring for where we want to go. Not where we are. We will remain on the edge of our momentum by overreacting to harness strategic momentum initiatives.
    • We Are A Generation Of Honor
      We freely give honor to those above us, beside us and under us because of the calling and potential God has placed inside of them.
    • We Are Ruth’s Chris, Not Golden Corral
      Simplicity enables excellence. We place a disproportionate value on creating a worship experience that boldly celebrates Jesus and attracts people far from God.
    • We Lead The Way In Generosity
      Our staff and church will go above and beyond to give sacrificially to the work of God
      in our city.
    • We Think Inside The Box
      We will embrace our limitations. They will inspire our greatest creativity and innovation.
    • We Eat The Fish And Leave The Bones
      We will always maintain a posture of learning. We seek to learn from everyone and incorporate a variety of influences into our methodology.

  • Why People Don’t Do


    thoughts-that-stop-creativity-entrepreneur

  • What to Read

    Following are some more great articles I recently read and recommend to help your church succeed in fulfilling it’s mission. Enjoy.

    Pastor Wayne Cordeiro on Family interview by his son, Aaron Cordeiro
    In this 8 minute video interview (by his son), Pastor Wayne Cordeiro shares key principles with pastors about how ministry and family fit together. Watch Now.

    5 Things You Should Know About Communicating With Millenials by Maurilio Amorim
    They are the most educated and studied generation on earth. Parents, teachers, marketers and communicators want to figure out how to successfully reach millennials. As a parent as well as employer of Gen Yers, I’m always glad to find new, helpful research. Recently, I read in Advertising Age an excellent article by Thomas Pardee on marketing to millennials that I want to share with you. After all, if you’re reading this, your life is and will be impacted by Generation Y. Read More…

    How To Create The Kind Of Team Unity That Drives Results by Michael Hyatt
    Unity is the state of many acting as one. It is an attribute of highly effective teams, whether in marriage, business, church, or government. Without it, progress stops. That’s why creating it—and preserving it—is so important. It is one of the most fundamental functions of leadership. But too often leaders are unclear in their understanding of unity. Read More…

    What Did You Do Wrong? by Perry Noble
    That is the question I most often get from church planters and other pastors when we are having lunch conversations in regards to beginning NewSpring Church. My answer is usually something like, “wow, we don’t have time in this lunch to cover everything;” however, I can hit some of the main things in this post today. Read More…

    Senior Leadership Teams: Are you avoiding these mistakes with your team? by Tony Morgan
    Over the last few years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with over 50 churches. There are many, many healthy situations when it comes to senior leadership teams. Healthy leaders are, of course, in the best position to lead healthy churches. Along the way, though, I’ve identified some traps that can create challenges for both leaders and the ministries they lead. Read More…

    How To Create A Life-Changing Presentation by John Richardson
    The side lights dim in the auditorium and the speaker walks on stage. As they are introduced you notice something different about them. The way they are dressed commands your attention. They start to speak and you are quickly drawn into a powerful story. There is drama, tension, and intrigue. Soon you are tracking with them. You can relate to their struggles and you marvel at their tenacity. Soon they share how they overcame obstacles and found a way to prosper. And then they do something amazing. They offer to share their secret with you. You want to know more. You’ve been where they are, you’ve fought the battle, but you haven’t found a solution. As the speaker goes on, they mention they have a book and a step by step course of action you can take to change your own life. In your mind, you know one thing. You’re not leaving until you have the answer. You pick up the book, follow the instructions, and your life changes. Read More…