Neil Cole is very adept as stripping away the institutional trappings that hinder churches, and see the vibrant power of organic churches – and leaders.

The book centers on growing leaders that multiply naturally in a healthy church setting, a topic that resonates with me.  I love Cole because he’s not afraid of pulling any punches as he goes to work on faulty leadership ideas, yet he truly loves the church!  This guys not off on a bitter rant; he simply wants to see God’s church alive.

I have a feeling we’re going to need quite a few more copies of this floating around the Fountain.  For now, I’m off to do a couple more chapters over a quick taco and iced tea before I head home.

It’s a changing world.  There are new challenges to face, and leaders must be able to discern not only how to navigate change, but how to do so in a way that keeps the church/organization/business moving through the “change waters” with her!

The Change-Resistant Saboteur

Here are some scenarios that saboteurs love:

• “We’ve never tried that before!”  This one is a pretty obvious one; when faced with new opportunities, it is natural to retreat to the well known path.  Brave leaders cannot be afraid of new efforts.
• “We tried that and it didn’t work!”  This one is a little less obvious than the first.  It’s not always wise to scratch a tried and failed situation off the list.  Maybe the right kind of team wasn’t there to see it happen.  Perhaps you are at a place now to do it right!
• “The Mountain To Die On” – Sabs love this one, because we end up making a process, event, or ministry a non-negotiable.  Why is this so bad?  Our clarity for evaluation goes out the window.  A big value for many companies these days is excellence – not a bad value on it’s own.  However, if we evaluate a ministry by the value of excellence (when it truly might need to change) it can really be misleading!  Especially if we leave out words like, oh, effectiveness.  In other words, I can do things that don’t really matter with excellence!

There are other scenarios as well – saboteurs are opportunists!  I’ll leave you with a couple tricky spots to avoid:

1. Becoming obsessed with change:  Change can be such a healthy thing for an organization that we often equate change with progress.  And for progress to happen, we must change.  But I have seen leaders too often fall in love with change, which makes for schizophrenic ministries, new every year… or at least after every conference or book.  Which inevitably leads to burned-out teams, confused team leaders, and lots of money and time spent.  Change has to be approached with discernment, weighing the changes with the lens of the groups’ mission.

2. Only embracing changes that you initiate:  Can you really embrace and accept change?  Or do you only love change when it’s your idea?  A good litmus test:  When someone offers a change idea that you would not normally think of or appreciate, is your response resistance?  Do you shoot it down right away?  Learn to process and think through each idea for its own merit, and change will be your ally.

Thoughts?

By the time you notice a saboteur’s handiwork, it’s too late:  the damage is done.  Of course, we have to guard ourselves from a myriad of things every day that can take us out, but even after a shootout, we can still shoot our own foot!

Today’s Leadership Saboteur:  The Authoritarian
 A Saboteur that poses under the guise of ”High Quality Leadership Skills.  How the Authoritarian takes us out:

• Creates a sense of independence from needing others’ ideas or input
• Insulates us from fresh perspective
• Monopolizes leadership decisions, pushing potential leaders even further away
• Locks us into ruts quick (“I’m the authority on this, so we’ll do it my way!”)

And on we go… bullet point lists ad infinitum. 

The danger in The Authoritarian is that he keeps coming back!  Every time we succeed in an endeavor, he’s watching, waiting for us - ready to convince us to become the expert in our area of success.

In other words, the very thing we succeed in has the potential to take us out. 

Some ammo to aid in your battle against the Authoritarian:

• Fight fear:  the fear of failure, fear of being wrong, and the fear of not having all the answers.  Free yourself up to need others.  Strong leaders understand their need for interdependency.
• Invite people into your circle of decision-making (or even decision evaluation) that see things differently than you.  Ask for their input.  Listen.
• Honestly evaluate if you resist change, and if so, why.  Remember:  Leaders often champion and promote change when it’s the change they came up with! 
• Stay teachable.  Read.  Ask questions.

Don’t let your most recent victory become the thing that ruts you!

The tricky thing about saboteurs:  they are trained to go under the radar.  That’s why they are so effective; they do their work undetected.  Usually you don’t notice the work of a saboteur until things have blown up in your face, and the damage has been done.  In the wreckage, you notice the blind spot that a crafty saboteur has slipped in through.

Leaders, pastors, team members - all are targets for saboteurs.  And you don’t have to lead long before you realize:  many saboteurs are found in the mirror.  So for leaders to grow and expand their level of influence, pride has got go.  This challenge continually presents itself in a myriad of contexts:  Equipping others, delegating, accepting new ideas and directions.

The Deadly Duo:  Originality & Carbon Copying

These first saboteurs come to us as a duo.  Originality and Carbon Copying are like a combination 1-2 punch - if the first doesn’t get you, the other one will! 

Saboteur #1: Carbon Copy Leadership

We want to look hip, in the know, current.  Unfortunately, this can often lead to molding ourselves after another leader.  It’s easier than ever, too:  I can download their DNA via podcast, worship at their blog and even stalk them on Twitter!

But just like David couldn’t wear King Saul’s armor, I can’t fit into the mold of another leader.  My situation is different.  I have my own giants to face.  There are scores of leaders, running from seminar to seminar, putting on other leaders’ armor.  Don’t  be afraid to learn from others, but know the danger of carbon copying another leaders. We end up entrenched in trends, unable to think for ourselves. 

“Original” Leadership

Now, don’t get me wrong; I love original ideas.  Cookie cutter solutions have done their fair share of destroying what could have been a breath of fresh air in organizations.  Many leaders have tried to carbon copy something they have seen, only to find frustration in their unique setting.

But when the pride of being original gets in the way of learning from others, we’re in trouble.  Why do we fight so hard to appear original and creative?  Why have we accepted the lie that learning and drawing from others is a sign of leadership weakness?

When we draw from many leaders, we are able to gain perspective on how they addressed issues, resolved conflicts, and discovered creative solutions.  These things do not stifle our own originality; in fact, they spur it on.  Case in point:  Every time I watch a Pixar movie, I come away challenged to be more creative and original, drawing from the fresh ways Pixar looks at the world (via Wall-E’s eyes, Lightning McQueen’s tires, etc).

Learning how others do things helps you become better.  It doesn’t mean that originality has to die – in fact, the more you learn to listen to other voices, the better you might be able to recognize your own.

The Tension Of Wisdom

In order to not be taken out by either saboteur, I have to lead with wisdom.  Wisdom teaches me to read other people’s books, to listen to great leaders, and to stay passionate about growing.  Wisdom also guards me from trying to find my identity in others.  I’m free to learn, to draw in, and to simultaneously let God make me who I need to be.

And that’s hard to sabotage.

Our Easter Sunday Celebration was beautful. I am so appreciative of the people who make the Fountain Church what it is!

• Kristy - Thanks for being my partner in life and in God’s work.  You always cover so many important details and go the extra mile for others.  I have such love and respect for you!
• Elisha & Rob – Thank you for your special songs; they were beautiful and poignant.  
• Dan, Bryan, Chara, Bill, Chris, Rachel, Elisha, Crystal, Melissa, Rose, Sandy, Shawna, Robert, and Bryan – The music was incredible!  Thanks for your hard work and big hearts!
• Jeff, Linda (mom of mine), Kristy, Laurette (mom#2 of mine), Nancy, and Shirley (bonus mom of mine) – Thank you for loving and serving the 40+ kids who ended up in KidSplash on Sunday!  You make kids feel welcome and loved.
• Chara – So much happens because you are around.  Your leadership, attitude, and abilities are invaluable. Yo diggity!
• Renee, Crystal, Bob - The breakfast was top notch, and knowing you were all in the mix to greet people means  people will feel truly welcome.  Thank you!
• Roger (my dad, aka Pa) – Thanks for the faithful coffee pick up!  You keep us juiced with Mud Bay weekly.
• Dan, Ray, Shawn - Many hands make light work.  Thanks for setting up and tearing down all of our stuff!
• Lon – I appreciate the great video recording and audio work you do so faithfully every week!  We love the tech geeks!
• Jim – Your custodial work is always above and beyond.  Thanks for making sure we’re taken care of.
• Ray, Vikki, Rob, and my  bud Aiden – Passing out hundreds of cups of coffee and donuts at the Easter Egg Dash was awesome – plus you made it fun!
• Jesus – This Sunday was for You, it was because of You, and I’m forever grateful for your death and resurrection.  Gloria Agnus Dei.

The concepts presented are helpful, instead of just intellectual.  A big takeaway for me was to be mindful of different ways of determing what is salient in decision-making.  Often I look at things through my “reality” (things I perceive as important), when there are other factors to hold in mind simultaneously that would help me make a more informed decisions.  And while we could all probably see the benefit in doing that, it’s harder, more complex, requires more mental draining. 

In other words, it’s more work.  Which, the author argues, is why successful leaders win.  All in all, a great book.  Here’s a video link to Roger Martin sharing more about integrative thinking:

What are easy payments, by the way?

Kitchen shears, it turns out, do not fit in that category.  For those who have them and use them, they understand what an incredible tool they are.  They are not a luxury or a fad; they are part of a wise cook’s arsenal.

There are so many things that come along the leadership pipeline; bright shining lights, and off we all run!  These are often easy payments, too – ($29.95!), but they end up in our leadership junk drawer soon enough.  For those who know better, wise leaders will stick with kitchen shears – the things that keep leaders focused and sharp.

Things like clear communication.  Team building.  Honest feedback.  Self-evaluation.  At the end of the day, a hip new thing will not change you.  It will not change me.  It will not make me any better.

But kitchen shears…