Month: March 2020

The Invisible Metric of Leadership

Posted on March 31, 2020 by - Articles, Character, Leading Yourself

Hands of magician doing tricks with a deck of cards.

I’ve got three young boys and they love magic. Or at least, they think they do.

Illusions and sleight of hand are irresistible to them. They love the ease with which the magician violates all known laws of physics. Oh, and save your breath—there’s no convincing them that “real” magic hasn’t taken place. After all, they saw it happen right in front of their eyes.

It’s cute in kids.

It’s a little harder to stomach in adults.

These days, news headline after headline reverberates with stunned indignation over the fall of successful companies and leaders. They seemed larger than life… so productive, so talented, so powerful. How could this have happened?

How many more times must we fall for the sleight-of-hand success instead of learning to identify and value genuine substance in leadership?

The mesmerization with outward success is a problem that has plagued humanity across history, cultures and geography. Fortunately, we have time-tested wisdom that can help us move forward in our journey of understanding and identifying genuine success.

One of the dominant themes of the Bible is the emphasis that is placed on the condition of the inner self of a person (often identified as the “heart” or “soul”). Despite outward manifestations of strength, competence, wealth or power, the repeated message is that it’s the heart of a person that matters most.

What is inside the heart reveals the true essence of a person.

The Hebrew prophet, Samuel, got a crash course in this as he vetted candidates for Israel’s king. Despite the royal look that some of the candidates had, God wasn’t impressed: 

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT)

This means that what is in the heart will eventually triumph—we cannot hide what we are.

What is inside the heart reveals the true essence of a person.

What emanates from that source is utterly us as nothing else is. What is in our heart ultimately determines the fruit of our life—even if the content of the heart is initially undetectable to humans. Thus, God is intensely focused on it, even to the point of completely disregarding outward markers highly esteemed by people.

This, in and of itself, is a significant warning to anyone involved in leadership. Metrics can often be misleading when it comes to identifying true success.

Highly profitable bottom lines, increased productivity, impressive IPOs or widespread social media influence can all be celebrated, but they can never fully reveal what is at the heart of an organization. The sadly familiar story of organizations like Enron, Theranos and WeWork simply reveal that the heart will eventually overpower the outward narrative.

Toss Out Metrics?

So, are metrics absolutely useless? Do we resign ourselves to never truly knowing what’s going on under the hood, crossing our fingers in hope that there’s enough integrity on the inside to justify what’s on the outside, especially when all indicators are up and to the right?

Not at all!

But as much as data may tell us useful and important things, leaders must never forget what we cannot see will turn out to be the most important in the end.

Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen. (2 Corinthians 4:18 CEV)

This is the spiritual reality of all leadership efforts, and it’s a fundamental lesson for leaders to keep in mind as they lead.

Careful attention is needed as we interpret our data, keeping in mind that there is a deeper, more significant reality that we cannot see that often evades measurement. The outward signs of success can easily blind us to what’s happening on the inside.

 

3 Practices to Perceive

The challenge is, of course, how do we perceive that which is invisible? How do we know when motives are clear and so avoid the tragedies that litter the leadership landscape? While the nature of these issues obscures them, there are practices that leaders can use to drive them out into the open.

 

1. Honor what’s intangible

Success according to metrics is easy to perceive and reward. But if we’re serious about valuing the most important aspects of success, then we must find ways to instill honor and value concerning intangible realities.

For example, a recent article on Military.com describes a profound choice by the United States Army to declare, teach and model humility as a fundamental leadership attribute. For decades, many words might have been used to describe Army leadership, but “humble” probably wouldn’t have cracked the Top 10. Why the change? They’ve perceived that the personal qualities within their officers eventually overrides the outward accomplishments of their officers. The Army is now in the process of reevaluating processes, systems and structures within their organization to honor what’s intangible.

The old leadership adage holds true here: what we recognize gets repeated

The old leadership adage holds true here: what we recognize gets repeated.

 

2. Consequence-Free Critiques

There’s a common, yet often misguided, piece of leadership wisdom floating around today: only surround yourself with people who love and believe in you. There’s a nugget of truth at the root of this. Visionary leaders need supportive people who are willing to see what’s possible in the face of formidable challenges. However, it’s often put into practice by systematically eliminating people from the inner circle of a leader’s life who have the power to openly disagree.

This practice has repeatedly created organizational cultures that concentrate “yes-men (or women)” toward the top, effectively removing wise and prudent counsel from the life of the leader, and ultimately resulting in disastrous lapses of judgment or integrity.

What if we had the courage to keep people in the room who have the ability to challenge us without consequence? There are potential dangers to this approach—and yes, it certainly can become annoying or time-consuming to deal with–but the dangers on the other end of the spectrum seem far more spectacular and well-documented. Leaders who wisely surround themselves with people who have the ability to challenge keep what’s at the heart front and center.

 

3. Listen to the front lines

It’s a common experience across corporate America:  Ask executive leadership about the state of the organization and get one answer; ask a frontline employee and you get a completely different perspective.

Those without power often have a very attuned sense of what really matters in an organization. Apart from the glitz, glamour and visionary spin of the “C-Suite,” the true values and mission of the organization filter down to lower ranks in a very distilled and clear way. No matter what is announced from on high, they know what really matters to the organization.

While it’s true the perspective of someone lower in the hierarchy is often incomplete, as they don’t have access to the information of executive leadership, there’s typically something very sobering and precise about their diagnoses of organizational health. If nothing else, they have masterful insight into the often hidden pain points of the organization, and are willing to share, if an environment of trust can be established.

Why not create regular listening conversations to those at all levels of the organization in order to fight against reliance on easily accessible, visible data? The results you get might be anecdotal, but they may also help draw what is invisible out into the light.

 

The Person You’re Becoming

So, why this incessant focus on the heart? One of the most insightful quotes I’ve ever read comes from one of my favorite authors, Dallas Willard. He writes:

What God gets out my life is the person I become.

Not my stuff. Not my accomplishments. Not my results. Not my rewards.

Those are all just sleight of hand when we’re dealing with success.

There’s nothing I can produce in this life that God needs or cannot produce on his own—except this one thing: the person I am becoming on the inside. That is the source of my true leadership. What flows from my heart is unique—and it matters more to God than we really grasp. It is what he is continually focused on to the exclusion of all else—even that which is laudable and successful.

The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them… the Lord looks at the heart.

What might be different in our world if our leadership followed suit?

Part 1 Notes: Leading Through Crisis with Craig Groeschel

Posted on March 30, 2020 by - Articles, Decision-Making, Leading Others, Learning Agility, North America, Supervising People, The Global Leadership Summit, Wellness

Craig Groeschel dives into leadership during a crisis via a live webinar.

My original talk was about defeating the four enemies of growth, but I couldn’t predict the fifth enemy—COVID-19. This is a complicated and difficult time. It is an unprecedented season in our lifetime! There are no clear answers and we’re in uncharted territory.

Most everyone is experiencing varying degrees of discomfort about the future:

  • Some (more vulnerable) are terrified of getting sick.
  • Some are afraid of losing their job.
  • Others have already lost hours or lost their job completely.

 

Many of YOU have an extra layer of pressure:

  • You aren’t just worried about your job.
  • You’re concerned about your business or your church.
  • You’re concerned about your employees—their families—people who depend on you!

 

What do we do? How do we lead through uncertainty? Lead during crisis? How do you lead when you’ve got no clue what’s coming? How do you lead when you are afraid? Unsure? Lacking confidence?

Leadership is always important—more important now than ever. 

Today I want to give you a perspective, some suggestions and encouragement.

Let’s start with some perspective…

This is a very real global crisis. It’s not the first in the history of the world and it won’t be the last. We will get through this. Will it be hard? Yes, it already is. Will things be different? Likely so! Will we get through this? Eventually!

Also, important to remember…

  • Every major crisis creates unexpected problems. (Too many to count)
  • Every major crisis also creates unprecedented opportunities.
  • We have more and different problems today than a month ago.
  • There are more and different opportunities that we had a month ago.

 

3 Different Types of Opportunities We Should be Looking For:

Some opportunities are practical.
  • Now you have an excuse to make some changes you should have made.
  • I had a mentor who always said… “Don’t ever waste a crisis.”
  • What’s confusing during good times becomes clear during bad times.
  • A crisis often creates clarity!
  • It might become clear to you that you need to adjust expenses, eliminate fluff, close, depart, redeploy or narrow your focus.
Some opportunities are financial.
  • This will create investing opportunities or business opportunities.
  • Those who can see needs and respond quickly can create value, build business and develop ministry.
  • There are lots of financial opportunities for the few that see them and seize them.
Many opportunities are missional.
  • There are more people in need today who weren’t in need a month ago and there are new opportunities to help them.
  • If you’re a pastor, some people are more open spiritually today than they were a month ago. It’s an opportunity to speak into people’s lives.
  • Businesses can meet needs too. GM and Tesla are providing respirators; commercial airlines are providing cargo; a local trucking department is using trucks to ship groceries, food and supplies where they’re needed.
  • Churches are opening their doors as a day care for hospital workers or testing centers for Covid-19!

Let’s remember, every crisis creates problems and opportunities, but most people just see the problems. Leaders must address the problems and seize the opportunities!

Continuing our thoughts about perspective, let’s not miss the obvious—that as leaders, we must clearly define the problems we are facing. This seems insultingly obvious, but many leaders don’t do this!

Some leaders just start diving in without clearly defining the problem. It’s important to step back to be proactive instead of reactive to problems.

 

Defining the 4 Problems:

What are our current problems? This is different for all of us depending on what country, state or industry we’re in, but there are some similarities.

1. COVID-19 is a problem!

We don’t want people to get sick.

2. Fear and panic are problems.

I heard one person say we have two pandemics. We’ve got a viral pandemic and a social pandemic—and everyone is spreading fear. The virus is a problem. Fear is a problem. We have to name it.

3. Cascading economic impact is a problem.

Some people I trust are projecting the physical pain and trauma may be worse from the economy than the virus. As the economy falls, despair increases. The economic hits lead to depression, mental health challenges, substance abuse, potential domestic abuse, potential rise in suicides… and then when you think about already impoverished countries, the lives hurt could be devastating.

4. Public perception is a real issue.

Once you start to identify the problem, you’ll want to create a short-term plan. During the early season of this crisis there were two cases in my home state. Would have it been safe for us to meet? What’s right is that we could have met, and we might have been safe. But even though what we could have done could have been safe, if we are not aware of public perception, we could have had a real problem. If we communicate that we value our gathering over keeping people alive is a real issue. It’s important to communicate that safety is more important. You’ll have to deal with when to re-open your church or organization and how your team and community will respond to that.

 

Priorities:

It should become clear that there are only a few things that matter!

4 Tiers of Effectiveness:

  1. What is mission critical?
  2. What is strategic and important?
  3. What is important but not essential?
  4. What is externally initiated?

Clearly define your tiers. Keep focused on tier one and tier two topics right now. Focus on mission critical things. You’re going to be tempted to do lots of things. Don’t. Everyone is going to have ideas—good ideas. Focus your energy toward the biggest priorities.

Create a plan around these mission critical things.

 

Do these 2 things when you are devising a plan:

1. Expect to get it wrong.

There is no road map. You will have lots of false starts. Things are changing too rapidly. Tell your team you’ll be adapting.

2. Think long term but limit your plan to short term.

People ask me, how long is this going to last? Will this be over in a few weeks? I have no idea. I have to plan to do church online long term because I’d rather be pleasantly surprised than constantly disappointed. How long? I’d be foolish to predict that, but I’m thinking long term and deciding day to day, hour by hour. Things are changing every day. Be wise to think worst case scenario, but don’t create fear.

 

Do these 3 things when you communicate:

1. Communicate Empathetically

Unfortunately, most of your team members first thought isn’t about your business, your nonprofit or your church. By nature, they are asking, “How will this impact me? My family?” They are understandably afraid.

You will want to acknowledge their fears and speak to them. Help them know you understand what they are feeling. Don’t be afraid to say what people are thinking. Do everything you can to value your employees. They won’t follow you if they don’t believe you understand. Help them know you genuinely care about them!

 

2. Communicate Truthfully

Tell the truth, even when the truth is negative, uncertain or scary. This is so important.

I’ve seen some leaders say, “It’s going to be fine! It’ll be over in no time.” But as leaders, we don’t motivate through a crisis, we lead through a crisis. This is not a time for motivation, this is a time for wise decisions, and leading through the crisis. Be realistic and truthful.

Jim Collins writes about this in Good to Great. He talks about Admiral Jim Stockdale, the highest-ranking U.S. military officer in one of worst POW camps during Vietnam War who survived an 8-year imprisonment. He was tortured 20 times with no certainty of living, no promise of freedom and no hope of surviving. Even though he was a prisoner, he was in command and helped other POWs survive.

When people asked him, “Who didn’t make it out? Who didn’t survive?” He said, “The answer is easy—the optimists” It was those who believed they’d be out by Christmas. Then by Easter—they couldn’t take the devastation.

“This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end–-which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” 

Tell your team the truth, even if truth is negative, uncertain or scary. People can handle bad news better than no news and the fear that comes with not knowing.

So, tell them, you don’t know—you aren’t sure. The only thing you want to promise them—whatever you decide—it’s going to change. So, adjust. That’s why you speak confidently, but not definitely. You are certain your team will make wise decisions as you know more, but you don’t know enough to project way into the future today. We’re not making promises. We’re confident, calm—we’re leaders.

 

3. Communicate Frequently

You cannot over-communicate. Every day, things are changing, sometimes by the hour. Every day, they have new questions, concerns and fears. Our various campus staff normally meet all together four times a year. Now we are meeting online every week—sometimes twice a week. Our church normally works on the weekends, but we also added a midweek service and our normally monthly communication is now weekly. Our campus staff team is calling every member of our church asking them if they need anything. We’re increasing the frequency of communication.

With every communication explain “why” as often as possible. People will go along with the what when they understand why! You’re going to make a lot of decisions based on the information you have, but your team might not have all that information. That’s why you need to be clear about the why before the what.

 

Practical advice:

1. Cut any unnecessary expenses. Cash is king. We have no idea how long this will last or how bad will be. Cash to your business is like oxygen to your body. If your team is going to need to make sacrifices, you go first, and you sacrifice the most. If everyone is taking a 20% pay cut, you take 40%.

2. It may seem obvious—take care of yourself! Like many of you, I haven’t had a real day off in weeks! Sleep, unplug, walk, laugh, see your kids! Put your own oxygen mask on, and then put it on others.

 

Q&A

What’s your highest priority in a time of crisis?

My first priority was how we minister to people. How do we bring the meat of what we do to people digitally? When we created the Church Online platform, we didn’t realize this, but we built a boat before it started to rain, and now 18,000 churches who have come on board to the church online platform. So, now we’re helping thousands of people do church online. We had to reallocate resources, because that was top priority for us.

Outside of my industry, having current and real information to make necessary decisions in the moment. Answer the question, based on what we know, what is right, now? Don’t let all the other energy take you away from those things. Let’s do the things that impact the most. What creates the most revenue or margin?

How do we care for people and extend compassion while still needing them to lead our business forward?

I would start every bit of communication with a you-centered message instead of a me-centered or business-centered message. Let people know you understand what they’re going through. Acknowledge the difficulty, and then speak to what is important to them. Let them know you’ll work together. Don’t tell them you need them to keep your business afloat, it’s about being in this together. Let people know you want to do everything you can to help them be successful. Together, we all end up in a better place. Trust your instincts. If you’re asking the question, it means you care.

Any tips for making video conference meetings more meaningful?

Give yourself permission to meet outside of making decisions. Try to make it social. Get into their world. Feel what they’re going through. Be empathetic.

When you are making decisions, be efficient with your meetings. Add value. Answer the question, so what?

How do I work with my team who is struggling with how rapidly things are evolving?

Think differently about how you think about change. People don’t dislike change; they don’t like how we try to change them. People change their haircuts, shoes, where they live, what they eat, lose weight, what they learn. During this time, let people see why staying here is not acceptable. Help people see why we can’t stay the same. We need to help them understand why where we’re going is better. You’re going to have your critics, your advocates and bystanders. Your why is important and will help move people along.

When this is over, work on creating a culture that doesn’t resist change. The only thing that is certain is that things are going to change. We don’t improve without change. The why is the key to empowering a team to make the move toward change.

What systems are being maximized during this crisis?

Tech deliverables to thousands and working remotely. Driving culture where we are not. Email lists are more important. Podcasts and video devotionals on social media. Some things became obsolete like physical groups. A system is how things get done. Be clear as to what is expected and correct if it’s not working. Celebrate when it’s done well.

How can I ask for the sale if this is needed without sounding to greedy?

It should sell itself if it is viable. Don’t be afraid to ask for the sale if this really is a viable service that is still needed. Continue to close the sale if adding value. People still pay for things they value.

What’s the best way to lead your team when some are skeptical to the new procedures?

Be clear and walk it through as to the why you are leading this way. Acknowledge the why to protect people. Thank people for being flexible. If you’re clear about how you got to the decision, they’ll be more likely to buy it. There’s no perfect decision to make right now. If we err on the side of caring for others, and explain it like that, reasonable people will go with that. We don’t like it, but we can not like it together.

To what degree of vulnerability should we share?

Practicing calculated, strategic vulnerability is key. Be wise. Be selective in how you say it. Don’t fall apart in front of them but empathize with them. You want to be vulnerable to connect with their hearts. Tell people what is appropriate but with a posture of confidence that we will get through this. Connect with their head and their heart. It’s empathy and confidence.

 

Closing thoughts:

I’ve worked hard to not talk about layoffs… Many of you will be making those decisions, which is the hardest part of job! When you do make those decisions, they know you will be as generous as you can! Don’t feel bad when you feel bad about. Give your permission to hurt—cry! Be prepared to hurt. Don’t run from the pain! Step into it! Step into the pain—Lead! Some businesses won’t make it. Some ministries will shut the doors. If you do, remember it’s not over. Just because a business fails—doesn’t make you a failure! Failure is an event—never a person. You can rise again!

If you’re scared, welcome to the party. We’re all scared. I believe you are where you are because you were chosen to be where you are. You don’t have to k now it all, but you just have to show up and make the wisest decisions you know to make. You won’t get it all right but be honest. Try to make the best decisions you can. Create value. Leadership is not about you, it’s about the people you lead. It’s going to take crazy courage and difficult decision. you’ll question yourself. But recognize you are chosen for this. We will get through this.

 

Watch the full video of Part 1 Leading Through Crisis with Craig Groeschel

Click here to view now

 

Grander Vision Takes Flame Within Prison Walls After the Summit

Posted on March 30, 2020 by - Because of the GLS, Character, Communication, Influence, Leading Others, North America, Prison, Stories

Man writing letter

When The Global Leadership Summit and Prison Fellowship partnered to broadcast the Summit to prisoners, it was to give men and women who are incarcerated the tools they need to become effective leaders. In 2015, the Summit welcomed 1,500 prisoners in 11 U.S prisons. In 2019, the Summit was live-streamed to incarcerated men and women in 83 prisons.

Leadership matters—even in prison.

After the 2018 GLS, Alejandro found someone’s notebook on the bookshelf at the prison, and became inspired with his own Grander Vision, even before ever attending the event! Read about his Grander Vision here.

We’re excited that Alejandro was able to experience his first GLS in 2019! We recently received this letter of gratitude. We’re grateful for Kingdom-minded leaders like Alejandro! Be inspired by the role you play in the lives of those like Alejandro.

 

I love the Global Leadership Network and everything you guys do.

I wanted to share with you that the Lord is richly blessing me and opening many opportunities to help and minister to others. One thing that has me in awe about The Global Leadership Summit is the outlook you carry—that including us prisoners in your mission is of great importance. Labeled as outcasts and menaces to society, you show by your efforts in making the events available to us that you see us as Christ sees us—valuable. That means so much. I speak on behalf of the entire facility that we were so excited and enthusiastic to be in attendance. My sister in another facility and fiancé in another, expressed the same attitude.

…you see us as Christ sees us—valuable.

Effective communication I know is vital to relationships. So, I greatly enjoyed Chris Voss’ interview.

Though I learned incredible insight from all presentations, I feel the most impactful messages were the ones that incorporated Jesus Christ. Danielle Strickland captured my attention and delivered a powerful message on giving reverence to the Lord. In the program of character development I am in at the prison, not everyone is a believer. Like Mrs. Strickland, Christ being the center of my life, I cannot exclude Him from anything I do. Many times, in my role as a leader in the program, I am asked to keep silent about my faith or exclude Christ in situations so as not to offend others, yet I cannot and will not. I will sell out for my vision and I will praise the one who gave it to me.

I know you believe in me and I believe in you.

I have been writing to the community leaders where I am from telling them about my grander vision with hopes I am planting seeds into the minds of those who can bring this together. You have greatly invested in me and I’d like to extend my gratitude with a contribution of $7 to the GLN mission. I know you believe in me and I believe in you. I’m honored to be a part of the GLN family. God bless you and peace be with you.

Yours very truly,
Alejandro

Heritage Trails Correctional Facility in Plainfield, Indiana

Free Leadership Resources for Pastors Leading in a Season of Crisis

Posted on March 30, 2020 by - Articles, Change Management, Leading Organizations

Social networking concept from a distance away

With the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the rise, pastors and church leaders are asking, what do I do next? Many are looking for guidance and direction to make the next best decision to protect, encourage and equip themselves, their families, their staff, their church members and their communities.

As our team has been engaging with our partners around the world, we’re starting to receive so many helpful resources. We’re also hearing incredible stories about how they are leading and living in this new reality. As we curate these stories and resources, we will be sharing them here on our website to continue to remind you and encourage you with what is happening throughout God’s Kingdom, even in the midst of uncertainty.

Here are just some of the resources we’ve received so far, with more to come!

 

Dr. Katurah York Cooper served as a pastor on the front lines of the Ebola Epidemic in Liberia. Find her excellent post 5 Leadership Tips from a Pastor Who Battled the Ebola Epidemic in Liberia here.

 

Joanna La Fleur is a church communications expert who helps churches implement digital evangelism and discipleship. Some ways to reach into her expertise are:

 

Ed Stetzer, the executive director of the Billy Graham Center, along with Rick Warren, have recently created the website coronavirusandthechurch.com to serve as a hub for content related to this crisis.  Some helpful resources on this site include:

 

Pastor Max Lucado is offering free, open access to his five teaching videos in the Anxious for Nothing Bible Study to help people and groups riddled by anxiety in these turbulent times.

 

The Spire Network did a training on Discipling People Online. Watch it here.

 

Stadia Church Planting has set up a page Coronavirus & Online Church Resources that includes many helpful links and a video entitled Coronavirus: Inability to Meet with Jeff Reed.

 

Dr. Henry Cloud’s webinar on The Psychology of Crisis is available on-demand. He dives into how leaders can manage their own fears and uncertainties while also guiding their people through theirs. Henry provides practical and biblical encouragement for the Christian leaders who are courageously shepherding their communities in these uncertain times. For more information, click here.

 

Sound leadership in a season of crisis can help prepare us for a new reality, solve difficult problems and provide hope. Let’s persevere, together.

 

 

If you’re looking for additional resources to support you in your leadership, visit globalleadership.org/crisis-leadership/. We are honored to serve you during this season.

Click here to view now

GLS Faculty on Leadership During COVID-19

Posted on March 25, 2020 by - Articles, Change Management, Leading Organizations

Business opinion concept. Group of corporate people hiding faces behind blank speech bubbles, empty space

In these times of unprecedented change and anxiety, excellent leadership is needed more than ever. As many of us are facing new challenges in this season, we wanted to share some timely advice and wisdom from our Global Leadership Summit Faculty alumni. These days, many of them are actively engaged in providing encouragement on their digital platforms, so we’ve collected some of our favorites below.

Marcus Buckingham helps leaders focus on what’s most important for your team right now. If You Lead People Today, Do These 5 Things.

 

Patrick Lencioni offers three simple recommendations for leading a virtual team that has been posted on the Chief Executive Magazine website.

 

Simon Sinek is posting videos and encouragement on LinkedIn. Here’s one of his gems: It is rare for all humanity to have an opportunity to come together to help each other. This is one of those times.

 

Erica Ariel Fox has two wonderful articles on the psychology of our present moment. Coronavirus Panic: Some Tips for Handling Your Fear and The Power of Later.

 

Erwin Raphael McManus calls us to higher purpose with his Facebook post Let’s go Viral with Grace.

 

Bishop T.D. Jakes shares A Message of Hope broadcast on CBS Good Morning, giving his thoughts on community during social isolation.

 

John C. Maxwell  gives his teaching on the topic of Leading Through Crisis. available on Facebook live.

 

Condoleeza Rice prays for our communities on Facebook.

 

Henry Cloud is organizing a webinar on The Psychology of Crisis LIVE on Wednesday March 25 at 2:00pm ET. If you cannot attend live, the material will be available on-demand after the event. For more information and to register for live or on-demand, click here.

 

And some of our favorite pastors have been creating powerful weekend experiences filled with perspective, hope and inspiration.

 

Craig Groeschel: Not Afraid

 

Albert Tate: The Promise of Purpose

 

What else is encouraging you during this season? Share your ideas in the comments below.

The 7 Signs to Look For in a Servant Leader

Posted on March 24, 2020 by - Articles, Leading Others, Servant Leadership

African American business coach speaking presentation at briefing

What do executives at Starbucks and philosopher Lao Tzu have in common with Greek writer Plutarch and business author Jim Collins? They all at some point talk about servant leadership, which has become a popular idea today.

  • Starbucks attributes much of its success to a servant leadership culture.[1]
  • Jim Collins in Good to Great talks about how Level 5 leaders have a humble, servant mindset.[2]

But what does it actually mean to lead in such a way that demonstrates you are a servant leader?

This is the approach Jesus modeled, so the right place to start with servant leadership is with Jesus. But I want to be careful here. Our greatest need is not a great organization, and Jesus didn’t come to be our leadership guru. Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins and in our place. Let’s always keep that before us.

Having said that, Jesus is the one to go to when we want to learn about servant leadership. Jesus taught that the greatest among us would be a servant (Matt. 23:11). He declared that he came to serve (Mark 10:45). He set the example for us by washing the disciples’ feet, and ultimately by giving up his life on the cross. We see in the teaching and example of Jesus the path we would want to follow to learn how to lead.

 

Let me offer seven signs to look for in a servant leader.

1. First, a servant leader desires to honor the Lord in everything she or he does.

Our first and best service is unto the Lord. A Christian leader, regardless of title, ultimately seeks to love and honor the Lord in all things. This is the mark of devotion.

 

2. A servant leader is driven to lift up others.  

A servant leader always looks to elevate and give credit to other people in the organization. This leader will give more praise to others than they deserve and take more blame than he or she deserves. This is the mark of humility.

A servant leader always looks to elevate and give credit to other people in the organization.

I try to do this, though imperfectly—to take the blame for our mistakes and give away the praise for our successes. I think in doing so it gives our team a sense of confidence that if they make mistakes while trying to do good things, I’ll be there to support them.

 

3. Servant leaders are thankful.

Dr. Margaret Diddams is my provost (and direct supervisor). I’m constantly struck by the fact that no matter what happens, she consistently thanks me for the things I do, even when she is busy or in another academic crisis. Jim Collins talks about a mix of self-confidence and humility in great leaders. Thankfulness is a key piece of that, because an attitude of thankfulness leads you to distribute the praise and the credit. This is the mark of gratitude.

 

4. Servant leaders are even-tempered.

When I teach leadership to graduate students at Wheaton College, I often say that you can lose your temper one time in front of your team and it will end your leadership effectiveness. People don’t forget when a leader loses it. Being the calm voice in the room is a way to serve others.

Losing your temper may feel good for a moment, but it has long-term consequences. This is the mark of composure.

 

5. Servant leaders protect other people and what they do.

Over the years, we have all stood up for some folks who we think are worthy of the investment. Sometimes, this means we stand up for people trying new things that may not be received well by some. This is the mark of encouragement.

Administration is necessary to run all those things. I protect my leaders by saying if I need to be the bad guy let me be the bad guy. I don’t want to be the bad guy—who wants to be the bad guy? But in doing so I can take on some of that challenge that they might otherwise experience. That protects them.

 

6. A servant leader is a good steward of his or her influence and power.

Authority and influence come with leadership, and a leader should use them to help and empower others. I’ll use my provost again as an example—she says her job is to help “prosper the way” so I can be successful in my job. And she has.

In the same way I think my job is to prosper the way for my leaders so they too can be successful. I’m thinking of Genesis 24:42, where Abraham’s servant asked God to “prosper his way.” This is the mark of stewardship.

We will become better leaders the more we become like Jesus. Jesus came to serve. Let’s lead by serving others.

 

7. Servant leaders exercise an empathetic approach to leadership.

We ask, “Hey, is everything okay?” It’s being able to see in that other person what they’re feeling, what they’re thinking, to help them to be more successful. This is the mark of empathy.

 

We will become better leaders the more we become like Jesus. Jesus came to serve. Let’s lead by serving others.

 

[1] https://www.greenleaf.org/how-starbucks-built-a-servant-leadership-culture-qa-with-howard-behar/. Accessed February 9, 2020.

[2] Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t (New York: HarperCollins, 2001).

3 Ways the Summit is Transforming a Prison in Missouri

Posted on March 23, 2020 by - Because of the GLS, Change Management, Leading Organizations, North America, Prison, Stories, The Global Leadership Summit

GLS 2018 at Southeast Correctional

Prison in America—the world I go into every day—is very much a good news/bad news story. The upside? America’s incarceration rate has fallen to a two-decade low, thanks to a general decrease in crime and increased sentencing reforms.

The bad news, however, also commands our attention. Compared to other countries, the U.S. incarceration rate is still the world’s highest, with over 2 million people behind bars. I’m not here to judge that. I just want to say we have an amazing opportunity, if we have the courage to dig deeper and take it.

For far too long, prisons have served as warehouses—housing, clothing and feeding humans until they’re sent back into society with a vague hope the experience made them better. Look at the high recidivism rates across the country—the degree to which released offenders re-offend—and you’ll see that this “rehabilitation” effort is a huge failure.

 

But what if we tried something new?

What if we sought “redemption” for those in prison? What if we showed them that there’s the possibility of hope in the here and now, whether they are doing short time or a life sentence? By giving them something to live for—and think about.

Enter The Global Leadership Summit—and its ability to unlock human potential.

At Southeast Correctional, there’s a lot of human potential in the 1,700 or so offenders with us on any given day. Ten years ago I became involved with the GLS when it was broadcast at a local church. There, I met Dr. John Wade, a member of the church’s congregation, who volunteers teaching inmates at Southeast. In 2015, he suggested introducing the GLS to the prison.

Prayer made me realize that the Summit could be a unique way to reshape prison culture.

I was blown away, because the idea of talking to maximum security offenders about leadership—inside a maximum security prison, no less—just hadn’t occurred to me. I mean, what if they led themselves right out of there—and escaped?

Prayer made me realize that the Summit could be a unique way to reshape prison culture, so we sent a request letter up the chain of command. Our idea was approved in two days, which, if you know anything about how long state government takes to decide anything, is amazing. God definitely had a hand in the approval process.

We hosted the first satellite Leadership Summit in August of 2015, with about 35 specially selected offenders on hand. Participation has grown steadily in the three years since.

The Summit at Southeast is a real-time event aired on a big screen, where I am the emcee in between GLS sessions. After hearing a Summit speaker, the guys meet in smaller breakout groups, led by volunteer facilitators from local the church and the staff at Southeast, to discuss what they’ve learned.

It’s an amazingly broadening experience for men who might otherwise be mortal enemies. I’ve had members of the Bloods and the Crips, two of the biggest rival gangs in the country, side-by-side at a Summit, and had no trouble from them. Talking and laughing with one another, putting their feelings on the table in a way you’d never see on the street—or elsewhere in jail. Sitting in breakout groups with tears running down their faces—just being able to tell their personal stories, maybe for the first time in their lives.

In between annual Summits, we offer follow-up sessions that serve as refreshers about what the inmates have learned, along with classes in everything from substance abuse prevention to anger management.

 

  1. Communication improves.

Stories are what most resonate with the guys—stories of successful people who overcome doubt, pain and hardship to make the most of themselves. How did they do that? A common thread in many Summit-related success stories is successful communication—a person’s ability to articulate thoughts, hopes and plans, at work and at home, in business and among family.

Well, it just so happens that communication is also a huge issue in prison—sometimes a life or death one. There’s communication between guards and inmates, between one offender or group of offenders and another.

Exposure to the Summit has opened up lines of communication in prison.

The ability to relay information successfully is crucial, especially when dealing with guys who want to do all the talking, but not listen. Put a bunch of frustrated felons in close quarters and things can go badly—fast.

Exposure to the Summit has opened up lines of communication in prison, digging deeper among offenders and staff in ways I’d not thought possible. The numbers bear this out.

In 2014, for example, the year before our first Summit, we recorded 576 uses of force by staff—576 times when we had to employ physical force to gain compliance from an offender. In 2018, we recorded 198 such incidents—a record low. Other key indicators also dropped: the number of acts of prison violence, inmate grievances filed against staff and so on.

 

  1. Relationships improve.

Inmates use their Summit learning experiences to improve relationships with their families—and with God. It changes how they think of themselves—not as powerless absentee figures, but as husbands and fathers with a future who can get out, find work, be successful and lead others. Believing in themselves—and in a benevolent higher power—is a huge break from the despair and anger of the past.

Believing in themselves—and in a benevolent higher power—is a huge break from the despair and anger of the past.

We’re already seeing Summit participants released from prison who have made a success of themselves on the outside. I am confident the trend will continue—with a corresponding drop in the recidivism rate.

 

  1. Respect increases.

The message inmates receive though the Summit is clear: Just because they failed and ended up in prison, doesn’t mean that their whole life is a failure. They can learn from that and succeed, but it’s how much they put into the effort that counts. If they are willing to dig deeper, the skills learned at the Summit can carry them a long way from the cell block.

We need to do whatever we can to help them be successful.

Our prison staff plays a role in this transformation. The Leadership Summit has showed us the importance of positive reinforcement, offering thanks or a handshake when one of the inmates has done a good job at work.

That may not sound like much on the outside, but when you’re in an offender’s shoes, it’s not something you expect. The mindset of a convicted felon is that nobody’s going to treat them with much respect. But for our prison staff, the Summit has brought out the importance of expressing thanks, no matter who the target audience is.

The results of prison life are deep and long lasting, with consequences for us all. Because 94% of the prison population will be released one day, they’ll go back into society and into our neighborhoods, maybe even to the house next door. We need to do whatever we can to help them be successful and leave the criminal life behind.

 

But what about those who never leave prison?

What about those who are serving what is likely to be a life sentence? These people, you might think, cannot be saved.

I’d like to close by telling you about one of them. With white hair and a white goatee, he looked like everybody’s grandpa. The reality is that he was serving a life sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

He was one of our first Summit attendees, who attended every year thereafter—and the experience changed him. “This is something,” he said, “I waited for all my life.”

…there he was, telling others, at one of the worst moments in their lives, that life was worth living.

Not long after, he gave his life to the Lord. Now, instead of just doing life, he was all about living. He became known for teaching GED—high school equivalency classes—and never missed an opportunity to go deeper by talking about what he learned from speakers at The Global Leadership Summit.

We became friends, so it was a great sadness for me last year when he died of a heart attack—still in prison—at the age of 70. After his passing, I can’t tell you how many men came up to me and said: “You know something? That guy changed my life.”

He changed lives because he made it a habit to look out for new inmates—and dig deeper into their lives. I’m not sure how he did it; I guess he’d just pick out someone who looked like he didn’t have a friend in the world. But they had a friend in him.

He’d go up to introduce himself and just start talking, sharing things he learned in the Summit as well as his own personal testimony. Here was a man who could have been angry and bitter, yet there he was, telling others, at one of the worst moments in their lives, that life was worth living.

There are times, I think, when people find themselves in places they never planned to be, doing things they never expected to do. I believe he was one of those people, inspiring vision and igniting transformation along the way. Like Saint Paul, who spent time in prison, yet used his incarceration as an opportunity to write much of the Bible.

I figure God had that kind of plan for this inmate too. He found himself in jail, but, thanks to what he learned through The Global Leadership Summit, he was able to help others who were struggling. Help was a gift he freely gave. And I thank God, the GLS and supporters like you that he was there to give it.

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Reading Resources for a Season of Uncertainty

Posted on March 23, 2020 by - Change Management, Learning Agility, News & Updates, North America, Relationship with God, Resilience, The Global Leadership Summit

A man reading a book at a coffee shop.

With the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the rise, people are asking, what do I do next? Many are looking for guidance and direction to make the next best decision to protect themselves, their families, their staff and their communities. Below, we’ve curated several incredible books we’ve read over the years from our GLS faculty alumni who can offer you a sense of clarity, direction and peace during this season.

 

For those seeking to deepen their faith in God in the midst of uncertainty:

 

 

A Beautiful Mess: How God Re-creates Our Lives

By Danielle Strickland

 

 

 

 

 

Hope in the Dark: Believing God is Good when Life is Not

By Craig Groeschel

 

 

 

 

 

God is Stranger

By Krish Kandiah

 

 

 

 

 

The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

By Erwin McManus

 

 

 

 

 

The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions

By Jeff Manion

 

 

 

 

For those who are facing challenging conversations with co-workers and loved ones in this season:

 

 

Difficult Conversations

By Sheila Heen

 

 

 

 

 

Crucial Conversations

By Joseph Grenny

 

 

 

 

 

For those who realize they need to make shifts in their leadership in changing times:

 

 

Leader Shift

By John C. Maxwell

 

 

 

 

 

Necessary Endings

By Dr. Henry Cloud

 

 

 

 

For those who want to develop self-leadership skills in resilience and bravery in this challenging time.

 

 

Grit: The Power of Passion & Perseverance

By Angela Duckworth

 

 

 

 

 

Braving the Wilderness

By Brené Brown

 

 

 

Please note, we would love to be able to offer these book resources for free but are unable to. Know that we are not making any gains by promoting these books, but simply want to provide you another opportunity to access the supportive materials we’ve found to be most helpful.

Best Practices for Crisis Communication

Posted on March 19, 2020 by - Articles, Communication, Leading Others

Video Call Chatting Communication Concept

We are facing global leadership challenges that most of us have never experienced. Within the last week, the response to COVID-19 (coronavirus) has led to closing borders, canceling major global events, sports leagues postponing all games, prominent companies moving all their employees to work from home and a panicked shortage of toilet paper.

Just within the last few days, the conversation has escalated dramatically as politicians, health experts, academics and faith and business leaders respond to the latest information. The coronavirus is now at a level of “pandemic” that has overwhelmed some nations.

 

How should leaders communicate in an unprecedented crisis?

1. Courage

It is the job of a leader to be a “non-anxious presence” in times of crisis. We may have our own fears or concerns for vulnerable loved ones at this time, but as leaders our actions should model courage in the midst of fear, calm in the midst of chaos and compassion for those who need comfort.

…as leaders our actions should model courage in the midst of fear, calm in the midst of chaos and compassion for those who need comfort.

Now is not the time to appear unaffected, nor is it appropriate to succumb to panic. Leaders must make courageous, proactive decisions to consider the most at-risk populations in our society, even at the cost of doing business. We must have the courage to practice empathy in our posture towards those who are afraid by acknowledging their fears. We must lean in, presenting ourselves as actively engaged and visible. Leaders do not hide away in crisis, they communicate courage.

 

2. Common Sense

Business and faith leaders do not need to become health experts and should not position themselves this way when they communicate.

We should be actively engaged in learning from the experts and official sources to make leadership decisions, and point people to reliable resources.

Leverage governmental organizations like the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, or trusted medical experts, such as Johns Hopkins University. When communicating on social media or email, stay away from sharing sources that are opinion-based, political or controversial.

Common sense is to learn from what has happened in other nations with COVID-19, and to take precautions. Leaders understand their responsibility to others and do not wait to take action. As leaders, we can make organizational decisions that can help slow down the spread of the virus and “flatten the curve” by avoiding public gatherings. According to the experts, this will save lives, and as leaders, we can help.

Leaders understand their responsibility to others and do not wait to take action.

 

3. Communication

Try these three practices to communicate in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

  • Overcommunicate. As leaders we must communicate well at this time, or it could be viewed as negligence. Communicate updates regularly to your staff and stakeholders as the situation evolves. Communicate more than you think might be necessary.
  • Let’s get Digital. If you aren’t closing your doors completely, give people the option to stay home and connect from there. Move to digital platforms for events and meetings and communicate as much as possible.
  • Pivot. Emphasize your online giving or purchasing opportunities. Try livestreaming or Facebook Live at predictable times throughout the week to build relationships and keep momentum with your stakeholders. If you’re the upfront leader, be visible on social media platforms to engage questions, share your teaching/expertise, gather community in online forums and encourage people in isolation.

Stop Motivating Your Teams and Do This Instead

Posted on March 17, 2020 by - Articles, Leading Yourself, Resilience, Supervising People

Silhouettes of happy businessperson. Success of business concept.

Life isn’t about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself. – George Bernard Shaw

Motivating your team is one of the holy grails of leadership.

When a team or person isn’t motivated, you begin to hear complaints like this:

“This organization is getting too big.”

“I don’t feel fulfilled at work anymore.”

“I’m not making enough money.”

“We have way too many rules and restrictions.”

“It doesn’t seem like we’re making a difference.”

One way we can unleash motivation is to gain clarity on the unique things that motivate people.

Not having a motivated team is the worst. Disengagement and lack of motivation are like toxins in an organization. They keep people from enjoying their one and only lives and they damage a team’s ability to create any kind of results.

So, what do we do when we feel unmotivated? What do we do when we have unmotivated people on our team? 

One way we can unleash motivation is to gain clarity on the unique things that motivate people. At Novus Global, we’ve created the FIVE Assessment which identifies 5 I’s that help people understand what is motivating them in this particular season of life.

 

The FIVE I’s are Income, Impact, Intimacy, Integrity and Independence.

Income. Many people are motivated by the ability to earn additional income through their own agency and work ethic.

Impact. Others are motivated to make a difference and have positive impact on the world.

Integrity. Some people are motivated by artistic integrity–they want their work to reflect who they feel they are at their core.

Intimacy. For other people, having great relationships is a key motivator. They are most satisfied when cultivating deep and trusting relationships.

Independence. Others don’t like having bosses and they want the freedom to do whatever they want whenever they want.

Every person has a hierarchy of these 5 motivators and so does every family and every team. It can be helpful to understand what that hierarchy is with a person or team to know how to motivate ourselves or others.

 

BUT HERE’S THE TWIST.

Now that you’ve got all that, I want to ask a favor.

Forget about it.

Seriously.

Ultimately motivation doesn’t come from any of that. Yes, people care about different things. But that’s not the true source of motivation.

I want to invite you to look at motivation differently—where it comes from and how to tap into it.

We put it this way: Every experience you’re having is an experience you’re creating. 

For us, this means you have been given the capacity to choose what you care about and why you care about it. Put another way: your motivation isn’t innate. It’s designed.

  • If you’re motivated, that’s because you’ve (usually unintentionally) designed it that way.
  • If you’re not motivated, that’s because you have (usually unintentionally) designed it that way.

That means you don’t “find your motivation.” It means you create your motivation. 

People who think they “find” their motivation or have to be doing the right things with the right people in the right context, are destined to lose it. Teams that “find” their motivation will also lose it.

But a leader who knows how to create motivation for themselves, and teams that know how to summon motivation at will, are unstoppable. 

These are people who are able to design whatever choices they make to create energy for themselves.

But a leader who knows how to create motivation for themselves, and teams that know how to summon motivation at will, are unstoppable.

These are people who know how to lead themselves, how to call forth energy to do whatever task that is at hand in their lives.

I’ll be honest: last year I was a little burned out. Our company had been doubling year over year for the past 4 years and I was getting tired. To say I was unmotivated might be a little extreme…but I was definitely feeling weary. I was grumpy in meetings (and that’s being polite). I knew that if I kept feeling this way I was in trouble.

So, I hired a coach. My coach helped me to see the beliefs I was cultivating (like weeds in a garden) that were starving my passion and allowing me to not take responsibility for my own motivation. We worked together to intentionally design new beliefs and habits that create energy in my life daily.

One year later, I can honestly say I have more energy for my clients and teams than I’ve ever had before. As our company continues to grow, I have felt more peace and passion for my work and my team.

 

You see, motivation isn’t something we have to unlock. It’s a skill. Like learning to love, it’s something we can and must cultivate and master.

  • Imagine the day when you and your teams take full responsibility for owning your motivation. Not taking responsibility to find it, but to create it.
  • Imagine a team that can summon motivation at will.
  • Imagine becoming a leader that masters their inner motivation to create whatever energy is necessary in the moment to create the life you were designed to live.

Developing the skill to create motivation is the key to an exponential life. And it’s the key to creating exponential teams.