by Andy Wood on July 1, 2009
“What are you teaching them about?” my daughter asked – referring to our upcoming pastors and leaders training in Thailand.
“Leadership,” I said.
“Well, can I ask you something? Is there a way – I’m not sure how to say this – is there a way to ‘dumb down’ leadership training?”
My pause meant, “Keep going.”
“I have to train these fifth-and-sixth-grade leaders every day at FROG camp for about 30 minutes on being a leader, and I was wondering how I could explain biblical leadership on their level.”
I did a random brainstorm with her. Talked about David and Joshua and Paul and Jesus. Hurled out Bible passages like Joshua 1:1-9, 2 Timothy, 1 Peter 5:2-4, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. She said “thanks,” but I hung up with the feeling that I hadn’t “dumbed down” anything.
That got me to thinking later. I have a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership. I’ve spent years studying theories and models, biblical principles and best practices. But none of them – none – involved fifth- or sixth-graders.
Maybe we have it backwards. Rather than presuming to teach 11-year-olds all about leading, maybe we should try to learn some things from them. [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on July 9, 2008
It’s not enough to be a team player. To get things done, to be a leader, you’ll have to be a team builder. Together has great power, and an isolated Christian has a fool for a companion.
A Stanford Business School study bears that out. Researchers examined the qualities that companies look for in promoting young managers toward senior executive positions. The study concluded that one of the most important qualities required for great success in leadership is the ability to put together a team and function as a good team player. Since all work is ultimately done by teams, and the managers’ output is the output of the team, the ability to select team members, set objectives, delegate responsibility and get the job done, was central to success in management.
That’s bad news for all the Lone Ranger types. But hey, even he had Tonto!
Together has power in four dimensions:
1. Synergy.
Synergy is the concept that one plus one equals three. You can do the work of one, and so can I. But together, we can do the work of many times more. That flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Maybe you can do it better by yourself in the immediate circumstances, but in the long run, it’s always more productive to go together.
You’re probably not going to hear this at church Sunday, so let me go ahead and tell you now: [click to continue…]
