The Craig And Greg Show: Planning Vs. Spontaneity

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Are you a person that likes to meticulously plan every detail, or are you more comfortable planning as you go? In this episode, Greg and I say leaders should strive for both! Join us as we discuss the art and science of balancing planning and spontaneity to hit the golden mean of the two.

  • [0:25] Most leaders haven’t thought through the balance between planning and spontaneity. 
  • [1:46] This balance is usually more art than science.
  • [3:27] For some people, planning and spontaneity can be like trying to mix oil and water.
  • [5:43] Leaders need to work on flexibility in every situation.
  • [6:36] We need to know the temperament of our teammates so that we can keep everyone appropriately engaged.
  • [9:13] Regardless of whether you tend more toward planning or being spontaneous, you can supplement the others who are opposite of you.
  • [11:32] We can use the diversity on our teams to do amazing things for everyone.
  • [13:00] Debriefing with our teams after a spontaneous event can help prepare everyone for the next opportunity.
  • [13:45] Leaders need to learn how to read their teammates and the setting.
  • [16:08] Leaders need to earn trust with our teammates. One huge component in earning trusting is openness to input.
  • [18:05] Do we know what our teammates think of our leadership style? Are we willing to address this and make changes?
  • [22:00] Some important leadership takeaways.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Influencers Give Away Their Power

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible.

If God has given you influence as a leader, it is never to further your agenda but to help others grow. Leadership is about servanthood. If we try to make leadership about others serving us, we will quickly get ourselves in trouble. 

Check out this full conversation Greg and I had on an episode of The Craig and Greg Show called “The responsibility of power.” 

I unpack this idea of servant-leadership in my book Shepherd Leadership: The metrics that really matter.

A related blog post I reference in this clip is Live like a star.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Make Your People A Priority

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

If you are a leader in your organization, there are a couple of often overlooked actions that are sending clear signals to your teammates. The question is: Are those signals telling them how valuable they are to you and your organization?

Check out this short clip from The Craig And Greg Show where we discuss how performance reviews can be a great opportunity to move your team forward.

If you would like to watch the full Craig And Greg Show episode on performance reviews, check it out here.

You may also be interested in two previous blog posts where I unpack some ideas on how to improve all of the relationships that are meaningful to us—Missing Ingredient and Be All There.  

My new book When Sheep Bite is available for pre-order!

Here are a bunch of ways to get in touch with me and follow along with other projects on which I am involved.  

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

The Craig And Greg Show: The Power Of A Coach

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Do you need to have a coach? If you answered “yes” then you’re already on the right track! If you said “no,” Greg and I would like to challenge you a little. Join us as they discuss how coaching isn’t just about correcting mistakes, it’s also about maximizing your existing skills to the highest level possible. 

  • [0:52] Does everyone need a coach?
  • [2:10] Having a coach doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.
  • [3:48] There’s great fulfillment in helping someone reach greater success.
  • [5:13] Proactive coaching versus reactive coaching.
  • [7:19] A good coach won’t micro-manage, they will train you, and then “put you in” to play the game on your own.
  • [8:24] Coaches can deliver a 10,000-foot view to highlight your greatest areas of strength.
  • [10:14]] An outside coach approaches your situation with a fresh perspective.
  • [11:12] Greg discusses Michael Jordan’s best skill.
  • [12:38] Coaching isn’t about highlighting your negatives, it’s about maximizing your strengths.
  • [13:13] If a particular area makes you defensive you really need to be examining it further.
  • [13:55] Maximize can help coach you! Please reach out to us at Maximize Leadership.
  • [14:55] Greg discusses a psychology experiment.
  • [15:42] Not being coachable is a huge impediment for leaders.
  • [18:30] Good competition pushes everyone around you to be better.
  • [19:21] Greg shares advice from Rich Devos.
  • [21:45] Good coaching is proactive and reactive.
  • [23:13] A quote from Tom Landry on the job of a coach.
  • [24:17] Greg discusses the investments that were made in his life in his book Sage Advice.
  • [26:24] We don’t have all the answers, but we can help steer you in the right direction.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

The Craig And Greg Show: Reflect Excellence

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

As leaders, we are called to set the example for our organization. As Greg and I discuss in this episode, the quickest way to make a positive change in your organization is to exhibit the traits you want to see. Do that with consistency, and your team will begin to reflect those traits back to you.

  • [0:00] Welcome to our new studio!
  • [1:06] The way a leader leads influences the way the team follows.
  • [3:03] A leaders team will reflect the attitude they exhibit.
  • [5:53] Leaders need to constantly be interacting with their team to “check the pulse.”
  • [7:13] Recognizing innovation in your team is a compliment to your leadership.
  • [9:10] If there’s a trait we want our team to embody we must exhibit it first.
  • [10:20] If you don’t recognize potential in teammates you will always hire low-potential individuals.
  • [13:04] Consistency is important to how a leader reflects values.
  • [15:13] Leadership vs Bossing
  • [17:10] Jesus set an example for us of servant leadership.
  • [18:26] At some point your team will test you to see if what you’re saying is real.
  • [20:10] I share some wisdom from my cousin’s book.
  • [21:11] Greg issues a challenge to leaders.
  • [22:06] If you’re going through a difficult time, a coach can help you navigate. We would love to help you!

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

The Craig And Greg Show: Setting Goals, Making Changes

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Goal-setting and change-making are integral parts of a leader’s job. However, it can often feel like actually accomplishing these tasks is one of the hardest parts of the job! In this episode, Greg and I dive into how to successfully set and accomplish goals, and how to strategically create change in a way that doesn’t disenfranchise your team.

  • [0:30] Why aren’t more people successful in their goal-setting? 
  • [1:30] Focusing on too many things can paralyze a leader.
  • [3:48] Leaders—by definition—have a lot of things on their plates. How do we find the areas that are the most strategic for us to change?
  • [5:28] Leaders need to set a place of change that the entire team can stick to.
  • [7:02] Leaders must learn to trust their teammates to get tasks done.
  • [9:01] Changes are vital for us personally and organizationally, but we must choose those changes strategically and carefully.
  • [10:02] Celebrating accomplishments in meeting our goals is very important.
  • [12:08] How do leaders find the speed of change?
  • [13:39] Enlisting and energizing change agents in the organization will extend a leader’s influence.
  • [15:57] Leader’s shouldn’t make key decision when they are exhausted or distracted.
  • [19:12] Greg shares a helpful acrostic for F.O.C.U.S.
  • [21:29] A coach can be invaluable in helping you be successful in all of your change initiatives. This is where we can help you.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Using Your Leadership Power To Serve Others

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

Godly leaders are always striving to use their leadership power to serve others. What exactly does this look like? On a recent Craig And Greg Show episode, Greg and I discussed this important leadership tension.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

The Craig And Greg Show: The Responsibility Of Power

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

It goes without saying, but leadership positions confer a level of power to the people who occupy them. This power is necessary for us as leaders to do our job effectively, but if we’re not very careful it can begin to corrupt us and poison our leadership. Tune in as Greg and I tackle this tricky issue.

  • [0:22] Leaders need both enough power to get things done, but not too much that they crush people. 
  • [1:44] Power can corrupt us if we are unaccountable in the use of our power.
  • [3:12] We should always be thinking in terms of how our use of power can empower others.
  • [5:16] A leader’s power should always be linked to responsibility.
  • [6:27] We earn our power—we don’t grab it form others—to better serve.
  • [9:32] Greg says, “Leadership should be dangerous!”
  • [12:40] Sometimes we must use our power to protect those around us.
  • [16:00] Greg steps into “you know what”!
  • [16:27] Are power and serving compatible?
  • [18:25] What do powerful leaders not want to do?
  • [20:26] When it comes right down to it, the use of leadership really comes down to influence.
  • [22:02] Our coaching services can help you use your power more effectively.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Self-Talk During Fearful Times

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

When fear seems to be griping a leader’s heart, how can that leader respond in a way that benefits both themself and their team? One important strategy is paying attention to how we talk to ourselves during our battles with fear.

On the Craig And Greg Show, Greg and I discussed this important leadership skill.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Links & Quotes

On the latest episode of The Craig And Greg Show, Greg and I talked about Christmas traditions. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“Always be sure of your ground and be sure that you are honoring God. If there is anything about the situation that will make you special, it will bring you sorrow. Your whole ministry has to be along the lines of His grace and blessing.” —Smith Wigglesworth 

“Leaders have the responsibility to keep evil out. Government is incapable of making men and women moral and, in fact, it is not given that assignment, for it does not have that power. God grants government the right to make laws to hold back the power of evil, for only the church through the gospel can help men and women be good. Conversely, leadership and government can do much harm if they, through injudicious application or partial enforcement of law, let evil in. Government cannot make people good, but it can certainly make them bad. We need leadership and government to build barriers against what is wrong, but neither leaders nor external human powers can usher us to what is right. Only Jesus, full of grace and truth, can do that.” —Dick Brogden, in Proverbs: Amplified and Applied

The celebration of Christmas is obviously not seen in the Bible, but it has always seemed to be closely connected to the church’s calendar. Scott Hubbard has an eye-opening history of Christmas in his post The Curious History of Christmas.

Scientists have learned from butterflies’ amazing vision how to better detect cancer cells. The way our Creator has designed these winged marvels is truly astounding!  

The ways the biblical text has been preserved and transmitted down to us today is nothing short of miraculous! Daniel Wallace is at the forefront of continuing to preserve the Word of God for future generations. Here is an example of the dedication of the biblical scribes: “The hand that wrote [this] is rotting in the grave, but the letters remain until the fullness of the times. Completed with [the help of] God. February 23, Friday, the second hour, during the eleventh indiction, in the year 1079, through the hand of Andrew, scribe and calligrapher. And if it happens that any error of omission [remains|—this, for the sake of Christ, forgive me.”

Just as archeological finds continue to confirm biblical accounts, fossil discoveries continue to confirm the biblical claim of Creation. Paleontologists have now created the term “problematica” to try to address fossil finds that don’t fit their evolutionary models.

T.M. Moore is sharing a thought-worthy series of posts on the biblical view of our economic activities, including a look at how governments and businesses should operate under God’s laws. Moore says, “Since God has written the works of the Law on the heart of all His image-bearers (Romans 2:14, 15), we should expect that awareness (if only subconsciously) to find expression. Put another way, whether they know it or not, people long for an economy guided by Biblical principles and guidelines.”