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Misunderstandings happen all the time. Leaders can help their teammates navigate these verbal landmines—and avoid a lot of trouble—by asking the clarifying questions that will bring the whole team together.
We would love to serve as your leadership coach, so get in touch with us. My book Shepherd Leadership also has some biblical principles that leaders can immediately apply to their organizations.
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The higher the stakes, the stronger your teammates’ opinions on how the organization should move forward. Leaders who take the time to walk their teams through this process will develop a stronger, more unified team.
Check out the full conversation on The Craig and Greg Show in our episode Unity Not Conformity.
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Imagine your organization as a cruise ship you’re the captain of. It is your responsibility to man the helm, keeping the vessel away from danger and navigating to the correct destination. Along the way you decide that the guests’ towels need to be folded a particular way, so you step away from your post for hours to meticulously fold them to your exact specifications. You do a great job but in your absence the ship is listless, veering off course into dangerous waters.
Of course it’s very likely you won’t find yourself in this exact situation, but the same logic can be applied to our terrestrial pursuits as well. In today’s episode, Greg and I discuss why it’s important for leaders to remain in control, but also vital that we don’t become controlling.
[1:00] How could a leader self-assess to make sure they are properly balanced in the way they control their organization?
[3:38] Being organized is not a problem, but controlling the organization becomes the problem.
[4:50] I point out the differences between a productive river and a destructive flood.
[6:00] Controlling leaders stifle creativity and innovation.
[8:25] Tim Irwin’s book Derailed talks about how micro-managing has led to the collapse of many successful organizations.
[14:13] The value of a coach is getting answers that others on your team aren’t giving you.
[17:12] Greg shares a quote about self-discipline as it relates to the proper balance of healthy control.
[18:20] Your teammates want your confidence, not your control.
[19:44] Leaders, it’s time for you to look in the mirror.
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.
“This chapter contains the premier teaching of Christianity. It is an undying expression of Jesus’ doctrine of heavenly love. This chapter is more potent for the building of the church than any, or all, of the various manifestations of God’s power. Love is the church’s most effective weapon. Love is the essence of God’s nature. Love is the perfection of human character. Love is the most powerful, ultimate force in the universe. Without love, al various gifts of the Spirit are of no avail. … What a call to self-examination!” —Dr. Henry Halley, commenting on 1 Corinthians 13
“The transition from the good man to the saint is a sort of revolution; by which one for whom all things illustrate and illuminate God becomes one for whom God illustrates and illuminates all things.” —G.K. Chesterton
T.M. Moore launched a new series of articles about the coming of God’s Kingdom in these last days. In the first article, T.M. wrote, “In his Pentecost sermon Peter announced that, with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the pouring out of God’s Spirit, the ‘last days’ had begun (Acts 2:14-17), the new economy has been put into effect. Paul says Jesus came in ‘the fullness of the times’ to inaugurate His great work of redemption in these last days (Galatians 4:4). The ‘fullness of the times’ in which the divine economy is unfolding, is now. We are living in the last days, the fullness of the times, when the Lord of heaven and earth is establishing and expanding His divine economy.”
Once again, a new fossil discovery doesn’t fit into evolutionary models, but instead bolsters the facts recorded in the Bible about Creation and the Flood.
“For years, Michael Pratt operated in the shadows of the internet, profiting from coercion, deception, and exploitation under the guise of adult entertainment.” Pratt has now pled guilty to sexual trafficking charges. Fight The New Drug wrote, “The story is more than a courtroom headline. It’s a stark reminder of how the porn industry can weaponize vulnerability, disguise abuse and trafficking, and sell it as fantasy.”
A really penetrating question from John Piper: Why do so many PhDs in theology commit adultery?
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On The Craig and Greg Show, Greg noted that my book When Sheep Bite isn’t just for church leaders, but business leaders can benefit from reading this as well.
I recently shared a series of messages for all Christians about how to handle the painful bites that sometimes come from other Christians. The series was called When Sheep Bite Sheep.
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If you’re leading a team, then Greg and I feel pretty confident in assuming that you’ve got them all working, thinking, and behaving exactly like you work, think, and behave, right? Of course not! The differences in personality and thought within your team are what makes it special.
[0:18] Leaders like buy-in, but what about those teammates who say, “Hold on a second”?
[2:00] Unity doesn’t mean sameness.
[3:55] We all have different experiences and gifts so we all bring something different to the table.
[4:51] Unity doesn’t guarantee peacefulness in the process of getting to consensus.
[7:06] Leaders have to learn to accept the tension among teammates.
[9:47] Why do leaders avoid tension?
[13:16] I share a quote from Dick Brogden about the “no men” we need on our teams.
[14:54] Past success can make leaders deaf to the input from others.
[17:09] Greg wonders how to effectively play the devil’s advocate with our teams in order to get the best ideas on the table.
[19:03] My funny story about our producer Harrison.
[21:08] Greg changed the way he debriefed sales calls with his team, encouraging them to speak out.
[23:36] Greg uses an example of Joe Montana to show how leaders can bring confidence to their teams.
[25:30] Both opportunities and obstacles present a chance for us to teach our teammates.
[27:36] Greg and I want to help you help your team.
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.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
Leaders have to be very careful of the trap of measuring the growth of their teammates by the wrong metrics. The things that matter most are often the things that are the most difficult to measure, but leaders must find a way.
In my book Shepherd Leadership, I have a chapter entitled ‘Don’t Try to Grow Your Own Ministry.’ This book is mainly written for church and non-profit leaders, but there are helpful principles here for every kind of leader. Here’s an except from this chapter—
Businesses think in terms of quantitative gains—things they can count—but churches and nonprofits should be thinking in terms of qualitative gains—a quality improvement that isn’t as easily counted. I think we all know this, and yet we still persist in wanting to define success in a church or a nonprofit by those quantitative standards such as attendance growth, donations, and the like. When we think qualitative over quantitative, suddenly what seemed “small” is so significant and so valuable that it cannot be calculated! …
Don’t try to grow your ministry. First, because it’s not yours, it’s [God’s]; and second, because your measure of success is probably more slanted toward quantitative measurements than qualitative. Jesus wasn’t concerned about bigger numbers: “What do you think?” He asked, “If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?” (Matthew 18:12).
Philip went to Samaria to tell people about Jesus. He didn’t go there because it fit his plan, but because Jesus said, “You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Philip’s obedience brought God’s success: hundreds turned to Jesus as their Savior, demon-possessed people were delivered, the sick were healed, and the new Christians were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Yet God called Philip to leave these “ninety-nine” and go to the desert to cross paths with just one confused and wondering sheep (Acts 8). After that, Philip virtually disappears from Luke’s historical record.
What’s the value of one government official’s life? God says that his value is incalculable. Apparently, God knew that Philip was the perfect shepherd to lead this Ethiopian to the pasture where he would accept Jesus as his Savior. Philip was obedient, a sheep was saved, and God was pleased. But I wonder how many people today might think Philip’s ministry was unsuccessful because he left a bigger ministry in Samaria to go to a smaller ministry in the desert?
Leaders need to be very cautious about using the right metrics to measure the growth of their teammates and the success of their organization.
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Here in West Michigan, the city of Holland has a yearly festival that has just begun called Tulip Time where attendees will see millions of the most beautiful flowers growing everywhere. It is a stunning display, but perhaps even more impressive is the hard work and care that goes into the cultivation of these flowers. In today’s episode, Greg and I want to encourage you to bring the mindset of a gardener to your leadership. With hard work, patience, and just the right amount of careful pruning, your team will grow from small seeds in the ground to a dazzling beauty that rivals any horticultural display.
[0:40] I’m not sure I’m qualified to talk about today’s topic…
[1:32] A seed has almost everything it needs to grow, and so do our teammates.
[3:13] What do people need most from a gardener-leader?
[5:25] Leaders will need to exhibit confidence in a teammate’s competency.
[8:04] We need to be careful of not rushing the process.
[10:16] I share how the apostle Paul demonstrated belief in his people.
[12:04] How do we make sure our teammates know we have genuine belief in them?
[14:33] I reference a great passage from Greg’s forthcoming book about how leaders stand up for their team.
[19:13] A healthy habit for gardener-leaders.
[21:36] Gardening isn’t an assembly line—the growth plan for every person must be individualized.
[23:44] Greg shares an insightful quote about obstacles.
[25:11] Coaching can help you help your teammates grow.
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.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
In our last episode, Greg and I discussed how vital it is to focus on your own internal development. If you’ve been doing that, chances are you have identified a few blind spots in yourself. While it might feel more comfortable to simply hide these away and hope nobody notices, we would like to encourage you to be vulnerable: Drag your blind spots into the light, address them, and watch how your leadership improves as a result.
[1:30] Leaders have to get comfortable with being vulnerable if they are going to make any meaningful changes in their life.
[2:17] Blind spots have to be brought out into the light.
[5:44] Paying attention to the feedback from others requires us to slow down to process what we need to change.
[7:35] Leaders need to understand the speed of their team in the area of productivity.
[8:34] Greg shares a “blind spot” example from one of his kids.
[9:53] Why do leaders avoid their blind spots?
[11:45] Peripheral vision isn’t good just for athletes, but for leaders too.
[13:11] I share how asking good questions has helped my teammates with their blind spots.
[14:50] If leaders assume things about their teammates or work with their favorite teammates, they will never improve the morale of the team.
[18:17] Greg talks about the movie “Blindside” as a learning point about having the right people watching out for us.
[20:10] We need to be thinking about the kind of people we need around us.
[25:42] The one word most people are afraid to say.
[26:59] Sometimes a fresh set of eyes is necessary to see a blind spot. Maximize coaching would love to be a resource for you in this area.
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.
Craig T. Owens 