Cultivate a culture of questions.

One of the fears that many leaders have is the fear of being a micro-manager. 

We don’t want to be the type of leader that doesn't release our people to do what they do. Not wanting to micromanage is a good thing, however, many times out of our fear of not wanting to micro-manage we often stop doing something that our team and organization needs us to do in order to succeed and that is, “ask questions”.. 

I want to make this very clear because this is so important.

Asking questions is not micromanagement. Asking questions is good stewardship. 

Asking questions is not micromanaging. Asking questions is leading. 

If you and I want to lead our team well, we must cultivate a culture where asking questions is not only accepted, but it is expected. 

How are you doing?

Do you have what you need?

Can you tell me why you did this, that way?

What are three areas your department is weak right now?

What are two things you are doing to develop yourself?

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We ask because we care. We care about our team members. We care about our mission. We care enough to ask. Questions are not a bad thing. Questions are a good thing.

Here are three tips:

One - One of the best ways to cultivate a culture of asking questions is to allow and encourage your team to ask you questions. Having an open door policy is good, but people are generally afraid to walk through the door of asking questions of supervisors unless you open the door for them



Two - When you are on boarding new team members, let them know you will ask questions and you want them to ask questions. 

Three - End meetings with you opening the door for them to dig deeper and ask you questions. Ask your team, “What questions to you have for me?” “Is there any confusion on what we are doing?” “In what ways can I serve you and your department better?”

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3 mistakes I've made when initiating change in my organization.

Mistakes. I have made a lot of them. Here are three mistakes that I have made at times when trying to initiate change or launch a new initiative in my church.

1.  Did not spend enough time in prayer.

I see where we are. I see where we need to go. I pray about it. I look up scriptures. I talk to mentors and leaders on my team, but I don’t really sit on it and ask God. I don’t really call out to God in prayer, looking for where He is moving, waiting to see what He wants me to do. I just do my thing and go!

2.    Cast Vision publicly, but not take enough time to build a team a coalition around it. 

This is where we are. This is what we need to do. I cast the vision behind the scenes. My leaders and several other people jump on board. I make the announcement, and let’s role. That is fine for small things but for big changes, like adding services, expanding campuses, or small group initiatives, I have found that I need to build a team and coalition around the vision for it to really take root and grow.

Its not good enough for people to try and walk out my vision. No! it has to be their vision. It has to be in their heart and that takes time.

• cast vision

• let them ask questions

• pray about it themselves

• ask more questions

• take ownership of it

In those times where I know what needs to be done, cast vision, then act on it, the vision never really takes all the way. It stumbles along or falls completely and I have to come back in and fix it or quit it entirely. Both of those are losses. However, the times I've prayed on it, met about it with people, got leaders around the vision, and took the time to ask and answer questions. Ownership is released. The vision sticks. The excitement spreads and the initiative is reached.  

3.  Not having the right person lead the charge. 

There have been times where I delegated the vision and implementation of change off to a subordinate too quickly. They did not have the leadership equity to lead this through to a win. Training up the right person and releasing them to lead is always worth the time.

Hopefully I’ve learned from my mistakes. When looking to make a change of any sort, here are the three things I make sure to do:

1 - Spend a season in individual and group prayer seeking for Gods will … not just our plan. 

2 - Cast vision and build a coalition of like minded leaders that own the vision themselves. 

3 - Think through who is the best person to lead the charge. 

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Questions of manhood?

Genesis 3:1-7

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths

One of the things in this passage that I find very interesting is that the serpent spoke up and gave his opinion, Eve spoke up and gave her thoughts, however,  Adam remained completely silent during the entire event.  What if Adam, who God had originally spoken to about what would happen if they ate of the tree, had spoken up? What if Adam would have been a leader instead of an observer. 

I guess I could talk about the state of men today and how common place it is for men to sit back, put their head down, and let life happen to them and their family rather then stand up and and protect their family. However, I think it would be best for me to look in the mirror and ask myself a few question first before pointing fingers at others? 

While the Bible clearly affirms the equality of men and women (Galatians 3:28), it also tells us plainly that God has assigned the responsibility of spiritual leadership in the home to husbands: "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them" (Colossians 3:18-19).

As the “Christ Like Servant Leader” of the home, what kinds of qualities are required in a man, who desires to fulfill this high and holy calling? Here are four:

1 - A man must have strong connection with his heavenly father, finding his happiness first and foremost in Christ. 

2 - A man must be balanced in his commitments and nurturing in his concern for the mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of his wife and family. 

3 - A man must be proactive rather than reactive, spotting potential challenges to his family and come up with workable solutions to the problem. 

4 - A man must have integrity at all times, seeking to be the safest, wisest, and most respected man his wife and children know. 

These four qualities drive me to ask myself a few things:

Do I lead my family spiritually as effetely as I could?

Do I stay in tune with God so that I can see physical, financial, and family battles as they are coming? Or do I get so caught up  in the day to day routine that I let life hit me and simply role with the punches like Adam did? 

Do I take the lead when battles come or do I let my wife carry all the weight of figuring out what to do and which direction we should go?

What am I doing to serve, love, protect, and support my wife in her daily life as a woman and mother?

What am I doing to serve, love, protect, and lead my children? Am I involved or simply observing?

Have I led with enough integrity that when I do speak up my wife, and children know I have their best interest in mind. 

I don’t think that being a Godly man is a destination that we arrive at. I feel it is more of a road that we choose to walk. These are a few questions I am and have been asking myself on my journey. I think it would do you and your family some good if you did the same.

Get your "BUT" out of my face.

Let’s face it, no matter how valid, how wordy, how thought through, or how well explained - at the end of the day our excuse do not change anything. Excuses never help the situation we are in. Excuses, never get us any closer tot he goal we want to attain. 

Well I would call my son … but …

I was going to start working out … but …

I thought about making that cold call … but …..

I was going to start serving at the church … but …

I would but … I could but … I should but … listen get your “but”out of my face! 

Because your but stinks!  Yep you heard me right. Your but stinks. We all know that a” but” stinks! 

Excuses stink! Because excuses even tho valid …. never change anything.

Your excuse, my excuse, will never make a dream come true.

Two excuses we have to stop making:

1 - I can’t do that 

I decided long ago to thru the words “I Can’t”  out of my vocabulary. Life is too short. I’ve made up in my mind that I am not going to waste another day of my life worrying about what I think I can’t do instead I’m going to focus on what I can do. And the good news, the truth of the matter is, you and I can do anything we set our mind to!

When you look at  history, some very average people have accomplished the most audacious and incredible things, and we sit back and say … “I can’t”.

I can’t pay my bills.

I can’t save my marriage.

I can’t get ahead in life.

I can’t reach more people in my ministry.

I can’t get people to volunteer on my team

That is a lie. I know thats a lie because, I have seen other people do all of those things and more!

Let me ask you a question. What is so special about them? Why now you?
Someone is going to be happily married …. it might as well be you!

Someone is going to make that sale … it might as well be you!

Someone is going to turn that idea into a profit … it might as well be you!

Someone is going to shine a bright light for Christ … it might as well be you!

It might as well be you, and iit can be. If you stop saying, “I can’t” and just try!

2 - I will but right now is not a good time. 

I’m going to start working out …. but this week is pretty busy.

I know I need to start spending more time with my kids. I need to. I want to. i will, but today I am just tied up.

I really feel like I could make a difference … but I’m so busy I just can’t start serving at the church right now.

There is a really interesting verse in the bible concerning this statement of “I will … but right now is not a good time”

Proverbs 20:4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

The lazy person knows the field needs plowed, they have every intention of playing the field but today …. it’s pretty cold, and then tomorrow is too hot and the next day well they are just too busy.  One excuse leads to another and another - and then at harvest time because they haven’t done the work necessary to produce the harvest …. they don’t have enough food … and they have to beg for help. 

The Bible says that when we know that there is something we are supposed to do and we say, “I’m going to but know is not a good time” because we do not do the work necessary to produce the harvest we wanted …. we will end up not having enough. We won’t have enough money. We won’t have enough patience. We won’t have enough love. We won’t enough support. 

Not because life is tough. No, we don’t have enough of what we need, because we never did the work necessary to produce the result we wanted. 

I will, but right now is not a good time, will keep you and I from being who you suppose to be 

This is not the way to live life. You are not lazy. So stop making excuses and start doing the thing you know you are suppose to do be doing. Take your spouse out on a date. Spend more time with your kids. Start reading the bible every day. There is never going to be a good time for you to start doing any of those things. The “good time” comes after you start doing them.

So lead your self. Stop making excuses and do what you know you are suppose to do. 

We are better together.

This statement is so true!

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