Category: Incoherent Ramblings

Redundancy, Again

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There are a few topics here at 3QL that keep rising to the surface. The Redundancy of Leadership is one of those.

I love a good set of questions. The namesake of this blog, for example, are three questions we can ask ourselves over and over. As situations change around us, then our answers will change. But the questions stay the same.

I have another set of questions I use rather frequently: One Word, Jump, and Stick. I started using these questions to help students on our leadership trip evaluate and process what they had heard, then started using it at camp as a way for them to process the message each night. Now, they are a regular part of my personal Bible reading.

For me, good questions aren’t good because they make you think the first time. Good questions still make you think the 100th time.

And that’s the redundancy of leadership. Find those things that may be solid the first time, but withstand the long haul.

As leaders, we have to continually cast vision so people are on the same page. Sure, the initial cast is important, but just because I remember the vision doesn’t mean the people I lead will remember.

What calls for repeating in your sphere of influence today? What drum have you stopped beating in the midst of our current societal shift? What do you need to re-emphasize to those who hear your voice?

Time for Evaluation

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On Sunday I was asked if I’m more or less busy with all the changes. The question came from genuine curiosity, and sparked introspection.

In all honesty, my schedule is a little more wide open. I have evenings free, for the most part. No practices, no games, no track meets, no meetings. I come home from work and I’m home.

But my schedule at work is different. Normally, I rely on routine. I have on my desk a generic week with one or two goals I know I need to accomplish each day of the week. That routine has gone away.

I had a routine as far as where I went, and when. That’s gone away.

I had a plan as to what I would aim to have accomplished each day. That’s gone away.

Instead, I find myself being tossed to and fro as though I’m on a boat moving through rough waters. My routine brought security and stability, and the upsetting of my routine brings the opposite.

So how did I respond on Sunday when asked? I feel like I’m working harder, but not nearly as efficiently.

And that’s where evaluation steps in.

Turmoil and the upset of a routine provides an uneasy momentary experience, but evaluation helps move toward a return to stability. How can I be more effective with my time? How can I break my week back into manageable pieces? What new goals do I need to set? What new opportunities do I need to push aside in order to make the most of what I have now?

My question is the same for you today. Whatever your role, I feel confident to say you are experiencing a similar turmoil. So have you taken time to slow down, evaluate your efforts and efficiency, and adapt? Spend some time today evaluating, and take some steps forward.

Leaders Cast Vision

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Leaders cast vision. In the midst of uncertainty, when no one knows what may come next, leaders cast vision.

I am fascinated by COVID19 and the rapid pace of change all around us. Every day new information bombards us, causing more shifts in reality. So, as a leader, how do you make sure you are leading others to move forward?

Leaders cast vision.

When I started in my current role just over a year ago, one of my goals was to set out some goals and some targets I wanted to aim for. This morning, as I was thinking about the road ahead, I realized my goals have not changed; my delivery method may change, but my goals remain the same.

My job, as a leader in my own context, is to make sure those I lead are on the same page, moving in the same direction. Chaos, by definition, is the absence of a unified movement. We are living in a time of chaos.

So, my role, as a leader, is to cast vision.

You are in the same spot. In a world dominated by chaos, casting vision is more important than ever. Return to the base line of your goals. If everything changes (which it is), what do you still want to accomplish? Now, communicate that to those you lead.

And remember, leaders cast vision.

3 Tips to Navigate an Unclear Future

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We are living in a strange time. I have so many thoughts and questions about what is happening all around us, but so few answers.

I would not say I’m worried about COVID19, but more worried about the implications it carries for the next few weeks. Every day for the past 7 days has been a roller coaster of emotion, and I feel like we are only seeing the beginning.

So, what does that mean for leadership? Here are three things I’m keeping out front as we navigate the coming weeks:

  1. Learn from others. One of my favorite ways of leading is to learn from what other people are doing. What is working? What is not working? What sounds like a contextual win and what would make sense for my setting? If I can come out of the 2nd quarter of 2020 having picked up some leadership lessons, then I’ll be better for it moving forward.
  2. Swing big. One of my favorite things about Youth Ministry is the ease with which we can introduce changes. Students live in a world of change, so they seem to be a little less resistant than adults. So, that means we have an opportunity to swing big in the next few weeks. We can try things we would have never considered, all for the sake of staying connected. As I process options, this post comes to mind.
  3. Be intentional. If gathering together is one of the strengths of the church as we know it (and I think it is), we have to be intentional in the days ahead. We have to be intentional about maintaining connections. We have to be intentional about checking in on those in our sphere of influence. We have to be intentional to nurture leadership in those around us.

At the end of the day, we will likely look back on this time of our lives and always ask if we handled our opportunities well. I hope both of us remember these days as something great in spite of the circumstances.

What are you doing to make sure you’re still prepared and ready moving forward?

Flashback Friday #8

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Some things are worth repeating. Today’s flashback is to a post title Be Careful Who Speaks into Your Life from my original Incoherent Ramblings. Here’s a peak:

While that advice has proven true, and would undoubtedly provide a great subject for a blog post, I have learned over the years we need to be selective about who we let speak into our lives.

Surround yourself with people who never challenge you to grow, or who never see something in you which you cannot see,  and you will never improve.

Surround yourself with people who are incapable of understanding your situation, and the advice they give will never help.

Surround yourself with people who only see negatives and wrongs, and you will begin to see things through their perspective.

Surround yourself with people who have an agenda, and you will simply become a means to an end.

There is another option…

Sometimes, the most damage is done by people who have undue influence on us. Click over and read it to see the bigger picture.

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