Today I was coaching the staff on my team planting Greek ministry at UCLA. His name is Nick Kwok and he is a great leader with a desire to see God move big time in the Greek system on campus.
But he is also a new planter and is learning on the job how you create, with God, ministry from scratch. Like I have all people under my leadership do, Nick is reading through “Exponential” by Dave and Jon Ferguson and we are talking about what it looks like to develop leaders inside of a movement. How do we reproduce ourselves and others under us?
Well today, he came to me with conviction and said,
“I don’t think I am doing anything that Dave says a leader should do.”
I was puzzled by his comment because Nick is doing a great job, but he insisted and pointed me to chapter four and the section on 12 things that show leadership is lacking.
I love Nicks heart, humility and coach-ability to just come to the table with this. It shows he actually is a leader! He is hungry to grow.
He wasn’t missing all of these things like he thought, but he was missing a few and it gave us a great starting point for conversation to grow as leaders and planters. We were both thankful for this chapter as we talked and dreamed about how to be better leaders for God going forward.
Planting brings out your warts and it leaves you exposed. But if you are humble, planting can be a great catalysts for growth in leadership.
Here are the 12 things found in chapter 4 of “Exponential”.
12 indicators that leadership is lacking
- I wait for someone to tell me what to do rather than taking the initiative myself.
- I spend too much time talking about how things should be different
- I blame the context, surroundings, or other people for my current situation
- I am more concerned about being cool or accepted than doing the right thing.
- I seek consensus rather than casting vision for a preferable future.
- I am not taking any significant risks.
- I accept the status quo as the way it’s always been and always will be.
- I start protecting my reputation instead of opening myself up to opposition
- I procrastinate to avoid making a tough call.
- I talk to others about the problem rather than taking to the person responsible.
- I dont feel like my butt is on the line for anything significant.
- I ask for way too many opinions before taking action.
Which ones of these are lacking in your leadership? Are there any more to put on the list?
Sign up to receive our blog posts via e-mail and get instant access to our APE Library with videos, seminars, leaders notes, and more.
I like this list a lot! It will help me to reflect on my own leadership. However, I think this list is slightly bent toward a male-style of leadership. I can see myself doing #1, #5, and #15 but that’s not because I’m lacking leadership but, because this is how I lead some times – through consensus, not wanting to promote myself, and with the team in mind.
Una,
You have a great point. I agree with you to some degree. I think these principles in a vacuum bend towards a certain type of person. Jon and Dave and myself are white males for example.
But certain tasks, namely planting, especially when alone and not really on a team call for leadership styles/principles that are beyond our preference. To get the job done we have to do certain things whether we like it or not.
I know you would agree with that.
Just like when you are on a big team you need to be more concerned with others opinions and group consensus.
What are some principles you would recommend?
@Una – I don’t think the author is saying that you should not have feed back but if we primarily just do what consesus says we are being led rather then leading. The sheep need a shepherd to guide. I would also say that if someone is telling you what to do and initiative is lacking then they are the leader. Initiative is birthed from an understanding of what is, what is not and what needs to be then the gumption to have a go at changing it (presuming of course biblical foundations, being led by the Spirit etc.).
Using Scripture as our primary example, both men and women, in a very non-Western context led with strength, initiative and daring. Those that took their cues primarily from the people (as different from other mature leaders) got themselves ultimately in a lot of trouble (eg. Aaron)
Beau, thanks for your comments and questions. I totally agree with you re: needing to take initiative in planting or in situations where a leader is alone & trying to get things started. Perhaps that’s the context of the list and that would explain how I missed something. The way that I read the list, #5 and maybe #12 infer being on a team context. I’m all for initiative, reckless abandon and working outside preferences. You know that about me. I guess I question who gets to decide what “too many opinions” are (see #12). Yea, I still question the perspective from which this list was written. What would I add? Leadership is lacking when there’s a focus on the “rights” of the leader to do such-and-such thing. Leadership is lacking when a leader highlights position or title.
Josh, Hi! I don’t know you but I’m glad for your comments. I haven’t read the book so I can’t comment at all on what the author is saying. Thanks for clarifying. In response to your comment, I’m not sure that doing what is consensus automatically means someone is following and not leading. That feels a little too simple and negative about seeking consensus as an act of leadership. I’m all about initiative, self-motivation, and taking risks. My original point was that I would be bummed if women I know (and some ethnic minority leaders that I know) were seen as lacking in leadership because they were slower to take initiative than others, they lead through developing consensus or were interpreted as seeking “too many opinions” before taking action.