REINVENT YOUR FUTURE

Lead on Purpose  |  Lead with Impact

The essence of leadership is developing the capacity to be a person of influence who facilitates transformation in people, teams and organizations. The goal of this cohort is to help church leaders articulate what leadership is, how it's exercised, and how you too can be a transforming presence in your home, at work, and in your community.

During this cohort, we'll address ways to:
  • Lead yourself, lead up, lead laterally, and lead your teams
  • Clarify your leadership style which is a reflection of your leadership principles, practices, approaches, and habits. 
  • Find ways to live well as you lead well in ways that create a harmonious work-life balance.

During this course, you will share your "North Star" and the guiding principles and practices that shape how you influence others. Then, you'll design a one-year Leading Well Road Map, share it with cohort members to gain helpful feedback further refining your intentions. Please join us on this journey of reinvention.

We invite you to download the app. As a Cohort group, you'll receive regular updates in addition to a reminder email before each session.

Jim LaDoux, Director of Coaching and Coaching Services
Pastor Tom Smith, VFM coach & facilitator
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SESSION 1 | Leadership Principles

1 | Share Introductions & Outcomes
  • Introduce self; share why leading well matters to you.
  • Share where you'd like to exercise influence.
  • Consider ways you can learn & resource each other.
  • Differentiate between leading VS managing.
  • You'll design & share a Leading Well road map/plan.
A SIMPLE COVENANT

Attitude
  • Be positive.
  • Be present.
  • Be playful and proactive
  • Be open to new ways of leading well
Actions
  • Be on time
  • B ready to contribute,
  • Volunteer to "go first."  
     
Assumptions
  • Be willing to stretch yourself and trust the process.
  • What's shared in our space, stays in our space.
  • We're not here to "fix" each other's problems.
  • We seek to draw upon everyone's wisdom.
2 | List the PEOPLE you wish to lead
  1. How will you lead yourself?
  2. How will you lead your friends & family?
  3. How will you lead your staff?
  4. How will you lead your board/elected leaders?
  5. Where do you intentionally show up as a leader?
3 | Highlight the 10 Principles
  1. List which ones might be part of your principles.
  2. List principles you feel may be missing from the list.
  3. List which principles are most important for you to pay attention to, right now.
  4. List how these principles would/could show up in your settings of influence?
  5. List assumptions you hold that may limit your ability to exercise your influence.
PRINCIPLE 1 - Leadership is about influence
  1. Do you see yourself as a change agent?
  2. Do you see yourself as a culture creator?
  3. How does your "showing up" change things?
  4. Where will you exercise your influence?
  5. With whom will you exercise your influence?
PRINCIPLE 2 - Leadership is a choice
  1. When are there times when your abdicate your leadership?
  2. How does your presence contribute to a different result?
  3. What makes it hard to consistently show up?
  4. What self-limitations do you impose on yourself?
  5. What can you learn from leaders that consistently show up? 
PRINCIPLE 3 - Leadership is built on trust
  1. Do people trust your motivations/intentions?
  2. Do people feel that you have their back?
  3. Do people feel that you speak the truth?
  4. Do people trust that you'll deliver on results?
  5. Do people know you well enough to trust you?
PRINCIPLE 4 - Leadership is a team sport
  1. Are you a good follower?
  2. Do your teams play fair?
  3. Do your teams know what the "wins" are?
  4. Do your teams know HOW to win?
  5. Do team members know their individual contributions?
PRINCIPLE 5 - Leaders are future-oriented
  1. Do you know where you wish to take people?
  2. Do you know how you want your culture to change?
  3. Do you consistently anticipate and adapt?
  4. Do you know what you wish to celebrate 1 year from now?
  5. Are you willing to lead people into uncharted territory?
PRINCIPLE 6 - Leaders are listeners & learners
  1. Do you take adequate time to listen?
  2. Do you take adequate time to observe?
  3. Do you see people are a source of wisdom?
  4. Do you listen without seeking to respond?
  5. Do you have a plan for listening well?
  6. Do you lead differently now than you did 2 years ago?
  7. What are you reading or watching that's stretching your leadership understandings and capacities?
  8. Who are the people that serve as mentors for you?
  9. Do you have a plan for ongoing leadership development?
  10. What feedback loops have you created to help you be a better leader?
PRINCIPLE 7 - Leaders are decision-makers
  1. How will doing less enable you to do what matters?
  2. What do you need to say NO to be able to say yes to what really matters?
  3. How do you help your leaders keep the main thing the main thing?
  4. What's needed for your team to make better decisions?
  5. Saying NO leads to managing people's unmet expectations.
  6. If you don't say NO to things, how will you have the time and energy to reinvent ministries?
PRINCIPLE 8 - Values drive commitment
  1. Which values inform your decisions?
  2. Which values do you embed in your organization?
  3. Do you know what your leaders' value?
  4. Do you know what your organization values?
  5. Have you considered creating operational values?
PRINCIPLE 9 - Leaders raise up new leaders
  1. Are you adding leaders so that you can multiply your impact?
  2. Are you developing the leaders you currently have?
  3. What would happen if every leader you work with had a PLD plan?
  4. When is following an effective way to lead?
  5. With whom to you need to share power and delegate authority?
PRINCIPLE 10 - Leadership is an affair of the heart

  1. What do you love about the role you play as a leader?
  2. What do you want for the people you lead?
  3. What does investing in your leaders look like?
  4. As a leader, how do you unleash another person's potential?
  5. What's different about leading VS managing?
4 | Introduce "Design Your Leading Well Road Map"
  1. What will be the the focus of your plan?
  2. What will be your strategies for fulfiling a plan?
  3. What will be your initial next steps?
  4. What will support your intentions? Hold you accountable?
  5. What resources do you need for the journey?
5 | Reflection questions & next steps
  1. What were your takeaways from Session 1?
  2. What do you need to do before Session 2?
  3. Where or with whom do you improve your leadership?
  4. What principles might you add to the "10" we discussed?
  5. List 3 people you feel model effective leadership. What do they consistently say and do that makes them an effective leader?
  6. What your history with setting & reviewing goals?
  7. What will you no longer tolerate?
  8. What's working for you?  What's not working?
  9. What do you need to say NO to right now?

LEADERSHIP TOOLS

SESSION 1 | Assignments

SESSION 2 | Leadership Practices

1 | Share Applications to Session 1 Topics
  1. What's stirring based on Session 1 conversations?
  2. Which principles "showed up" this past week?
2 | Introduction to Leadership PRACTICES
Practices are the things we consistently say and do to exercise transformative influence on the people and organizations we lead. This cohort highlights 8 specific practices leaders should continue to refine and embed in the way they lead others.

QUESTIONS

  1. What practices do you consistently exercise that you feel make a profound impact on others?
  2. Do you current have a plan for enhancing your current practices?
PRACTICE 1 - EMBODY the way for others
Great leaders model behaviors they hope that other leaders also replicate. What they say and do should reflect the mission, vision, and values of the organizations they serve. Many leaders model the way for others but fail to challenge other leaders to do the same.

QUESTIONS
  1. In what ways do you embody the mission and values of your organization?
  2. How often do you talk about your organization's mission and values?
  3. In what ways do you celebrate the fulfillment of your mission?
  4. In what ways do you measure your impact?
  5. In what ways do you send mixed messages to others based on what you say and do?
PRACTICE 2 -ENVISION a shared, preferred future
Leaders are future-oriented. They define reality, anticipate the opportunities and challenge they will in the, and they invite others into conversations that inspire a shared vision for their organization.

QUESTIONS
  1. Do you invite people to dream about your church?
  2. Do your members/leaders know your dreams for your organization?
  3. When and where do you co-create a better future?
  4. Who are the dreamers in your setting that you need to partner with more intentionally?
  5. How will you create space for intentional dreaming?
PRACTICE 4 - ENABLE others to act
Leaders remove the "friction points" in their organizations that prevent people from doing their best work. They run interference for others and they have each other backs when they encounter resistance. They improve systems and processes that hinder decision-making and the quick implementation of strategies.

QUESTIONS
  1. Do people know what you're seeking to accomplish?
  2. Do people know what it matters?
  3. Do people know how the plan will unfold?
  4. Do people know their personal contributions?
  5. What do people need to success?
  6. What are the obstacles that need to be removed?
PRACTICE 3 - ENLIST the right leaders
Great leaders recognize the importance of getting the right people on the bus, and in the rights. They position people for maximum impact. They also get the wrong people off the bus.
In addition, they properly onboard, support, and resource leaders to be successful in their endeavors.

QUESTIONS
  1. What's your process for inviting people into leadership roles?
  2. What's your criteria for selecting the right leaders?
  3. What do they need to know to make an informed decision?
  4. Do you keep an "enlistment" list of current and future leaders?
  5. What's the price you pay for not selecting the right people for the right roles?
PRACTICE 5 - ENGAGE people in crucial conversations
Effective leaders engage in crucial conversations in timely fashion. They connect these conversations to the mission and values of the organization and what their teams need to do their best work. They're clear about their, expectations, what needs to happens next, and what will happen if behaviors don't change.

QUESTIONS
  1. How comfortable are you with entering into difficult conversations?
  2. What are some of the tough conversations you need to have sooner rather than later?
  3. Do you use scripts to guide difficult conversations?
  4. What conversations need to be dropped or deferred to make space for consequential conversations?
  5. What is your role in facilitating conversations that need to occur?
PRACTICE 6 - EQUIP people to review, rethink & reinvent
Leaders take time to regularly review their results, note what's working and what's not working, record their observations and learnings, and then imagine new and better ways of fulfilling their mission.

​QUESTIONS
  1. What is your organization's history with evaluating programs and activities?
  2. What's your organization's history with conducting performance reviews?
  3. What would you do differently if you were starting a new church in your local community?
  4. How do you help leaders have funerals for programs and activities that need to end?
  5. Do you add time on your calendar for intentional reviewing, rethinking, and reinvention?
PRACTICE 7 - EMPOWER others to own their results
Leader empower others to set wins and to own their decisions, actions, and results. They provide opportunities to gain new skills and knowledge, and arrange to have people walk alongside them as mentors and coaches.

QUESTIONS
  1. Do you establish "wins" for your programs and activities?
  2. In what ways do you help or hinder your leaders willingness to own their actions, choices, and results?
  3. Do you give leaders templates that help them do their best work?
  4. Which results do you need to own?
  5. Which results do you need to help others own?
PRACTICE 8 - ENCOURAGE the heart
Leaders say THANK YOU often, in person , publicly and privately, and through words, texts, emails, hand written cards, and token gifts.  Their observations and affirmations are specific and usually point to the organization's mission and vision.

QUESTIONS
  1. What do you do publicly to encourage and celebrate people's contributions?
  2. What encouragement activities seem to have the greatest impact?
  3. How do you make sure that people's efforts don't fall through the cracks?
  4. How are you helping other leaders be intentional encouragers?
  5. Do you set aside time in your schedule to encourage others?

SESSION 2 | Assignments

SESSION 3 | Leadership  Style & Approaches

STYLES & APPROACHES - An Introduction
LEADERSHIP STYLES
Styles often relate to which of the 8 core leadership practices are emphasized to form a unique way of exercising leadership influence.

APPROACHES
Approaches include things that help stimulate meaningful conversations, remove obstacles that prevent people from being more creative, more collaborative, more positive and proactive.  They may be things you to do help leaders and team become unstuck, or move forward, faster.  Note what's not working within your team, during your meetings, and how you lead, and then explore new pathways that may lead to better results.

QUESTIONS
  1. What approaches do you currently use that make you a more effective leader?
  2. What approaches do you employ that move people beyond being immobilized?
  3. What new approach could you try at your next meeting?
  4. What new approach would you use to process emails?
  5. What new approach could you use to orient new members?
STYLE 1 - People-centered, Collaborative Leadership
This style involves being authentic, available, affirming. It involves being willing to share power, delegate, affirm other people's contributions.
STYLE 2 - Servant-oriented Leadership
This involves a willingness to share ministry and power with all leaders along with a willingness to support, equip, reflect iwith, and celebrate their contributions. Servant leaders often are focused on  helping others to live into their callings.
STYLE - 3 - Shared Ministry Leadership
This involves seeking to multiply leadership by adding and developing new leaders.  It involves paying attention to people's callings, unique gifts and perspectives, and what their ministry "superpowers" are that can be used to grow the ministry.
STYLE 4 - Courageous Leadership
This involves an openness to risk failure, pilot new ways of being and doing church, and creating safe space for consequentiial conversations.
APPROACH 1 - Lead by Proposal
Engagement is almost always better when leaders can respond to a document, video, flier, etc.  Invite people to share what they like and don't like. Ask for their suggestions and ideas. Give them an opportunity to raise questions. Ask them what they'd do if they were in charge of the project or process.

WHEN/WHERE TO PILOT
  1. Congregational meeting
  2. Council/Board meeting agendas
  3. New hospitality norms
  4. Rethinking church structure
  5. Rethinking annual reviews
APROACH 2 - Help leaders lead better meetings
Your best work as a leader may be helping other lead better meetings. If you help others lead good meeting, if may not be necessary for you to be there.  Ask conveners the following questions as they plan their meetings.
  1. What do we hope to accomplish?
  2. Who needs to be present?
  3. What's the best venue for the meeting?
  4. How can you help participant prepare for the meeting?
  5. What decisions need to be made at the meetings?
  6. What needs to be done following the meeting?
  7. What do you wish to assign to team members?
  8. How will you create space for intentional dreaming?
  9. How will you create space for relationship building?
  10. How will you evaluate the meeting?
APPROACH 3 - Help leaders be promoters

APPROACH 4 - Rethink your nominating process
  1. Honor the 150 rule.
  2. Make it year-round.
  3. Create job descriptions.
  4. Train people BEFORE they begin.
  5. Gather feedback from past leaders.
  6. Move training to short videos

SESSION 3 | Assignments

SESSION 4 | Leadership Habits

1 | Share Recent Applications to Session 3 Topics
  1. What's stirring based on Session 2 conversations?
  2. Which practices "showed up" this past week?
2 | Introduction to Leadership HABITS
Leadership habits are those routines and norms we create on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis that help that your influence as a leader to continues to grow.
  1. What are the 5-15 minutes habits that help you lead well?
  2. Which habits help you "sharpen the saw"?
  3. What is your experience with setting good habits?
HABIT 1 - Create content in batches
  • Lead by proposal.
  • Establish clear norms & expectations.
  • News articles.
  • Sermon themes.
  • Social meeting posts.
  • Learning content for leaders.
HABIT 2 - Create space for deep work
  • 3-hour time block
  • Mini-retreat
  • Time with a mentor/guide
  • Combine with positive/play activity
HABIT 3 - Embed After Activity Reviews
  • Worship
  • Meetings 
  • Confirmation programs
  • Servant events
  • Nominating process
HABIT 4 - Zero email inbox
This is where the description goes.
HABIT 5 - Addressing conflict sooner rather than later
  • Give yourself a 48 hour to 1 week window to address it.
  • Normalize crucial conversations.
  • Create engagement scripts.
HABIT 6 - Address unmet expectations immediately
  • Deadlines
  • Ministry focus
  • Attitudes

SESSION 4 | Assignments

Samples | Annual Leading Well Road Maps

IMPROVE NOMINATING PROCESS

  • Create job descriptions for all elected leadership roles.
  • Create criteria for selecting potential nominees.
  • Create schedule and letter for inviting leaders to serve.
  • Create a Leadership Toolkit with helpful resources.
  • Create in person and online orientation events.

HELP LEADERS FACILITATE BETTER MEETINGS

  • Provide leaders with a Better Meetings Cheat Sheet.
  • Align meetings with our purpose, priorities  & goals.
  • Train team leaders how to facilitate great meetings.
  • Provide reporting & planning tools for lay leaders.
  • Meet with meeting conveners before/after meeting.

HELP STAFF SET ANNUAL GOALS

SET GOALS FOR LEADING YOURSELF

  • Invite staff to share annual goals for the year in January.
  • Review goals & next steps with staff once/month. 
  • Establish quarterly check-in's with program staff.
  • Use Annual review process to share future plans.
  • Help staff set ministry, growth & self-care goals.
  • Set aside 1 hours/week to review goals.
  • Develop strategies for honoring Sabbath.
  • Identify what to say no to, defer, or delegate.
  • Address my people-pleasing tendencies.
  • Changing schedule to create work/life harmony.

CREATE HELPFUL LEADERSHIP TOOLS

  • Help teams create an annual planning calendar & goals.
  • Provide teams with planning & promotional tools.
  • Provide teams with facilitation & decision-making tools.
  • Experiment with 2-3 minute videos to explain each tool.
  • Create an online resource library for lay leaders.

TRY ON NEW WAYS TO LEAD WELL

  • Learn to "leading by proposal."
  • Meet with team leaders BEFORE meetings.
  • Focus on individual leadership development.
  • Align teams' work with our purpose, priorities & values. 
  • Introduce laughter and storytelling into meetings.

HELP TEAMS TO SET ANNUAL GOALS

  • Help the Stewardship Team with set annual goals.
  • Help the Spiritual Growth Team with set annual goals.
  • Help the Worship & Music Team set goals.
  • Assist the Community Connections Team set goals.
  • Assist the Welcoming & Befriending Team set goals.

DEVELOP A NEW MEMBER ENGAGEMENT PLAN

  • List wins & resources for first-time visitors.
  • List wins & resources for second-time or frequent visitors.
  • List wins & resources for a friends of our faith community.
  • List wins & resources for a first year members.
  • Help members/ministry partners fulfill their callings..

ENCOURAGE SERVANT LEADERS

HELP LEADERS BE MORE STRATEGIC

  • Send three thank you/thinking of you cards per week.
  • Have Board write Thank You cards at meetings.
  • Using text to support & encourage members.
  • Start using How Has God SHAPED You form.
  • Call members on their birthdays. 
  • Begin Board meetings using lectio divina. 
  • Have Board member share their spiritual autobiography.
  • Light Christ candle at meetings.
  • Align Board meeting agendas with our annual goals.
  • Review annual goals on a quarterly basis.

BOOKS to read

Videos to watch