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Thoughts From Outgoing Student Leaders

I went around the circle this week and asked each of the people on our executive student leadership team to state something they learned this year. It was a pretty good list to launch from for training next year's group:

"There's a point in time when you need to give grace to members of your team, allowing them the freedom to fail, to make mistakes. But there's also a point in time when grace needs to give way to consequences, especially when it begins to detract from the team."

"I need to depend more on my team."

"There is a time to be silent. People will think what they're going to think and you can't always defend yourselves. Sometimes you must be silent to protect the integrity of the team."

"I need to lead from my strengths. That's why I was selected."

"Just because I communicate something, it doesn't mean that people hear it."

"There are times that you can't rely on group think and you must stand up and make the hard decision. That's why you were chosen as a leader."

"People don't tend to stay passionate over the things that I'm passionate about, unless they have it inside themselves to start with. I need to find what motivates them and stoke that fire."

It's important to remember that leaders are learners. Leaders never stop growing. This list reminded me that there is always something to work on.
leadership

Quick Rant

We just finished selecting and electing our new students to fill the leadership "positions" next year. I highlight the word "positions", because that is what they are.

Students don't become student leaders by simply serving in a position designated as a leadership position. Students become student leaders when they begin to exert influence over others and attract some followers.

Do the job. Great. Fulfill your responsibilities. Great.

Influence others. Create some followers. Now you're a leader.

Choosing A Pope

I was very interested in the process that the Catholic Church went through in selecting a new Pope. There was an incredible spirit of anticipation that surrounded the Vatican and the news media. When the bishops sequestered themselves and took the oath of secrecy, there seemed to be a sense of confidence that the process would produce the right person for the job.

When the white smoke finally poured from the chimney, people began the celebration. While they awaited the news to find out who would come out from behind the crimson curtain wearing the papal garb, WHO didn't seem to be the main issue. When the German, Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) stepped into view, you didn't hear a large constituency of the crowd let out a gasp saying, "Not him...we want the South American guy."

The press reported that there were many in the Catholic Church who felt that they were "orphans" without a Pope. Most of us, in the Western Evangelical Church, don't understand what the primacy of the Pope means. We may wonder, "How does a new Pope change anything about my life?"

Once again, I believe that there are some tremendous leadership implications in this whole process. The Pope represents someone that people are willing to follow and revere, even when they don't agree with him. The Catholic Church trusts the selection process as one that is led by the Holy Spirit (how does that compare and contrast to the ways that we select our leaders).

One of the greatest compliments to this new Pope is his determination to continue in the leadership syle of his predecessor. Pope John Paul left an incredible legacy of healing and openness. Pope Benedict would do well to continue to follow in his footsteps, remembering that any blessing he now experiences in his papacy is the result of someone, somewhere having paid the price for that blessing. 

Addition: One other thing that's important to consider from a leadership perspective, is that simply selecting Ratzinger doesn't equip him to lead as Pope, but it certainly equates him with someone worth following.

Battling The Noise

I think that noise can be addicting. When I'm driving in my car, I like to have the radio on. When I'm around other people, I like to keep the conversation going so there's no "dead" time (have you ever been on the phone and nobody talks...it gets uncomfortable).

I came across a cool quote that speaks to the power of silence. Silence is something that you may or may not like. Yet, it has the power to communicate things that words and sounds cannot.

In a world of too many words, silence affects people who are no longer affected by sound. Plenty of us who are defended against sound have no defense against silence.
-Barbara Brown Taylor

How does silence affect you? When is silence an appropriate response? What do you learn in the silence about yourself? About others?

Encouragement

I just spoke to a group of jr high and high school students on the topic of encouragement. Too often, we underestimate the power that encouragement has both personally and relationally.

Here's the "in a nutshell" version:

Encouragement is the opportunity to shape another person's perspective in a positive way.

1. Encouragement is necessary to live.
We need air, water, food, love in order to survive. I would add encouragement to that list. It's that important. Without it, we can easily become swallowed up by life's discouragements.

2. Encouragement see potential in someone that they may not see themselves (or others have missed).
Once you overcome the false notion that "you can do whatever you put your mind to," then you can become open to the encouragement of others to what you are capable of doing. I would offer that an encourager is a different type of "name-caller." Not one who tears down, but one who identifies potential and builds up.

3. Encouragement is about giving someone else "courage."
Based on the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23, an encourager is one who gives...
...courage to be loving - because the world is full of hate.
...courage to be joyful - because there is so much that would push us toward despair.
...courage to be peacemakers - because there is a tendency to want to fight and win.
...courage to be patient - because we live in a world that wants it NOW.
...courage to be kind - because there's less and less people who are truly nice anymore.
...courage to be good - because it is the goodness in our lives that shows that God is a work.
...courage to be faithful - because we have a tendency to give up.
...courage to be gentle - because we often feel like we have to force our way to get ahead.
...courage to be self-controlled - because our behavior is shaped by our habits.

The truth is, when we encourage the best in others, it brings out the best in ourselves.

Napoleon Dynamite Action Figures

 Thought you might be interested in this...

Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising and McFarlane Toys announced a new licensing agreement to develop a line of action figures based on characters from the hit movie "Napoleon Dynamite." The toy line, which will hit store shelves in the fall, will feature characters Napoleon, Pedro and Kip. "Napoleon Dynamite and action figure may seem like an oxymoron, but McFarlane Toys has the appreciation and understanding of this character and the film to create some truly fun and highly appealing toys," said Peter Byrne, executive vp licensing at Fox Licensing & Merchandising.

You can follow the link here.

What You Focus On Expands

Reading the latest Leadership Link newsletter from Growing Leaders. In it, Tim Elmore compares a flood to a river as a metaphor for effectiveness.

A flood scatters water everywhere and is destructive. A river flows in a certain direction and has many, many uses.

Elmore points out...

What you focus on expands. Read that sentence again. Now think about it. If I tell you to focus on finding Toyota Camry's on the road, you will notice these cars everywhere. Why? Because what you focus on expands.

So, the goal of a leader is to focus, not expand. Growth is a product of focus. Focus doesn't always mean becoming narrow. If you focus your camera, it means you clarify the picture you are trying to take.

So you must clarify the vision. Focus your people, time, energy and resources. Remember this: just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD. Intensify, don't diversify.

As student leaders, we must realize that just because we are CAPABLE of taking more responsibility on, or accomplishing more tasks, doesn't necessarily mean we SHOULD. I'm a firm believer that LESS is MORE.

In a future post, I'll talk about how the less we do, the more we can accomplish...

Avoiding Accountability

Patrick Lencioni has written a number of leadership fables to illustrate effective practices of leaders and the teams on which they serve. You probably serve on a team with a group of people.

Is accountability something that you practice or something that you simply avoid because it's too uncomfortable to talk to someone else about how they've missed the mark, made a mistake, or have let the team down in some way?

In Lencioni's book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, he notes

As politically incorrect as it sounds, the most effective and efficient means of maintaining high standards of performance on a team is peer pressure. One of the benefits is the reduction of the need for excessive bureaucracy (translated: bringing in more people, higher authorities, creating more rules) around performance management and corrective action. More than any policy or system, there is nothing like the fear of letting down respected teammates that motivates people to improve their performance.

As leaders, we must put aside the personal discomfort of calling a peer out for their poor performance or behavior. Can you think of moments where you held back on saying something when you knew that something needed to be said?

Uncommon Sense

I recently attended a Leadership Conference in Ohio where I had the opportunity to interact with Ohio Secretary of State, J. Kenneth Blackwell. I have been impressed by Mr. Blackwell's handling of the Presidential Election in 2004. I was equally impressed by his presentation and promotion of character values.

His campaign is bigger than just the state of Ohio.

I invite you to view his website www.ohiospirit.org and to read through the ethics guide that his office has produced here.

In this commitment to character building, Mr. Blackwell believes that character, combined with collaboration is what is necessary to produce thriving and vital community.

Things To Do Today: Hunt Cats!?!

The San Jose Mercury News reported today that Wisconsin residents have passed an initial plan to allow themselves the legal right to hunt and kill stray cats. The article stated:

Despite passionate opposition from cat lovers, Wisconsin residents supported a plan that would allow hunters to take out wild felines that kill birds and other small mammals.

Residents who attended Wisconsin Conservation Congress meetings Monday night voted to allow hunters to kill cats at will, just like skunks or gophers -- something the Humane Society of the United States called cruel and archaic.

The idea still faces several hurdles before it could become law. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board at its May meeting will decide whether to order the Department of Natural Resources to ask the Legislature to support the change. Lawmakers would have to then pass a bill and get Gov. Jim Doyle to sign it.

Which reminds me...you know what they call it when someone runs over your neighbor's cat in front of your house?

A favor.