"Can you even imagine a quarterback fumbling and a lineman not jumping on the ball and instead saying something stupid like, "That isn't my job"? Companies all over America are failing because they have allowed a culture of leaders and teams who don't care about the goal, but just about themselves. When the team care only about themselves, they are by definition no longer a team, they are just employees. As soon as that happens, the germ of failure has entered the organization. When failure occurs like that it is leadership and the team's fault. There was no clearly communicated shared goal that created buy-in from all parties."
Dave Ramsey, EntreLeadership, 41.
I love reading leadership books. This past Christmas, a new attendee at First gave me Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership. I have known of Dave's financial teaching since our time in Nashville, which is the Ramsey empire's home base. I had heard of this book, but I had never read it.
Let me say, I think it is fantastic! I would recommend it for anyone who is looking for either the foundations and vision for a successful business or for some tips and techniques that can make leadership easier. It is in my top five of leadership books.
The above quote comes from a section on leadership of a business. Of course, I also work to apply this to the leadership of a church. While the Church is the bride of Christ and She is beautiful in spiritual power, the local church and denominations are systems functioning in a fallen world.
In other words, the local church system is in need of advice and improvement because every major issue that can happen in business can happen in the church. In fact, it is often much more difficult because "the employees" are mostly volunteers. Without volunteers, no church can survive. We love our volunteers!
Yet, what happens when a volunteer or a group of volunteers care only/primarily about themselves?
At that time, as Dave says, "The germ of failure has entered the organization."
In other words, just like a business, a church has to be constantly reminded and realigned according to its mission. What holds the volunteers together and fosters proper discussion and debate about the day-to-day is a commitment to a common vision/mission.
Aw! Here is the rub!
Jesus gave us the Great Commission. He gave us the greatest commandments. He modeled and told us that the call of the Church is for the World, not for itself.
Yet, often we fall into the same traps that every business struggles against. How do we play like a team? How do we get volunteers to buy into the team concept? What happens to those who choose not to play on the team, but instead follow their own rules and play their own game?
These questions are the joy of leadership! Answering them biblically and decisively are the essence of what it means to be leader in the Church. May the Lord raise up more leaders who are willing to accept this difficult but rewarding task.
Let me say, I think it is fantastic! I would recommend it for anyone who is looking for either the foundations and vision for a successful business or for some tips and techniques that can make leadership easier. It is in my top five of leadership books.
The above quote comes from a section on leadership of a business. Of course, I also work to apply this to the leadership of a church. While the Church is the bride of Christ and She is beautiful in spiritual power, the local church and denominations are systems functioning in a fallen world.
In other words, the local church system is in need of advice and improvement because every major issue that can happen in business can happen in the church. In fact, it is often much more difficult because "the employees" are mostly volunteers. Without volunteers, no church can survive. We love our volunteers!
Yet, what happens when a volunteer or a group of volunteers care only/primarily about themselves?
At that time, as Dave says, "The germ of failure has entered the organization."
In other words, just like a business, a church has to be constantly reminded and realigned according to its mission. What holds the volunteers together and fosters proper discussion and debate about the day-to-day is a commitment to a common vision/mission.
Aw! Here is the rub!
Jesus gave us the Great Commission. He gave us the greatest commandments. He modeled and told us that the call of the Church is for the World, not for itself.
Yet, often we fall into the same traps that every business struggles against. How do we play like a team? How do we get volunteers to buy into the team concept? What happens to those who choose not to play on the team, but instead follow their own rules and play their own game?
These questions are the joy of leadership! Answering them biblically and decisively are the essence of what it means to be leader in the Church. May the Lord raise up more leaders who are willing to accept this difficult but rewarding task.
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