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Archive for the ‘Leadership’ Category
What is the real measure of your leadership?
By: Jock Ficken
What is the real measure of your leadership? What if the real measure of your leadership was not all that was accomplished within your span of influence (count: worship attendance, offerings, buildings and programs built, etc.) but the “successes/successors”…the congregational “heroes”… you mentored? Successors who might shine as bright or brighter than you and might … Continue reading
Do you invest or curse?
By: Jock Ficken
A few years ago I had an early morning flight from Buffalo. Eight inches of snow on the way. “Good thing I’m getting out early,” I told the shuttle driver. His reply? “Ah, this is Buffalo. No big deal.” It’s just the Buffalo environment. Right? Lots of snow? I suppose my driver and everyone else … Continue reading
6 Energy OUTputs that Could Boost Your Ministry
By: Jock Ficken
I’m an enthusiastic plodder. (Find that in Strength Finders!) I distribute leadership energy…strategically. Or, occasionally simply because I don’t know what else to do. Let me commend 3 from time to time energy OUTputs and 3 energy OUTputs that might return 30-, 60- or 100-fold, if you’re not already doing them. …and I know you already do 27 … Continue reading
10 Ways to Kick Up Your Leadership Energy
By: Jock Ficken
I have less energy than I used to have. #sadfact I seek to maximize it daily! Deploy it effectively! The ministry that you lead needs you to lead with strategic allocations of energy. How are you doing? Most leaders are not doing so good! Some leaders actually lose credibility and trust with the people they … Continue reading
5 Mistakes I Made as a Young Leader
By: Jock Ficken
A simple word of “thanks” if you participated in #GivingTuesday to launch PLI’s first multicultural learning community in Washington D.C. with Ethiopian and Liberian immigrant pastors and spouses. If you haven’t already, will you join Gail and me in making a gift today? And now, here are 5 Mistakes I Made as a Young Leader… … Continue reading
How’s Your Resiliency Quotient?
By: Jock Ficken
Leadership resilience in congregations today is frequently stretched and in short supply, for both men and women. Leadership demands have always been great. Maybe never more so than now when following the familiar mission maps of yesterday are hopelessly out of date. A simple question: How’s your resiliency quotient right now? Like a lot of … Continue reading
When Leaders Stop Growing….Organizations Start Dying
By: Jock Ficken
It’s an unfortunate truth. Leadership has a short shelf life. Especially in the rapid, discontinuous changes of the last decade or two. Leaders leading with no leadership growth quickly become inhibitors to the ministries they lead. It can happen at 29…39…59! If you’re leading the same way you did back then, you’re leading a diminished … Continue reading
Where is God leading you next?
By: Jock Ficken
I asked a bunch of younger leaders to do the difficult, to challenge some “landing pattern” pastors and spouses and others who have served so well for so long to not squander what might be their largest legacy in helping the Church set sail toward a new season of great mission vibrancy. This “landing pattern” … Continue reading
Landing Pattern
By: Jock Ficken
The United States is the 3rd largest mission field in the world. Here are two realities: Reality 1: The United States is the 3rd largest mission field in the world. Reality 2: Large numbers of pastor-leaders (spouse-leaders and lay-leaders too!) will retire in the next 3…5…7 years. They’re all flying toward a landing pattern transition … Continue reading
7 Simple Steps to Better Focus for Christian Leadership
By: Jock Ficken
FOCUS. Most leadership doesn’t focus well. Life just happens. They don’t prioritize. Next year will look a lot like last year. A little better…a little worse. There’s something inherently evil in most leaders’ minds about being FOCUSED. FOCUS implies… Accountability to themselves. Accountability to others. An expectation that something will actually result. That something should … Continue reading
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