Vetrean Pastor, Life time Learner, Problem Solver, Servant-Leader and Motivational Speaker.

Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog via www.leadershipnow.com

Lead. Anchor yourself in Humility. Leadership is an all-in proposition. Never react; instead ask yourself: is this about me or about we? If it’s the former, forget it and rise above.

Purpose. The why. Purpose must have a long shadow, extending its influence over others.

Strategy. Strategy starts with the results of today. Strategy, rooted in values and purpose, gives encouragement through times of ambiguity and uncertainty. Strategy without purpose and values is a short-term plan that is directed toward shallow goals.

People. When you.re the leader, it’s never about you, but it starts with you. The leader can’t be the star player, scoring all the points. (Although many try to do just that.) Set high expectations for your team members, and help them to see what they can achieve.

Measure. Don’t rely on what you believe to be true. Measure and monitor so you know if it’s true. Validate your data. Walk around. Talk to people. Listen. Look into their eyes and see for yourself whether the strategy is really working.

Empower. The leader’s job is not to empower people, but rather to help them to empower themselves. It’s the difference between ordering people to do something and inspiring them to see what they can do.

Reward. Employees work harder for leaders who demonstrate respect for their work. Authentic, purposeful praise is a power skill of the successful leader—everywhere.

Anticipate. As a leader, you must always have your focus on the horizon. Your first task is to hone your view of the present that you perceive around you and your organization. Grounded in this reality, you are able to raise your sights toward the horizon and beyond.

Navigate. Anticipation and navigation are complementary skills. It involves making decisions in real time that allow you to adjust, react, and outmaneuver the competition—always on the lookout for the unexpected.

Communicate. Communication is where leadership lives and breathes. That means more listening than talking. It’s not merely telling people what you think and what you know. It is a process in which you seek first to understand what others think.

Listen. Listen, learn, and then lead—in that order.

Learn. Knowledge is what you know. Wisdom is acknowledging what you don’t know. Surround yourself with a handful of people who will be your corrective lens, making sure that you focus and learn. Equally important, your inner circle should be made up of confidants who provide grounding and perspective, seeing you as a person rather than a function.

 

via www.leadershipnow.com

Lee Cockerell on 3 Steps to Running Disney - churchrelevance.com | churchrelevance.com

At Seeds Conference 2012,  Lee Cockerell, the former VP of Operations for Walt Disney World Resort, discussed the 3 areas he focused on when running a Disney resort.

If you just keep things clean and friendly, everything will be fine.
- Walt Disney

Don’t get bored with the basics in life.

(1) Hire Great People

One of the most important things you can do is hire the right people. Hire great people. The difference between good people and great people is really big.

If you want to know what communication is, it is clarity. “Here is what we expect.”

At Disney, fantasy is reality, and reality is fantastic.
At your church, make reality fantastic. Make the parking lots work. Make the bathrooms clean. Make things work.

(2) Train Your People

Education is the key that opens the door. If you train people, then you can take a nap.

(3) Be a Leader

Be a good role model. Encourage people.

If you get the right culture, everything seems to work out fine. The leader is responsible for the culture.

Areas of Leadership Competency

1. Be technically competent. If you are in ministry, know the Bible.
2. Have management competence. Be a planner. Think about the responsibilities you signed up for. Don’t forget personal development and personal health.
3. Create excitement. Be the type of leader where your team is excited to get to work.

If you have a performance problem with someone on your team, fix them once and not every week.

What Team Members Want

1. Make me feel special.
2. Treat me as an individual.
3. Respect me.
4. Train and develop me.

Don’t ever underestimate the influence you have over people. Care about being the right kind of person.

Don’t believe half the stuff you think. Half of it isn’t even true.

Diversity is not a problem for young people. They are already practicing diversity. You are the problem.

If you appreciate your people, tell them.

via churchrelevance.com

COOL VIDEO!!!ELMA REPORT.......I WILL NOT BE DISCOURAGED!!!!EVEN THOUGH NOBODY RESPONDS TO MY ALTAR CALL FOUR WEEKS..... IN A ROW!!!!Check this video out!!!WOW!!!!!!!! Opera duo Charlotte and Jonathan....Especially if you struggle with your weight!!!!!!

 

1. This video GOT SOME DUST OF MY EYES and made me have a "black baptiscostal moment" rejoicing at the power of God despite the negative "voices" of the enemy. Christ will build His church despite the pull of Satan. 
2. Just before watching this movie, I was lamenting in my office in Elma that nobody responding to my call for salavation in the past four SUNDAYS!!!!
3. I was discouraged tONIGHT when I saw young men  selling drugs right in front of my apartment (in Elma, WA) directly across the street from our church. (Satan, seriously????Our God is greater.He will kick your .....!!!)
4. My heart sank!!! I could not believe that Satan will engineer people to destroy lives right between two churches. GOD  have MERCY!!! HEAL ELMA!!!!Elma for Jesus!!!!! Pastor James needs prayer support......
5. BUT WAIT!!!!!! THAT IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY!!!!
6. God has gifted numerous people in our church to accomplish His work as we obey HIS WORD!!!!!
7. What we are doing is more important that "Britain Got Talent".WAIT A MINUTE!!!!!!! CHRIST HAS PROMISED TO BUILD HIS CHURCH!!!!
8. God is bringing people to Himself. All kinds of people to Himself.....
9. After church TODAY!!!! numerous people told me they have invited people for Easter. People hugged me and told me God is rocking their MINDS WITH JOHN 3:16!!!!!!!!!!
10. We are praying that God will send us 80 people on Easter Sunday.
11. We believe that God is totally in-charge  and can do great things through us. We are excited that God will do amazing things for us!!!!!!YEAH GOD!!!!!!!!
12. We are riding a wave, a wave of the grace and amazing goodness of GOOD God great God of Isreal. 

Amazing NEWS!!!!

1. Over 55 people in Church today....we will celebrate and give God the glory.
2. We will not listen to the naysayers about this "being the honey moon" or "it will wear out in 1 year".
3. A young solider and his wife attended our services....we honored He and his wife for serving our country. Thank God for men and women who are willing to fight for our freedom. Freedom is not free baby!!!!!!
4. We will party hard and rejoice in the goodness of the Lord.Grays harbor county will continue to see what God is doing throught First Baptist Church Elma.
5. We will join the lord in His work in and around Gray's Harbor County...
6. Jesus is Alive!!!!THE TOMB IS EMPTY!!!!!WE WILL proclaim His word in our lives. God is good!!! Our anthem forever will be!!!!!!!!!!!

ELMA FOR JESUS 2012..

Grace and Peace

Pastor James Owolabi

3/25/2012

How to Quickly Overcome Inexperience « Leadership Freak

10 dangers of inexperienced leaders:

1. Needing to be liked.
2. Blaming.
3. Emotional decisions.
4. Impulsiveness.
5. Trying too hard.
6. Neglecting the long term.
7. Focusing on symptoms rather than causes.
8. Aiming without pulling the trigger.
9. Meddling.
10. Forget to say thank you. (Speaking of thanks, many of these points were inspired by contributors on the Leadership Freak Facebook Page. Thank you!)

10 questions every inexperienced leader must keep asking:

1. What type of world are my behaviors building around me?
2. How many questions did I ask today?
3. What am I learning?
4. Am I acting or reacting?
5. When was the last time I spent an hour in self-reflection?
6. What’s the most fun?
7. Am I soliciting input from experienced leaders and staff?
8. Do I welcome ideas from everyone?
9. How are we leveraging everyone’s strengths?
10. Who do I feel threatened by? Why?

12 powerful suggestions for inexperienced leaders:

1. You matter in ways you can’t imagine. Watch your tone, body language, and attitude, everyone else is.
2. Be optimistic about the future and realistic about the present. Optimism frustrates others if you don’t acknowledge present realities and problems, first.
3. Challenges aren’t your biggest opportunity, people are.
4. Be tender when you’re being tough.
5. Remove manipulators and backstabbers. They may quickly deliver results but everyone around them slows down.
6. Courageously ask dumb questions. (From the Chief Security Officer of Microsoft)
7. Protect your team from political fallout and organizational interference.
8. Believe your perspective matters. Listen to yourself as well as others.
9. Avoid extreme reactions.
10. Recruit mentors, advisors, and, coaches. Get support.
11. Take responsibility.
12. Make the best interests of your organization and others your priority, always.

Bonus: Stick with it. The reason it’s called experience is it takes time.

**********

What can you add to these lists?

What can you modify or amplify?

via leadershipfreak.wordpress.com

7 Things I Learned from a Poor Management Experience | Ron Edmondson

Here are 7 things I learned from a poor management experience:

• Never send an email (today’s memo) to correct an action.
• Never over-react to a minor issue.
• Never make a policy to correct a single error.
• Never single someone out publicly who hasn’t been talked to privately.
• Never punish everyone for the mistake of one.
• Never act like it’s not a big deal if you think it’s a big deal.
• Never be so weak as a leader that you fail to address the real issue, or the real problem, even if the real problem is a person.

I am certain I have repeated each of these myself at times, but the experience truly did shape my leadership and management practices. The best thing this experience did for me was give me a principle I have used and often shared with other leaders:

If you need to slap a hand, bring a ruler and show up in person.

via www.ronedmondson.com

3. Amazing Quotes from a book am reading.....

1. ‎"Leaders usually have the role of capturing and communicating vision. They must see it first and then help everyone else to see it. That was what Winston Churchill did when he spoke to the coal miners during the war. That was what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did as he spoke to people about his dreams from the steps of the Lincoln Monument in Washington, D.C. That was what GE CEO Jack Welch did when he let his poeple know that a division of GE that couldn't be first or second in its market wouldn't be a part of GE. The people on a team will sacrifice and work together only if they can see what they' re working toward"-( The 17 Indisputable laws of team work by John Maxwell.....reading this book right now.......The Law of the Picture... Pg 21.....Share what's interesting to you)
2. Leaders at the highest level understand the law of the big picture. They continually keep the vision of the big picuture before themselves and their people.
3. There is nothing like cancer to keep you focused on what is important.

God make me a servant on your team!!!!!

Six Ways To Make Your Words More Meaningful | Lead Change Group

Below are six ways to make your words more meaningful:

1. Make sure that your words are supported by your actions. Often leaders “talk a good game” but the lack of supporting action makes your words powerless. Speak words that build-up not tear-down.
2. Be transparent. People already know that you are not perfect and that you do not have all the answers (that should allow you to breathe easier and relax a bit). Do your words reflect the authentic you? Transparency shows your humanity. It builds trust.
3. Ask more often than you tell. Be curious about what people are thinking and what they know. They will often surprise you with some really great ideas and insight. You will learn a lot. Make sure you credit those that have taught you something. They will continue to share and encourage others to share.
4. Hold people accountable for their role and be accountable for yours. Make sure expectations are clearly communicated and measured. For the most part, people will live up to whatever expectations you set as long they can see you are living up to yours.
5. Communicate your Vision.  As the leader you are the custodian of the vision. Communicate it often and weave it into every initiative, project and event.  No vision – No focus. No focus – no drive. People want to be involved with something larger than themselves.
6. Be visible. People will see you as more accessible and willing to listen. Being visible is not about “looking over everyone’s shoulder.” Being seen can be done through the use of all aspects of media, written communications, interviews, showing up for team meetings/celebrations, etc. Visible leaders create engagement. Visible leaders inspire confidence.

via leadchangegroup.com

Why Vision Is More Important Than Strategy | Michael Hyatt

Over the next six years, Nelson Books was consistently the fastest growing, most profitable division at Thomas Nelson. It had one bestseller after another. It was home to almost all of our company’s bestselling authors during that time.

This didn’t happen because we had a great business strategy. It happened because we had a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve. That’s where it started, and that’s where you have to start if you want to experience a different reality than the one you have now, you have to get clear on what you want.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Get alone with just a journal and a pen. If you can get a way to a solitary place, so much the better.
2. Make sure you won’t be interrupted. Turn off your cell phone, e-mail, television, etc.
3. Close your eyes and pray. Ask God for inspiration and guidance. What you ultimately want is alignment between His plan and your vision. But don’t make this harder than it needs to be. God usually speaks through our desires. If that’s a new thought, then read John Eldredge’s book, Desire: The Journey We Must Take to Find the Life God Offers.
4. Write down your current reality—all the things that you don’t like. Be brutally honest. It’s difficult to change unless you find your current reality unacceptable.
5. Now write down what you would like to see happen. Write it down in detail. If you can, use all five senses. Write it in the present tense, as though it has already happened. This will make it more believable to you.
6. Share your vision with the people who have a stake in the outcome.
7. Commit to reading your vision daily. This is critically important. “Faith is the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The more you can “see” this, the more likely it will come to pass.

Remember: Don’t get hung up on how you will accomplish your vision. Just believe God and watch it come to pass.

via michaelhyatt.com

Seven Reasons I LOVE Our Children’s Ministry! :: Perry Noble | Leadership, Vision & Creativity

#1 – It’s clean!  No nasty carpet!  No smells that make you want to projectile vomit.  No dirty floors!!!  I know that our kid’s area is clean…and that matters to every parent.

#2 – It’s safe!  Background checks have been ran on every staff member (in our church) and every volunteer that has any contact with children (or students!)  There is a volunteer security team that makes sure random people do not just walk through our kid’s area…and there is a solid check-in system where not just anyone can come pick the child up from their class, whoever checked them in must check them out.

#3 – It’s fun!  My four year old daughter LOVES CHURCH, LOVES IT!!!  I love the fact that “fun” is a value in our kid’s ministry!!!  Where in the world did we ever get the idea that kid’s must suffer through church?  Heaven is NOT boring, it’s going to be a massive party/celebration, church should be as well (especially for kids!)

#4 – Our Staff & Volunteers Are Awesome – Our children’s staff LOVE children!  Our volunteers love children!  They do not do what they do out of duty but rather delight!!!  If a staff member or volunteer the children’s area does not absolutely love children then they need to be moved to another area.  Kid’s can read right through an adult…and a ministry that isn’t based out of love for children will be unfruitful and ineffective.

#5 – Our Kid’s Know God’s Word – Every week on the way home from church I ask Charisse two questions (by the way, these are the two questions I’ve shared with our children’s ministry for over a decade in regards to what their vision should be for children’s ministry.  I have said that parents are going to ask their kids two questions every Sunday…which are…

• Did you have fun?  (This one is first 90% of the time!)
• What did you learn?

via www.perrynoble.com

Solving 15 Reasons Leaders Won’t Lead « Leadership Freak

“I’m so frustrated because my boss won’t make decisions.”

Bennis said, “Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led.”

Leaders with titles who refuse to lead frustrate their teams. It’s more common than you might think. I regularly hear things like, “My boss refuses to move forward.”

15 Reasons leaders won’t lead:

1. Failure to developed talented teams. They feel alone.
2. They’ve been punished for first time failures.
3. Lack of training, mentoring, and coaching.
4. They can’t describe winning. Moving forward requires clear targets.
5. Minutia dominates their day – can’t prioritize.
6. They don’t feel supported. Followers have the power to make leaders.
7. Lack of feedback. Most employees desire more feedback. They need to know how they are doing.
8. Refusing to let go and trust others.
9. Those over them are interventionists who jump in too quickly – over managed.
10. They’re playing office politics. Outshining others is frowned on.
11. They need the approval of others.
12. Perfectionism – refusing to pull the trigger until everything’s in place.
13. Mediocrity rules. Your organization doesn’t expect excellence. They’ve been coddled.
14. Milestones and deadlines are too far in the future. There’s no urgency.
15. Negative, critical work environments.

Bonus:

via leadershipfreak.wordpress.com