Leading Hope with Kevin Jack

Episode 230 Also Available On: Know Your Excuse May 22 Leader Notes Intro We know: Growth and Comfort [...]

Episode 229 Also Available On: A Mountain a Day May 15 Leader Notes Intro Feeling at Church Plant that [...]

Helping people think strategically. Want this to be a tool for you or for you to help others. Questions To Ask To Help You Think Strategically What problems am I repeatedly solving? Strategy is a response to a problem. (Not New): Why am I repeatedly solving this problem? If I’m blaming human nature: It’s a strategy issue. “They just won’t; they never complete; no one cares; no one’s smart enough.” There’s a big difference between a tension to manage and a problem to solve. If the pendulum swings too far one way How do I future fix it? (FUTURE IMPROVE) People think they’re not strategists because it’s not perfect. Perfection isn’t the goal, improvement is. What are potential problems two steps down the line? Strategic Thinking is future forecasting. If you can dream, you can begin to think strategically. Solutions & Next Steps Read Biographies and Case Studies The strength of the strategy is your ability to communicate it simply. An executable strategy is infinitely better than a perfect theory.

Intro – Find somewhere you can find a mentor; also hear that experience is the best teacher. – Large organization where you can learn systems: Small organization where you can do a lot of stuff. – Find a great workplace culture; or you can learn as much from a bad culture as you can a good culture. – Offer my perspective on picking your first job…assuming you have a choice. If you don’t; you might just need to take a job. History – 3 Internships while in college. – Children’s Intern at Home Church: Common – Youth Intern at Growing Church: Did Nothing. – Children’s Pastor at Small Church: Did Everything & Was Overworked and undervalued. – Youth Pastor eventually interim pastor at Mid-Sized Church for 3.5 years Two Points 1. Find Calling, Not Benefits, Not a Career, Not a Ladder of Advancement. 1. Key Questions (Ministry-Focused) 1. Does your heart break for the community? 2. Do you love the people? 2. Further 1. Pay package and benefits do give you a sense of value for the role. (Within Reason) 2. Future Opportunities are helpful, there’s not many people who stay at an organization for 10 years. Sometimes “advancement” is dangled without any plan or vision. 2. Your job choice should be tailored to your development, which means you must know your weaknesses. 1. Your first job should not be viewed as your maximum level of impact, but your maximum level of development. 1. People coming in overestimate the impact they are making, underestimate what they can be learning. 2. Now Pick, with that in mind. To maximize your development. Guidelines to Consider 1. If you lack strategy, go to a large organization! 2. If you lack experience, go to a small organization! 3. If you’re secure, get a leader you will learn from. 4. If you’re insecure, get a leader you will connect with. 5. If you’re mature & secure, pick opportunity. 6. If you’re not, pick culture. Don’t: Pick Benefits, Salary, Cool City, or Future Promises. Close – People pick jobs for all the wrong reasons. Choose Calling & Development over everything else first.

“How to make the best case possible that unites rather than divides.” The things I’m looking at when I’m constructing a thought line. Principles 1. Immersion predates writing. - I don’t need to know everything they think, I need to know what they value: I need to value what they value. - Talk about with the name change. - Note: I’m storing up all that information. 2. My case is only as strong as my weakest argument. - If I’ve got 5 points and 4 are strong, I have a weak argument. If I have 4 points and 4 are strong, I have a strong argument. 3. I’m owning my weak points to defuse them. - I have to be immersed because I need to know what the objection is. I own it and explain why I think it’s still worth it. So important: I’m actually open! Not convincing, just explaining to people my process. 4. Never Approach From Head On - Defense are up! Always approach from an angle! - Politics: Not talking issues and policies; talking priority. - Don’t ever use the thing to talk about the thing: People expect that and so they’re convinced. - Why I use sermon titles. - Always use the thing to talk about another thing. 5. Story is King - Defenses drop in narratives. Not illustration: point. Long parable to immerse.

Intro Politics Series (Non-Political Political Series) Resources available at elephantsanddonkeys.church Step #1: Discern Decision: Not addressing this would be more of a distraction than addressing it. Goal is not attention, goal is mission. Don’t enter controversy because of boredom, do it because of your purpose. Explain our decision: It will be more of a distraction not to, and our responsibility is faithfulness. So, we are deliberately entering controversy to avoid future controversy. Point #2: Thought Line Explain Finding the thought line. Be very clear on how my goal is to be of service to the common desires that God has placed within the people and in myself. Point #3: Reduce Collateral Damage Created a website Published in advance Point #4: Expect Smoke What happened Our approach: Responded to messages Stayed out of the comments

Intro – Final Episode: You have to know when to abdicate the focus of leadership and only be a shepherd. – Don’t fully know how to explain this, so may leave people confused, but I’ll do my best. Examples – My family is more in need of my shepherding than my leadership. – My friends do not value my leadership ability, they value me personally. To choose to lead in that environment is to damage the friendship. – In crisis, the organization needs to see I’m more concerned about if we’re good than if we’re great. – Not “appear” to care, actually care. Point – Organizations need leaders who care about the organization and the individual. Prioritize Both. – Personal Lives need people who care most. – When you only know how to lead your personal life will fall apart.

Episode 223 Also Available On: From Shepherd to Leader (Part 2) April 3 Leader Notes Shepherds will help people [...]

Shepherds will help people continue to grow regardless of where they are. Leaders will hold people to a standard, develop them up or move them on. Are they improving vs will they meet the standard? Shepherds will apply their time based upon your proximity and need, leaders will apply their time based upon your potential. They need a lot of my time vs Is this the best use for my time? Shepherds will always do what they feel is best for the individual, leaders will always do what they feel is best for the individual & the organization. If it’s not best for the organization it’s not best for the individual. Shepherds believe leading by example is enough, leaders know they need to pull more levers than that. Shepherd is more leadership present, Leader is more strategically absent. The leader is present when it’s helpful, the shepherd wants to be needed. Shepherd overvalues loyalty, Leader overvalues impact. not saying negatively, saying that is the bent. Shepherd evaluates people based upon intentions, leader evaluates people based upon outcomes.

Episode 221 Also Available On: The Distinction Between Shepherds & Leaders March 20 Leader Notes Intro: Goal of this: [...]

Context I need to get better at saying no, don’t want to get too good at saying no. I want to be strategic about saying yes. Big Idea Good leadership & great leadership is time well spent. My Goal: In every moment to say yes to the best thing. “The Best Yes” I don’t want to get better at no, I want to get more deliberate about my yes. Factors Energy: A yes now can’t inhibit a better yes later. Relationship: A yes needs to prioritize people. Scheduling: Don’t say yes in advance that I’ll regret later: need more “maybes”

Intro: If you’re taking a break because you’re bored, you’re not going hard enough. Take a break because you can’t keep going. Episode 212: Intense Words & My own implementation of that. Found: How often we operate with a total lack of intensity. Thoughts: Training: You can go long, you can go hard, you can’t go hard & long. We take breaks because we’re bored, not because our performance is declining. Note: Not everything requires intensity, but more things than you think require it. Application: If you’re multi-tasking something that if you’re fully engaged you can’t multi-task- you need to up your intensity. If you never have to take a break because of fatigue, not boredom, you need to up your intensity. If your work always fits the allotted time- you need to up your intensity. How to up it: Dial in, Tune everything out, Set 40 minutes & go after it.

Episode 218 Also Available On: Behind the name change - Part 2 February 28 Leader Notes The Difficulty, [...]

The Difficulty, The Decision, The Process.

Episode 216 Also Available On: Architects & Archaeologists February 14 Leader Notes Culture should be designed not merely accepted. [...]

Feedback on Skills should flow from the expert to the learner. Feedback on Leadership should flow from the team member to the leader. The First One is Obvious, The Second One No One Does.

One of your primary roles as a leader is to identify what matters most, not just what needs to get done.

Deception: We Think you’ve arrived. Deception: Accomplishment is others awareness of your arrival.

For significant things use significant language.

Patience is an undervalued quality of leadership. Three Views of Patience: 1. People & Processes take time to advance. 2. Trajectory is more important than location 3. My default is to blame myself first. Power of Patience 1. Growth. 2. Too quick to abandon or burn things down when they just need time to get there.