Leadership

You are currently browsing articles tagged Leadership.

Leadership Lessons from Toy Story; Communicate Change Openly and Directly

August 11, 2010 in Canadian, Leadership, Leadership Summit, missional by Scott Cochrane | 6 comments

One of my favourite scenes from the original Toy Story movie is when Woody assembles the toys for a “staff meeting”, where he intends to inform them that their owner, Andy, has had the date for his birthday party changed.

Knowing that this news is likely to evoke a strong reaction, Woody starts by bringing them a couple of fairly innocuous pieces of information (eg, “Does everyone have a moving buddy?”) before delivering the real news.

Almost under his breath, Woody nonchalantly looks on the second page of his agenda and mumbles, “Oh, and one minor note, the date for Andy’s birthday party has changed…to today.”

Watching Mr. Potatohead, Rex, Ham and the others totally freaking out is pretty hilarious.

The leadership lesson for Woody? How you deliver this kind of news is as important as what the news itself actually is. In this case, news of this importance required clear, open, up-front communication.

Similarly, at the close of this year’s Global Leadership Summit we delivered some fairly significant news; that starting in 2011 the Canadian Summit is moving to the end of September. And while we had no reactions nearly as intense as those of Woody’s friends, this news is worthy of open discussion.

Here then, is the background to this move.

At the start of June we met with our Summit host pastors, along with Bill Hybels, and asked them how we could extend the impact of the Summit. I was surprised to hear them say that we should move the dates.

After getting feedback from church leaders across Canada, two vital themes emerged. The first was that the single greatest factor which limits the impact of the Summit is the time of year.

Secondly, Canadian church leaders want the Summit to more fully reflect our own country’s leadership issues. This move will allow us to not only capture the entire U.S. Summit experience, but also enhance it with new content.

Moving forward there’s another Toy Story leadership lesson to be gleaned. Woody made the mistake of simply announcing this change and then moving on. We want to engage in dialogue. So here are a couple of questions I’d love to get your input on:

  • How can we leverage the Summit to impact more church leaders in Canada?
  • What are the most pressing leadership issues facing the Canadian church that could be addressed in the Summit?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Recapturing the Zeal

July 23, 2010 in Canadian, Leadership, Leadership Summit by Scott Cochrane | 6 comments

Last December I took a group of 12 Canadian pastors down to Willow Creek in Chicago for a week of mentoring. On our last day we were able to huddle up with Bill Hybels for a Q&A session, and it was in that setting that a pastor from Edmonton asked a question which would spark a new day for The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada.

“Bill,” he began, “What do you see in the North American church that causes you greatest concern?”

Without hesitating Bill shot back, “The church in North America has lost its zeal for evangelism.”

In one sentence Bill was able to articulate a concern that has been gnawing at me for years. And in conversation with Canadian church leaders from coast to coast I’ve been hearing the same thing over and over: the Church, while making many great strides in many areas, seems to have lost its sense of urgency around evangelism.

Seeking to draw attention to this trend, The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada has partnered with our friends at Power to Change to bring Erwin McManus to Canada to explore the openness to the gospel in this country.

Erwin will be presenting his findings during a Canada-only session at this year’s Global Leadership Summit, but today I want to give you a sneak peak as to what this unique session will be all about.

Erwin McManus

The good news? Canadians have never been more open about their desire to address deep spiritual longings.

I believe we are about to see a renewal in intentional spiritual conversations that will lead to an explosion of evangelism. I can’t wait to see what God has in store.

What do you think it will take for the Church in Canada to recapture its “zeal for evangelism”?

Tags: , , , , ,

Preparing to Pass the Leadership Baton

March 10, 2010 in Canadian, Community, Leadership, action by Scott Cochrane | 4 comments

Last week I was privileged to take part on a panel of ministry leaders organized by Alpha Canada. The event took place just outside Vancouver, and was simply entitled “Join the Conversation.” Six of us “older leaders” (ouch!) were invited to engage in leadership discussions with about 25 leaders under the age of 35; and we had a ball!

In no particular order, here were my highlights and key learnings:

• Young leaders crave mentoring
  o My generation (the boomers) has tended to process leadership development as a solo sport – not so with the emerging generation. They process in community and deeply desire to be mentored by those who have gone before.
• Many have felt rebuffed by older leaders
  o One young person shared how an elder in their church had stated publically, “No one should have a voice in leadership until they’re over 30 years old.” While all agreed that we become more seasoned as leaders with life experience, such attitudes may be driving our best and brightest young leaders away from the Church.
• “The day of the expert is sooooo over!”
  o I busily scribbled down this quote from one sharp young leader. He spoke in response to a question about the difference in how the emerging generation learns, compared to “boomers.” My generation has tended to develop most readily by listening to or reading the words of leadership experts like Bill Hybels, John Maxwell, Rick Warren, and other proven leaders. Young leaders do learn from those who have gone before (see note on mentoring), but this flows from relationship, not merely professed expertise.
 

As I drove home to Kelowna I found myself both excited for the future of the Church in Canada, and at the same time challenged as to how to connect young leaders into meaningful mentoring relationships.

If we can do this, I’m convinced the greatest days for the local church in Canada are still before us.

How are you equipping young leaders in your church?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Canada’s Secret Olympic Formula

March 4, 2010 in Canadian, Development, Leadership, joy by Scott Cochrane | No comments

Like almost every other Canadian, I find myself scrambling to share my post-Olympic reflections. Everyone, it seems, resonated with a different element of the Canadian Olympic experience, whether it be the exuberance of the downtown crowds, the compelling stories of perseverance or the new-found confidence Canadians seemed to develop in themselves through this experience.

But for me my single overwhelming takeaway can be boiled down to a simple yet profound formula.

“5” multiplied by “X” equals “26”.

Let me unpack this.

The “5” represents the total medal “haul” Canadian athletes achieved the last time Canada hosted the winter games, back in 1988 in Calgary. The “26”, of course, is this year’s medal count.

“X” is whatever happened in the intervening 22 years to produce this five-fold increase in results.

Let’s be clear. Canada didn’t drift into that increase. Canada was not “lucky” this time out. Something very deliberate took place to see us go from 0 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze in 1988 to 14 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze in 2010.

In a word, it was leadership.

It took leadership to declare that 5 medals was unacceptable.

It took leadership to set a goal to see an increase in medals.

It took leadership to put together a plan to achieve those results, then to cast the vision, secure the funds and ensure execution.

Can you imagine what would happen if we saw that level of leadership multiply over and over in Canadian churches?

With the power of the Holy Spirit infusing fired-up, well trained and equipped Christian leaders, the results would far surpass just a few Olympic medals. The results would be a Church against which the gates of hell could not prevail.

What is your leadership development plan, and what results do you hope to achieve?

Tags: , , , , , , ,

A Dream for Year-Round Leadership Development

February 15, 2010 in Development, Disciplinie, Leadership, Leadership Summit by LeadersVillageDZ | 2 comments

I’ve just emerged from our annual Willow Creek Association International Council meetings in Frankfurt, Germany, where we poured enormous energy into looking at how to extend the impact of our annual leadership conference, The Leadership Summit.

These three days have left me with an even greater sense of resolve as to my core beliefs about The Summit:

  1. I believe this is the best leadership conference available for church leaders. Period.
  2. I believe that churches that bring teams of leaders to this annual event are poised to make significant Kingdom advances.
  3. I believe that unless The Leadership Summit is embedded in a broader leadership development strategy, its full potential impact will not be achieved in the life of the leader, nor the life of the church he or she leads.

Year after year I see church vans and buses pull up to the doors of our Summit sites across Canada, with teams of 5, 10, 20 or more pouring out, ready to have their leadership tanks filled yet again. And as they drive away a couple of days later I think to myself, “I hope you have next steps mapped out for your leadership development.”

And that brings me to the next leg of my journey. I’m in Toronto’s Pearson International Airport now, having just flown in from Frankfurt, and I’m ready to board my connecting flight to Atlanta, Georgia. There I’ll be meeting with leaders from ministries committed to ongoing leadership training. My goal is to partner with as many as 4 or 5 leadership development organizations; to help us lay down “training tracks” for leaders to run on after the Summit.

Imagine if the impact of The Summit could be maximized by leading directly into a leadership development training program for you and your church! That’s the dream. And I trust that this coming week we’ll be closer to making that dream a reality.

Time to board my flight. Please pray for God’s leading and wisdom!

How intentional are you about mapping out your leadership development strategy? What development opportunities have been most helpful for you?

Share your thoughts by adding a comment!

Tags: , , , , ,

Passing the Leadership Torch: Moving Beyond Just a Smooth Transition

December 15, 2009 in Leadership by LeadersVillageDZ | No comments

The embrace was genuine. The tears were real. The bond, authentic.

The moment occurred in the fall of 2008 in a Kelowna, BC restaurant, when John Baergen, the founder of The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada, told me that after a 17 year run, he felt it was time to pass the torch of leadership to someone else. He asked if I would allow him to recommend me to the board of directors.

We resolved then and there that this leadership transition would go beyond being merely smooth; we would aim for great by seeking ways to bless one-another. We wanted a Moses to Joshua transition.

Here’s how we have lived this out over the past year:

  1. We have intentionally looked for ways to help each other succeed.
    Knowing the projects in which John is now involved, I have gone out of my way to look for resources that might be of interest to him, and he has done the same for me.

  2. We have maintained regular communication.
    Every Wednesday morning we have connected with a standing appointment at a local Tim Horton’s. This hour has been a regular highlight of my week.

  3. We have publicly affirmed each other.
    At every opportunity we have blessed each other in public settings. I have profiled John at The Leadership Summit, and he has built bridges for me into his relational world.

Bottom line? If you’re involved in a leadership transition, don’t aim for a transition that’s merely smooth; shoot for one that’s great.

In practical terms, what would this look like for you?

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Lessons from a Mentoring Week, Part 2: The Leadership Imperative of Community

December 4, 2009 in Community, Leadership by LeadersVillageDZ | No comments

Picture the scene; A Chili’s restaurant, eight Canadian pastors, a couple of staff from The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada, plates of nachos, assorted beverages, embarrassing stories, waves of laughter, nods of acknowledgement, winces of shared pain, more laughter.

It’s community. And for the sustainability of leaders it’s absolutely vital.

Following the second information-packed day here at Willow Creek’s Partnering to Prevail mentoring week, this band of Canadian brothers strolled over to this neighbourhood restaurant where we experienced four key facets of life-giving community:

1. A Safe Place: The ground rules were understood; what happens in Chili’s, stays in Chili’s. Nothing inappropriate, simply private. This translated into trust.

2. A Common Life-experience: Everyone in the circle was a Canadian church leader. This shared characteristic translated into understanding.

3. A Value of Shared Learning: With those first two criteria in place, what flowed naturally was an environment where our skills, strategies and stories were freely exchanged. This translated into dynamic real-time learning.

4. A Bridge to Ongoing Relationships: Most of these pastors didn’t previously know each other, but new friendships were forming. This can translate into long-term support and encouragement.

If you’re serious about being in church leadership for the long-haul, I encourage you to include this type of community in your sustainability strategy. Find a group of leaders where you can meet in an environment of trust and understanding, where you can share your skill, strategy and story, and then stick with them over time.

I believe this is so important that The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada will facilitate these connections, if that would help you.

For sustainability, community is imperative. Nachos are optional.

How are you building community into your leadership?

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Lessons from a Mentoring Week: How Leaders Approach Obstacles

December 1, 2009 in Leadership, action by LeadersVillageDZ | 2 comments

After a full day of mentoring in the leadership crucible of Willow Creek, God used an off-handed comment over dinner to drive home my biggest leadership take-away of the day.

With 100 church leaders from around the world huddled in dinner conversations following 10 hours of training, the pastor sitting next to me commented, “You know, I really needed this training. But the way the economy hit our church, I didn’t think I’d be able to afford to come down here this week. But I talked to a few people and I found the money.”

I found the money.

Immediately the thought struck me, “That’s what leaders do.” When the eyes of a leader are fixed on a goal, they’ll process obstacles very differently than a non-leader. Let’s break this down:

1. He articulated the goal: I really needed this training. – Leaders are never vague about their goals and priorities.

2. He defined the obstacle: I didn’t think I’d be able to afford it. – Leaders declare reality.

3. He formulated a plan: I talked to a few people. – Leaders thrive on strategy.

4. He moved toward action: I found the money. – To borrow Bill Hybels’ axiom, leaders have a bias toward action.

What obstacles are in front of you right now and how are you approaching these problems? Do you need a team to tackle a new project but no one’s available? Do you need to cut through government red tape to expand a ministry? Do you need to position your organization for growth but your organization’s structure is holding you back?

Whatever obstacles lie in your path, remember the leadership lessons I encountered tonight. Articulate your goal, define your obstacle, formulate your plan, and move toward action.

It’s just what leaders do.

Tags: , , , ,

Leadership in Action: Calvary Assembly, Cambridge, ON

November 30, 2009 in Leadership, missional by LeadersVillageDZ | No comments

A friend said to me this week, “There’s too much leadership talk. Leadership needs to result in action.”

I couldn’t agree more. And for a great example of this, visit Calvary Assembly in Cambridge, Ontario.

When I walked through the doors of the newly renovated facility at last week, it wasn’t the beautiful new lobby that made the strongest impression on me. It wasn’t the re-vamped worship centre that struck me. It wasn’t even the world-class children’s ministry space that left my jaw hanging open.

It was seeing leadership in action.

Here in bricks and mortar, was living proof that when a God-given vision drives a ministry truly remarkable things can happen. I had long known Calvary Assembly as a place that was committed to impacting their community for Christ. In their new facility I saw this focus come to life:

  • They didn’t just talk about valuing community. They built it in to the essence of their space, from the Starbucks-rivaling coffee bar, to the conversation nooks throughout the facility.
  • They didn’t just talk about valuing children. They created a Disney-inspired wing where every child, and parent, will know that children matter.
  • They didn’t just talk about impacting their community. They created an indoor play-space for children, where parents can drop in, watch their children play, and enjoy coffee and conversation.

I came away from my visit inspired and challenged. The challenge was to look at my own leadership and ask, “How much is just talk, and how much results in action?”

How would you assess your own leadership on the talk versus action scale?

Tags: , , , , , ,

The Temptations of “Nice-People Leadership”

November 9, 2009 in Leadership, Temptation by Scott Cochrane | No comments

Nice-people leadership. It almost looks like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?

And let’s be honest, in our culture being labeled as ‘nice’ has become the kiss of leadership death. I can still remember comments on my report cards going back as far as first grade, where my teachers would note, “Scott is very conscientious, and he’s a very nice boy.”

Great. Why not just say, “Scott is destined to a life of obscurity.”

But I’ve since learned that nice people can and do lead with just as much effectiveness as our tough-as-nails counterparts. It’s just that we have to pay particular attention to a few temptations. Here are four temptations of nice leaders.

1. The temptation to avoid hard conversations.

Every leader needs to be able to tackle tough issues with those whom they are leading. Nice leaders need to recognize their aversion to these conversations and compensate by being disciplined and focused.

2. The temptation to avoid clarity.

Nice leaders can be so afraid of hurting someone’s feelings that they’ll shroud their comments in vague euphemisms. Every time you walk away from a conversation ask yourself, “Did I get my message across with crystal clarity?”

3. The temptation to seek popularity over respect.

Can you say ‘Michael Scott’? The branch manager from TV’s ‘The Office’ is the poster child for seeking being ‘liked’ over being respected.

4. The temptation to expect too little from people.

Nice leaders will sometimes lower the bar so low for their people that the organization flounders in a sea of mediocrity. Your people will accomplish more if you set the bar high and show them how to get there.

I’d love to hear from other ‘nice people’ in positions of leadership. What other temptations do you face, and how have you conquered them?

Tags: , ,