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Leadership Ezra: Who’s In Charge Here? (Part 14, The Big Review)

In thirty years of life and experience in leadership roles in Christian organizations, there are lessons that I learned (and continue to learn) from the life of ministry to which God called me.  Over that time, He taught me lessons based on stories, principles, and truths from the Bible that have been translated into personal application.  This series of articles focuses on a set of those lessons drawn from the book of Ezra in the Old Testament (and then published in my latest book). This week, in part 14, I am reviewing all the lessons I’ve talked about in the series.

For the last thirteen weeks, I have been sharing various lessons on leadership that can be drawn from the story that takes place in the book of Ezra, and today I am pausing to review everything we’ve talked about. I started at the beginning by pointing out that this is a relatively short book, with ten chapters, that tells a 2-part story. The general story involves the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Jeremiah 29, when God foretold the return of the people of Israel to Jerusalem. Chapters 1 through 6 describe the return of a remnant of Israelites specifically for the purpose of rebuilding the temple, and chapters 7 through 10 – which take place years later – describe Ezra’s role in leading religious leaders back to Jerusalem to restore the spiritual culture of the people. In essence, it is a story of restoration by God, the restoration of His house and His people. Along the way, there are a great number of lessons that are applicable to the task of leadership for the Christian in today’s world, and those lessons are what I have been attempting to draw out from our study.

  • The first thing we talked about, and one of the most important lessons in Ezra, is a big picture lesson, representing the overall theme for the book of Ezra, and it is this: God’s sovereignty operates in conjunction with man’s responsibility, in the context and for the purpose of restoration, resulting in relationship and purpose. Therefore, in the application of leadership, it is vital that we begin with an understanding that God has a plan and a purpose that can be trusted, and He is actively involved in the events of our lives, whether or not we can visibly see His hand in it. Thankfully, His plan is not contingent upon or predicated by our perfection, so He doesn’t wait until we are perfect before choosing you or me as a leader or carrying out His plan. He has a purpose, and you get to be part of it.

Get ready to lead – We then spent 3 weeks laying the groundwork for effective leadership, using the analogy of the starting blocks in a race, when all the runners line up and get into position, and the starter yells, “On your mark, get set, go!”

  • The first command, “On Your Mark,” was all about getting to the starting line and in the right place by getting yourself into the right frame of mind and equipping yourself for what is coming.  It’s been said that leaders must be learners; but Christian leaders must also be learners of God’s Word. Therefore, in our leadership development, we absolutely must study Scripture, growing in intimacy with God. We need regular time with God, in prayer and in His Word. This must be central and foundational to what we do, how we live, and to our call or purpose from Him. By doing this first, we will learn to see people and circumstances from God’s perspective, shaping how we think and act. It is from this growth of knowledge and relationship with God that we are able to “walk the talk,” modeling and practicing what we know, and living authentic, genuine lives that inspire trust and result in effective leadership. Aligning yourself with truth by seeking and knowing God and knowing where He has placed you, and by establishing your foundational beliefs and values, gives you the capability to lead.
  • The second command, “Get Set,” was all about getting into position in the right form, so that you are best prepared to start well. This is the crucial transitional step between the inward (preparing yourself) and outward (the visible work of leadership) pieces. In the word of Ezra 7:10, this is “to do it,” the step I would call “Living,” and it requires putting the Word of God into practice in your life. This means consistently and willingly obeying God’s commands, observing and following the truths of His Word. In doing so, you follow God in obedience with your practice, by what you do, and you provide an example of obedience in who you are. Performing the actions that set you up to be followed and trusted involves living your life so that your actions and behaviors reflect those beliefs, and that gives you the credibility to lead.
  • The final command, “Go,” is when the starter’s pistol goes off and you start running. That’s when your work begins as you start leading your people and your organization toward your mission, vision, or change. At its most basic level, the work of leadership is challenging, and centers around and involves both people and tasks. It is, however, also incredibly fulfilling to be an instrument in God’s plan in that work. As His instrument, our desire and effort should be to do this work with excellence, and understanding these ten components will help us to do so. This is hard work and therefore requires someone who is both capable and credible, and that’s why this step must follow the other two. But with those things in place, the race is underway, and what follows are the things you do to maintain your pace and your race.

Team leadership – We deviated a little bit from our study of leadership applied to you as an individual and turned briefly to the study of leadership applied to teams.

  • There are three components of a team that are evident from the study of Ezra: the leader of the team, the team, and (putting those two things together) leadership of the team. As the leader of the team, first and foremost, intentionally recognize and submit to God’s sovereign activity, purpose, and process in your life, in the team, and in the task. Make sure – and this one is absolutely critical, which is why I have included it so often in each of the articles in this series – that you are aggressively pursuing an intimate relationship with God and living a life consistent with God’s truth. Next, intentionally gather the right people around you, including those with leadership ability and those with wisdom, but especially include spiritual leaders who are humble and committed to God. Then, and only then, lead your team. Set the example in attitude and humility, assign responsibility, provide motivation, and work to maintain unity.

Tools and skills for your leadership – For the final seven weeks, we discussed several tools and practices based on Ezra’s leadership model that can be applied to your leadership.

  • See the big picture – It is always important for a leader to determine and define the necessary and intended direction (where we are going), but part of understanding this comes from seeing the bigger picture of context from God’s perspective. When you are able to do that, you have an understanding of the destination that goes beyond the visible and immediate future. You recognize a purpose that is bigger than you, that is bigger than your big picture, and that has an eternal impact. What follows is an impact on motivation (why we’re going there) because people can see a clearly established and communicated purpose and motive, one that makes sense to and resonates, and helps them to understand and believe in why they are doing what they are doing. So, seeing the big picture is important, but seeing it from God’s perspective is more important. The challenge for you and me is to learn to open our eyes to God’s presence and intentional involvement, not just in the history recorded in Scripture, but in our lives today. It is to see the events and circumstances that are taking place in our daily experiences from His perspective. And when our eyes have been opened, and we recognize His sovereign purpose and see the big picture from God’s perspective, then our responses, our purpose, our motives, and our motivation rise to a whole new level.
  • Let them be heard – I have learned that many people know much more than I do about many things, and there are many things that others can do better than I. I don’t know everything, and I am not the most skilled at everything. Therefore, I can be more effective when I tap into the knowledge and skills of others, but that, in turn, means giving them an opportunity to contribute. In addition, those who are closest to a situation – those on the ground floor – generally have the greatest understanding of what is taking place. The people actually doing the job often have the best understanding of what works and what does not. That’s why I need to give people a voice, especially in the process of implementing change. If people are given the ability to speak into the process, they will in turn take more ownership of it and will be more involved and more committed. That means I need to: 1) include those who will be affected, 2) provide a time/place for dialogue, 3) provide motivation to meet, 4) clearly define the issue, 5) give people an opportunity to safely speak, and 6) listen and take their input into consideration. Giving the people a voice will bring the best ideas, and it is then the responsibility of the leadership to filter the responses, seek God, and determine the direction.
  • Light a fire – We all struggle with the question of how to motivate ourselves and how to motivate others. There are plenty of theories and ideas about motivation, and I won’t claim to have the corner on an exclusive motivational secret, but Ezra provides us with a scenario that teaches us two important components of motivation: 1) exhortation, being confronted with the difference between where you and where you need to be, and 2) encouragement, building the belief that it can be done and will be worth it. We need to confront people with the need for change by providing contrast, but we also need to encourage them with the view of the future that creates a belief in its value. Therefore, combine exhortation with encouragement but remember to keep your plan aligned with God’s.
  • Face what’s in front of you – The obstacles and opposition we face can be overwhelming and disheartening, and therefore we must be ready to handle it. Ezra models three action steps we can take to handle them well: 1) be proactive by planning for potential difficulties, 2) be reactive by responding in the right way regardless of how we are attacked, and 3) consciously and willingly submit all circumstances to God’s plan and timing. There is no guarantee that doing work for God will be easy; if anything, there is a certainty that there will be difficulty in work (remember that God cursed the work of man when He confronted Adam in the Garden of Eden). We will encounter obstacles and we will face opposition. But if we are prepared, and if we respond in the right way, and if we trust God’s sovereignty, we can handle whatever comes our way.
  • Celebrate! – Celebrations are important, giving us a way to mark those meaningful occasions and reminding us of the moments that really matter. When should they happen? Throughout the process: at the beginning, at the end, and at milestones and accomplishments along the way. How should they happen? Officially, visibly, and in a way that involves people. Why should they happen? To give praise to God and credit to people, and to remind people of what has been accomplished and overcome. Celebrations are good for the organization and for the people in the organization, and they keep God at the forefront of all that is happening. Celebrations build positive culture and build value in people, and those are things that should characterize effective Christian leaders. So, look for opportunities to celebrate, and make them a part of the life of your organization.
  • Make a plan – Although there are many tools, strategies, and principles for strategic planning that can help you in your effectiveness as a leader, I discussed eight that are illustrated through Ezra’s experience provide some basic steps that we can use: 1) preparing yourself, 2) gathering the right people, 3) identifying the need/issue, 4) identifying the goal to be achieved, 5) taking time to listen, 6) establishing a process, 7) identifying obstacles, and 8) implementing the plan. Along the way, one of the tasks of a leader is to periodically assess what is happening, in order to confirm that the process is working (so that adjustments can be made if needed) and to ensure that the goals are being reached.
  • Fix what you broke (or what somebody else broke) – Whether you, or those around you, have messed up by doing wrong, or even if something has gone wrong that has nothing to do with you and was not caused by wrongdoing, I see six steps should be taken: 1) own it, 2) admit it, 3) address it, 4) change it, 5) share it, and 6) check it. The bottom line is, ff you have blown it, own it. That’s where it starts. Get on your knees before God and take the steps you need to take to bring about restoration. There may still be consequences that have to be faced, but healing can’t happen until you humble yourself, and God is able to do great things as a result (as James 4:10 tells us, “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up”). The grace of God is such that He can and will bring restoration, and He can do it in any circumstances. But it begins with you.

That was a lot of information, but important. It encapsulates everything we’ve talked about in the last 14 weeks. If you want more thoughts and study of these topics from the book of Ezra, order a copy of Leadership Ezra, available on Amazon.

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Quote Your Dad

“Nothing that we despise in the other man is entirely absent from ourselves.” Dietrich Bonnhoeffer

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Podcast, Season 2, Episode 13: Lessons On Leadership From the Life and Times of Ezra (part 13 – What To Do When You’ve Messed Up)

In my thirty years of life and experience in leadership roles in Christian organizations, there are leadership lessons that I learned (and continue to learn) from the life of ministry to which God called me.  Over that time, He taught me lessons based on stories, principles, and truths from the Bible that have been translated into personal application.  This particular series of articles focuses on a set of those lessons drawn from the book of Ezra in the Old Testament, the same lessons that I have published in my latest book. This week, in part 13, I am discussing one of several lessons on the practice of leadership, this one is about navigating restoration when you have messed up. Here is the transcript of the podcast.

In this series, we are diving deeper into principles and practices that connect biblical truth with wisdom and applying them to the practice of leadership. The purpose of the series, and of the website as a whole, is to connect faith, wisdom, and leadership in a way that will help you grow in your leadership and make an impact. That starts with realizing that God has a plan and purpose that can be trusted, whether or not we can visibly see His hand in it, and He has a part for us in this purpose.

We then spent 3 weeks laying the groundwork for effective leadership, using the analogy of the starting blocks in a race, when all the runners line up and get into position, and the starter yells, “On your mark, get set, go!” The first command, “On Your Mark,” was all about getting to the starting line and in the right place by getting yourself into the right frame of mind and equipping yourself for what is coming. Aligning yourself with truth by seeking and knowing God and knowing where He has placed you, and by establishing your foundational beliefs and values, gives you the capability to lead. The second command, “Get Set,” was all about getting into position in the right form, so that you are best prepared to start well. Performing the actions that set you up to be followed and trusted involves living your life so that your actions and behaviors reflect those beliefs, and that gives you the credibility to lead. The final command, “Go,” is when the starter’s pistol goes off and you start running. That’s when your work begins as you start leading your people and your organization toward your mission, vision, or change. This is hard work and therefore requires someone who is both capable and credible, and that’s why this step must follow the other two. But with those things in place, the race is underway, and what follows are the things you do to maintain your pace and your race. We have already talked about the importance of the ability to see the big picture, giving people a voice in the process and then motivating them, facing obstacles and opposition, the importance of celebrating, and the process of strategic planning. Today, in the last of these tools before wrapping up the series, we are discussing the topic of restoration, or what to do if things have gone wrong or you have messed up.

In one of my experiences as a head of school, I was also the self-appointed student government advisor. I did that because I wanted to be connected to the student leaders, and through them, the student body. In addition, I had lots of good ideas in my mind from previous school experience that I knew were going to be a great blessing and benefit to the students. So, as we were preparing to plan the first big student event, I came into the planning meeting and immediately dove into my ideas with great gusto and enthusiasm. In my enthusiasm, I failed to think about the fact that I wasn’t listening first, and did not see their faces begin to shut down. When I left the meeting, I was so excited about “our” ideas, but the next day, the board president called me to tell me that I had alienated the students and they were very upset. I had to acknowledge how I had blown it, and then I had to call the students in, humble myself, sincerely apologize, and give them the authority to make the plans for this event. I had messed up, and in the process had damaged relationships, and I had to bring about reconciliation and restoration.

Sometimes you mess up. Sometimes other people mess up and you have to take ownership of it anyway. Sometimes things happen that are nobody’s fault, and you get to deal with the fallout. Regardless, one of your responsibilities as a leader is to take the blame and make it right. Ezra modeled this in Ezra 9 and 10 when he took responsibility for the sin of the people, even though he had not committed that sin. I demonstrated this when I had to take responsibility that was my own fault. I don’t know what your circumstances are, but you need to be ready to do what is necessary to make things right when you, or someone else, have messed up.

There are six steps you need to take to do this:

  1. Own it: take personal responsibility even if it’s not your fault (it starts with you)
  2. Admit it: give a public acknowledgment and statement without casting blame
  3. Address it: determine and identify the change that needs to happen to bring about restoration and healing
  4. Change it: put the change into process (and involve everyone as you do it)
  5. Share it: talk about it to everyone who has or will be affected
  6. Check it: check to make sure the process has been completed and the change has happened

Whether it’s your fault or not, when you are the leader, you need to take charge of the healing process. Jim Collins talks about a leader as someone who is both humble and bold, and this is the humble side. You’ve heard the saying, “The buck stops here,” and in part, that includes taking responsibility when things have gone wrong or aren’t working. The bottom line is that when something has gone wrong or has messed up, or when you’ve done wrong or messed up, you need to take responsibility for it, and then follow a process to repair, restore, reconcile, and heal. When you’ve blown it, own it, and then make it right.

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Leadership Ezra: Who’s In Charge Here? (Part 13, What To Do When You’ve Made A Mistake)

In thirty years of life and experience in leadership roles in Christian organizations, there are lessons that I learned (and continue to learn) from the life of ministry to which God called me.  Over that time, He taught me lessons based on stories, principles, and truths from the Bible that have been translated into personal application.  This series of articles focuses on a set of those lessons drawn from the book of Ezra in the Old Testament (and then published in my latest book). This week, in part 13, I am discussing one of several lessons on the practice of leadership, this one is about navigating restoration when you have messed up.

Leading Through Restoration

Sometimes, you mess up. Sometimes things go wrong, you experience loss or defeat, you become overwhelmed by change, or you fall under insurmountable obstacles. Whether it’s your fault or not, it all falls apart, and then you experience shame, chastisement, rejection, and other consequences, and you’re left wondering what you are supposed to do next and questioning everything you’ve been doing. But your greatest question is a difficult yet very important one: What is it that you are supposed to do when something goes wrong?

This is the place where Ezra finds himself when we get to the end of his story, and his response to the cultural failure of his people is an excellent example of navigating restoration. By this point in time, the people had returned to Jerusalem, the temple had been rebuilt, and the statutes of God and the sacrifices had been re-instituted with a large degree of autonomy for the nations of Israel. But then, the bomb was dropped – the leaders (part of Ezra’s own team) brought a significant internal issue to Ezra. In fact, there were two serious issues that were presented: unholiness (they had not separated themselves from those things that were contrary to God and to His holiness) and unfaithfulness (they had committed spiritual adultery by merging with the surrounding culture and in the process, absorbing and accepting ideas, beliefs, and practices that were contradictory to and unfaithful to God).

Essentially, the people had turned away from God (unfaithfulness) and toward worldliness (unholiness). At the realization of the depth of failure in the people he was leading, Ezra immediately took the burden upon himself; he humbled himself before God and began pursuing the steps that would be needed to restore his people. Throughout the remainder of this and the next chapter, this process of restoration is modeled, first by Ezra and then mirrored by the people, and then followed by action steps that were intended to ensure that the change had taken place.

The process that was modeled and then mirrored took place in four steps: remorse, acknowledgement, response, and repentance. Ezra walked through these four steps first (in chapter 9). His reaction upon learning of the sin of the people reveals the first step of remorse, a genuine heartbrokenness over what had happened. He immediately followed this with the acknowledgement of the wrong that had been committed as well as an acknowledgement of the grace that God had demonstrated in spite of what had been done. What is really noteworthy, though, is that in this step, Ezra took ownership of the sin that had occurred even though he had not personally committed it. Finally, after remorse and acknowledgement, he responded with a determination to make things different, and repented for the wrong that had occurred. Then his followers walked  through the same process. Ezra didn’t keep the problem to himself, he didn’t try to hide it or cover it up, and he didn’t try to fix it without the awareness of anyone else. Instead, he made it public with his followers, and their reaction was the same as his. They immediately expressed great remorse for what they had done, they acknowledged the wrongfulness of their actions and recognized the grace of God, and they responded with a determination to make things different and with repentance for their sin.

So, then, what about you? How does this reflect your reaction when you mess up? It should begin with remorse, a genuine distress over what has occurred. There should be a willingness to humble yourself and own the problem, acknowledging what has happened and expressing gratitude for God’s grace. There should be a determination and an intentional plan to address the issue. And there should be repentance for wrong that has been done, which brings it all together – recognizing your sin and God’s grace, confessing your sin to God, and then changing your behavior in obedience to him. Ultimately, the change in behavior must be moving toward faithfulness to God, and toward holiness.

There is something else you need to see in Ezra’s story: God did not make the people change all their external behaviors before bringing them back into the land. Rather, He first restored them to the land, and then He brought about change within them (individually and corporately) by confronting their sin, so that they could confess it, remove it, and become more faithful to God and to His statutes. The same is true for you! God doesn’t wait for people (you) to be perfect and have everything in order before He comes looking for you (remember what happened in Genesis, after Adam and Eve sinned? God came looking!). Nor is He interested in saving and/or using people only after they are “holy” and completely righteous. If that were true, none of us would ever be ready to be used by God. No, God wants you to “come as you are,” and He will first save, then change and restoration will begin to happen.

What we have looked at so far helps us work through a problem when we, or those around us, have messed up by doing wrong. However, this process also helps us with a blueprint for leading through change when something has gone wrong, but not necessarily because of wrongdoing. If we apply the same principles when something isn’t working and needs to be changed, I see six steps that should be taken:

  • Own it: take personal responsibility (it starts with you)
  • Admit it: make a public acknowledgment and statement
  • Address it: determine and identify the change that needs to happen
  • Change it: put the change into process (involve everyone)
  • Share it: again, involve everyone and communicate
  • Check it: check to make sure the process has been completed and the change has happened.

If you have blown it, own it. That’s where it starts. Get on your knees before God and take the steps you need to take to bring about restoration. There may still be consequences that have to be faced, but healing can’t happen until you humble yourself, and God is able to do great things as a result (as James 4:10 tells us, “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up”). The grace of God is such that He can and will bring restoration, and He can do it in any circumstances. But it begins with you.

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Quote Your Dad

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

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Podcast, Season 2, Episode 12: Lessons On Leadership From the Life and Times of Ezra (part 12 – Do You Have A Plan?)

In my thirty years of life and experience in leadership roles in Christian organizations, there are leadership lessons that I learned (and continue to learn) from the life of ministry to which God called me.  Over that time, He taught me lessons based on stories, principles, and truths from the Bible that have been translated into personal application.  This particular series of articles focuses on a set of those lessons drawn from the book of Ezra in the Old Testament, the same lessons that I have published in my latest book. This week, in part 12, I am discussing one of several lessons on the practice of leadership, and this one is the process of strategic planning. Here is the transcript of the podcast.

In this series we are diving deeper into principles and practices that connect biblical truth with wisdom and applying them to the practice of leadership. The purpose of the series, and of the website as a whole, is to connect faith, wisdom, and leadership in a way that will help you grow in your leadership and make an impact. That starts with realizing that God has a plan and purpose that can be trusted, whether or not we can visibly see His hand in it, and He has a part for us in this purpose.

We then spent 3 weeks laying the groundwork for effective leadership, using the analogy of the starting blocks in a race, when all the runners line up and get into position, and the starter yells, “On your mark, get set, go!” The first command, “On Your Mark,” was all about getting to the starting line and in the right place by getting yourself into the right frame of mind and equipping yourself for what is coming. Aligning yourself with truth by seeking and knowing God and knowing where He has placed you, and by establishing your foundational beliefs and values, gives you the capability to lead. The second command, “Get Set,” was all about getting into position in the right form, so that you are best prepared to start well. Performing the actions that set you up to be followed and trusted involves living your life so that your actions and behaviors reflect those beliefs, and that gives you the credibility to lead. The final command, “Go,” is when the starter’s pistol goes off and you start running. That’s when your work begins as you start leading your people and your organization toward your mission, vision, or change. This is hard work and therefore requires someone who is both capable and credible, and that’s why this step must follow the other two. But with those things in place, the race is underway, and what follows are the things you do to maintain your pace and your race. We have already talked about the importance of the ability to see the big picture, giving people a voice in the process and then motivating them, facing obstacles and opposition, and the importance of celebrating. Today we are discussing the process of strategic planning.

I have been involved in some sort of strategic planning process numerous times. Each one was a little different, yet they all shared some common characteristics as well. Sometimes I was part of a committee, while other times I primarily had to do it by myself. Sometimes it was for a specific change initiative, while other times it was for a 5-year organizational plan. But whether it involved me standing in a room and putting different-colored 8×10 post-it notes on a wall or assembling committees of parents, employees, and board members to work together, and regardless of what it was for or who I was working with, what didn’t change was that there was an intentional process that produced an intentional plan.

You see, strategic planning is just that: an intentional process intended to produce an intentional plan. There may be many forms that the process can take, and the community of leaders, employees, and customers or stakeholders need to agree on what the outcome should look like. But it still needs to be intentional. Therefore, you need to assess and identify the process that will work best for your organization, and you need to drive the determination of what that goal needs to be. Although not the only process or method that you can use, I love the model that is shown in the book of Ezra that I break down into 3 phases – Prepare, Share, and Dare – with three steps each.

  1. Step one is to Prepare, which is about setting yourself up for success.
    1. First, prepare yourself spiritually and emotionally, to ready yourself for the task ahead of you, and especially humble your heart before God.
    1. Next, identify the right people who need to be part of the process, the issue or vision that needs to be addressed, and the goal that is desired.
    1. Finally, adjust based on the obstacles and opposition that looks like will present itself
  2. Step two is to Share, which is about effectively communicating.
    1. First, Communicate. Talk about the plan, the need that will be met, what will be involved, and why it matters.
    1. Next, Listen to others. Give people an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas, so that they are involved and can take ownership
    1. Finally, Adjust based on the feedback and input you receive. Make sure you really listen and then apply valuable input to make things better.
  3. Step three is to Dare, which is about launching the plan.
    1. First, Establish the process and procedures you will be following.
    1. Next, Implement the plan! Take the first step and start the ball rolling. You don’t need to wait until everything is perfect, because it probably never will be.
    1. That’s why, finally, you can Adjust along the way. Continue to get feedback, pay attention, and modify where necessary.

There are lots of ways to create and carry out a strategic plan. The best one to use can vary, depending on the circumstance and the leader, but it is important to be intentional about having one. What I have shared is only one way to look it, but there are valuable lessons and tools that are found in it. Your job now is to take the lead and start the process. What do you need to address, and how are you going to go about it?

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Leadership Ezra: Who’s In Charge Here? (Part 12, Do You Have a Plan?)

In thirty years of life and experience in leadership roles in Christian organizations, there are lessons that I learned (and continue to learn) from the life of ministry to which God called me.  Over that time, He taught me lessons based on stories, principles, and truths from the Bible that have been translated into personal application.  This series of articles focuses on a set of those lessons drawn from the book of Ezra in the Old Testament (and then published in my latest book). This week, in part 12, I am discussing one of several lessons on the practice of leadership, this one is about tools for strategic planning.

Strategic Planning

            I was fairly young and had just become the headmaster of a small Christian school. I knew that the school had been operating with an interim headmaster, that enrollment had drastically declined over the previous couple of years, that they had recently gone through a major shift in identity, that resources were very limited, and that a desired plan for building a new school facility appeared to be stalling out. I felt the emotional mix of excitement about the possibilities and anxiety of feeling overwhelmed and in over my head, but I also knew that God had clearly and specifically directed in my life to put me in this position. I had previous administrative experience, but not as a head of school, and I had had no real training on strategic planning. I simply knew that I had a major project ahead of me, and so I rolled up my sleeves and began to assemble a plan of action.

I wish I could say that I took time to listen to people as I prepared my plan, but I didn’t (this was one of the other important lessons I learned in the process). I did, however, begin an intentional process of trying to determine the current status – resources, people, programs, obstacles, etc. – and identify the direction and goals, followed by prioritizing those goals and deciding what steps would need to be taken to achieve those goals. My simple process involved writing these things (both the current status items, and the goals and needs) on individual, notebook-sized sheets of Post It notes, and placing them on a large empty wall. When they were all up on the wall, I stepped back and began to look at them, individually and together, and then began to sort them into categories and themes and looking for connections, arranging them by groups, priority, and sequential order of process. When I was all done, I had my first official strategic plan.

Strategic planning could be defined as the process of creating and initiating a specific plan to address a determined and identifiable goal or need, and my own process in that school was a very crude (although efficient and effective for me at that time and place in my leadership development) form of strategic planning. In the years since, I have learned from experience, education, and training much more about effective – and ineffective – strategic planning (and about the importance of listening to people and giving them a voice in the process). Therefore, even though I helped to facilitate excellent change and growth – with credit actually going to God much more than me; I was only the instrument He chose to use – I now know a number things I would have done differently, or additionally, in my first attempt at strategic planning.

There is an experience that takes place in the book of Ezra, in chapters 9 and 10, that provides a great source of learning for us on this topic. Ezra had already successfully led a group of leaders back to Jerusalem from their place of captivity. The physical temple had already been reconstructed, and now Ezra had returned to facilitate the restoration of the spiritual temple – the hearts of the people. After he arrived in Jerusalem, he took the time to assess the situation and determined the issues (in this circumstance, they were the issues of unfaithfulness and unholiness), and prepared a strategic plan to address the issues and restore the people and the nation before God. This is the process we see when we focus in on Ezra 10:6-17.

When we analyze the description of this event in these verses, breaking it down into its sequential steps, what we see illustrated is an eight-step process of strategic planning (each of the steps is illustrated in specific ways in these verses). We find a description of the process, from inception to implementation, of a specific and measurable plan to address the issue that they faced. In this process, Ezra led the way by his example and his intentional methods, showing us how we too can undertake the task of strategic planning for our ministries and organizations.

  1. Preparation: Step one in the process is preparation (v. 6). As a leader, you need to enter the process ready, and with the right attitude, taking ownership. Spend some time in reflection and analysis, resolving yourself for the task ahead and building your own enthusiasm and commitment. And as Ezra demonstrated, this includes your spiritual preparation, humbling yourself before God, ensuring that your own heart is clean and submitted to him.
  2. People: Step two is to gather the right people together (vv. 7, 9). Include (a) all those who will be affected, (b) those who will help make the process happen, and (c) representative leadership from among the followers. Provide the appropriate motivation to get the right people to participate.
  3. Need: Step three is to identify the issue or need that must be addressed (v. 10). It falls on us to provide a succinct and understandable statement of the issue, problem, or need that must be addressed, attacked, or resolved. Before you can prepare a plan, you must be able to articulate what it is that needs to happen, or where it is that you need to go, based on where you currently are and what you are currently doing. Identify the issue and state it clearly, and don’t make it complicated.
  4. Goal: Step four is to identify the goal or goals that are to be achieved (v. 11). This implies identifying the means and steps of correcting or resolving the need that has been identified. More specifically, it means determining what will need to be accomplished that, when done, will fulfill the plan. Then you need to follow your identification of the need with the establishment and communication of how that need must be met. You have given the vision and direction; now give the steps it will take to get there.
  5. Listen: Step five is to listen, giving people a voice in the process (vv. 12-13). People need to be given the opportunity to respond to the information that they are hearing. We need to let people have a voice, especially those people who may be impacted or affected and those people who have “ground-floor knowledge.” Then, listen to what they say, and let them know that they have been heard.
  6. Process: Step six is to establish a process for implementing the plan (vv. 13-14) with these four components: (a) d the steps in the process, from start to finish; (b) select leaders to oversee the process of carrying out the plan, and this also helps to provide accountability; (c) create a calendar, schedule, or timeline; and (d) when all is said and done, it needs to be more than just talk, and so the process has to be initiated.
  7. Obstacles: Step seven is to identify and prepare for obstacles and opposition (v. 13). See the obstacles early that will hinder the plan, and expect both opposition and support. There will be obstacles, there will be opposition, there will be support, and you need to develop the ability to “foresee,” learning to identify where these might or will come from so that they can be addressed or responded to.
  8. Implement: Step 8 is the final step, the one of implementation (vv. 16-17). This is the action of implementing the plan and the process. Words and ideas have little value if they are never put into action. Once we have the plan prepared and communicated, put it into action, keeping the end in focus, and identifying when the goals have been reached.

I am sure that there are other tools, strategies, and principles for strategic planning that can help you in your effectiveness as a leader, but these eight that are illustrated through Ezra’s experience provide some basic steps that we can use. Along the way, one of the tasks of a leader is to periodically assess what is happening, in order to confirm that the process is working (so that adjustments can be made, if needed) and to ensure that the goals are being reached. And then, when you arrive at the end, take time to celebrate!

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Quote Your Dad

“You’ll never regret living for God.”

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Podcast, Season 2, Episode 11: Lessons On Leadership From the Life and Times of Ezra (part 11 – Celebrate!)

In my thirty years of life and experience in leadership roles in Christian organizations, there are leadership lessons that I learned (and continue to learn) from the life of ministry to which God called me.  Over that time, He taught me lessons based on stories, principles, and truths from the Bible that have been translated into personal application.  This particular series of articles focuses on a set of those lessons drawn from the book of Ezra in the Old Testament, the same lessons that I have published in my latest book. This week, in part 11, I am discussing one of several lessons on the practice of leadership, and this one is celebrations and why they matter. Here is the transcript of the podcast.

In this series we are diving deeper into principles and practices that connect biblical truth with wisdom and applying them to the practice of leadership. The purpose of the series, and of the website as a whole, is to connect faith, wisdom, and leadership in a way that will help you grow in your leadership and make an impact. That starts with realizing that God has a plan and purpose that can be trusted, whether or not we can visibly see His hand in it, and He has a part for us in this purpose.

We then spent 3 weeks laying the groundwork for effective leadership, using the analogy of the starting blocks in a race, when all the runners line up and get into position, and the starter yells, “On your mark, get set, go!” The first command, “On Your Mark,” was all about getting to the starting line and in the right place by getting yourself into the right frame of mind and equipping yourself for what is coming. Aligning yourself with truth by seeking and knowing God and knowing where He has placed you, and by establishing your foundational beliefs and values, gives you the capability to lead. The second command, “Get Set,” was all about getting into position in the right form, so that you are best prepared to start well. Performing the actions that set you up to be followed and trusted involves living your life so that your actions and behaviors reflect those beliefs, and that gives you the credibility to lead. The final command, “Go,” is when the starter’s pistol goes off and you start running. That’s when your work begins as you start leading your people and your organization toward your mission, vision, or change. This is hard work and therefore requires someone who is both capable and credible, and that’s why this step must follow the other two. But with those things in place, the race is underway, and what follows are the things you do to maintain your pace and your race. We have already talked about the importance of the ability to see the big picture, giving people a voice in the process and then motivating them, and about facing obstacles and opposition. Today we are discussing celebrations.

As someone with an introverted nature, I don’t think I have ever really enjoyed parties. I love the food that’s usually there, but the whole idea of loud interaction with other people is not really what I enjoy. But that’s not the same thing as a celebration. Celebrations serve the specific purpose of, well, celebrating something. The focus is not so much in the “party-ness” as it is on what and why something is being celebrated. One of my first memories of a celebration happened when I was a young child, about 8 or 9 years old. We went to a family gathering on my dad’s side of the family (he was one of 9 children, so it was a large family), and I remember all the storytelling and laughter that I kept hearing in the conversations among my aunts and uncles. They would stand together and share some memory and laugh, and that would lead to another memory and more laughter. I found myself wanting to be nearby so that I could hear the stories and enjoy the laughter myself. In fact, when we left, I remember telling my parents, “We should do that again, that was a lot of fun!” Oh, did I mention that this event was my grandmother’s funeral? It was. You see, my dad’s large family was characterized by two things – joy and Jesus. So my grandmother’s funeral was a time for them to celebrate her life and that she was now rejoicing with Jesus. All the stories were the many wonderful memories they shared about how meaningful she was in their lives, and in celebrating, they were honoring her life and her legacy.

Don’t think me morbid when I tell this story, because as an adult, I am very aware of the emotions and sadness that come with loss, and I know that my dad and my aunts and uncles were experiencing that grief at the time of my Grandma Mac’s passing, but because they knew she was with the Lord, they also celebrated who she was and how she had shaped them. It wasn’t a party, it was a celebration, a way to recognize and honor her life, milestones, and impact.

You see, this celebration of life was in actuality a beautiful way to mark an important milestone; in this case, a milestone in the lives of Grandma Mac’s children. Yes, there was grieving and loss, but her children turned the time of loss into a time of honor, marking and remembering the value of her life. Celebrations that honor something are important to people but celebrations are also important to organizations. That is because of the purpose they serve – to honor a milestone, an accomplishment, a completion, an impact. They bring joy, and sometimes closure, and they are a means of capturing the magnitude of a moment. Therefore, celebrations ought to be intentionally incorporated into the timeline of organizations.   

How does that apply to you? Simply that you need to identify moments, events, and people to celebrate, and then make it a priority to do so. When you are undertaking a big and important project, celebrate the start, celebrate the finish, and find milestones in between to celebrate too! When someone is leaving the company and they have made an impact, celebrate them before they leave. When someone new is added, celebrate the arrival. When a significant recognition is awarded, celebrate. You get the idea – look for ways to celebrate meaningful things.

There is great benefit in celebrating. It’s good for the organization, it’s good for the people in the organization, and it also keeps God at the forefront of all that is happening. Celebrations build positive culture, and build value into people, and those are things that should characterize effective Christian leaders. So, look for opportunities to celebrate, and make them a part of the life of your organization. Celebrate.

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Leadership Ezra: Who’s In Charge Here? (Part 11, Celebrate!)

In thirty years of life and experience in leadership roles in Christian organizations, there are lessons that I learned (and continue to learn) from the life of ministry to which God called me.  Over that time, He taught me lessons based on stories, principles, and truths from the Bible that have been translated into personal application.  This series of articles focuses on a set of those lessons drawn from the book of Ezra in the Old Testament (and then published in my latest book). This week, in part 11, I am discussing one of several lessons on the practice of leadership, this one is about the importance of taking opportunities to celebrate.

We celebrate many things. When we grow another year older, we celebrate. When we add another year to the length of our marriage, we celebrate. When our favorite team wins a championship, we celebrate. When we graduate – from kindergarten, from high school, from college – we celebrate. When our child is born, we celebrate. When we get a promotion, we celebrate. When we retire from our career, we celebrate. Clearly, we find and take many opportunities in life to celebrate victories, achievements, milestones, and joyous moments.

I have a few personal celebrations that really stand out to me, and I am sure you do as well. Some of my marriage anniversaries loom larger in my mind than others: my fourth, which I remember as the first time in our young marriage that I was able to do something really nice for my wife; my tenth, which we celebrated at a Disney resort; our twentieth, when we again celebrated at a Disney resort; and our twenty-fifth, when we celebrated with a New England Cruise, which had been a dream of my wife’s. I remember the day we celebrated that my wife was one year cancer-free, and even though her cancer returned, we continue to celebrate that anniversary every year, marking another year that we have together. I also remember the celebrations that we had for each of our children when they turned thirteen, which were special events that we planned out, to mark their entry into adulthood, complete with dinner at a restaurant, pictures, a promise ring, and a framed letter and certificate.

I believe that celebrations are important, giving us a way to mark those meaningful occasions and reminding us of the moments that really matter. However, while we include them in our personal lives, I also think that they can play an important role in our jobs and our organizations, but we often miss valuable opportunities to celebrate in those settings. In my reading through the book of Ezra, I see descriptions of at least two celebrations, and I believe that there are several valuable lessons we can learn from them that can be very applicable to the activity of leadership. The first of those celebrations is described in Ezra 3:10-13, when the people of Israel had begun to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and the second is described in Ezra 6:16-22, after the people of Israel had completed the construction. In these two passages, I find lessons and examples that give us a blueprint for celebrating, showing us when we celebrate, how we celebrate, and why we celebrate.

  • When should we celebrate? It should happen throughout the process. In other words, celebrations ought to take place at both the beginning and the end of projects, tasks, and missions and at important milestones along the way. The celebration in Ezra 3 took place at the very start of the construction, initiating the project, and it served to build support and community early in the process. The second major celebration, in Ezra 6, took place at the end of the construction, and this time it served to bring satisfaction and joy in the celebration of victory and completion. As a leader, when you take the time to celebrate at the beginning, it enables you to provide motivation and to build momentum; when you celebrate at the end, not only it is it a victory celebration, it also provides an opportunity to recognize collective and individual accomplishments, giving value to people (and when you celebrate milestones along the way, it helps you to maintain momentum by reinvigorating people, and by keeping the end in view and reminding them of the steps that have been reached).
  • How should we celebrate? First, it ought to be a ceremony, an official celebration. Illustrated in Ezra, we see that the Israelites included the sacrifices and rituals that were officially part of the ceremonial law and celebrated the national ceremony of the Passover. Second, it ought to be public. Make it visible, so that everyone is aware, and everyone can participate. This is illustrated when the Israelites all came together and the priests conducted a public ceremony and the sacrifices for the benefit of everyone present. And third, it should take place within the community and should involve the community, both those who directly participated in the work and those who were affected it. This is also evident in the fact that the Israelites celebrated as a nation. It was not just the leaders or priests, or only those who had done the work, or those who were specifically called and tasked for the mission, but, rather, all the Israelites who were there celebrated, and did so with great joy. These same three components ought to characterize the celebrations that take place within our organizations. The celebrations that we have at the beginning, middle, and end should be official, public ceremonies, which involve everyone.
  • Why should we celebrate? First and foremost, and more important than any other reasons, celebrations are opportunities to give credit and praise to God. Both of the celebrations in Ezra clearly focused on giving praise to God, and later in the book, Ezra individually modeled the same thing, when he gave praise to God for a significant milestone. Every Christian leader ought to recognize God’s sovereign activity in all circumstances, and therefore ought to make praise and acknowledgment to God an integral part of each celebration. Second, celebrations should be opportunities to remember, serving as reminders of the accomplishments that have been achieved, the obstacles that have been overcome, and the progress that has been made. Third, celebrations provide a forum and a platform to express gratitude and to give appreciation and recognition, both individually and collectively. People need to be valued, and expressing gratitude (and doing it publicly) provides a way to do so.

The bottom line is, there is great benefit in celebrating. It’s good for the organization, it’s good for the people in the organization, and it keeps God at the forefront of all that is happening. Celebrations build positive culture, and build value into people, and those are things that should characterize effective Christian leaders. So, look for opportunities to celebrate, and make them a part of the life of your organization. Celebrate.

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