Leadership lessons, connected with faith and wisdom.

Podcast episode 8 – Give People a Chance to Try

This week’s episode builds on Monday’s article on the same topic: the importance of giving people the opportunity to try. Here is the transcript of the podcast:

Have you ever thought, “If only someone would give me a chance”? I have, and on today’s episode, that’s the question we are going to explore. Whether it’s fear of failure or of how it might make you look, unrealistic expectations or perfectionism, or for some other reason, often we are looking for a chance but don’t take the opportunity when it presents itself. So today, we are going to talk about why it matters to try something that is new or that scares you, and why it’s important to give the people you work with the opportunity to try as well. 

I have to admit, I’m a little bit of a perfectionist.  Or maybe a lot of a perfectionist. For that reason, and mixed with my people-pleasing tendency, I will sometimes resist trying something that I think  I might not do right the first time, especially if someone else is watching. But I’ve also learned I need to try anyway.  I once tried to sing in the choir at church, and the director asked me to narrate the program because my singing was throwing off everybody around me (think “Barney Fife” in the Andy Griffith episode where the church choir was singing in a competition).  But I also remember the first time I was offered a head of school role. I felt unqualified and unprepared, but I also knew it was what God was calling me to do, so I tried, and God blessed the work and grew me.

Clearly, I was not successful in everything I tried, but if I hadn’t tried, I wouldn’t have been successful in anything. A big part of the learning is in the doing, and if I waited until I was perfect and knew everything before trying, chances are I would never try.  Along the way, I found some things I could learn to do well and others that were not in my wheelhouse.  But even in the things I learned to do well, I made a lot of mistakes along the way, so I needed to give myself permission to make those mistakes, or else I might have quit trying.

There is a learning curve in everything new that you do, and research shows that the first part of a learning curve is actually a dip in performance before the improvement and growth begin to happen.  Often, people will experience this initial decline, assume it means failure, and quit before the upswing in growth.  You need to understand this in yourself, but you also need to understand it in others. It is in the trying and the doing that you will learn, grow, and develop.  Likewise, it is in the trying and the doing that those you are mentoring or leading will learn, grow, and develop, so it actually becomes your responsibility to find ways for them to try. Side note here:  like I said on the last episode, if you don’t make it safe for them to fail, you probably won’t be able to convince them to try.

So here’s what you need to take away:  I have often told students when dealing with a discipline situation, that if I were perfect, I could expect the same from them, but I’m not, so I can’t.  In the same way, you will not be perfect the first time you try something, nor will others that you are leading or developing.  However, you – and they – will learn in the process, therefore, it is so important that you be willing to try, and that you give others the opportunity to try as well. 

The bottom line is this – you need to be willing to try, and willing to give others a chance to try as well.  As I already mentioned when I referenced the last episode, making it safe to fail is a critical factor in getting people to be willing to try.  If they – and you – don’t try, you will never know if you can, and you jeopardize your own learning and growth.  So give yourself and others a chance to try.

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Interview Questions with Jonno White from Clarity

I recently had the opportunity to answer a few questions on leadership with Jonno White, from Clarity, in the “7 Questions on Leadership” series. Take a look at my interview questions and answers here! These interview questions give a small picture of what I have learned in my leadership experience.

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The Importance of Story

“Life, you’ll notice, is a story ” (Eldredge, 2004).  This brief statement by #JohnEldredge, at the beginning of his short book Epic, seems to have captured in six words the realization for me that my life is a story.  This was not always my perspective or viewpoint.  In fact, when I first entered my journey into a doctoral leadership program, I believed I was quite strongly a “concrete sequential” thinker with a quantitative view of data and life.  Somewhere along the way in that process, a series of circumstances, events, and reflective moments drew me to connect with the concept of “story,” and led me to much more of a qualitative understanding of life.  My personal growth had changed me to the point that I would now describe my perspective much like Eldredge did when he followed that six-word statement by saying, “Life doesn’t come to us like a math problem.  It comes to us the way that a story does, scene by scene.  You wake up.  What will happen next?  You don’t get to know – you have to enter in, take the journey as it comes.  The sun might be shining. There might be a tornado outside.  Your friends might call and invite you to go sailing.  You might lose your job.  Life unfolds like a drama.  Doesn’t it?  Each day has a beginning and an end.  There are all sorts of characters, all sorts of settings.  A year goes by like a chapter from a novel.  Sometimes it seems like a tragedy.  Sometimes like a comedy.  Most of it feels like a soap opera.  Whatever happens, it’s a story through and through.”

A natural outgrowth of recognizing the emergence of my own personal story was the understanding that “everyone has a story,” and so, in my development as a leader, I transitioned from recognizing the importance of my story to recognizing the importance of story in others, and in leadership in general.  I see this now in the simple way that I will often ask questions of people I meet to draw out their stories, and look for connections between their stories and mine in order to build relationship in a way that will benefit and enhance the effectiveness of my leadership. This importance of understanding each person’s story is, for me, reflected in the research methodology of narrative inquiry.   I have learned from Clandinin and Connelly, in the book Narrative Inquiry (2000), that story, or narrative inquiry, is a very important component of research because it provides the context and history of a circumstance and an environment, which provides meaning to them.  Merriam (1998) describes it as “the meaning people have constructed, that is, how they make sense of their world and the experiences they have in the world” (p. 6).

Over time, I have come to see leadership as a process that occurs within a context.  It seems that many approaches to leadership focus on the attributes of the leader or the relationship between the leader and the followers, but I believe that it is also very necessary to take into account the context of that process.  This includes knowledge of the context/environment in which the leader and followers currently exist (present); knowledge of the organizational history (past); and organizational vision (future).  With this knowledge, the leader engages in the process that is a continuing cycle of analyzing past, present, and future in order to move people and organizations toward a desired growth, change, or direction.  In other words, the leader understands that the story of the organization and the stories of its people are necessary to an understanding of how to shape the organization, which means that “story” is critical for a leader to be effective as a change agent.  Therefore, in order for me to effectively make change within an organization, I must first understand its history, and to understand its history, I must hear stories.  I need to ask questions about the way things are done and why they are done in that way, build relationships with those around me, allowing me to best empower and encourage them.  I need to share the example of my own story, and listen to their stories.

The additional, essential thing that I need to realize as a Christian leader is that my story is also part of God’s Grand Story (to use the phrasing from the organization, Walk Thru the Bible).  God’s redemption story, which centers around Jesus Christ, has been in play since the beginning of His creation, and He has been intentionally weaving people, events, and circumstances into His perfect plan to carry out His perfect purpose.  I have a part in that story, as do you, because God loves us dearly and has a part for us in a chapter of His great story. My story has a role and a purpose in God’s story, and so does yours!

So then, a “plot” in my story, so to speak, is that I have learned the importance of story for leadership.  I have learned that knowing my own story is vital to understanding how I lead and why I lead the way I do.  I have learned the importance of knowing the story of the organization that I lead, which leads me to ask questions and listen before acting, in order to better understand and manage that organization.  I have learned the value of using stories as a tool to effectively teach, mentor, motivate, and bring about change.  I have learned that everyone has a story, and each person’s story, in turn, impacts how that person constructs meaning from life, and therefore – in order for me to influence and develop my followers – I need to understand each person’s story.  And most importantly, I have learned that, as a leader, a teacher/mentor, and a change agent: story matters!

Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2000). Narrative inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Eldredge, J. (2004). Epic:  The Story God is Telling. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

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Listen to the new podcast!

Leadership is hard, often overwhelming, and even intimidating.  There are so many different approaches and views on how to do it well, and so many different contexts, organizations, and issues in which it is happening.  Added together, this can result in significant struggle.  Often, we can feel like Solomon when his father David passed away, and he was about to become the king when he said,

“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.  Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.  So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”  1 Kings 3:7-9

This website is intended to be a resource to help leaders with this, providing principles and practices that connect biblical truth with wisdom and applying it to the practice of leadership.  I want to connect those dots – Faith. Wisdom. Leadership. – so that I can help people lead well.  If you are new to leadership, or if you are struggling in your leadership, or if you simply want to learn more and grow in your leadership, here you will find counsel and insight to help you be more equipped to lead, and to do it in a godly way.   The goal is to help you lead like Ezra:  know God deeply, live by His Word, and apply that wisdom in your leadership of others.

I have added a new tool into the mix – a podcast! Appropriately titled “Leadership Ezra,” the podcast is all about connecting biblical truth with wisdom for the practice of leadership.  Aimed at Christians in leadership, including those who are leading in Christian schools and ministries, the podcast connects three dots of “Faith…Wisdom…Leadership” to help people lead well. Take a listen to the first five episodes here!

And don’t forget to order a copy of my book, “Leadership Ezra,” available on Amazon.

 “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”  Ezra 7:10

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Now available on Amazon!

Order your copy of “Leadership Ezra” on Amazon (and check out the latest podcast episode available on Apple Podcasts, titled “See the Big Picture,” here!)

The work of leadership is hard, and it is not for the faint-hearted. There are decisions to be made, problems to be addressed, challenges to be solved, tensions to be managed, conflicts to be resolved, tasks to be accomplished, and numerous other responsibilities that ultimately have an impact on many people. And add to that the work of leading and managing those same people, who are imperfect and operate in the context of a fallen world. For the Christian leader – regardless of whether you are a school leader, church leader, ministry leader, or a Christian leading in a secular industry or organization – it can be even more challenging as you seek to reflect Christ in all you do. So where can you get help understanding leadership principles and practices within a biblical context? This may seem to be an obvious answer, but ironically, one that leaders often overlook: look to examples of leadership in the Bible.

The Bible contains a myriad of stories, principles, and truths that can be translated into personal application. The book of Ezra is one such story, and one of the ways it can be applied is to leadership. Comprised of two different journeys of return for the people of God, the experiences in this book demonstrate and illustrate lessons that can be applied to our practice of leadership today. The book begins as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah 29:10-11, and along the way, provides examples and lessons that connect the dots between Scriptural truth and effective leadership, helping you to become the kind of leader who will make an impact in your world today, and in a way that reflects the character of God.

That’s the goal of this book, Leadership Ezra (now available on Amazon):  to connect the dots between Scriptural truth and life application, specifically within the realm of leadership, using a story in the Bible to do so.   I hope you can make the same connections to your leadership as you explore this newly published book.  But before you order your copy, open it up, and start reading, I would encourage you to first read the book of Ezra from start to finish.  You might be surprised at what God teaches you from your own reading of His Word!

Order your copy of “Leadership Ezra” on Amazon

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“Leadership Ezra” now available on Amazon

Earlier this week, I published an article in which I said that “Ezra developed an intimate, personal relationship with God. Because of that personal and deep relationship, he didn’t simply learn to know who God was and is; he also came to understand God’s nature and heart. He had developed a relationship that enabled him to trust in God even in uncertainty and difficulty. It was from this relationship that he was, therefore, able to move and act with confidence in God’s sovereign plan and that he was able to see God’s hand and His purpose in the events that occurred.”

I went on to say that “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, to how we live, and to our call or purpose from Him. Doing this first is what makes us knowledgeable and gives us the capability to lead, because 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.”

These are some of the pivotal lessons on leadership that can be drawn from Ezra’s story: understanding our purpose and responsibility in the context of God’s sovereignty, and understanding the importance of the connection between what we believe and know with how we live and act. And these are just a little taste of the lessons on leadership that I talk about in my new book, Leadership Ezra, now available on Amazon. Order a copy and learn valuable insights from Ezra that can help you in your leadership role!

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Leadership Ezra

“I think I want to write books.”  That was my answer to my dad’s question.  I had completed my seminary master’s degree in marriage, family, and personal counseling and had started working in my first counseling job.  However, I was still wrestling with my future goals and where I ultimately wanted to be in my life.  Writing books sounded like a worthy goal, and I admired people who could write books that inspired, helped, shaped, or guided others (like some of my professors at Liberty University).  So, when my dad asked me what I thought I wanted to be doing in ten years, that was my answer.  “I think I want to write books.”  He reflected quietly for a moment and then with his usual wisdom, said to me, “Jeff, before you can say something, first you have to have something to say.”

Now, thirty years of life and experience later, it seems God has given me something to say.  Or at the very least, something to say for my own benefit, lessons that I have learned and continue to learn from the life of ministry to which God has called me over that span of time, and that I can put down on paper.  In particular, God has taught me lessons based on stories, principles, and truths from the Bible that have been translated into personal application.  I am a connect-the-dots kind of person; therefore one of the ways God has taught and grown me is in connecting the dots between scriptural truth and life application.   

That’s the goal of this book:  to connect the dots between Scriptural truth and life application, specifically within the realm of leadership, using a story in the Bible to do so.  In this case, the story is actually the story contained in the book of Ezra, a book comprised of two different journeys of return for the people of God.  The experiences in this book demonstrate and illustrate lessons that can then be applied to our practice of leadership today.  

I “discovered” these lessons when I randomly decided to do a personal Bible study on the book.  I had been reading in the Old Testament and came across the first verse of Ezra 1, and figured out that it was connected to Jeremiah 29:10-11.  That piqued my interest, so I decided I wanted to start reading through the book as a Bible study and asked the Lord to teach me from it.  I started writing down my thoughts and responses to the story I was reading and began to recognize valuable lessons that directly impacted my leadership role at that time and place.  By the time I finished the study, I was amazed at how much God had taught me about leadership from this unexpected book.

Now I am sharing it with you. In this newly published book, “Leadership Ezra,” I hope you can also make the same connections to your leadership.  But before you order your copy, open it up, and start reading, I would encourage you to first read the book of Ezra from start to finish.  You might be surprised at what God teaches you from your own reading of His Word!

Order your copy of “Leadership Ezra” on Amazon here.

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