“HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WISCONSIN TEAM CHURCHES”
Baker Street - In November a team of eight people traveled to Guatemala and participated with “Impacto” for VBS, Happy Feet, and five Luis Martinez Crusades. The Christmas season was a fruitful time of outreach; 22 visitors attended the children’s Christmas program and 37 visitors attended the Christmas services. In December we held funeral services for a 19-year-old Marine who was killed in action in Iraq. He had been raised in our church.
Beulah – Praise for the healthy birth of a new baby from a high risk mother, whom our church had been praying for. We had an open house at the parsonage for a Christmas gathering of the church, and we went Christmas caroling to the shut-ins.
Hales Corners - A new worship team has been created. A Young Adults Group has formed. Held a “Soup Bowl Sunday” where various soups were brought in like a chili cook-off on Super Bowl Sunday.
Hancock – Wonderful Christmas (Advent) season, Youth attending “Set Apart” Convention in Orlando and Youth band opening for Stellar Kart Concert.
Hayward - We've had several tragedies in our church over the past couple of months -- but God has proven faithful, and we have seen people come to Christ as a direct result. Christmas events were beautiful, and reached a lot of people. We helped a bunch of needy children have Christmas this year.
High Point - A praise report would be that we still have visitors coming in and we are starting to have families with children starting to visit more frequently.
Hillsboro - We thank the Lord for increased ministry through our Community Christmas dinner, this year serving 450 meals. We also thank the Lord for ministries provided through our Christmas program and cantata ministries.
Iglesia - We are working in the opening of the second Hispanic church. We are excited and enthusiastic for this opportunity to reach more people for the Kingdom of God.
Janesville – We ushered in the New Year with a game night topped with a communion service over the midnight hour. A great way to conclude one year and start another!
Jubilee - We started remodeling our sanctuary and foyer by framing, insulating and putting up drywall. The first Sunday of 2008 was our first Sunday as Jubilee Wesleyan—A Community Church. We’re looking at logo options and marketing options to get the name out. We just hosted a free Valentine’s Dinner for our community and had 29 people with no affiliation to us show up.
Lakeshore – We’ve had some positive personnel changes (the right people moving into the right roles) and have found a new worship leader with plenty of experience and a heart that matches our mission!
Our Savior’s - New Year’s Baptism and Communion – great challenge and worship experience.
Red Cedar- We have entered a season of real fruitfulness. It is exciting to see ministry leaders excited about what God is doing in the ministries they are leading. It is an exciting time to be a part of RCCC.
Safe Harbor- We are now averaging over 50 for the year. We have 8 kids who were saved through our children’s ministries.
Sand Lake - The church continues to adjust to the pastoral transition. The LBA is giving excellent leadership in the transition and the Sand Lake “Family” is looking ahead to all that God has for them. Had 335 for Christmas Eve Service with “Candles and Carols” program.
Spooner- Marriage Enrichment Seminar with Dr. Lo.
Stone Lake – We averaged 27.9 in Kids Klub this quarter. One man got back to God. We have some new people coming…we needed them because of sickness and so many go south for the winter.
Transformation City - We had to fight to meet in the Rosebud and we ultimately won – we are getting back in soon – that was a great highlight of this quarter.
Wesleyan Bible - Well attended Christmas Dinner and program; Ladies Christmas Party; Awana store and Christmas gift wrapping; Operations Christmas Child and Collection for local food pantry; 15 children raised their hands to ask Jesus into their lives at a recent session.
West Allis - NOV.-Milwaukee Rescue Mission’s Men’s Choir sang and shared testimonies, Cousin sub Youth Fundraiser for “Set Apart” conference, Thanksgiving Communion Service DEC.- we had a float in the West Allis Christmas Parade, Live Nativity, Christmas Musical, Candlelight Christmas Eve Service, sent 10 to the Set Apart Youth convention in Florida JAN.- started a new Children’s Church program which runs through the whole service.
Westbrooke - November – Harvest Dinner and fellowship with our Hispanic churches. December – Christmas play Nebuchadnezzar Scraggs by our children & youth; Christmas Eve service. January – shoveling snow!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Leader's Page 2-27-08
“Absence of Affirmation”
From Hans Finzel’s book “Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make”, #3 is “The Absence of Affirmation”
The pink Energizer Bunny keeps showing up and going, and going, and going, and …. Unlike the bunny, people aren’t like that. The emotional batteries need to be charged often.
Affirmation is a huge emotional battery recharger. The thing about affirmation or compliments is that they dissolve. Phyllis Theroux said, “One of the commodities in life that most people can’t get enough of is compliments. The ego is never so intact that one can’t find a hole in which to plug a little praise. But, compliments by their very nature are highly biodegradable and tend to dissolve hours or days after we receive them – which is why we can always use another.”
The whole business of affirming those we live with and work with is simple like NIKE: JUST DO IT.
Recharging other’s emotional batteries is an important responsibility of a leader. So, how do we affirm and encourage others?
Listening. Just because we are leaders does not mean we are the prime talkers.
Empathizing. When others are happy, we affirm by stopping to share their joy. If there is deep tragedy, we affirm by stopping everything and sharing their pain.
Comforting. We affirm their value as a person when we take time to comfort them.
Encouraging. Let people know often that they are doing a good job. Look for the good and point it out. A good compliment is specific and sincere. The more specific and sincere it is, the greater its impact on the person receiving it.
Let me encourage you to be leaders in affirmation!
Dan Bickel
Wisconsin District Superintendent
From Hans Finzel’s book “Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make”, #3 is “The Absence of Affirmation”
The pink Energizer Bunny keeps showing up and going, and going, and going, and …. Unlike the bunny, people aren’t like that. The emotional batteries need to be charged often.
Affirmation is a huge emotional battery recharger. The thing about affirmation or compliments is that they dissolve. Phyllis Theroux said, “One of the commodities in life that most people can’t get enough of is compliments. The ego is never so intact that one can’t find a hole in which to plug a little praise. But, compliments by their very nature are highly biodegradable and tend to dissolve hours or days after we receive them – which is why we can always use another.”
The whole business of affirming those we live with and work with is simple like NIKE: JUST DO IT.
Recharging other’s emotional batteries is an important responsibility of a leader. So, how do we affirm and encourage others?
Listening. Just because we are leaders does not mean we are the prime talkers.
Empathizing. When others are happy, we affirm by stopping to share their joy. If there is deep tragedy, we affirm by stopping everything and sharing their pain.
Comforting. We affirm their value as a person when we take time to comfort them.
Encouraging. Let people know often that they are doing a good job. Look for the good and point it out. A good compliment is specific and sincere. The more specific and sincere it is, the greater its impact on the person receiving it.
Let me encourage you to be leaders in affirmation!
Dan Bickel
Wisconsin District Superintendent
Friday, February 15, 2008
Leader's Update 2-15-08
“Dirty Delegation”
From Hans Finzel’s book, “Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make”, mistake #6 is “Dirty Delegation.”
Dirty delegation, by Hans Finzel’s definition, is refusing to relax and let go. He points out that as leaders:
Over managing is one of the great cardinal sins of poor leadership
Nothing frustrates those who work for us more than sloppy delegation with too many strings attached
Delegation should match each worker’s follow-through ability
So, why do leaders fail to delegate?
Fear of losing authority
Fear of work being done poorly
Fear of work being done better
Unwillingness to take the necessary time
Fear of depending on others
Lack of training and positive experience
D.L. Moody wrote, “I’d rather get ten men to do the job than to do the job of ten men.”
Theodore Roosevelt wrote, “The best executive is the one who has the sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”
Here are key ingredients for managing “Clean Delegation”:
Faith in the one to whom you delegate. It is an issue of trusting in and respecting the person the job is given to.
Release from the desire to do it better yourself.
Relaxation from the obsession that it has to be done your way.
Patience in the desire to do it faster yourself.
Vision to develop others with your delegation freedom.
Why delegate?
Ephesians 4: 11-13 demands it. “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
If the church is to reach its fullest potential we as leaders must learn to train and empower others to help us fulfill the great commission Jesus gave us.
Dan Bickel
Wisconsin Distri
From Hans Finzel’s book, “Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make”, mistake #6 is “Dirty Delegation.”
Dirty delegation, by Hans Finzel’s definition, is refusing to relax and let go. He points out that as leaders:
Over managing is one of the great cardinal sins of poor leadership
Nothing frustrates those who work for us more than sloppy delegation with too many strings attached
Delegation should match each worker’s follow-through ability
So, why do leaders fail to delegate?
Fear of losing authority
Fear of work being done poorly
Fear of work being done better
Unwillingness to take the necessary time
Fear of depending on others
Lack of training and positive experience
D.L. Moody wrote, “I’d rather get ten men to do the job than to do the job of ten men.”
Theodore Roosevelt wrote, “The best executive is the one who has the sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”
Here are key ingredients for managing “Clean Delegation”:
Faith in the one to whom you delegate. It is an issue of trusting in and respecting the person the job is given to.
Release from the desire to do it better yourself.
Relaxation from the obsession that it has to be done your way.
Patience in the desire to do it faster yourself.
Vision to develop others with your delegation freedom.
Why delegate?
Ephesians 4: 11-13 demands it. “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
If the church is to reach its fullest potential we as leaders must learn to train and empower others to help us fulfill the great commission Jesus gave us.
Dan Bickel
Wisconsin Distri
MInistry Leader's Update 2/6/08
“Top Ten”
About 15 years ago Hans Finzel wrote a book “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make”. Number 10 is “Failure to Focus on the Future”. Here are some of his observations:
The future is rushing at us at breakneck speed
A leader’s concentration must not be on the past nor the present, but on the future
Vision is an effective leader’s chief preoccupation
Organizations are reinvented with new generations of dreamers
Here’s an interesting letter from future President Martin Van Buren to President Andrew Jackson in 1829,
The canal system of this country is being threatened by the spread of a new form of transportation known as ‘railroads’.
The federal government must preserve the canal for the following reasons:
If canal boats are supplanted by railroads, serious unemployment will result. Captains, cooks, drivers, hostlers, repairmen and lock tenders will be left without means of livelihood, not to mention the numerous farmers now employed in growing hay for horses.
Boat builders would suffer and towline, whip and harness makers would be left destitute.
Canal boats are absolutely essential to the defense of the US. In the event of unexpected trouble with England, the Erie Canal would be the only means by which we could ever move supplies so vital to waging modern war.
__________________________________________________________________________
How many of our churches and how many of us are too easily pulled into this kind of thinking? Our churches are so easily tempted to be more concerned about preserving the past than envisioning how we can move into the future. The leader’s job IS the future.
“A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others do.” --- Leroy Eims
“Stay one step ahead of your people and you are called a leader. Stay ten steps ahead of your people and you are called a martyr.”
“My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.” ---Charles F. Kettering
About 15 years ago Hans Finzel wrote a book “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make”. Number 10 is “Failure to Focus on the Future”. Here are some of his observations:
The future is rushing at us at breakneck speed
A leader’s concentration must not be on the past nor the present, but on the future
Vision is an effective leader’s chief preoccupation
Organizations are reinvented with new generations of dreamers
Here’s an interesting letter from future President Martin Van Buren to President Andrew Jackson in 1829,
The canal system of this country is being threatened by the spread of a new form of transportation known as ‘railroads’.
The federal government must preserve the canal for the following reasons:
If canal boats are supplanted by railroads, serious unemployment will result. Captains, cooks, drivers, hostlers, repairmen and lock tenders will be left without means of livelihood, not to mention the numerous farmers now employed in growing hay for horses.
Boat builders would suffer and towline, whip and harness makers would be left destitute.
Canal boats are absolutely essential to the defense of the US. In the event of unexpected trouble with England, the Erie Canal would be the only means by which we could ever move supplies so vital to waging modern war.
__________________________________________________________________________
How many of our churches and how many of us are too easily pulled into this kind of thinking? Our churches are so easily tempted to be more concerned about preserving the past than envisioning how we can move into the future. The leader’s job IS the future.
“A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others do.” --- Leroy Eims
“Stay one step ahead of your people and you are called a leader. Stay ten steps ahead of your people and you are called a martyr.”
“My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.” ---Charles F. Kettering
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Ministry Leaders Update 1-9-08
Get Real!
A new LDJ group that formed this fall was a north central staff that includes people from Red Cedar, Eau Claire and Sand Lake. The group landed on a book by Craig Groeschel entitled “Confessions of a Pastor”, and have started working through it. I heard about the book from Bob Streeter, pastor at Mt. Pisgah, who was impacted by its content. Groeschel subtitles his book “Adventures in dropping the pose and getting real with God”.
He makes some pretty real confessions like:
• I can’t stand a lot of Christians
• Most of the time I feel incredibly lonely
• I hate prayer meetings
• I feel completely inadequate
• I stink at handling criticism
• I’m afraid of failure
In the first chapter, after going through a whole bunch of reasons why he couldn’t stand a lot of Christians, he landed on some of the things he loves about Christians.
• He loves his weekly small-group Bible study. Why? Because they’re imperfect but they’re real. They have genuine relationship. They really know each other, but really love each other, too.
• He loves it when Christ followers sacrifice – when they give up something they love for something they love even more. That includes their time and money. They give to send kids to camp, train pastors in other countries, help needy people at Christmas and rebuild homes for hurricane victims.
• He loves it when God’s people pray – really pray, and believe in it, too.
• He loves it when people “get it”. When they start to really understand God’s grace. When imperfect people run up against a perfect God…and God wins.
• He loves it when people have the attitude of jumping in to use their spiritual gifts and are determined to make a difference in the lives of others out of response to the grace and love they’ve received.
Groeschel shares this great story we would all love to experience in ministry leadership:
A guy waited patiently in line to greet his pastor one Sunday after the sermon. “Pastor,” this eager, sincere Christ follower said, “I have only one thing to tell you. My answer is yes. Now, what’s the question?”
The pastor looked at him, confused, and smiling awkwardly, fell back upon the pastor’s safety net: “God bless you.” The pastor politely brushed the man off and turned to greet the next parishioner.
The next week, the same guy waited in line and repeated the same words. “Pastor, my answer is yes. Now what’s the question?”
The pastor pondered this enigma. Wanting to get to the bottom of it, he invited the young man to lunch. Over a midweek meal, the young man once again blurted out the intriguing mantra: “Pastor, my answer is yes. Now what’s the question?” Finally overcome with curiosity, the pastor asked, “Can you please tell me what you mean by that?”
The young man smiled and, with passion, began, “Pastor, I was hooked on everything bad, about to lose my family, sliding down an slippery slope toward certain destruction. Then Jesus intervened.” Tears welled up in his eyes. “Because of what Jesus did for me, my answer to you is yes. You are my pastor, and I’ll do whatever you need.
“If you want me to rock babies, I’ll rock babies. If you want me to usher, I’ll usher. If you want me to mow the churchyard, I’ll be there at 6 AM every Saturday. My answer to you will always be yes. Now, what’s the question?”
May you, all of your parishioners, and those who serve with you have that kind of understanding of grace, gratitude and passion to serve.
Dan Bickel
Wisconsin District Superintendent
A new LDJ group that formed this fall was a north central staff that includes people from Red Cedar, Eau Claire and Sand Lake. The group landed on a book by Craig Groeschel entitled “Confessions of a Pastor”, and have started working through it. I heard about the book from Bob Streeter, pastor at Mt. Pisgah, who was impacted by its content. Groeschel subtitles his book “Adventures in dropping the pose and getting real with God”.
He makes some pretty real confessions like:
• I can’t stand a lot of Christians
• Most of the time I feel incredibly lonely
• I hate prayer meetings
• I feel completely inadequate
• I stink at handling criticism
• I’m afraid of failure
In the first chapter, after going through a whole bunch of reasons why he couldn’t stand a lot of Christians, he landed on some of the things he loves about Christians.
• He loves his weekly small-group Bible study. Why? Because they’re imperfect but they’re real. They have genuine relationship. They really know each other, but really love each other, too.
• He loves it when Christ followers sacrifice – when they give up something they love for something they love even more. That includes their time and money. They give to send kids to camp, train pastors in other countries, help needy people at Christmas and rebuild homes for hurricane victims.
• He loves it when God’s people pray – really pray, and believe in it, too.
• He loves it when people “get it”. When they start to really understand God’s grace. When imperfect people run up against a perfect God…and God wins.
• He loves it when people have the attitude of jumping in to use their spiritual gifts and are determined to make a difference in the lives of others out of response to the grace and love they’ve received.
Groeschel shares this great story we would all love to experience in ministry leadership:
A guy waited patiently in line to greet his pastor one Sunday after the sermon. “Pastor,” this eager, sincere Christ follower said, “I have only one thing to tell you. My answer is yes. Now, what’s the question?”
The pastor looked at him, confused, and smiling awkwardly, fell back upon the pastor’s safety net: “God bless you.” The pastor politely brushed the man off and turned to greet the next parishioner.
The next week, the same guy waited in line and repeated the same words. “Pastor, my answer is yes. Now what’s the question?”
The pastor pondered this enigma. Wanting to get to the bottom of it, he invited the young man to lunch. Over a midweek meal, the young man once again blurted out the intriguing mantra: “Pastor, my answer is yes. Now what’s the question?” Finally overcome with curiosity, the pastor asked, “Can you please tell me what you mean by that?”
The young man smiled and, with passion, began, “Pastor, I was hooked on everything bad, about to lose my family, sliding down an slippery slope toward certain destruction. Then Jesus intervened.” Tears welled up in his eyes. “Because of what Jesus did for me, my answer to you is yes. You are my pastor, and I’ll do whatever you need.
“If you want me to rock babies, I’ll rock babies. If you want me to usher, I’ll usher. If you want me to mow the churchyard, I’ll be there at 6 AM every Saturday. My answer to you will always be yes. Now, what’s the question?”
May you, all of your parishioners, and those who serve with you have that kind of understanding of grace, gratitude and passion to serve.
Dan Bickel
Wisconsin District Superintendent
Friday, December 21, 2007
Ministry Leaders Update 12-21-07
Leader’s Page: Blind Spots (Notes from John Maxwell) - Part 3
One last Blind Spot – A Lack of Character
Character is what God can always see, but may be hidden by us and, for a time, hidden to others.
Character protects our talent. “Character doesn’t make us a leader. Character protects us as a leader”
Many people with talent make it into the limelight, but the ones who have neglected to develop strong character rarely stay there long. The absence of strong character eventually topples talent. Why? Because people cannot climb beyond the limitations of their character.
• Talented people may feel superior and expect special privileges. Character helps them to know better.
• Talented people are praised for what others see them build. Character builds what’s inside them.
• Talented people have the potential to be difference makers. Character makes a difference for them.
• Talented people are often a gift to the world. Character protects that gift.
A story of Mahatma Gandhi:
In his book American Scandal, Pat Williams tells about Gandhi’s trip to England to speak to Parliament. The British government had opposed Indian independence and Gandhi, one of its most vocal proponents, had often been threatened, arrested, and jailed as a result. Gandhi spoke eloquently and passionately for nearly two hours, then received a standing ovation. After the speech, a reporter asked Gandhi’s assistant how the Indian leader had been able to deliver such a speech without any notes.
“You don’t understand Gandhi,” Desai responded. “You see, what he thinks is what he feels. What he feels is what he says. What he says is what he does. What Gandhi feels, what he thinks, what he says, and what he does are all the same. He does not need notes.”
Character is the sum total of all our everyday choices.
How do we remove the blind spot?
1. Assume That You Have a Blind Spot. If you don’t assume that you have a blind spot, that is your blind spot!
2. Ask Those Who Know You Best to Identify Your Blind Spot. If you’re married, your spouse probably has a pretty good clue!
3. Openly Discuss Your Blind Spots with Your Inner Circle. Give permission to others who care about you and whom you trust to speak truthfully into your life.
4. Assume Your Blind Spots Cannot Be Removed By You. By definition, a blind spot is: “An area in the lives of people in which they continually do not see themselves or their situation realistically”.
5. Develop, Empower and Value the People Who Point Out and Help Cover Your “Blind Spots”.
May we all see more clearly as we move into the New Year!
Dan Bickel
Wisconsin District Superintendent
One last Blind Spot – A Lack of Character
Character is what God can always see, but may be hidden by us and, for a time, hidden to others.
Character protects our talent. “Character doesn’t make us a leader. Character protects us as a leader”
Many people with talent make it into the limelight, but the ones who have neglected to develop strong character rarely stay there long. The absence of strong character eventually topples talent. Why? Because people cannot climb beyond the limitations of their character.
• Talented people may feel superior and expect special privileges. Character helps them to know better.
• Talented people are praised for what others see them build. Character builds what’s inside them.
• Talented people have the potential to be difference makers. Character makes a difference for them.
• Talented people are often a gift to the world. Character protects that gift.
A story of Mahatma Gandhi:
In his book American Scandal, Pat Williams tells about Gandhi’s trip to England to speak to Parliament. The British government had opposed Indian independence and Gandhi, one of its most vocal proponents, had often been threatened, arrested, and jailed as a result. Gandhi spoke eloquently and passionately for nearly two hours, then received a standing ovation. After the speech, a reporter asked Gandhi’s assistant how the Indian leader had been able to deliver such a speech without any notes.
“You don’t understand Gandhi,” Desai responded. “You see, what he thinks is what he feels. What he feels is what he says. What he says is what he does. What Gandhi feels, what he thinks, what he says, and what he does are all the same. He does not need notes.”
Character is the sum total of all our everyday choices.
How do we remove the blind spot?
1. Assume That You Have a Blind Spot. If you don’t assume that you have a blind spot, that is your blind spot!
2. Ask Those Who Know You Best to Identify Your Blind Spot. If you’re married, your spouse probably has a pretty good clue!
3. Openly Discuss Your Blind Spots with Your Inner Circle. Give permission to others who care about you and whom you trust to speak truthfully into your life.
4. Assume Your Blind Spots Cannot Be Removed By You. By definition, a blind spot is: “An area in the lives of people in which they continually do not see themselves or their situation realistically”.
5. Develop, Empower and Value the People Who Point Out and Help Cover Your “Blind Spots”.
May we all see more clearly as we move into the New Year!
Dan Bickel
Wisconsin District Superintendent
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Weekly Leader's Update 12-11-2007
Blind Spots (Notes from John Maxwell) – Part 2
Two more “Blind Spots” that can trip us up:
One “Blind Spot” are the subtle ways we can Devalue People.
• Leaders who value their people give them their best effort
o Leaders who devalue their people give them their least effort
• Leaders who value their people serve their people
o Leaders who devalue their people want to be served by their people
• Leaders who value their people empower them
o Leaders who devalue their people control them
• Leaders who value their people motivate them
o Leaders who devalue their people manipulate them.
Another “Blind Spot” is our EGO.
Kirk Hanson, university professor and executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, says that the Achilles’ heel of leaders can be found when they:
• Believe they know it all
• Believe they are in charge
• Believe the rules don’t apply to them
• Believe they can never fail
• Believe they did it all by themselves
• Believe they are better than the “little people” in the organization
• Believe they ARE the organization
“Pride is concerned about Who’s right. Humility is concerned about What’s right.” Ezra Taft Benton
In a leader, pride is costly and destructive. Here is what pride potentially does:
• Instead of taking responsibility, we blame others.
• Instead of being objective, we live in denial.
• Instead of being open-minded and receptive, we are closed-minded or defensive.
• Instead of flexibility we are rigid.
• Instead of team spirit, we end up with low morale.
• Instead of loyalty, we experience a high turnover rate among volunteers or paid staff.
• Instead of being connected, we find ourselves out of touch with the people we’re trying to reach. (Pride causes us to think it ‘s all about us when really it’s all about them.)
Got any beams that need to be inspected?
---Dan Bickel, Wisconsin District Superintendent
Two more “Blind Spots” that can trip us up:
One “Blind Spot” are the subtle ways we can Devalue People.
• Leaders who value their people give them their best effort
o Leaders who devalue their people give them their least effort
• Leaders who value their people serve their people
o Leaders who devalue their people want to be served by their people
• Leaders who value their people empower them
o Leaders who devalue their people control them
• Leaders who value their people motivate them
o Leaders who devalue their people manipulate them.
Another “Blind Spot” is our EGO.
Kirk Hanson, university professor and executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, says that the Achilles’ heel of leaders can be found when they:
• Believe they know it all
• Believe they are in charge
• Believe the rules don’t apply to them
• Believe they can never fail
• Believe they did it all by themselves
• Believe they are better than the “little people” in the organization
• Believe they ARE the organization
“Pride is concerned about Who’s right. Humility is concerned about What’s right.” Ezra Taft Benton
In a leader, pride is costly and destructive. Here is what pride potentially does:
• Instead of taking responsibility, we blame others.
• Instead of being objective, we live in denial.
• Instead of being open-minded and receptive, we are closed-minded or defensive.
• Instead of flexibility we are rigid.
• Instead of team spirit, we end up with low morale.
• Instead of loyalty, we experience a high turnover rate among volunteers or paid staff.
• Instead of being connected, we find ourselves out of touch with the people we’re trying to reach. (Pride causes us to think it ‘s all about us when really it’s all about them.)
Got any beams that need to be inspected?
---Dan Bickel, Wisconsin District Superintendent
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