Engaged Leadership - Lesson 1

Welcome to the Engaged Leadership Course. We're gonna give you a very brief description and then get moving quite quickly because the first part is gonna be a review of some prerequisites that we've done, but we do want to establish that foundation so that the remainder of the program is actually gonna make sense. Let's start out with an overview of the program because the first couple sessions are going to be a review of behaviors and mindsets because they're the foundation of how we're going to structure this process so that you have a deeper understanding of your own particular leadership style and how it's gonna impact other people.

Then we're going to move on to the next section and it's very critical because you want to bring people into your leadership style so that you can coach, mentor and disciple them through this process because it's going to require a little bit of each. In that second group of sessions, we're going to cover three critical aspects and that is how do you build trust with your staff? This is critically important because so often we get moving into the business of church and we forget about the fact that true coaching, mentoring and discipleship is made up of that one-on-one, that engagement that we've talked about as we begin this course. So what I want you to think about is first of all, we bring people into us so that they begin to understand how they as individuals have been created by God and then apportion certain skills.

And in this second section, we're gonna focus on the skills of trust, how to respond to conflict in a way that's gonna be productive because conflict is really good and I'll tell you why. Then that third part of bringing people in is how do we coach them? How do we mentor them? How do we disciple them? So moving on to the third stage is critical that once a person understands and can trust you and they understand that they can argue with you or have conflict that's actually going to bring positivity to your staff, to your church and to your ministry, then we're going to show them how to ease into the coaching process. But to do that, you have to have two characteristics and those characteristics are integrity and charisma.

Integrity, I know you probably already have some ideas that that's critical, but the charisma part, "What does that really mean? And what if I'm more introverted than extroverted?" Yes, charisma is available to you. It's a gift as we're going to share with you. In stage four, what we're going to be covering is important because it will show you how to engage with your staff in a one-on-one process as well as in group settings.

And then how do we create a culture that's healthy and vibrant as we work through this process? Because statistics show us that there is a 70% turnover in parachurch, church ministries and in seminaries over a five-year period. 70% in five years is a lot. And there's a reason behind it and we'll talk about it in those sessions.

In session five, we're going to wrap all of this up by bringing you into a place to where you can not only create, but leave a lasting legacy for the people behind you. All of us want to provide something to others so that they can in turn take the next step into leadership and management. The same way Christ passed on the information that he had to his disciples and then they distributed throughout the world.

So let's talk about some of the fundamentals of management and leadership. The first thing that you have to think about is what is the foundation of becoming a good leader or a good manager? Well, it's having the emotional intelligence that's necessary for you to pass on what God has put into your brain and given you to pass on. So the first thing we want to think about is how do we develop self-awareness? Self-awareness is foundational, but most of us think about self-awareness from the perspective of, "Do I know myself?" And if so, you need to adapt to me.

Self-awareness is not just knowing about ourselves, it's understanding ourselves from the context of other people. Only then can you make healthy decisions to help your staff along the way and engage them in the process. Only then will you be able to regulate the conversations because that's step two in our growth of emotional intelligence.

And statistics show us it's not just your technical knowledge or your theological depth that is going to help you achieve the role that you want in ministry, but it is your ability to interact, meet conflict head on, and do the things that are necessary to bring your people together. You see, it all starts with understanding ourselves and understanding that gap that may be a little bit different between you and the other person. So let's do a quick review.

First of all, you remember that we talked about behaviors and that we should consider those behaviors to improve our communication and relationships, as well as our understanding and ability to make decisions by developing a deeper acceptance of why you are the way that you are, because that's gonna lead to you having a foundation of adapting your communication in a way that helps you minimize misunderstanding and actually clarify your point. So in the graphic that you're viewing right now, let's look very quickly at the four quadrants of behaviors. The first is that strategic thinking dominant person that wants to move constantly.

They have that little alarm clock going off on their brain, pushing them to the next task, checking off the box and then moving on. But there's another extrovert that has softer edges and they are more inspiring. They're more willing to coach.

They're more willing to be creative. That the high influencer is the individual that is going to rally the troops and bring people together in a very positive environment. As we move on to our introverts, there's that people-oriented introvert that is going to be somewhat quiet and retreating until you get to know them, because they're great listeners and they're taking information in and they are the type of individuals that are the glue that keeps an organization stuck together, moving in the same direction and helping each other through the process.

But then we also have that task-oriented introvert who's analytical, detail-oriented and loves data by the pound. So we've talked about extroverts and we've talked about introverts, but let's divide it a little bit further because that dominant person, that person with the alarm clock going off and that analytical person are much more task-oriented. They are focused on getting things done and will often tend to kind of give you that air of coolness because you see that they're more focused on the task.

Biblically, we can relate that to Martha, but there is that people-oriented aspect of an individual that's focused much more on people than tasks. They are the people that you want praying for you if you are in a time of spiritual need. But task-oriented and people-oriented often lead us to the whole concept of what we call an ambivert, which has part task and part people.

And we have that in the dominant and compliance styles as you'll remember. And we also have that ambiverted tendency in the people-oriented skills. So as we move on, let's do a very quick reminder of the dominant person because on good days, they're gonna be high performers, they're exacting, they're honest, straightforward, but they can also tend to be somewhat autocratic in the way that they approach things.

However, this dominant person does love directness and punctuality. However, they really get frustrated very quickly about incompetence and inefficiency. So that's our task-oriented extrovert.

So let's think about our people-oriented extrovert who are much more creative, optimistic, open. And on a bad day though, they can tend to be pushy and exaggerate so that it leaves you wondering, do I really need a fudge factor for this individual? But they do love something that is called fun and energy. They like to bring those dynamics into the organization, but you need to reward them because they have that natural characteristic of wanting to be loved and cared for.

The one thing that you don't wanna do because they don't like it very much is ask them to do PowerPoints or details or provide a lot of reports. Otherwise, they get exasperated and frustrated in the process. And so we want to keep that soft edge on them.

And the way that we do that is by not overloading them with details. So let's move over to the introverted side. And we're gonna focus on that people-oriented person who absolutely is warm and accepting, patient and friendly on a good day.

But if you catch them under high stress environment, you're gonna find that they may seem like they're weak, wasting time or lacking goals. And you may even think they're ineffective. But what I want you to know is the brain is working even though the decisiveness may not show up quite as quickly because they love working with a team.

They love being helpful and fair, but they don't like you to raise your voice, be pushy or move into a process where they feel rejected or criticized. This can really be challenging for the individual because they're extremely sensitive. Remember, introverts internalize things while extroverts externalize them.

So let's look at our task-oriented introvert. On good days, they're logical, analytical, careful and precise. But on a bad day, they can truly be stubborn, nitpicking and perfectionistic, even pedantic at times.

But they do love the detail, the punctuality, background information that helps them go to where they need to go. But they also dislike irrational behavior, sudden change, making mistakes and even unreasonable deadlines that you may put on them. They need time to process.

So remember this about behaviors. Behaviors are how we act out, how we perform, the way that we move through process, even the words that we might use on a normal day-to-day basis or when we're teaching or trying to communicate with the people around us. So it's the way we express ourselves.

And if you'll remember, we talked about this coming from Jeremiah 1:5, where it says, "We were knitted together in God's eyes in the womb of our mother," so that our basic personality traits are there and there because of the genetics that God created when he wove us together in the womb. As we think about that, remember, you're probably not gonna change your personality a whole lot. But our next section is mindsets.

What are mindsets? Mindsets are what we think are critically important to the way that we approach things. And mindsets reminds us of Esther 4:4, we were "created for such a time as this." That means that our parents were chosen because they were the best possible match.

And for some of you, that may sound a little bit illogical, but God has purpose in all things. Those mindsets tell us what's really important. What is it that we should be focusing on and how should we approach it? And with what fervor should we do that? You see, you can tell when a person is talking about their mindsets because they will actually lean forward.

Their voice will change a little bit and they will begin to focus on things that they get excited about. When you see that adrenaline pump up a little bit, you'll know that this person is focused on what they believe is important. So when we think about mindsets, let's talk about the fact that they improve our motivation and implementation because they help us develop a deeper understanding of what's important for you and the other people on your staffs.

They're more fluid than behaviors and they can actually change over time. But the important thing to remember is the fact that they lay a foundation for adapting in a way that maximizes the performance in a specific or given environment. Now, as we look at this next slide, what we're going to do is we're going to break down these mindsets into groups so that you can better understand how you develop your priorities and how you execute the things that you do and why you even do them.

So our first mindset group is called the objective group and it consists of two areas, the theoretical and the utilitarian. You see, each one has its purpose, theoretical effectiveness, utilitarian efficiency. So let's compare and contrast them because I think that once you see the differences, you'll better understand.

The theoretical, as we said, wants to be effective because they believe that competence is so very important and valuing understanding helps them tell you, I can figure this out. I can help you do that based on my experience and the knowledge that I've undertaken over the years. The utilitarian, on the other hand, as we mentioned, was very focused on efficiency and completion, checking off that box.

They actually value acquisition or saving of things and they always will tell you, I'll get it done if nobody else will. So comparison and contrast, we focus on the fact that this individual is helping us get that task orientation done. You're gonna see this quite often more in people that are high dominant and high compliance.

But our next group of mindsets is very important because it makes up 66% of the population and that is the subjective mindsets. And just like our objective mindsets, we have three different groups, but in the subjective mindsets, we're going to see an individual who is much more sensitive to people and circumstances around us. The high aesthetic individual is an individual who is very experientially oriented.

They are literally energized by their surroundings because harmony is very critical and important to them. They want to be able to say, I see the problem, I see the issue, because whether they see it live and in person or whether they see it up here, it's because of that creative mindset. They will be the type of person that may finish a sentence for you or do a project the way that they think.

If you, as a leader, understand that, you may want to make sure that there's plenty of information there because with that creative mind, a person may go off on a little bit different tangent than you may want them to. Our other mindset is social. Rather than caring about circumstances, harmony and things like that, you now have an individual who's so much more focused on high social.

And I haven't worked with too many ministries over the years where a very predominant skill set on the whole staff is social. They are the type of individual that is very relational because they're energized by people. They value contributing.

And their focus is, "I see your pain," where the aesthetic is, "I see the problem." But let me share something with you with the high social. The high social is a person that would truly give you the shirt off their back.

But also, they may have a tendency or a strong propensity to defer to other people, even if they know more than the other person because they don't like conflict. And as you think about that, remember that if you have an individual on your staff or you yourself are high social, you have to step up and take the platform when you have the information that's necessary. And that's not a slam against caring for people and caring to individual needs, but it's important that you take the role as the leader or manager in those circumstances.

Now, our last group is a group that is strongly focused on the way that they believe things need to be done. And as in the other two categories, our belief mindsets, as you can see from the graphics on the screen, are also quite different because the high individualistic person is very strategic, strategic to the point that if they want to achieve an objective, they're willing to share the stage with another person as long as they can help that process move along. They value their position and they're going to tell you that what I'm telling you or my way is the best way.

On the other hand, you have the high traditional who is much more about a systematic approach of getting things done. It's more of a worldview. And for those of you watching this video, that's your belief that God has ordained certain things that are more important than others.

And those should govern our behavior from the beginning of the day until we go to sleep at night. The traditional mindset is much more focused on structure and they're energized by conformity and having people come to God's beliefs. They actually value order, but they're also going to say that the Scriptures are the right way or "My way of seeing it is right." Where the individualistic is saying, "My way is best."

So there's obviously a big difference in the way that they approach that. So let's talk about something that I think is probably more misunderstood than anything these days. And that is the fact: are people born leaders? Is it innate? Or is it something that can actually be learned? And what I'd like to share with you at this point is your perspective can actually say a whole lot about your personality because what we're going to see is the fact that it's really based on your personality the way that you were created.

As you look at the graphic on the screen, what you're going to see is that creative leadership did a survey a number of years ago and it said that 52% of leaders are made where 19% says that they were actually born to be leaders. And then the other 30% that's remaining says it's actually both, they're born and made. So here's what I'd like you to think about based on your personality, the high dominance thinks that 18% are made.

The high I says 28% is a combination where the S and C together make up 54%. So you can see that the correlation between your natural behavioral type and your view on leadership is highly personalized based on your personality. When in fact, there are four keys to leadership that are going to be very important to you.

And that first of all, that there is the ambition to achieve what God created you to do. Second, you have to be accountable to God for those particular principles so that he allows you the awareness of where you are and the circumstances that are happening to you at this particular point can cause you to be agile and flexible in your particular leadership style. So let's talk about each one of those four characteristics because they're critical to your ability to achieve the role in leadership that you're trying to achieve.

You see, ambitious leaders are passionate. They're driven by their goals because if they don't have that ambition, apathy tends to take over and people don't even visualize them as leaders where an accountable individual sets examples for other people. They take responsibility because without taking that responsibility, as you're going to see ahead, you cannot build trust into your people.

To do that, you have to be aware of what's going on within your people. Are they very subjective? Are they very objective? Are they self-centered or morally focused on the traditions of scripture? Because aware leaders act very carefully based on the priorities of that individual. They can actually foresee problems and plan ahead because without that awareness, you can be unprepared for the challenges that arise.

If you are aware, you will become much more agile in the way that you approach that leadership process because agile leaders are quick to jump in and embrace whatever changes may have been thrown out at them because if you don't have that agility, you can quickly become hopeless and want to give up. And that's what a leader cannot afford to do. Let me give you a quote that you see on your screen.

Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does on a day-to-day basis to lead himself. That's by Tom Watson, former IBM CEO. So here's the thing that I want you to understand.

Any role in an organization, whether you're a volunteer, whether you're an active staff member or whether you're the leader, you're going to discover that both leadership and management traits are required for the job. No job is purely managerial or purely leadership oriented. And we're gonna break that down as we move ahead, but every role has a bit of each.

So what I've tried to do in the graphic that you're looking at right now is to help you understand what the difference is going to look like, smell like, and taste like. So let's take Chelsea as example. You can see that she is ambiverted.

In other words, she's highly people oriented and that when you look at her DISC profile, the dominance is low, the compliance is below the middle line, but both of the people orientations are very, very high. So she is going to be much more subjective as we see when we look at the mindsets. So therefore, she is going to exert a fair amount of emotional input into whatever task that she might undertake.

And therefore, because emotion is involved, we have to remember that the higher the emotional level, the higher the adrenaline rate and more excitement that's created as the heartbeat increases, the more tendency there is to act more so than think and move through the logic. But the good thing is with Chelsea, we see the high social, the high individualistic and the high traditional. This tells us that there's a servant's heart, but by looking at that strong purple line, that aesthetic line, we can see that there is also a bit of idealism.

And so what we have to do is measure that with the individual so that as a leader, you can help them focus on what is truly important. Now, let's take a look at another example that is very, very different. And that is Lamar, who's much more task oriented.

We can see that his dominance and his compliance is much higher than the influence and the steadiness. So therefore, this person is all about checking off boxes and make sure that it's done right without excuse. You see, the low eye tells us that they are a bit slow and a bit skeptical.

They may tend to even be a bit micromanaging in their approach. And the low green or the steadiness tells us that everything is a new challenge to them. So rather than relying on past experience, they may jump in and try to fix the issue immediately themselves.

And we see that because of the strong logic in the both effectiveness and efficiency in that process, where there is a lower sensitivity to people in circumstances. But there is that strong desire with strategy and achieving because of the individualistic and a strong need for structure. So this person is going to be the type of individual that's gonna run by the numbers.

Does that mean that they don't care about you? No, let's do a quick review of that social. Just because the social is a little bit low doesn't mean that they don't care about people. What they do care about is a small group of people.

And as you work through this process, they will come to you, they will work with you, they will help you, but you have to bring clarity to the conversation. I'm gonna give you a four-step process right now that will help you with both task-oriented and people-oriented people. Number one is this, paint a picture of what you want the end result to look like.

Make sure that you try to paint that picture so that there's understanding. You can even tell a story. Number two, tell them specifically what you want to do.

So that they are not doing things that is not gonna help you accomplish the task. Number three has three parts. A, what's the timeframe? Number two, what's the resources? And number three, what potential problems might be ahead? And then last but not least, ask them to communicate this back to you so that you can fill in the gaps.

So as we think about this, I wanna remind you that a good executive or a good supervisor will help focus on people or focus on system and structure. Therefore, we have to inspire trust or rely on control, a view on the horizon or on the bottom line, challenge or accept the status quo. This is what you are going to have to do based on the circumstances that you meet.

Now, let's focus on leadership and management. First, management. Management's a set of processes that keep an organization functioning.

You're gonna see that in the task-oriented individual that we just looked at. However, leadership, on the other hand, is very different. It's both acquiring and aligning people to a vision, and you saw that in Chelsea's example in the previous slide.

So one of the things that I think we need to remember is that there are two steps to learning about ourselves. First of all, we have to understand our strength as well as our weaknesses. Next, we need to tie them to successes and challenges as we work with an individual.

In our next session, what we're going to do is we're actually going to show you how you can evaluate yourself and understand whether you are a stronger leader or a stronger manager, and in that process, it'll help you pivot when you need to pivot.