One of the books that I've just read is The Secret by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller. It's a book written with the purpose of disclosing the "secret" of becoming a great servant leader. It's written in story-form and is very easy to read (and it's short), so I highly suggest picking it up.
One of the concepts The Secret teaches is the concept of SERVE. It's an acronym that stands for five things. In five separate posts, I will unpack each concept and how the concept applies to our lives. In this post, we'll look at the letter S.
S stands for See the Future.
See the Future
E
R
V
E
If you are a leader, you have a responsibility to plan, look ahead, and to try to anticipate the future. It is your job to set goals and objectives for your team to aspire to meet. And once that goal is met, it's your job to figure out where to set the next goal. The purpose of these goals are to set expectations for growth and motivation for hard work.
At Chick-fil-A, we have certain goals for our Drive-Thru. We had this one goal of getting one hundred cars through the Drive-Thru in just one hour. That would mean each car would spend less than 30 seconds in line after ordering, and that we'd have to have enough cars come through the Drive-Thru. This isn't easy an easy task, but each individual was very motivated to accept the challenge. Why? Because the first team to get one hundred cars would be awarded with $100.
This goal was met a few weeks ago. The people who worked Drive-Thru that hour were awarded with the $100 because they reached the goal. They worked really hard and they had enough cars, so they were able to meet the quota, and then some. They actually got 105 cars that hour! The results of that were an improved Drive-Thru and we're now getting more cars through the Drive-Thru on average than ever before. Because our Operator could See the Future and set that goal, the entire restaurant benefited. If you want to be a servant leader, you have to set goals for your team to strive for. But there's more to it than that. As a leader, you have to be passionate and excited about the future. In the words of The Secret, "If you aren't passionate about something out there in the future - if it doesn't fire you up and get you out of bed in the morning - you can bet your team is not going to be passionate either."
One other responsibility of being a leader is you have to set core values that your team shares and can be passionate about. Chick-fil-A is another great example of this. Chick-fil-A's Mission Statement is: Be the best quick-service restaurant in America. Our Corporate Purpose is: 1) To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us, and 2) To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A. These three values drive all that Chick-fil-A does as a company. But the thing is, someone had to come up with these values. Someone had to take the time, sit down, think for a long time, and decide what values would guide the company. That's what the leaders of Chick-fil-A did, and if you're a leader, it's what you should do, too. In the words of The Secret, "Values are a big deal. They are the cornerstones of the culture the leader is trying to create. Remember this: Our values are the beliefs that drive our behavior."
Okay, I know what you're thinking. "What do core values have to do with See the Future?" Allow me to explain with an example. If you're a team captain on the basketball team, you can't expect everyone to make 90% on their free throws at the start of the season. That's expecting too much (something I'll elaborate on in the next post). Acknowledge that at the beginning, your teammates will most likely shoot a lower percentage than what you want. So what should you do to get the team's percentage to where it needs to be? By hard work and practice. Take it step by step. Set small goals to keep a steady rate of improvement. When an individual hits the goal of 50%, raise it to 60%. And so on until you read 90%. All of this comes back to the team's values. If no one values hard work and practice, no one would improve. The team and each individual must value hard work and dedication for the goal to become reality. A servant leader will set values for his or her team. If you don't set values, it's almost impossible to reach your goals.
Another part of Seeing the Future is trying to anticipate obstacles that you might encounter and planning ahead for obstacles you know you will encounter. Maybe you've heard the expression, "I'm praying for the best, but planning for the worst." That's just another part of Seeing the Future: anticipate obstacles. If you want to be a servant leader and serve others as best as possible, you'd do well to try to identity future obstacles and begin preparation to overcome them.
I am trying to become the best servant leader I can be at Chick-fil-a, and in all areas of my life. The first step to doing this is See the Future. Set goals, set values, and anticipate obstacles. That is the S in SERVE. In my next post, we'll look at the first E in SERVE.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
A Servant Leader
In one of my latest posts, Will You Follow Him?, I wrote about pride. How pride is the opposite of humility and obedience and submission. I've been reading a lot of leadership books lately. Books on how to be a servant leadership. My boss and my old youth pastor have given these books and so I've been doing a lot of reading about what it means to be a servant leader. I've never really known what servant leadership is. But these books have opened a whole new world to me.
It seems that in light of the self-centered fixation of Americans, we see leadership as being in control and calling the shots, and managing people and corporations. One description of what a leader is that I feel represents the opinion of most of America is, "A leader is a person in a position of authority who is responsible for the results of those under his or her direction." But that isn't real leadership.
A servant leader trains and equips those entrusted to him or her so that they will be fully equipped to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. A servant leader puts his team or staff above himself and leads by example. A servant leader cannot be two-faced, but must be a person of integrity and character. A servant leader must be willing to listen to advice and ideas and he can't think he's the only one who can do something. A servant leader must be able to trust and rely on his team. After all, he can't do it all, nor should he try.
I believe the best way to lead is not to micromanage or to constantly give orders. The best way is to train and prepare each individual person under your charge to be the best they can be. A servant leader will train those he or she is responsible for so that they are able to excel in their work and not depend on their leader to succeed.
That's the type of leader I want to be. I want to be a servant leader. But I'm not and I don't claim to be one yet, nor do I claim to know all the answers. I'm still reading, still learning, still trying to change. This is a growing process for me and I'm figuring it out as I go. My goal is to become the type of leader I've just described.
It seems that in light of the self-centered fixation of Americans, we see leadership as being in control and calling the shots, and managing people and corporations. One description of what a leader is that I feel represents the opinion of most of America is, "A leader is a person in a position of authority who is responsible for the results of those under his or her direction." But that isn't real leadership.
A servant leader trains and equips those entrusted to him or her so that they will be fully equipped to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. A servant leader puts his team or staff above himself and leads by example. A servant leader cannot be two-faced, but must be a person of integrity and character. A servant leader must be willing to listen to advice and ideas and he can't think he's the only one who can do something. A servant leader must be able to trust and rely on his team. After all, he can't do it all, nor should he try.
I believe the best way to lead is not to micromanage or to constantly give orders. The best way is to train and prepare each individual person under your charge to be the best they can be. A servant leader will train those he or she is responsible for so that they are able to excel in their work and not depend on their leader to succeed.
That's the type of leader I want to be. I want to be a servant leader. But I'm not and I don't claim to be one yet, nor do I claim to know all the answers. I'm still reading, still learning, still trying to change. This is a growing process for me and I'm figuring it out as I go. My goal is to become the type of leader I've just described.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
There Is No Perfect Church
One of the things that can really aggravate me are people who church-hop. You know who I'm talking about. The people who go to a different church each month, claiming to be on a quest to find the "right" church. They stick around at one church long enough to find something or someone they don't like, and they move on. They hop from church to church, as if church is something you can try on in a fitting room and if you don't like it, you put it back on the self and keep looking. That's not what church is supposed to be!
Let me get something straight: I'm not being "holier-than-thou" or self-righteous about this. I have moved twice, and each time to a different state, and each time, my family and I have visited different churches, trying to find where God wants us. There's nothing wrong with that and that isn't church-hopping. That's called trying to find where God wants you. When I talk about church-hopping, I'm talking about when you've spent a reasonable enough time living in an area, but you're always trying to find where you want you. I know of many families who seem to go to a different church every few months, or every year or two. That is church hopping and is very different from when we moved and visited a few churches before joining one.
So what is the church? Is it something you need to commit to? Is it a place to get plugged in to a body of believers? Is it a place to serve and help out? Is it a place to go to be encouraged and to hear the Word? Is it a place to find accountability in your faith walk? Is it a place to grow and learn about God?
No. It isn't. You see, if you're a Christian, a follower of God, then the church is you. The problem with the definitions I just listed is the word "place" in each sentence. As a body, a people, we should be doing these things without the place. Why? Because the church isn't a building, a program, a ministry, or a center. The church isn't the pastor, the staff, the elders, the band, the Bible studies, or the events. If you take all these things away, the church is still there because the church is the people. The Christians. Think about it. The bride of Christ isn't a building or an event or even a Bible study. The bride is the people! The church isn't something that you can try on and see if it fits right.
What sets me off is that when people hop around churches, they may say they won't go back because they disliked the worship or the preaching style or something else, but what they really disliked were the people.
And that's what's aggravating. If they were honest, they church-hop because they're searching for the perfect group of people. But there aren't any perfect people. Somehow, someway, their expectations aren't met, so they leave, once again, to search for the "right" place.
There are no perfect people and you'll never find a perfect church. I have a lot of concerns about my church right now. But I haven't left in search of a "better" church. I've committed myself to be where God wants me to be, and until I feel like God has called me away from where I'm at now, I will stay. And you should do the same. I beg you to not church-hop. You'll never find a perfect church. The worship won't always be songs you know or like; the pastor won't always say the things you think he should say. Even the people at the church will eventually disappoint you and let you down. But that's just because we are an imperfect people.
So please, when you're looking for where God wants you to be, don't expect to find a perfect place with perfect people. Instead, look for a group of people you can serve with. Look for a group of people you can laugh with, and cry with. Look for a group of people who won't water the Gospel down and who will hold you accountable. Look for a group of people who are genuine in their faith and want to change the world (and the neighborhood) for Christ. And above all else, look for a group of people who are living with the intention of bringing all the glory and attention to God. The purpose of our existance is to bring all glory and attention to God, not to ourselves. And if we try to find a church for selfish reasons or a church that'll make us look good, then we're completely missing the point.
Let me get something straight: I'm not being "holier-than-thou" or self-righteous about this. I have moved twice, and each time to a different state, and each time, my family and I have visited different churches, trying to find where God wants us. There's nothing wrong with that and that isn't church-hopping. That's called trying to find where God wants you. When I talk about church-hopping, I'm talking about when you've spent a reasonable enough time living in an area, but you're always trying to find where you want you. I know of many families who seem to go to a different church every few months, or every year or two. That is church hopping and is very different from when we moved and visited a few churches before joining one.
So what is the church? Is it something you need to commit to? Is it a place to get plugged in to a body of believers? Is it a place to serve and help out? Is it a place to go to be encouraged and to hear the Word? Is it a place to find accountability in your faith walk? Is it a place to grow and learn about God?
No. It isn't. You see, if you're a Christian, a follower of God, then the church is you. The problem with the definitions I just listed is the word "place" in each sentence. As a body, a people, we should be doing these things without the place. Why? Because the church isn't a building, a program, a ministry, or a center. The church isn't the pastor, the staff, the elders, the band, the Bible studies, or the events. If you take all these things away, the church is still there because the church is the people. The Christians. Think about it. The bride of Christ isn't a building or an event or even a Bible study. The bride is the people! The church isn't something that you can try on and see if it fits right.
What sets me off is that when people hop around churches, they may say they won't go back because they disliked the worship or the preaching style or something else, but what they really disliked were the people.
And that's what's aggravating. If they were honest, they church-hop because they're searching for the perfect group of people. But there aren't any perfect people. Somehow, someway, their expectations aren't met, so they leave, once again, to search for the "right" place.
There are no perfect people and you'll never find a perfect church. I have a lot of concerns about my church right now. But I haven't left in search of a "better" church. I've committed myself to be where God wants me to be, and until I feel like God has called me away from where I'm at now, I will stay. And you should do the same. I beg you to not church-hop. You'll never find a perfect church. The worship won't always be songs you know or like; the pastor won't always say the things you think he should say. Even the people at the church will eventually disappoint you and let you down. But that's just because we are an imperfect people.
So please, when you're looking for where God wants you to be, don't expect to find a perfect place with perfect people. Instead, look for a group of people you can serve with. Look for a group of people you can laugh with, and cry with. Look for a group of people who won't water the Gospel down and who will hold you accountable. Look for a group of people who are genuine in their faith and want to change the world (and the neighborhood) for Christ. And above all else, look for a group of people who are living with the intention of bringing all the glory and attention to God. The purpose of our existance is to bring all glory and attention to God, not to ourselves. And if we try to find a church for selfish reasons or a church that'll make us look good, then we're completely missing the point.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Second Chances In Hell?
I'm still wrestling with the idea that hell is a place of reformative punishment and is only temporary, and is not a eternal location of separation from God. It's not that I think that hell is a place of reformative punishment; quite the contrary, I still believe, based on Scripture, that hell is a place of eternal damnation to those who didn't trust Christ as Lord and Savior in this life. I've written three posts about this topic already (Is The Bible Incomplete?, My Final Belief About Christian Universalism, and Fundamentalism Vs Universalism). I feel like I've already built a strong enough case against the idea that hell is temporary and reformative. But I want to make one more point.
If hell truly is only temporary and it's purpose is reform people so they are pure and able to enter heaven, then why did Jesus have to die? Okay, I can understand the fact that there had to be an atoning sacrifice for people to go to heaven and spend eternity with God. That's Biblical. But Jesus clearly said that He was the way (John 14:5). He's the way. There's no other way to heaven but Jesus. And if hell's purpose is to reform people so they can enter heaven, then isn't hell another way? In that case, wouldn't hell actually undermine the sacrifice of Jesus? Yes, it would. That's just another reason why hell is not reformative and why it is, in fact, a place of eternal damnation and suffering for those who didn't follow Christ here on earth.
If hell truly is only temporary and it's purpose is reform people so they are pure and able to enter heaven, then why did Jesus have to die? Okay, I can understand the fact that there had to be an atoning sacrifice for people to go to heaven and spend eternity with God. That's Biblical. But Jesus clearly said that He was the way (John 14:5). He's the way. There's no other way to heaven but Jesus. And if hell's purpose is to reform people so they can enter heaven, then isn't hell another way? In that case, wouldn't hell actually undermine the sacrifice of Jesus? Yes, it would. That's just another reason why hell is not reformative and why it is, in fact, a place of eternal damnation and suffering for those who didn't follow Christ here on earth.
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