5 Signs You’re Not Ready to Handle More as A Leader Here are the signs I’ve seen in myself and in the leaders around me that signal I have work to do before I handle more responsibility well and capably. I want to do more than point out the problem though, I hope that the signs can also lead you to a solution. So I’ve included some links that can lead you to practical solutions to each issue if you find yourself struggling with a subject. Here are 5 signs you’re not ready to handle more as a leader: 1. You’re not working on a better system As you grow, you need better systems. A system is simply a way of operating. You have a system. Your church has a system – a way of doing things. For most smaller organizations, the system might be as simple as ‘wing it’. But even if you’re winging it, that’s a system. And it’s a system that won’t scale. If you drill down and ask around, you would discover that you do have a system, even if it’s not a great one. And, as we all know, your current system is designed to get you the results you’re currently getting. If you don’t like the results, change your system. I wrote about systems that handle growth in this post on how to break the 200 attendance barrier, and again in this post on the systems needed to guide your church beyond 200, 400 and 800. If you dont like the results your getting, change your system. CLICK TO TWEET Powered By CoSchedule 2. You haven’t worked through your personal issues Having more won’t make your personal issues go away…more will make them worse. You’re going to have more problems as you grow, and the problems will be more complex. This demands a greater degree of focus and leadership and naturally gives you less margin. That’s perfect recipe for your unresolved issues to bubble up. Suddenly you’ll discover your more jealous, envious, angry, paranoid, worried, reclusive or fill-in-the-issue-here than you ever thought you were. As we grew, I found I had to wrestle down my personal issues or I would implode or explode. I spent significant amounts of time in the office of Christian counselors working through my issues. Obviously, that’s a life long process (sanctification always is). But hopefully you’re not working on exactly the same issues year after year. As you work through your personal issues, your ability to handle challenges, people and responsibility grows. Having more wont make make your personal issues go away…more will make them worse. CLICK TO TWEET Powered By CoSchedule 3. You’re failing the character test As I outlined in this post, character, not competency, determines your true capacity. Character is related to working through your personal issues (above, #2). But it’s deeper than that. Character is the foundation that a solid ministry and organization is built on. You will only go as far as your character will take you. If you want a quick gut check on how you character is these days, this post outlines 5 signs you lack integrity. And this post lists five ways to build your integrity. You will only go as far as your character will take you. CLICK TO TWEET Powered By CoSchedule 4. You don’t have the right senior leaders in place You’ve heard it said, if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, build a team. That’s just true. But you also need to have the right team. I look for leaders with character, who are aligned with the mission, vision and strategy, and leaders who have a spiritual maturity and tactical ability to advance our mission. If you are wondering why you don’t have more high capacity leaders on your team, this post outlines 6 reasons many leaders lose high capacity volunteers. And this post outlines 3 key ingredients I look for in people who form my inner circle. 5. You’re not quite mature enough Hey before you get insulted, can I just say I wish I had been more mature in my 20s and 30s (okay, and in most of my 40s…I haven’t gotten to my fifties yet). I’m not picking on you. To some extent, maturity just takes time. I wish it didn’t but it does. Now that said, I’ve known some exceptionally mature 25 year olds and some exceptionally immature 45 year olds. I’ll take a mature 25 year old over an immature 45 year old any day. Maturity is a combination of time, skill and character. We’ve covered the character issues above, but if you’re looking for a short cut to the skill part as a young leader (there are short cuts), this post outlines 7 practical things younger leaders can do to help them excel in the workplace. The Upside The upside, of course, is that if you work on your character, systems, team and skill set, you will be positioned to handle more. What’s really awesome is that you’ll be positioned to handle more not just in ministry, but at home and in life. The skills are directly transferrable. Growing in all these things have helped me not only become a better leader, but a better husband, father, neighbour and even friend. I’ve got a long ways to go, but it’s good to see progress. What has helped you get ready to handle more? Anything you’ve seen that signals someone’s not ready for more?
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 05:18:05 +0000
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