As we (Kaleo) continue to talk about our call to Redeem San Diego by bringing the gospel, I’ve really been thinking about who are the people in our church who can ‘take a hill’? Knowing that Jesus Christ went out and took a hill (Calvary) that conquered all hills, we can know go out, powered by the Spirit to do the same in His name. This is done through mercy ministries, developing externally focused leaders in the church and a general sense of urgency for the mission. I’d really like to help people in our church who have been changed by the gospel (gospel pacesetters) and who now know their identity in Christ and have a heart for the least, the last and the lost but who are asking, “Now What Do I Do?” [Prophet/Priests if you are taking triperspective notes at home.] Our church must equip these people to see and develop a mission [Kingly functions] to redeem San Diego and even go to the ends of the earth.
Here are a couple of books I’ve picked up that may help develop these leaders:
The Leadership Challenge Some insight from the book:
Practice: Challenge the process
Commitments: (1) Search for opportunities and (2) Experiment and take risksPractice: Inspire a shared vision
Commitments: (3) Envision the future and (4) Enlist othersPractice: Enable others to act
Commitments: (5) Foster collaboration and (6) Strengthen othersPractice: Model the way to the desired objectives
Commitments: (7) Set the example and (8) Plan small winsPractice: Encourage the heart of everyone involved
Commitments: (9) Recognize individual contribution and (10) Celebrate accomplishments
Leading Change Some insight from this book:
I. Lessons from the more successful cases:
1. Establishing a sense of urgency
* Examining market and competitive realities
* Identifying and discursing crises, potential crises, or major opportunities
2. Forming a powerful guiding coalition
* Assembling a group with enough power to lead the change effort
* Encouraging the group to work together as a team
3. Creating a vision
* Creating a vision to help direct the change effort
* Developing strategies for achieving that vision
4. Communicating vision
* Using every vehicle possible to communicate the new vision and strategies
* Teaching new behaviors by the example of the guiding coalition
5. Empowering others to act on the vision
* Getting rid of obstancles to change
* Changing systems or structures that seriously undermine the vision
* Encouraging risk taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions
6. Planning for and creating short-term wins
* Planning for visible performance improvements
* Creating those improvements
* Recognizing and rewarding employees involved in the improvements
7. Consolidating improvements and producing still more change
* Using increased credibility to change systems, structures, and policies that don’t fit the vision
* Hiring, promoting, and developing employees who can implement the vision
* Reinvigorating the process with new projects, themes, and change agents
8.Institutionalizing new approaches
* Articulating the connections between the new behaviors and corporate success
* Developing the means to ensure leadership development and succession
Here is a link in case you want to buy The Leadership Challenge or The Leadership Challenge at Amazon.
What are the best books you’ve read on leadership?
