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John Maxwell said it best…teamwork makes the dream work.

As I’ve reflected on the team that the Lord has blessed me with I’ve came to the following conclusions…

The right team has chemistry, people don’t just love the work they do but also they love the people they’ve been called to do the work with. If people don’t love one another the team will be dysfunctional.

The right team lightens the load for everyone in the room because problems do not belong to “me” but rather they belong to “we!”

The right team has an open environment where truth, in love, can be spoken and people love the church and one another too much to allow team members to make a ridiculous decision.

The right team will embrace uncomfortable conversations and will not drift towards making everyone in the room happy but rather making the right decision.

The right team will refuse to allow personal preferences to dictate decisions.

The right team will bring in people from outside the norm when trying to make a decision that directly impacts a particular area, understanding that this does not slow down the process but actually speeds it up…people are way more likely to buy into a decision when they feel as if they’ve had input.

The right team will not fight to maintain status quo but rather to do everything possible to advance the cause.

The right team will make hard decisions, knowing that the day they don’t forces them into cruise control where the biggest desire will eventually become to make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible.

The right team is way more obsessed with their dreams of what could be rather than their memories of what has been!

I love the team I serve with!

It was first introduced more than 2,000 years ago to keep our calendar aligned. And today, despite all of our advances in technology and science, we still need to add a day to our calendars every four years to keep it straight.

To celebrate this extra special extra 24 hours, we’re offering 29 quick tips from Dave’s EntreLeadership Master Series on how to help your business grow and your team prosper. Happy Leap Day!

1. Organizations are never limited by their opportunity; they are limited by their leader. The good news is that you can choose to change.

2. As a business owner, always be generous. If you are a dentist, all your team members should have great teeth.

3. Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you. This is how you build unity and loyalty.

4. Love your team well. Treat them like family, and they will act like family.

5. Most people and organizations fail from a lack of clear goals and focus.

6. Time is like a fire: It can either destroy us or it can keep us warm. Learn to manage your time well and stop putting off things that make you uncomfortable.

7. Your business, ideas and team will be paralyzed by an indecisive leader. As the Bible says, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

8. Train your team to bring you several possible solutions, not just problems.

9. Lack of communication will limit you, hold you back and keep you from winning. When in doubt, over-share with your team.

10. When everyone knows what the goal is, anyone can pick up the ball and run.

11. Confrontation tastes best when served fresh. Don’t postpone it.

12. Your yes means yes and your no means no. That’s called integrity.

13. If you put up with people not doing a job, then people doing the job won’t want to do it.

14. Put rock stars on your team and treat them like rock stars.

15. The EntreLeader has a responsibility to make sure that the family they lead is taken care of.

16. When you do the right things, all benefits come to you.

17. When hiring for a position, you are looking for the right player, not just talent.

18. If you wouldn’t hire them again, why are you keeping them?

19. People will allow themselves to be led by someone who treats them with dignity.

20. Make all errors on the side of giving too much grace. You’ll never regret it.

21. Some days, being a leader stinks. But if done right, the good far outweighs the bad.

22. Micromanagers are control freaks who don’t have the maturity to trust their team.

23. One way you say “I love you” is with your checkbook. Show your team you care.

24. Get rich quick doesn’t work. Slow down.

25. If using God’s financial principles in our personal lives causes us to win because they always work, then using God’s financial principles in our business lives will cause us to win because they always work.

26. Character is everything in leadership because that’s what people look for and how they decide whether they are going to follow you or not.

27. Stop being in such a hurry to fill a position. It takes less time to hire one good team member than three different boneheads who don’t work out.

28. God is inordinately pleased when we are obsessively, compulsively consumed with the needs of others.

29. Take a lesson from The Tortoise and the Hare. Slow and steady wins the race every time.

What are some tips you’ve learned that can help others? Share your insight by leaving a comment below.

Take a look around. Business, education, politics. If there’s one thing we don’t have enough of, it’s good leaders – men and women who have the vision and the ability to change things for the better.

Former Air Force General William Cohen wrote a fine book called The Stuff of Heroes in which he identified eight laws of leadership. Here are his rules:

Maintain absolute integrity.
Know your stuff.
Declare your expectations.
Show uncommon commitment.
Expect positive results.
Take care of your people.
Put duty before self.
Get out in front.
His laws embrace important competencies like knowledge, communication skills, commitment, optimism, caring, and a powerful sense of duty. But General Cohen also recognized that the foundation of a successful leader is character, including trustworthiness, honor, and courage.

The best leaders draw on these moral qualities to influence others through inspiration, persuasion, trust, and loyalty. They do the right thing despite the costs and risks and do it not because it will yield approval or advantage, but because it’s the right thing.

In these cynical times, it’s easy to think such leadership is unattainable; yet in every walk of life there are hundreds of men and women – parents, teachers, coaches, civic activists – who fit this mold. What’s more important, every one of us could be among them.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

A good decision or a God decision…?

We all have to make decisions, all the time …
And making the right decision … is most important …
A decision is not just about what you say or do today …
… Because …
Your decision determines your direction, and …
Your direction determines your destiny!
!!!
You have to make the decision … not God,

A man’s heart deviseth his way …
— Prov 16:9

But your decision had better be a God decision!
Therefore God gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us …
… and to … “Show us things to come!” (John 16:13)
… so that we can make the right decisions …
!!!
Yet there will always be an element of faith involved …

But without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
— Heb. 11:6

For God to be involved in our decisions … faith has to be involved as well!
… but …
How do I make a God decision … in faith?
Firstly …
God says to us … ” Ask for wisdom!” (James 1:5)
and He will give you the wisdom to make the right decision!
… Then …
It is up to you to step out in faith … on that decision!
!!!
What if you did that, yet your decision was not the right one?
… maybe you listened … but not well enough …

A man’s heart deviseth his way: … but the LORD directeth his steps.
— Prov 16:9

If you step out in faith … on that decision,
… trusting God to direct your steps!
Then even if your decision was not the best …
God will direct you … into His best!
!!!
The way is God’s …
but the decision is yours … in faith!

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
— Psalm 37:23

The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.

A nation’s prosperity and security depend on righteous leaders, who prudently make decisions by wisdom and equity. A nation’s downfall and ruin is certain, when its leaders are influenced by favors and rewards. Solomon here warned his son against political compromise in the office of king, especially the taking of bribes, lest he be the cause of the nation’s destruction. All leaders should carefully heed this proverb to rule righteously.

Rulers must have exceptional character, or they do not belong in their office. They should be so dedicated to principle that they cannot be bought for any price. Their character must be so strong as to mock any efforts to compromise justice, mercy, or truth. They should be noble far above their peers, with a fearless and committed hatred of evil. They must have one motive at all times – to make all decisions based on righteousness and wisdom.

The fear of the LORD is the only basis for great leadership. Rulers must have an obligation to righteousness far above any duty or desire to men. The fear of man brings a snare (29:25), and so does the love of gifts (Is 1:23). Neither temptation touches great rulers. They see one singular duty at all times – to rule in such a way as to please God.

Jethro, by God’s inspiration, prescribed such rulers for Moses. He laid out their prerequisites this way: “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens” (Ex 18:21).

Able men need little assistance from others: they can analyze and make wise decisions themselves. Men fearing God have the highest motive to use their power only for good. Men of truth hate liars and any distortion of the truth. They never put a spin on anything. Men hating covetousness cannot be bought, for they do not love money or reward.

Such men are exceeding rare, with only Jesus Christ being a perfect king (Ps 45:1-7). Though David was a good king, he freely confessed that neither he nor his family had such rulers. He prophesied of Jesus, “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (II Sam 23:3).

And the fruit of such a ruler is glorious, as David also wrote, “And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain” (II Sam 23:4). These beautiful similes present the glorious and prosperous image of how a just king benefits a people.

It is a shame that lobbyists even exist. Their function is to influence legislators to rule in their favor, sometimes by offering them gifts or other compensation. It is a shame when we see presidents pardon criminals as favors to friends or supporters. It is a shame when we see any conflict of interest influence the decisions of our leaders. If a ruler respects persons, he will eventually compromise justice for a mere piece of bread (28:21).

The lesson applies to all leaders. Righteousness and truth are more important than anything else. Masters must be just and fair dealing with employees (Eph 6:9; Col 3:16). Ministers are forbidden any preferential treatment or partiality in their office (I Tim 5:21), and their integrity should be proven before being put in office (I Tim 3:10). And husbands and fathers should also be fair (Ps 103:13; Mal 2:10-16; Col 3:19-21; I Pet 3:7).

When sound judgment, equity, and truth are exalted in the highest position of authority in a nation – the king or other civil ruler, the righteous example affects the whole nation. Masters, fathers, husbands, and pastors will follow the lead of their chief ruler. Wisdom will prevail in public and private, when a noble example is given from the highest office.

It is the duty of saints to pray for rulers, that God might strengthen or overrule their character to be righteous leaders (I Sam 10:1-12; Neh 2:1-6; Esth 4:13-17; Jer 29:1-7; I Tim 2:1-3). Yet, a ruler violating this proverb does not lose his authority, for he is still to be obeyed (24:21-22; Jer 27:1-17; Matt 22:15-22; 23:1-3; Rom 13:1-7; I Pet 2:13-17).

There are a couple of really important things that I ask every new person who joins our team to be extremely intentional about. They’re mostly in regards to internal organizational culture. Here are a couple of them.

MAKE NO ASSUMPTIONS

Let’s start from the basis that we will not assume anything. Which means that I will clearly communicate everything that’s important for you to know – even if I have a hunch that you already know what I’m about to tell you. I would rather say it and you tell me that you already knew instead of not saying it because I didn’t want you to feel like I was insulting your intelligence by telling you something that I assumed you already knew.

(Congratulations if you understood that last sentence…)

Not assuming means that we will need to OVER COMMUNICATE with each other – especially in the beginning. I’d rather have to ask you to communicate less than get frustrated by the problems that arise when we’re not communicating enough.

(This is why I think one-on-one meetings should be much more frequent with new hires in the beginning. Part of our role as their direct supervisor is making sure that we’re making ourselves available for the very thing we’re asking them for. In this case – clear communication.)

ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS

Take plenty of time to learn about us. Have an inquisitive posture with everyone on the team. Learn our story. Learn why we do what we do.

This is important because your fresh eyes will soon see better ways of doing certain things. This is good! BUT….before you tell us how we can do it better, show respect by taking the time to understand why it’s being done the way it is. That will score you a ton of points with the team.

Stephen Covey said it best: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Don’t assume that your idea hasn’t already been thought of. There may be a very legitimate reason why it’s still being done the way it is. BUT…..on the other hand, there may not be! And that’s a big part of the reason why you’ve been hired to join our team!

But….no matter what – always take time to understand the stories behind things before you try changing them. It’s as simple as asking: “Tell me about _______, what have your thoughts been about that?” That will go a long way.

What are a couple of the biggies you communicate to new people who join your team?

This entry was posted on Monday, February 27th, 2012 at 10:42 am and is filed under Leadership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 responses to “two important things i tell every new hire”
Scott Savage says:
February 27, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Expectations. I do my best to communicate expectations up front and make sure the people know what I am asking them to do in that position. My failures with bad hires has always been related to unclear expectations where commitment wasn’t firm.

Phil Schneider says:
February 27, 2012 at 6:14 pm
#1. We are a team. We do things all the time that fall outside of job descriptions. We help each other. We support each other. Anytime you are overwhelmed and don’t ask for help, you have failed to give others a chance to grow by helping. You then have to take that same attitude of teamwork out into your ministry assignment. Teamworks teaches us to build teams
#2. Work Ethic. We hire gifted people but we always look deeper at the personal work ethic. I love the Biblical word “strive.” Paul, not an extremely gifted communicator in preaching but did anyone get out and get the job done like Paul? You better be ready to work.

Scott Hodge says:
February 27, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Right on Scott! I’m with you… Learned that lesson the hard way…many times over. Thanks for commenting! -SH

Scott Hodge says:
February 27, 2012 at 6:56 pm
Great thoughts Phil! Especially your thoughts on how avoiding asking for help is robbing others of opportunity. That’s a great perspective… Thanks for jumping in on the conversation! -SH

Scott Hodge says:
February 27, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Phil – great work on your church website. Looks sharp!

Is anxiety dominating your life?

Are you worried?

Anyone have panic attacks?

Anyone had a meltdown lately because you feel the weight of the world is crashing down on you?

You’re not alone!

Stress, anxiety and full-blown panic attacks are becoming more and more prominent in our society.

People are worried today more than ever before.

And it doesn’t have to be that way.

For the three years I battled with depression I also dealt with anxiety, stress and even had several panic attacks. (And, like I said yesterday, people that are depressed sometimes do not deal with these things…and people who deal with these things aren’t necessarily depressed…I just happened to be going through both at the same time.)

AND…there is a way out!!!

You are not a slave to your circumstances, and your emotions do not have to be controlled by your environment.

This coming Sunday at NewSpring Church we are going to dive into God’s Word & see what the Bible says about how to overcome fear, anxiety and stress! AND…I can say from the Scriptures and from personal experience it has very little to do with adjusting our circumstances but rather adjusting the way we see things.

Like I said in regards to depression…I was DOMINATED by stress, anxiety and worry for years…and today I’m walking in victory and am no longer controlled by it.

Sure, there are still times that it tries to creep into my thinking…but just like II Corinthians 10:5 says, we MUST learn to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.

You do not have to be stressed about the economy, marriage, being single, a wayward child or problems at work. Scripture clearly teaches how it is ok to be concerned but not consumed with our situation…and VICTORY IS POSSIBLE & PROMISED for those who are in Christ.

See you Sunday…and if you want to read Scripture in order to prepare then dive into Daniel 3.

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Did you know that you get a new skeleton every seven years? Your bone marrow is constantly creating new bone, and you’re sloughing off old cells so that your skeleton can grow with your body. For your church to keep growing, your structure also has to change constantly.

The only purpose of restructuring is to prepare your church for growth and to break through barriers. About 95 percent of all the churches in the world stop growing before they get to 300 people because they are structured to be at a size less than 300. It’s not the problem of the pastor or the people; it’s a problem of the structure.

We often ask the wrong question. The wrong question is, “What will help my church grow?” The right question is, “What is keeping my church from growing?” Growth is natural. All living things naturally grow. I don’t have to command my grandkids to grow; they just do it, if they’re healthy. If your church is healthy, then it is going to automatically grow.

A church becomes healthy by removing the barriers and balancing the purposes. There are 10 common barriers that keep our churches from growing.

The first six are:

Members won’t bring their friends to church.
You can’t grow a church without visitors. One of the reasons Christians won’t bring their friends to church is that they’re embarrassed or they think, “This is a church that meets my needs, but it’s not geared for my friend, an unbeliever, to understand it.” You have to create a service that is understandable but not watered-down.

People fear that growth will ruin the fellowship.
Many churches say they are a loving church, but what they mean is that they are good at loving each other and not unbelievers. When members love their fellowship so much that they don’t want anyone new, then they’re not going to bring friends. The average member of a church knows 67 people, whether you have 67 people at your church or 6,000. If you only want to have a church of people you know, you’re only going to have about 67 people. The antidote to this barrier is affinity groups. The church must grow larger and smaller at the same time — larger through worship (weekend services) and smaller through fellowship (small groups).

Churches are driven by tradition rather than the purposes of God.
Tradition is a good thing — as long as it works. Never confuse the message with the methods. The message must never change, but the methods have to change. If you don’t change methods from generation to generation, you are being unfaithful.

One of the most expensive and difficult things to do is keep a corpse from stinking.
There are programs in your church that died a long time ago; you need to give them a decent burial. Periodically, you should go through everything you’re doing in your church and ask, “Should I reaffirm it, refine it, or do I need to replace it?” The hardest thing to give up is what worked before, but sometimes you have to stop it before it starts declining.

Churches are trying to appeal to everybody.
Your church cannot be all things to all people. The moment you choose a style of music, you are going to turn someone off. You need to know whom your church can best reach in your community. Define that group of people, and then go after them.

Churches are program-oriented rather than process-oriented.
A lot of churches think the goal is to keep the saints busy, and people are just worn out. Programs and events should not drive your church; they should fulfill the purposes. Where do you want to take your people in the next 10 years? Where do you want them to be different? You set your goal by determining your role — what God has called you to do. Once you know that, then you decide what programs best accomplish that goal.

Churches focus on meetings rather than ministry. When the number 1 qualifier in your church is attendance, then you are facing this barrier. It’s not all about the weekend; the weekend is simply the funnel by which you start the discipleship process. If Christianity is a life and not a religion, then it should focus on where we live our lives — at home, work, etc., and not at church. When you focus on meetings, you’re building a group of spectators. We don’t need more meetings; we need to meet more needs. You do that by turning every member into a minister.

This is a series that appears on a weekly basis here at JosephSangl.com – “Biblical Financial Lessons”

I believe that the Bible is the best money book ever written, and I really want to take some time each week to share the money lessons I have learned from the Word.

Debt Enslaving Children

II Kings 4:1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

In this incredible story, a man has passed away while still having young boys in the house. Apparently, this man had incurred substantial debts, and his untimely death placed the family into a financial tailspin. The situation is so terrible that the creditor is going to take the two boys as slaves to repay the debt.

No one prepares to die before they grow old, but we see obituaries of young people all of the time. It’s awful. Without a plan, this situation can literally enslave the family just as is recorded in this story.

It’s time for you to ask yourself two questions.

1. Has your debt situation become so bad that it has enslaved you and your family?

Are you BOUND to your job because you have to receive the paycheck?
Are you doing things at work that you are morally or ethically against, but your financial situation has prevented your standing up for what you believe?
Do you have a second job or demand overtime just to pay the bills?
Are your children paying a tremendous price because of your financial situation?
If so, it is time to calculate your Debt Freedom Date and start the journey toward freedom! Being a slave to debt is a terrible way to live life!

2. Would your family prosper even if you die prematurely?

Do you have substantial savings that would sustain the family over a two to three month period?
Do you have life insurance that is equal to 10-times your annual take-home pay?
I have met with families after the untimely loss of a spouse. I have seen families that had no plan and were enslaved. It was a terrible moment, as I watched the family move toward poverty overnight. On the other hand, I have met with families that had planned appropriately, and they were able to focus solely on grieving.