ConvergeUSA Blog

Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader - Part 10

"Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love and the future to God's providence." - Augustine

I read an interesting post entitled "Are You Hanging on to the Past with One Hand?"  The author wrote, "Let go of the past with both hands. Are you hanging on to the past with one hand? If so, you are letting the past steal your present. Only when you let go of the past completely, can you get hold of the present completely. The interesting thing is that when you let go of the past, it no longer has a hold on you. The energy it takes to hold on the past is actually keeping you from your future. It’s takes work to keep reiterating the same old negative stuff. Letting go with both hands means that you don’t secretly ponder or wallow in memories of the past."  

The Apostle Paul let go of his past with two hands.  When he wrote, "But on thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..." (Philippians 3:13-14)  When you think of all that Paul had to let go of...his privileges, his accomplishments, his persecution of the church (Philippians 3:4-7) and his pain caused to Jesus (Acts 9:4) adds to the significance of these words, "Forgetting what is behind."  One translation refers to this as 'given over to oblivion or 'to lose out of mind.'  He let go of his past completely.

10.   Coachable people let go of the past and push forward into the future.

Much of the work in the coaching process is helping leaders to completely let go of the weight of personal failures, bad ideas, immaturity and poor execution and helping them to experience the freedom to attack the future knowing God is for them and not against them.

Why do people hang on to the past?

• Lack of understanding the work of Christ.  The gospel driven life in not performance based, it is based on the performance of Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7).  Salvation is a gift, an unearned gift...a gift that nullifies the boasting of all people and thrusts us into the mercy of God. Thinking we can or have to add anything to the gospel keeps us in bondage to the past and cripples us from moving forward.
• Unwillingness to own one's failure and deal with its consequences.  If we have a deep understanding of the richness and power of the gospel then owning our moral, spiritual and leadership failures will drive us to a quicker resolution to move forward while clinging to God's grace through the consequences.  Jerry Bridges wrote, "God's grace, then, does not supplement our good works. Instead His grace overcomes our bad works."
• Underestimate spiritual warfare.  There is a real enemy that wants to devour, discredit, derail, discourage, distract and disqualify Christian leaders (I Peter 5:8).  Too many times we lack the discernment to see how the enemy is seeking to get a foothold in our lives and churches (Ephesians 4:27).

How does one let go and move forward?

• Embrace the centrality of the gospel.   What does that mean?  It means that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not only the means of our salvation but that it is the fuel of our Christian life (Titus 2:11-14) and the focus of our mission (Titus 3:4-7).  Tim Keller says, "We need to learn how to play the gospel in our lives like a musician practices their instrument."
• Acknowledge your ownership in the failure.  If we do not own up to our part of the failure God will not show up.  Asking God to search us and show us our part in the problem is critical for moving beyond it with a clear conscience (Psalm 139:23-24).
  • Here are a few questions to consider:            
    • Was it willful sin?
    • Was it pride?
    • Was  it God's discipline?
    • Was it youthful inexperience?
    • Was it lack of wise counsel?
    • Was it inadequate oversight or management?
    • Was it poor execution by leadership?
    • Was it just a bad idea?
• Trust God to work through the circumstances and consequences.   Seeing the hand of God in the good is easy but seeing it in the bad is another thing.  That is where our faith is tested.  That is where our of picture of God is really revealed. That is where our position in Christ is really challenged.  Paul saw beyond the criticism to reinforce the mission (Acts 15:1-35). He saw beyond a personal conflict to the advancement of the mission (Acts 15:36-41). He saw one closed door as a new mission direction (Acts 16:6-10).   He saw beyond the imprisonment to the establishment of a new church (Acts 16:11-40).  Paul knew this precious truth -- that the only way we make sense of our personal failures, difficulties, defeats and even tragedies is by running to God and not from Him (Romans 8:28). 
• Live by faith not by sight. The life of a missional leader is a life that encompasses nothing but faith.  Paul knew that it begins with faith and that it progresses by faith (Roman 1:16-17). A complete dependance on the gospel through the ups and downs of life is essential for a followere of Jesus, especially a follower who is a leader.
• Remember the mission.  Many times in scripture we see Paul referring to his calling of taking the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; Acts 22:21; Acts 26:17; Romans 1:5; Romans 11:13; Romans 15:16; Galatians 1:16; Galatians 2:7-21; Ephesians 3:1; Ephesians 3:8; 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 4:17). Remembering your higher purpose will propel you past your personal set backs because they are small in light of the big picture.

Reflective Questions:

• What does the centrality of the gospel mean to you and your sanctification?
• How do you evaluate a personal or corporate set back or failure?
• Why do you hang on to the past with one hand?
• What keeps you moving forward in the face of defeat or tragedy?
• How often do you reflect on your conversion and calling?

“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future." ― Fulton Oursler

Check out the Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader series.

Ten Characteristics of a Spiritually Plateaued Leader

One of the reasons a leader tends not to finish well is that they plateau.  A plateau is when you level off for a long time, too long of a time that you begin to experience a decline in your effectiveness, repeated spiritual defeats and the subtle decaying of one's soul.

In Neil Cole's book Organic Leadership, he addresses 10 Reasons Why Leaders Plateau,  each of them serves us well as leaders. They are like warning lights calling attention to the potential trouble that will lead to us being stalled out in the harvest.

1. A spiritually plateaued leader avoids relationships of personal accountability. These leaders are removed from people. They have a degree of separateness that keeps them unaccountable to anyone. Often Christendom has reinforced such a separation and tried to justify it as biblical, to the detriment of the church, the world, and especially the leader.

2. A spiritually plateaued leader rarely applies the truths of God's Word to him or herself personally. Many Christian leaders have pursued education and have become experts on the Bible, thus believing they have no more to learn. These leaders no longer read the Word for insight into their own lives, but rather apply it to the problems others have. They read the Bible only to find solutions to other people's issues rather than with their own needs in mind.

3. A spiritually plateaued leader has replaced his or her joy, peace, and love with envy and resentment.
People cannot simply manufacture godliness by modifying their behavior to conform to Christ's ideals. The fruit of God's Spirit, seen in every aspect of our lives, is evidence of our redeemed character, not the works we force ourselves to perform to demonstrate our religious behavior. Where the Spirit is not in control, the fruit is not evident, and no amount of hard work can make it so. Leaders who are no longer growing in their pursuit of the Lord cannot display the fruit of the Spirit and often exhibit instead sour religious attitudes. It's amazing how these ugly ways of thinking, when enough leaders display them, are accepted as the norm.

4. A spiritually plateaued leader frequently looks for greener pastures in other places. Often Christian leaders blame their church or organization for the lack of fruitfulness in their ministry. They attribute the success others have to the luck of landing in the right place at the right time. Leaders who think like this are always looking to move to a better place where their ministry will be truly appreciated and the success they deserve will finally come. This means that many pastors move frequently from one church to the next looking for success.

5. A spiritually plateaued leader finds faults in others more often than in self. The leaders find introspection difficult and rarely evaluate themselves, though they are often busy evaluating everyone else. They "find the speck in their brother's eye but do not notice the plank protruding from their own" (Matthew 7:3).

6. A spiritually plateaued leader is burned-out from lots of busyness that has been substituted for simple intimacy with Christ. Spiritually plateaued leaders are exhausted because they are usually deceived into thinking that more effort and more activity are ways to gain closer access and blessing from God. This is a devastating lie from hell itself. There is no substitute for intimacy with Christ. More activity will never satisfy our deep need to connect with God and usually prevents us from having the intimacy we so desperately require... While carrying out religious busyness may grant us a sense of importance, it does not renew our hearts with joy and purpose. Instead it robs us of the strength we need.

7. A spiritually plateaued leader compromises on ethical principles once held dear. It is not uncommon to find such leaders have fallen deep into patterns of hidden sin. Using grace and liberty as excuses, they continue to function publicly without regret or remorse, while behind closed doors they carry out sinful practices...

8. A spiritually plateaued leader stays within safe areas of expertise rather than branching out into new learning endeavors. This sort of leader wants to be seen as an expert rather than a learner and therefore has no intention of exploring new fields or gaining new understanding... The idea of learning something new is scary because it implies that the leader does not have the expertise that has been part of his or her identity.

9. A spiritually plateaued leader is unable to acknowledge the wisdom of others. This leader talks more often than listens, is uninterested in what others have to say, and is easily offended if someone contradicts his or her idea. It is almost impossible to tell this person anything new.

10. A spiritually plateaued leader has reduced the Christian life to a routine. The plateaued leader is in a kind of holding pattern and is not moving forward in his or her walk with Christ. For this person life is a routine, trying to live the Christian life in the right Christian way. It is a static existence of maintaining what is, rather than developing anything new. It is a life of a few dos and many don'ts.

Reflective Questions

• Which one on this list is a flashing warning light in your soul?
• Who in your life would you feel safe in discussing this issue?
• How does the gospel work itself out in this area of your life?  (Titus 2:11-14)
• How are you keeping the leaders around you off their own plateau?
• What is happening around you (family, friends, church, organization) because of this plateau?

“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”  Bruce Lee

 

Join us in Chicago for a Church Planting Experience - Sept 14-17

The First Steps Church Planting Experience

When: September 14-17, 2012

Where: MissioDei Chicago - Wrigleyville, Chicago, IL

How Much: Registration is $99/individual, $149.00/couple,$199.00/team of 4, $249/team of 6

Who:

• Church planting couples and their teams Coaches who want to grow in coaching and church planting
• Pastors or Restart Pastors who desire to understand the ins and outs of church planting
• Prospective planters, those exploring the possibility of church planting
• Church leaders who want to strategically be a part of the harvest

What:

Are you considering planting a new church?  In some cases mistakes made in the first six months of a church plant can take up to six years to fix. The FirstSteps Experience is designed to help church planters and coaches minimize those mistakes and reach their full missional potential.  The FirstSteps Experience is a unique opportunity for those looking at planting a church.  Filled with interactive training and really life experiences that help you enter the real world of church planting.  You will participate in 4 days of interactive training to help you understand a multitude of issues of planting a missional church. You will receive the practical nuts and bolts of church planting in an interactive and inspiring atmosphere.  This is for YOU, if you are serious about planting a gospel centered and mission driven church.

FirstSteps for Planting a Missional Church

Our trainers for this 4 day experience will be Gary Rohrmayer and Mark Albrecht

Contact: Joy B. Rudolph for questions at joy.rudolph@convergeww.org

Coachable Moments - Gary Rohrmayer

Growing as a coach, leader or manager is an art form. I recently read an article on 10 Coachable Situations.

The author wrote, "When I hear managers talking about coaching their staff, they are often speaking of coaching them to improve their performance, and usually at an annual performance review. What if you considered coaching as a tool that you can use at any time, and not only when your employees are not performing, but also when they are doing great work? Coaching allows you to extend your influence all year long, in many situations, at any time. It requires you to pay attention to situations that are appropriate for coaching".

How will you recognize those coachable situations? Here are a few:

1.     When someone is struggling: Help them out by coaching them. Asking them questions that will help them to figure out (on their own) how to ease the struggle is the right thing to do.

2.     When someone’s performance is not what you know it to be:Good performers sometimes fall on tough times. Coach them to get back to their usual stellar performance.

3.     When someone’s performance is amazing: Make sure they know what they did well. Ask them what they think made their performance noteworthy (so they can recognize what the cause of their success is and repeat it). Don’t forget to express your gratitude for a job well done.

4.     When you notice unsavory behavioral habits: Is someone on your staff too overbearing? Too timid? Coach them to change their behaviors to ones that will help them to become more effective.

5.     When old ineffective habits have become new productive habits: Tell them what you’ve noticed and how much you appreciate their hard work to break the old ways of doing things. Ask them how they can sustain the new habits, and coach them to do so.

6.     When someone needs to stand up and lead: Do you have someone on your staff that could be more of a leader? Coach them on the changes they need to make to get there and congratulate them on the positive steps they take.

7.     When someone needs to let others lead: Do you have someone on your team who is overly dominating? Are they preventing others from taking the lead? Coach them to pull back on their dominance.

8.     When someone wants to try something new: Is there a new project that needs to be completed and you have a staff member ready to dig in? Sit down together to create a plan for success. Then meet with them on a regular basis to let them talk about the project until the individual feels confident that they can complete it successfully.

9.     When someone new comes onto your team: The “sink or swim” philosophy isn’t always the best. Meet with your new charges on a regular basis to coach them to understand the organizational culture and top priorities of the position.

10.   When someone is ready to move up: Is someone on your team ready for a promotion, either within your organization or elsewhere? Coach them to learn the skills they’ll need at the next level, and assist them to become ready.  HT

King Solomon wrote, "A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!"  (Proverbs 15:23)  An apt rely is a word spoken in the right time, in the right tone, and in the right spirit.  May these 10 coachable moments help you bring apt word to those you are leading because as King Solomon wrote, "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." (Proverbs 25:11)

Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader Part 9 - Gary Rohrmayer

In the mid 90's Fred Smith coined the phrase, constructive spirit of discontent.'  He writes,

Some people would call this criticism, but there's a big difference  in being constructively discontent and being critical. If somebody says,  "There's got to be a better way to do this," I see if there's  leadership potential by asking, "Have you ever thought about what that  better way might be?"

If he says no, he is being critical, not constructive.

But if he says yes, he's challenged by a constructive spirit of discontent. That's the unscratchable itch. It is always in the leader. HT

9.   Coachable people possess a 'constructive spirit of discontent.'

Coachable leaders have an unscratchable itch. They come to a coaching session with a unquenchable desire to improve.  They want to improve themselves, their leadership, their relationships and their ministries or organizations. They reject the status quo, they refuse mediocrity and they recognize plateaus and push beyond them.

They want and are ready to have more of what they really want.

So few of us know what we really want and coaching is a great place   to discover what that is and how to get it. But the coachable leader must   possess a ‘constructive spirit of discontent’ in order for coaching to   work well.

The Apostle Paul embodied this conviction.

1) He possessed a constructive spirit of discontent in his spiritual life.  He was not satisfied with his current relationship and experience with Jesus.  John Piper refers to this as "Holy Dissatisfaction."

"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and   participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and  so,  somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I  have  already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but  I  press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of  me."   Philippians 3:10-12  HT

2) He possessed a constructive spirit of discontent in his relationships.  Nineteen times Paul used the word 'urge' in his writings to the churches and individuals he was mentoring.  This word can be translated as beseech, call forth, exhort, earnestly appeal, passionately entreat.

• He urged them to live surrendered lives to Jesus (Romans 12:1-2)
• He urged them to pray for him and the expansion of the gospel (Romans 15:30-31)
• He urged them to watch out for false teaching (Romans 16:17-18)
• He urged them to follow his example in Christ (I Corinthians 4:16)
• He urged them to take personal risks (I Corinthians 16:12)
• He urged them to submit when they needed to submit (I Corinthians 16:15; I Timothy 6:2)
• He urged them to forgive when forgiveness was needed (II Corinthians 2:7-8)
• He urged them to push forward in God's grace (II Corinthians 6:1-2)
• He urged them to finish the task that they started (II Corinthians 8:6; 9:5; 12:18)
• He urged them to live up to their calling in Christ (Ephesians 4:1)
• He urged them to please God (I Thessalonians 4:1)
• He urged them in the way of love (I Thessalonians 4:10)
• He urged them to call the best out of others (I Thessalonians 5:14)
• He urged them to move out of their idleness (II Thessalonians 3:11-13)
• He urged them to face difficult tasks with courage (I Timothy 1:3-4)
• He urged them to pray (I Timothy 2:1-3)

He also expressed his need for deeper relationships and mutual dependency.  Read the endings of all Paul's letters to see the relational comments and the urgent pleas to pursue the faith and to come to his aid. Hear the passion in his voice in his appeal to Timothy...

"Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.  I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.  Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (II Timothy 4:9-18)

3) He possessed a constructive spirit of discontent in his mission. Paul wasn't a 'driven leader' but a 'drawn leader' a man drawn by God to fulfill the calling he received (Acts 9:15-16) no matter want the consequences (Acts 20:22-24).  This calling lifted his eyes to see the field of harvest that others didn't see.

"It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation...So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ." Romans 15:20; 28-29

"Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you." (II Corinthians 2:15-16)

Reflective Questions (These questions are taken from Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership)

• Is my calling sure?
• Is my vision clear?
• Is my passion hot?
• Am I developing my gifts?
• Is my character submitted to Christ?
• Is my pride subdued?
• Am I overcoming fear?
• Are interior issues undermining my leadership?
• Is my pace sustainable?
• Is my love for God and people increasing?

Next Time: Coachable people let go of the past and push forward into the future.

Check out the Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader series.

Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader Part 7 - Gary Rohrmayer

Peter Senge said, “Reality is my friend.” As we continue in this series on being a coachable leader we discover that these leaders get better and better at telling the truth to themselves and to those who are coaching them. The Apostle Paul describes this as 'sober judgment' when he wrote, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you" (Romans 12:3). Sober thinking includes both over-estimating and under-estimating our value in God's economy.  If a leader can embrace reality of themselves then they can better embrace the reality of their current leadership situation.

7. Coachable people embrace reality.

One of the best lessons a leader can experience is defeat. In facing a spiritual set-back or outright defeat a leader discovers who they are, their coachability and their leadership grit. In Joshua 6-7 we discover some of the best lessons on how a leader embraces reality and leads through a spiritual defeat.

Through these chapters we see God speaking very directly to Joshua on showing him how he was going to recover from this defeat and how he was going to lead the people of God forward to fulfill the mission God had given them.

• Clearly define the situation. “But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things;  Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of  Judah, took some of them. So the Lord 's anger burned against  Israel.” (Joshua 7:1)

• Own the defeat personally and corporately.  Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the LORD, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. (Joshua 7:6-7)

• Embrace the defeat without shame The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep." (Joshua 7:10-11)

• Deal with the issue openly and rigorously. ‘Go, consecrate the people’ (Joshua 7:13-26)

• Move forward with courageous confidence. "Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'Do  not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and  go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of  Ai, his people, his city and his land.'” (Joshua 8:1)

Reflective Questions:

One helpful way to discover the current reality of your situation is to do a SWOT analysis.(Downloadable SWOT Charts)

• Strengths: What is working well?
• Weaknesses: What is missing or needs improvement?
• Opportunities: What opportunities do we see?
• Threats: What threats have you identified?
  

Max Dupree said it well, “The first act of a leader is to define reality”.  Leaders who embrace the reality of their own strengths and weaknesses can  better embrace the reality of their current leadership situation.

Next Time: Coachable people are tenacious.

Check out the Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader series.

Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader Part 6 - Gary Rohrmayer

Henry Blackaby and Claude King in their landmark book, Experiencing God wrote, "You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing."  As we continue our series on being a coachable leader these two authors hit the nail right on the head.   Coachable leaders are ready and willing to make the needed changes and adjustments in their lives.  Coachable leaders do this because they understand the bigger issue which is: Alignment.  Alignment with God and His purposes.  Without alignment with God one cannot and will not experience all that God has in store for them.

Bob Logan suggests a list of key roadblocks that all leaders need to consider when wrestling with adjustment/alignment issues:

• personal discipline
• relational intimacy
• complacency with status quo ministry
• lack of vision for the harvest
• fear and timidity in giving leadership
• lack of certainty in calling
• poor delegation and management skills
• hireling mentality
• poor change skills

6. Coachable people make key adjustments in their lives.

Coaching isn't about just getting support to continue one's life pretty much as it has been. Rather, the leader who makes key adjustments in his personal and professional life is probably getting more out of the coaching process than those who are not ready to change.

Here are a few key adjustments leaders need to make:

1) Adjusting their Attitudes

As a coach one of my roles is helping leaders "keep their head in the game."  As spiritual leaders every day is filled with troubles and triumphs, heartaches and joys, sweetness and sadness.  The mental challenges in an ever changing environment are daunting. They are emotionally draining and any leader on any given day can drift into discouragement.

I was recently asked how I handle all the complexities of my job.  My response was "a clear vision that is refreshed by God's word."  The LORD said to Joshua, "Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:7-8) 

The Lord knew that Joshua would need daily doses of God's word to keep his attitude in check as he led God's people.  Coachable leaders adjust their attitudes daily by aligning their thoughts with God's thoughts.

2) Adjusting their Filters

We all have filters on our email programs that keep out all the junk mail we receive. And yet there are times when both the good and wanted information ends up in our junk folder.  Coachable leaders need to pay attention to the information they are receiving, listening to and taking to heart.  In a day of information overload leaders need coaches who are going to help them filter that information so they can take the appropriate steps for implementing it successfully.  Here are a few coaching questions:

• Who am I listening to?
• What makes them creditable?
• What voices do I need to listen to more frequently?
• What voices do I need to stop listening to?
• What are the best voices to help me in my particular situation?
• What voices can help me discern my next steps?

Cultivating the right to counsel is critical. Paul Stanley wrote, "A Christian worker needs a relational network which embraces mentors, peers and emerging leaders in order to ensure a balanced healthy perspective on life and ministry."

3) Adjusting their Priorities

Life is full of adjustments. Nothing is more important than a leader's priorities and yet in the heat of ministry and work our priorities can get out of whack. Coachable leaders allow others to speak into their lives when it comes to adjusting their priorities.  The Apostle Paul gave us a great list of priorities in the last several chapters of his letter to the Christians in Ephesus.

1. God - Ephesians 5:1-20
2. Mate - Ephesians 5:21-33
3. Family - Ephesians 6:1-4
4. Work - Ephesians 6:5-9
5. Ministry - Ephesians 6:10-20

Here are a few reflective questions:

• God:
  • What do I need to adjust in my daily routine that reflects that God is my first priority?
  • What do I need to adjust to protect my relationship with God?
  • What do I need to adjust in my financial life that acknowledges God is first in my finances?
  • What do I need to adjust in my relationships that recognizes that God has first place?
• Mate/Family:
  • What do I need to adjust in my life that reflects the priority my spouse has in my life?
  • What do I need to adjust that protects and nurtures my relationship with my spouse?
  • What do I need to adjust in my life that acknowledges the place of my children in my heart?
  • What do I need to adjust that protects and affirms my children?
• Work/Ministry  
  • What is the best use of my time that will bring the best results for my organization?
  • What six things can I accomplish today in my work?
  • What do I need to adjust in my relationships at work?  With my superiors? My equals? My subordinates? My clients? My congregation?
  • What 5 roles do I need to focus on to take our organization to the next level?
  • What 5 things do I need to delegate to make the best use of my gifts and time?
  • What one thing could I do this month to help my church reach its potential?

Next Time: Coachable people embrace reality

Check out the Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader series.

Finishing Well Free Download - Dr. J. Robert Clinton

Dr Robert Clinton's Biblical Leadership Commentaries are a must read for every pastor, elder and spiritual leader.

The following free download covers the daunting task of finishing well. In his introduction Clinton writes,

"A repeated reading of the Bible with a focus on leadership reveals four crucial observations fraught
with leadership implications:

• Observation 1. Few leaders finish well.
• Observation 2. Leadership is difficult.
• Observation 3. God's enabling presence is the essential ingredient of successful leadership.
• Observation 4. Spiritual leadership can make a difference.

And what is true of Biblical leaders is equally true of historical and contemporary leaders. It is the first
observation to which this article speaks. Identifying the fact that few leaders finish well was a breakthrough warning for me. This led to further study. Why do few leaders finish well? What stops them? What helps them? What does it mean to finish well? This article identifies six characteristics of those finishing well."

Six Characteristics of Leaders who Finish Well.

• Characteristic 1 - They maintain a personal vibrant relationship with God right up to the end.
• Characteristic 2 - They maintain a learning posture and can learn from various kinds of sources—life especially.
• Characteristic 3 - They manifest Christ-likeness in character as evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
• Characteristic 4 - Truth is lived out in their lives so that convictions and promises of God are seen to
  be real.
• Characteristic 5 - They leave behind one or more ultimate contributions.
• Characteristic 6 - They walk with a growing awareness of a sense of destiny and see some or all of it
  fulfilled.

Six Major Barriers Identified to Finishing Well

• Barrier 1. Finances—their Use And Abuse
• Barrier 2. Power—its Abuse
• Barrier 3. Pride--which Leads To Downfall
• Barrier 4. Sex--illicit Relationships
• Barrier 5. FAMILY--Critical Issues
• Barrier 6. Plateauing.

Five Factors That Enhance Finishing Well

• Enhancement 1. Perspective.
• Enhancement 2. Renewal.
• Enhancement 3. Disciplines.
• Enhancement 4. Learning Posture.
• Enhancement 5. Mentoring.

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These articles by Dr. J. Robert Clinton comes from the Clinton Biblical Leadership Commentary. This commentary is available from the Clinton Resources.

Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader Part 5 - Gary Rohrmayer

King David prayed, "Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it." (Psalm 141:5)  As we continue our series on being a coachable leader David's prayer really gets to the heart of the matter.  Coachable people seek out those who speak truth to them, even if it is a painful truth, because it protects them and it makes them a better person and leader.

5. Coachable people take initiative with the coach, instead of the coach pushing or motivating  them.

It is sometimes perplexing to me how many self-starters I have coached that lack initiative in the coaching relationship.  Why is this?  Here are a few reasons:

1) Pride - "I can do it on my own." Self-reliance is an America virtue but not a biblical value.  Solomon wrote, "The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice."  (Proverbs 12:15)  The word 'listen' carries with it the meaning of seeking out as well as receiving advice.  A lot of pain can be prevented if leaders would just check in with their coach before a making a big decision.

2) Fear - "I don't want to look stupid." One of my mantras is, "The only stupid question is the question not asked!"  Actually, fear is another symptom of pride.  Solomon wrote, "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." (Proverbs 13:10) There should be a level of connection in your coaching relationship where there is no fear but only only freedom to question and explore leadership thoughts and ideas.

3) Fatigue - "I'm emotional exhausted and lack energy for the coaching process." This one reason is true more often than you can imagine. The energy needed for the coaching process can be overwhelming and sometimes people can hit their limit.  It is at this time the coach needs to bring soothing encouragement.  Solomon wrote, "Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,  and the pleasantness of a friend  springs from their heartfelt advice."  (Proverbs 27:9)

4) Indifference - "I don't want to deal with the issue at this time." It is in times like these that we need to see indifference as a warning light; warning us of the sin and ramifications of idleness.  Solomon wrote, "If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks."  (Ecclesiastes 10:18)  No leader wants their ministry to suffer ... but idleness and indifference can bring a ministry down very quickly.  So let your indifference warn you as a loud siren sounding off to push you toward your coach.

5) Imposing - "I don't want to be a bother to my coach." I find with good coaches that just the opposite is true because they are so committed to your success that they welcome the questions, phone calls and emails. Solomon wrote, "Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance." (Proverbs 20:18)  We are in a spiritual battle. The consequences are eternal.  So seek advice at any cost.  Solomon wrote, "Plans fail for lack of counsel,  but with many advisers they succeed." (Proverbs 15:22)

Coachable leaders can easily slip into any of the reasons we just considered because leadership is intense, emotional and fatiguing.  Leadership demands a certain level of mental toughness and to have a coach who believes in you and is willing to walk alongside you is critical to their success.

Solomon appealing as a father to a son wrote, "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."  (Proverbs 4:5-7)

Reflective Questions:

• Are you praying for God to bring people into your life that will love you enough to speak the truth to you?
• Which of the five reasons do you wrestle with the most?
• What can demotivate you in your coaching relationship?
• Does your coach or mentor make themselves available to you?
• What are the signs that you are getting emotional or mentally fatigued in your leadership role?
• What habits are you establishing to develop a deeper level of mental toughness?

Check out the Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader series.

Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader Part 4 - Gary Rohrmayer

Solomon wrote, "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice" Proverbs 10:13.   This summer we started our journey of examining the qualities of a  coachable leader. This month we are going to examine how the leader comes to a coaching appointment or a one-on-one meeting with a supervisor.

4. Coachable people come ready to report, discuss, adjust and adapt.

Here is my coachable equation: Readiness + Adaptablity = Coachable.  Today we will take a closer look at two keys of Readiness and Adaptablity in the life of a leader.

Readiness is an attitude.  Readiness is something that only you can control.  Coming into a coaching relationship mentality alert, emotionally prepared and spirituality fresh opens oneself to change.  Entering a coaching session with the current data, completed action items, and well thought out questions says to your coach this is important and I respect your time. When someone comes ill prepared to a coaching session they are saying non-verbally "I don't want to be here" or "This is just not important to me."  When you come ready to give, that is when you will receive the most from the coaching relationship.  Giving has a way of opening up oneself to receive more. Coming ill prepared is a way of closing oneself up to any chance for meaningful change; but readiness is only one part of the equation.

Adaptability is an attitude also. There are only a few things in life that are unchangeable.   The message is always unchangeable but the methods are always changing. The commands of scripture, the essentials of the  faith, and the truth of the gospel are never to be considered adaptable.  Yet to be coachable means that we hold our methods and personal bias lightly.

In a research project on adaptability in military personnel the reseachers discovered seven character traits that predict one's ability to adapt.(HT)

• Self-efficacy: Self-efficacy refers to one’s beliefs in one’s abilities, one's believe that they have the capablities to handle challenging situations. They have a internal motivation that says, "I will change, I can change and the goal is so important that I must change."
• Resiliency: Resiliency is the ability to recover quickly from change, hardship or misfortune. The importance of resiliency can be seen in studies by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) that show that resisting change can derail executives’ careers, while being resilient and learning from mistakes can enhance them.
• Openness: Openness is one of the “Big Five” personality dimensions and refers to one’s curiosity, broad-mindedness, and receptiveness to new environments and events. That is, those who are high on Openness are likely to approach a new environment or set of circumstances with curiosity and interest. This positive attitude, together with a greater willingness to try new things and be creative, in turn increases the chances of effectively handling changes in one’s environment.
• Achievement motivation: Achievement motivation refers to one's desire to achieve results and master tasks beyond others' expectations, and is a subcomponent of the Big Five dimension of Conscientiousness. People who are high on Achievement Motivation are more likely to persist in their efforts to handle difficult situations, such as changing environments, rather than give in to frustration.
• Internal Locus of Control: The feeling that one controls the events in one’s life.
• Tolerance of Ambiguity: The ability to cope easily with environmental uncertainty.
• Willingness to Learn: Demonstrating enthusiasm and curiosity toward learning new things. (HT)

Reflective Questions:

1. How do you prepare yourself for meetings with supervisors or coaches?
2. What can you do to prepare yourself better for those meetings?
3. What are the areas in your life where you are more adaptable?
4. What are the areas in your life where you struggle with change?
5. List your motivations for entering into a coaching relationship.
6. List reasons why people are resistant to change.

Next: Coachable people take initiative with the coach, instead of the coach pushing or motivating them.

Check out the Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader series.