Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

leadership

How To Advance Your Leadership

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The best leaders are consistently learning and challenging themselves. They are not content with the status quo. Neither are they content with leading the way that they’ve been led or simply according to their gut instincts. The best leaders are on a lifelong journey of learning because they know that when they stop learning, they stop leading.

However, it’s not just about learning because any good leader knows the importance of learning.

The thing that sets the best leaders apart from the pack lies in Todd’s quote above. The best leaders not only strive to become experts in their field, but they also broaden their field of vision.

The best leaders have the rigour to learn outside of their field of discipline #leadership

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When you develop this discipline, you begin to see connections between seemingly disparate themes, ideas, and concepts. You develop the ability to integrate diverse perspectives into a collective whole. It’s like a light turns on in your brain.

As a pastor and as a church leader, I love to read spiritually formative books. I love to read books from thought leaders in my discipline, like:

However, if I stop there, then my leadership will only go so far.

To move further faster, you need to develop the rigour to learn outside of your field of discipline

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That’s why these are the books that I’m currently reading to challenge and grow myself:

1. How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don’t Know – Byron Sharp

  • What are the things that you want your church to do? How do you want your church to be known in the community? Marketing is not just for businesses trying to gain market share.

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Tuesday’s Thought – John Wooden and Leadership

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Today’s Tuesday thought comes from John Wooden, the renowned coach nicknamed, the “Wizard of Westwood.” Over a 12 year period as the head coach of the UCLA basketball team, they won 10 NCAA national championships!

To learn more about him, you can check out his site.

Here’s his perspective on leadership:

You have to really love your people to get the most out of them.

John Wooden - Tuesday's Thought

How Do You Decide on Change or Transition?

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How do you decide on transition or change in your life?

  • Do you look at others who are doing what you want to do and try to emulate their steps?
  • Do you think of transition when things get tough at work or in life?

I find that there is a spectrum of change that all humans fall into. On the one end of that spectrum, we love the thrill of the unknown and get excited about change. On the other end, we love stability and are resistant to change.

Where are you on that spectrum?

My intention in this post is not to create a complete framework for discernment or change, nor is it to list out all of the Biblical passages that are relevant towards decision making. This post is intended to help you begin the conversation on how you process change by gleaning insights from this passage.

Don’t let your heart envy sinners; instead, always fear the Lord. For then you will have a future, and your hope will never fade. Listen, my son, and be wise; keep your mind on the right course. (Proverbs 23:17-19 HCSB)

Here are four insights on transition and change from this passage:

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How To Determine Your Next Staff Ministry Hire

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In every growing organization, the order in which you hire your next staff member is critical to your growth trajectory. Resources are limited and every staff hour counts. How much more true is this in a non-profit organization like a church? Especially when it’s primarily a volunteer movement?

Is your next hire an administrator or a children’s pastor? Is it a youth worker? A worship leader? A groups pastor?

Peter Drucker, in his book The Effective Executive, gives us timely advice for this question:

One should only have on a team the knowledges and skills that are needed day in and day out for the bulk of the work. Specialists that may be needed once in a while, or that may have to be consulted on this or on that, should always remain outside. It is infinitely cheaper to go to them and consult them against a fee than to have them in the group to say nothing of the impact an underemployed but overskilled man has on the effectiveness of the entire group. All he can do is mischief. (Location 673)

What a great framework to determine who your next hire should be!

After all, “contracting out” various aspects of your ministry is now easier than ever. For example:

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3 Simple Ways to Become Efficient

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Since time is the only commodity that cannot be gained, multiplied, or banked, here are three simple ways for you to become more effective in the use of your time:

1. Stop doing the things that don’t really matter

  • Peter Drucker sums it up well in his book The Effective Executive. Ask yourself “‘What would happen if this were not done at all?’ And if the answer is, ‘Nothing would happen,’ then obviously the conclusion is to stop doing it.”

2. Delegate, delegate, delegate

  • If you find yourself doing the same thing over and over again, record the steps and find someone else who can do it for you. They may even do it better than you, and it will free you up to do what only you can uniquely do.

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