Eric's Blog

More from the Drive Conference

This is from An Organization Driven by Leaders by Joel Thomas

I. Two Things to Remember

    A. Other leaders exist

    In other words, you are not the only one. Other leaders exist then just don't volunteer.

    B.Think Vision First

    To keep vision front and center...

    a. We cast it.

    b. We celebrate it.

    c. We live it.

II. Two Things To Do...

    A. Give permission.

    Permission to try new things MUST be accompanied by permission to fail.

    B. Have Fun.

    If you are not having much fun, the people around you aren't either.

    Give permission to have fun.

Two other great quotes from this session...

"If you can't be replaced you can't be promoted."

"If they don't buy into the vision you have to remove them from leadership."

Leadership Convergence with Mark Batterson

Here are a few quotes from Session Two of the Leadership Convergence with Mark Batterson...

• "Never underestimate the power of one dream or one dreamer to change history."
• "The size of your dream is a pretty good barometer of your spiritual maturity."
• "Dreams begin with holy discontent in your heart."
• "A dream is usually a solution to a problem."
• "Big dreams are a catalyst for spiritual growth."
• "Vague confessions are weak."
• "How specific are your dreams?"
• "Your dream should drive you to pray."
• Habakkuk 1:3; 2:1-3
• Verse 2: Dreams/Vision - Write them down

                  - It commits you to the dream.

                  - It forces you to live in dependence of God.

So what are your ministry dreams? Are they so big that the only way they can be accomplished is if God shows up and shows out? If not, your dreams are to small. Let's dream big dreams together because we serve a BIG GOD!!!

Drive Conference: Andy Stanley Session 2

I. A Great Staff is Made Up of Great Leaders

    A. The Goal: A staff culture characterized by mutual submission.

    B. The Question: What can I do to help?

II. Best Practices for Creating a "Great Staff"

    A. Do for one what you can't do for all.

    - Symbolic leadership: I'm going to do for one what I wish I could do for everyone.

    - Fairness is the enemy of rightness.

    B. Systematize top down service.

    C. In response to your staff's key objectives, ask, "How can I help you?"

    D. Create and maintain a sustainable pace.

    - Without margin, there is no room to serve.

    - Without margin, we seek first our kingdoms.

    E. Celebrate and reward greatness when you see it.

    - What's rewarded is repeated.

    F. Confront your ego.

    - What is more important: creating a great organization or creating a name for yourself?

III. Signs that Things aren't So Great

    A. Competition between departments

    B. Double standards

    C. Loyalty lectures

    - You deserve loyalty. You win loyalty, but you don't require loyalty.

Key question to ask your staff: Do you have all the tools to do your job (ministry)?

Drive Conference Pictures

By the way, did I tell you that we went to Vegas and Chicago too? Don't tell anybody else.

Can you find Andy Stanley in this picture?

Any idea what is happening here?

Other random pictures.

Drive Conference: Andy Stanley Session 1

THE MULTIPLE CHOICE TEAM from Andy Stanley

"To maintain the relational integrity to operate as a team, we must choose to trust and be trustworthy."

A. Often there are unexplainable gaps between what we expect people to do and what they actually do.

        1. We choose what we place in those gaps.

        2. Our choices determine the integrity of the relationships.

        3. We can choose to fill them in with trust or suspicion.

        4. As believers we are called to trust.

B. Two things make it difficult for us to trust.

        1. Who I am.

        2. What I see.

C. There are three commitments we need to make.

        1. When there is a gap between what I expect and what I experience, I will fill it in with trust.

        2. When I observe someone filling a gap with suspicion, I will come to your defense.

        3. If what I experience begins to erode my trust, I will come directly to you about it.

"Trust cannot be sustained in a culture where individuals are not worthy or trust."

OK, that's just point 1. There is a point two, three, and conclusion but you will have to buy the CD. They may put the session on the web for you to view. If they do I will let you know.

This may have been the most powerful teaching from the Drive Conference. I mean how can we function properly as a ministry if we don't trust one another (always thinking the best) and we are not trustworthy? We can't! So here are a few of the questions you need to answer from the conclusion?

1. Are there people in your organization (ministry) that you have a difficult time trusting?

2. Is it your issue or theirs?

3. What can you do about your part?

4. What do you need to address with them about their part?

Drive Conference: Andy Stanley Session 3

I will post comments from Andy's other 2 sessions from the Drive Conference later. He was originally suppose to give a talk on Making Vision Stick but decide to go in a different direction. Instead he talked about the latest questions/thoughts he and his staff are talking about. He called this session Recent Random Thoughts on Church and Leadership.

1) To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing.

Takeaway: Become preoccupied with those you haven't reached as opposed to those you are trying to keep.

2) The next generation product almost never comes from the previous generation (From the book: Focus).

What is next: You can either fight it or fund it.

Pay attention to what student ministries are doing.

Takeaway: Be a student, not a critic.

3) What do I believe is impossible to do in my field, but if it could be done would fundamentally change my business (from Future Edge)?

Takeaway: Pay attention to the people who are breaking the rules.

4) If If we were kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what would they do? Why shouldn't we walk out the door, come back in and do it ourselves?

"Long after our methods are not effective we are still attached to them."

Takeaway: Acknowledge what's not working. Own up to why you are not willing to do anything about it.

5) When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near.

"Never be satisfied with the status quo."

"Momentum can carry you into irrelevance."

"Keep the vision out in front."

Takeaway: Don't let success or momentum overshadow your vision.

More from the Drive Conference throughout the rest of the week.