Barnabas File

I n her new book   The Executive Code , strategic advisor Andrea Nicholas provides guidance for senior executives—how you get there and how you stay there.     Although I don’t buy into the idea of the pastor of a church as the “chief executive officer,” Nicholas does provide some ideas in her “Longevity Audit” that can be helpful to a clergy leader in staying the course.    Let me share the items with you and apply to a congregational setting.   First, does my calendar reflect my values—or just my obligations?  Where did your time go last month?  The allocation of your time shows where you place your personal and pastoral emphases.  If you think you are strong in caring for those in your congregation, how much time did you spend with individual members?  If family time is important, how much time did you spend with spouse and other family members?   Second, when was the last time I laughed—really? ...

Every week, we find ourselves in some type of gathering with others.     Sometimes it is a group meeting where we are discussing topics of both collective and individual concern.     Often it is team of people working together to further the tasks of a church, organization, or service group.     How can you, as an individual, positively impact the effectiveness of the conversation in either setting?    Adam Grant is a professor in organizational psychology at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  He has shared these insights about group leadership.   The true leader in a group is rarely the person who talks the most.  It’s usually the person who listens best.  Listening is more than hearing what’s said.  It’s noticing and surfacing what isn’t said.  Inviting dissenting views and amplifying quiet voices are acts of leadership.  As I reviewed these observations, I realized that one d...

“We will never be able to repay the privileges we have been given, but we can try.”—Seth Godin Our Bible study this week was on the parable of the laborers in the vineyard ( Matthew 20:1-16).  As with most parables, we might interpret it in various ways.  One way is to think about it as an expression of an equitable community.  Everyone who was willing to work received a fair day’s wage.  This meant that everyone was cared for and provided a positive ripple effect for the larger community; however, the first hired were interested in their own reward rather than whether the other workers had what they needed.  Rather than celebrating the landowner’s generosity, they questioned it. The bottom line is that in real community, we look out for each other.  How might we apply this to the world of work today? In  Give and Take:  Why Helping Others Drives Our Success , Adam Grant poses this question: “Every time we intera...

Positive psychology developed out of the work of Martin Seligman in the 1970s and 1980s.  One person describes positive psychology as  “the scientific study of what makes life most worth living.” Rather than studying the pathology of those who have problems coping with everyday life, those involved in positive psychology look at how individuals not only cope but prosper.” In recent years,  positive organizational psychology has evolved to study what both elevates and challenges employees and their companies. It proposes that we ask questions about what goes right, what gives life, what inspires and what is experienced as good, in addition to what is problematic and difficult in organizations.  This type of research addresses topics such as hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism. Of course, an organization that is characterized by the elements of positive psychology are its leaders.  One research project identified these four char...

What does it mean to be a leader of leaders?  There is no lack of books about leading those who are responsible to you due to your designated position in the church or organization.  A leadership subject that is not often addressed is how to be a leader among those who are your peers.  I was recently introduced to the term “lateral leadership” to describe this competency.  We may know how to work with our supervisors or how to supervise others, but how do we work with others who are at the same level as we are?  Here are some things to consider in exercising lateral leadership. 1.  Be a person of integrity.  Of course, this should be true of any leader, but when you work with your peers, trust and respect are essential.  Peers must know that you will follow through on your commitments and share not only responsibilities but recognition as well.  Competency in your work is important, but ...

What does it mean to be a leader of leaders?   There is no lack of books about leading those who are responsible to you due to your designated position in the church or organization.   A leadership subject that is not often addressed is how to be a leader among those who are your peers.   I was recently introduced to the term “lateral leadership” to describe this competency.   We may know how to work with our supervisors or how to supervise others, but how do we work with others who are at the same level as we are?  Here are some things to consider in exercising lateral leadership. 1.  Be a person of integrity.  Of course, this should be true of any leader, but when you work with your peers, trust and respect are essential.  Peers must know that you will follow through on your commitments and share not only responsibilities but recognition as well.  Competency in your work is important, but consistency in word and ...

After today’s session of the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, I have a new business guru to add to my pantheon of Collins, Lencioni, and Greeny.   Adam Grant, professor at the Wharton Business School, began his presentation this morning by saying that his original research dealt with the causes of paranoia in organizations.   Having been part of a number of organizations and having had occasional inclinations to paranoia, I was hooked. Grant explained that most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers. Takers strive to get more than they give from their coworkers, matchers aim to trade evenly with a fair balance of getting and giving, and givers are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return.   Although some givers get exploited and burn out, the rest achieve extraordinary results across a wide range of industries.   In the short term, givers may appear to be less productive but in the long ...