Have you ever wondered what makes some leaders excel and others flounder or simply plod along? I have written several articles over the years on this subject. Some of them you can find on this blog page. Today, I want to point you to another man’s writing and encourage you to read his book on the subject. Patrick Lencioni has written several books on leadership and organizational health. One of those is The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive[i].
The book is a great read (or listen) for all leaders and gives notable insight to becoming a leader that excels. To entice you to read (or listen) to the book, and to honor copyright laws, I will not list his four obsessions that effective leaders observe, but I will give a hint to what those obsessions may require.
1, It will require work, dedication, and commitment. But not work as usual and not by one person alone. It requires creating a specific culture, starting at the top and filtering all the way through the corporation/church.
2, As Thom Rainer wrote in Simple Church, Clarity is a key obsession of the church culture which excels. Without an understanding of clarity throughout the church, unity cannot be achieved. Without unity, God’s best can never be reached.
3, Myself and many others have written about overcommunicating. You can never communicate too much. In retail management by the time an ad reached the sales floor, I had been reviewing it for six months. I was tired of seeing it and each of the products in it. Yet, I had to remember the sales team had only recently learned of it. When you think you’ve communicated a subject enough, you’ve only just begun.
4, Reiteration of the key components of your core values must be continual. What’s important to the church and why must be continually communicated with meaning, not like a commercial that repeats itself every five minutes. Sales pitches get old quick. But reiterating key components of the church’s mission must always be delivered with compassion.
As I have written before and as Lencioni writes in his book, this is not to puff you up but to assist you in becoming a more effective leader championing a greater Great Commission church. Be certain of what you are obsessing over.
Pick up your copy of The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive and read it to improve not only your leadership, but also the Great Commission effectiveness of your church.
George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.
[i] The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, Author, Patrick Lencioni, Jossey Bass, August 2000