PRELUDE

#01 - LUMC Team 412, based upon Ephesians 4:12, seeks to "...prepare God's people for works of service...".  Team 412 is designed with YOU in mind - giving you some practical tips, suggestions, helpful hints, and insights - that are important to help YOU become a BETTER leader.

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Hello, everyone, and welcome to the LUMC Team 412 podcast series.  Thank you for joining the LUMC Team 412 – Cohort 2.  This second series is a bit different from the previous Cohort. I always promise myself never to teach the same course twice.  I always like to tweak it a bit to make each time better than the last. So this is the first episode of 12 for this Cohort 2.   “Episode” sounds like it’s some sort of soap opera, but it’s just a term used to describe one podcast in a series.

Here's just a brief overview of what this podcast series is all about – a prelude, to borrow a musical term:  Each episode will be about 15-20 minutes in length – about the length of most people’s attention span – followed by several questions that are just for you to think about and to answer in your workbook.  We’ll talk about your answers and your questions in our group calls and individual coaching sessions.  If you like to follow along while you listen, there is a transcript provided with each episode.

Just to make it clear from the get-go, I want to tell you that this Team 412 program is about YOU, the leader, the one who leads.  It’s not about LeaderSHIP, the position of being a leader.  Do you hear a difference there?  As Teddy Roosevelt said, the credit belongs to YOU, the one in the arena, the one doing the job.  And YOU are who this Team 412 program is all about.

Now, let me give you just a little of the back story that led up to this program.  I spent many years in leadership positions in universities, civic and professional associations, and I have the leaders’ lumps to prove it!  I didn’t have any formal training in leadership.  I learned the hard way – by jumping in and DOING it.  I sure made my share of mistakes, yet I was lucky to have some excellent mentors, great colleagues, and terrific experiences along the way.

Fast forward to a church my wife and I joined after moving to a new neighborhood.  They had more than a bit of trouble getting people to serve in volunteer leaders’ positions.  No wonder – there was no preparation, no guidance, no support.  I began to find similar things in other churches and civic organizations.  So what usually happens?  No confident, well-prepared leaders who are ready to serve.  I created a pilot program to help develop leaders who work with volunteers.  I called it Team 412, after Ephesians 4:12 “…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…”.

So, that brings us to this podcast.  This version of Team 412 is different from previous ones that I’ve led.  As I mentioned earlier, I never teach the same course twice.  I always look for ways to make it BETTER each time.  And by now, you’re probably wondering “What’s in it for ME?”  Glad you asked.  Hang on to your hat, and let’s GO!

This is about YOU.  Team 412 is designed with YOU in mind – giving you some practical tips, suggestions, helpful hints, and insights – that are important to help YOU become a BETTER leader.  Why BETTER?  Well, that’s easy.  If you’re already a GOOD leader, even a GREAT leader, you can always be BETTER!  And the other word that needs attention here is BECOME.  We are going to encourage you and help equip you to BECOME a BETTER leader.  

Throughout all these episodes, we will focus on what it takes to be a SERVANT LEADER, the one who leads by serving others.  A SERVANT LEADER cares about others and their well-being, and leads with and through the talents of others.  A SERVANT LEADER consistently demonstrates confidence, credibility, respect, empathy, humility, and more.   We’re going to talk about these and other characteristics of SERVANT LEADERS in the episodes to follow.

Some years ago, I enjoyed the Li’l Abner comic strip by Al Capp.  The comic strip was later made into a Broadway musical, so the cartoon characters came alive on the stage.  One of the most outrageous characters was General Bullmoose, a tyrannical and self-important caricature of the Big Business Leader who ran roughshod over everyone who dared get in his way.  (Come to think of it, I used to work for a guy like that.  But that’s another story!).  General Bullmoose is the 180-degree opposite of the concept of a SERVANT LEADER, one who leads by serving others, one who leads by good example, one who leads by encouraging and supporting the efforts of others.  Servant leaders don’t overpower – they EMPOWER.  Servant leaders are the models for today’s leaders – or should be!

This series of podcasts is made up of 12 episodes, one each week, and each focusing on a topic that is often short-changed in many leadership workshops and training sessions.  Those short-term workshops tend to be “telling” sessions rather than “teaching” sessions, and most people’s forgetting curves are steep – and quick!   A week after one of those short-term sessions, and you’ve forgotten most of what went on, right?  That’s why we have asked you to commit your time and your talents over a “90-day-intensive” program.  It takes time to develop as a leader.  And it takes practice.  And perseverance.  And more practice.  And dedication.  That’s a tall order.  Still with me?

Good!  Let’s take a quick look at some of the topics we’re going to feature.  There seems to be general agreement among many articles and books on leadership that the toughest challenges facing leaders today are:

·      Setting achievable goals

·      Delegating effectively

·      Building trust

·      Maintaining transparent communication

·      Managing change

These aren’t in rank order, just a listing.  If I were going to put them in order of importance, I would definitely put Building Trust first.  If you don’t have trust as a leader, you don’t have anything.  Trust takes a long time to gain, and only a second to lose.  Think about it.

As you take a look at the topics for the coming podcast episodes, you’ll see that we are going to feature each one of these, and then some!  And – if there’s something else you’d like us to study, please say so!  We’ll do our best to include as much as possible without overwhelming us.

We’re going to study each topic from the viewpoint of a servant leader – one who leads by serving others.  We won’t cover it all, and you won’t complete this program and be an instant expert leader.  But you’ll find that you are BECOMING a BETTER leader. 

We will also be developing ourselves as SPIRITUAL LEADERS.  That term may have a lot of different meanings, but for the purpose of this podcast, let’s use the basic definition of contrasting SPIRITUAL LEADER with VOLUNTEER.  Please re-read the handout on “Spiritual Leaders” from your introductory packet.   Volunteers help on their own and feel free to walk away at any time.  You, as a spiritual leader, are connected in a covenant relationship with God and the team or ministry that you serve, you live by the values you hold, and you act courageously to bring about  the changes that are needed.

At our first meeting, you received a copy of the Workbook.  Contained in it is a short summary of the topic for each podcast episode, some open-ended questions for you to think about and answer just for yourself, and some questions or comments for you to share with everyone during our group calls.    This program is designed to be flexible and time friendly, but you should not feel isolated.  We’ll do some things individually just for you, and some things with the Cohort for everyone.  Of course, your comments and suggestions to me are welcome – and encouraged – anytime!  Phone, text or email me and we’ll talk.

We will have several individual and group coaching calls during these coming weeks.  These are strictly confidential, and must remain so throughout the course.  The purpose of these calls is to give us some one-on-one time, help you clarify your role as a servant leader, and to gently challenge you to grow as a leader who serves others.  We will also build in some time for you to practice your leaders’ skills so you will be better prepared to lead others.  After all, that’s why we’re doing this!

Toward the end of each episode, I’ll ask you three to five questions that are designed to challenge you a little about the topic.  It’s not a test, and nobody will see your answers but YOU.  You and I may talk about them during our individual and confidential coaching calls, but they are questions for YOU to think about and apply as you wish.  Write your answers in your workbook, together with any questions that pop up.  Together, we’ll work to find the answers somewhere!  These questions are in your workbook, but just for now, listen to the questions and begin to think about how you will answer them.  Here are your questions for this episode:

1.      What is your #1 challenge  (right now) as a leader? 

2.      What is one step you can take to tackle that challenge?

3.      Think of a leader you know and regard highly.  What three qualities and characteristics come to mind right away as you think of that person?

4.      What do you think others would list as your top three strengths as a leader?

5.      Which one of those top three strengths will you call upon to help you become a better leader?

There isn’t anything magical about becoming a better leader.  It takes commitment, and practice, and perseverance, and a few other things as well.  But as a member of LUMC Team 412, you’re on the right path right now.  Most of all, just be your authentic self. 

Some people use a lot of sports imagery as examples – you know, take the ball and run with it, go for the goal, and so on.  Well, I tend to use a lot of musical imagery.  It’s what I know best.  So here’s one for you:  when I was a boy, my piano teacher wrote in my autograph book:  Don’t B sharp, Don’t B flat, Just B natural.  That’s not the easiest key to play in, but the message is:  Just Be Yourself.  Nobody else can be YOU, and you will be at your best if you don’t try to be someone you are not.  Dr. Seuss said “…there is nobody else that is you-er than you…”.  Or, as Oscar Wilde wrote, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”  Just … B Natural.

A leader should be a good steward of everyone’s time, so let’s keep this episode short.  As the title says, it’s a Prelude, a glimpse of what is to follow – and there’s plenty!  I’m sure looking forward to what’s coming next and to working with you throughout the next few weeks.  Hope you are, too!

Thank you for being a part of the LUMC Team 412 program, and especially being a part of Cohort 2 – a new growth opportunity for all of us, including me.  I always learn a lot from others.  I don’t know all the answers and only a few of the questions.  We’re in this together.  We need one another, your questions, your experiences, your insights to make this venture successful.  I look forward to working with you and hope it’s a challenging and enjoyable journey for you and for all of us.

Next in the series is Episode #2, focusing on what it takes to be a leader who serves.  A leader who serves – that’s the basic definition, but there’s so much more to it than that.   What does the term “servant leader” conjure up in your mind?  And what examples do you call upon to help you define a leader who serves?  And the same questions apply to the term “spiritual leader.”  What does the term mean to you, and what examples do you think of?   

You are welcome and encouraged to call or email me anytime with your questions or concerns.  My email address and phone number are included in your Handout and in the Workbook.  Also, we have collected your contact information so we can always stay in touch.   In the meantime, be sure to take good care of YOU!  Here’s to your BECOMING a BETTER leader!