Love is the selfless promotion of the growth of the other. The opposite of a generous leader is a selfish leader.

The creative and the leader can be focused on the same mission, yet so differently; they can be serving the same cause, yet often hold opposing views on how to call others to do the same. This may be the single most important relationship to navigate in any church or business. And unfortunately, most leaders never figure out how to make it work.

He hugged me twice.

Dad wasn’t a big hugger. It was usually a one-armed, awkward, sideways hug as I arrived or left from a visit. But last weekend he hugged me, full frontal, not once, but twice.

I could tell it really mattered to him that I came to visit to help them move into their new house in Iowa. We spent an afternoon building shelves in the garage…

When you are working with friends, it takes a much higher commitment to communication. Sometimes you have to say out loud, “Right now I’m wearing my leader hat. In a few minutes I’ll put my friend hat back on.” Sometimes I’ve said, “As your friend I would advise you in one way, but as your employer I would counsel you differently.”

Most executive leaders would say they have a team. But having a team and operating as a team are two different things.

There is nothing worse than working at an organization with a bad culture, and there is nothing better than working at an organization with a great culture. You wake up every day looking forward to getting back to work on the mission with people you enjoy being around.

It isn’t too uncommon for leaders to get bent out of shape when a mistake is made that costs the church money. It comes from a well-intentioned place of wanting to be wise stewards of the church resources. But it diminishes people and discourages innovation and appropriate risk.

A secure leader, one who listens to learn, creates a culture that is attractive and collaborative.

If you are in a culture where meetings feel like a waste of time, change the culture. How? One meeting at a time.

It takes discipline and integrity to go against popular opinion. But your team will give their best, be at their best, and perform their best when they believe you have their backs.

When you work at a church, it isn’t just a job. It’s not just about fulfilling a responsibility. It is also about doing life together. It is about being the church while you are leading the church. It is about having fun, working through conflict, accomplishing ministry, and yes, being highly effective in your job.

The right questions rely on the leader’s ability to communicate authentic interest in learning the answer. They come from a place of not knowing. The right questions are open-ended, carry the possibility of true discovery, and demonstrate a willingness to share and bestow credit.

When it comes to the business or church world, as leaders we should not make fairness a priority. That sounds harsh, doesn’t it? In an age of political correctness and tolerance, it seems wrong to admit that some things aren’t fair. But fairness is overrated.

A healthy culture is built with some flexibility in the system. That doesn’t mean it is a free-for-all structure or schedule. There are still expectations and responsibilities, and each department supervisor is responsible for how flexibly his or her team can function.

Have you ever asked the question, “How many hours should I require my staff to work?” or, “Should I make everyone work the same hours?” Hopefully I can provide some food for thought...

Your leaders want influence. They usually have a lot of responsibility over a specific area. They typically feel very trusted to lead, as long as they stay in their lane. They may even get paid well for what they do. But what they desire is an opportunity to influence the entire organization.

Most of us will work most of our lives for someone else. And sometimes we do this in very tough environments. The truth is everyone, at every level, can help build and sustain a healthy culture. Much of this has to do with modeling how to be a great follower.

You don’t get to spike the ball on culture. You can never proclaim your culture a success or stop working on it. If you have human beings working with and for you, then this will be something you work on ad infinitum.