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3 Tools That Makes Me More Productive

I use several tools that help me be more productive (In fact, I have an entire resource on how to be a productive leader).

Here's 3 of them: 

#1 - Omnifocus - this is way more than a program for adding "to do" list items. This was build around David Allen's "Getting Things Done" System. I have it on my Mac, my iPhone and iPad. They all sync, so I always know what I need to get done no matter where I am. Our whole office is on Omnifocus. 

#2 - Text Expander - This program allows you to create shortcuts so you don't have to type the same thing over and over again. I have a shortcut for our church's address, my email salutation and title, and info that I type every week. This saves me hours every month. In fact, Text Expander will keep track of how much time it has saved you. The cool thing is, you can download a free trial here.

#3 - Dropbox - This is the best way to share large files. You should get an account. You'll use it more than you realize. 

There's more stuff I use, but these are the tools that I get the most mileage out of. 

 

The Most Important Factor in Developing Leaders

Leadership development is one of the most rewarding things a leader gets to be part of. It's amazing to see someone go from infancy in Christ to maturity. But the challenge of developing leaders to make sure that responsibility is increased as the level of commitment goes up. 

I'm not interested in creating a culture where leaders just sit in meetings and talk. I want a culture where leaders are actually leading! To ensure this, you must give up and coming leaders responsibility and ownership as the level of commitment is increased. 

If you don't, you will simply create an avenue for people to just listen to leadership principles being taught. I want our leaders to put these principles into practice. 

Here's the reality: increased responsibility means young leaders are going to make mistakes. It means they aren't going to do things exactly the way you would.

There's no microwave option for developing a leader. It takes time, investment, and giving them opportunities to grow and even fail a time or two. 

However, if you continually challenge them at each new step, you'll see men and women who will shine in time and lead to levels you never thought possible.  

My entire newest resource, "The Leadership Pipeline: Developing Great Leaders at All Levels" gives you all the tools you need to develop a leadership system in your church. You can pick the CD version here or the mp3 version here. Plus, use the coupon code pipeline to get $50 off! (The coupon code is good for this week only).

Wisdom from the Atari 2600 Creator...

"The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It's as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer." — Nolan Bushnell: Founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's

Why Do Churches Experience a Leadership Drought?

The number 1 reason churches experience a drought in the area of leadership development is they haven't laid out a plan or system that raises up leaders at every level of the church. Because there is no system in place, leadership development gets put on the back burner due to other pressing issues. 

Here's what I tell the Pastors that I coach: leadership development is isn't difficult to do. The challenge is, it's also not difficult to neglect it as well. 

Leadership development doesn't scream for your attention. Most people aren't going to walk up to you and say, "Hi, please develop me as a leader." 

Here's the most challenging part of all of this: not developing leaders probably won't hurt you this week. It may not even bite you next week. But 3-6 months from now, you'll wish you invested in those in your church that have potential to lead. But if you didn't, your church's growth and development will suffer because a church can never grow larger than the foundation can handle. 

Here's the bottom line: The leaders you invest in today make growth for your church possible tomorrow. 

My entire newest resource, "The Leadership Pipeline: Developing Great Leaders at All Levels" gives you all the tools you need to develop a leadership system in your church. You can pick the CD version here or the mp3 version here. Plus, use the coupon code pipeline to get $50 off! (The coupon code if for this week only).

Success according to Marshall Fields...

Marshall Field’s “10 guidelines for success”:

1. Don’t waste time.
2. Never give up.
3. Don’t be a lazy person.
4. Keep things simple.
5. Honesty is not just the best policy; it should be your only policy.
6. Always show consideration for others.
7. Assume responsibility.
8. Be careful with your money – and all your other valuable resources (time, goodwill).
9. Remain patient at all times.
10. Hone your talents and skills.

Front Load your Week

One of the productivity principles I live by is to front load my week.  That means I try to book as much as possible into the early part of my week so I'm not crammed late in the week.  

My goal is to be done with my message by Wednesday afternoon. That gives me time to think it over and make the appropriate changes on Thursday and Friday.  

If I started working on the my message on Thursday, there's very little time to make course corrections. 

That's why I like getting my meetings out of the way on Monday so I can focus on other things for the rest of the week. Plus, if you wait until Thursday to have your meetings, any decisions you make won't get started on until next week.  

For 24 productivity principles that will double the amount of work you get done, check out our resource, "The Productive Leader" by clicking here. 

Half Time

It's July 1st. That means 2010 is 50% done.  

The good news is that 2010 still has 50% to go.  

So put together a plan that allows you to reach your goals.  

6 months is plenty of time to accomplish many goals. 

It's halftime. So take a breath, focus on what you want to accomplish, and go for it! 

P.S. If you want a resource that can help you get more done, pick up our resource "The Productive Leader". In fact, use the coupon code july4 to get 30% off.

Investing in Others

The main reason I do coaching is because I love Pastors and helping another leader brings me a great amount of joy. 

The other reason I invest in other Pastors is because it makes me a better leader. It's a weird equation, but the more I invest in other leaders, the more I improve in my own leadership. 

I believe that's a principle that's true for all of us as leaders. The more we invest in other leaders, the more our own leadership improves. 

So take that Pastor out to lunch, return that email from a church leader across town, and coach that church planter. What you'll find is that you're becoming a better leader in the process. 

M&M's and Leadership

If you haven't seen this article yet, it's from the guys who wrote "Made to Stick" (a book I highly recommend to any communicator). 

It's about seeing little things that reveal bigger problems.  

Here's the link. Take 5 minutes and read it. You'll thank me later. (Plus, if you like Van Halen, it's a cool insight into their world in the 1980's).  

Theorists

I enjoy reading books by theorists. Their views on society and cultural changes are extremely helpful. 

Yet here's where we need to be careful. Beware of theorists posing as practitioners. I have no time for a theorist telling me how to run Calvary Fellowship. Why? Because they've never done it. 

Honestly, I sick of guys writing books about how to "do church" who have never actually done it. Or, they pastored a church, left, and then wrote a book about how everything needs to be different. 

With all due respect, It would be a much greater service to the body of Christ if they simply showed us what to do by modeling it for us. 

Unfortunately, that's a lot harder than writing. (Rant over)