Ron Edmondson

I’ve sent a few teasers out via social media, but I can officially say I’m launching a podcast. I couldn’t come up with a creative name, so it’s officially The Ron Edmondson Leadership Podcast. Catchy, huh?

I’ll be posting new episodes on this blog and I am also excited to be a part of the Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network. So, you’ll see some publicity about it there also.

Here are 3 Reasons I’m Launching a Leadership Podcast:

A new way to share my existing content. If you have followed this blog, you know I have lots of intellectual property here. People can usually ask me any leadership question and I have written something close to addressing the issue. Podcasting will allow me a way to further use what I have learned and am experience in leadership, but in a different format.

Practical help for leaders. People tell me they like my stuff, because I make it easy to apply. I hope so. I realize some people like longer posts (and would prefer longer podcasts – this one will not be long), but some like the quick, to the point ideas I provide. That’s the way I think and apparently others think so too.

Every episode we will address a specific problem and we will talk practically about how I would approach the issue. I’ll use tons of real life examples.

Hang-time with my son. In every episode, my youngest son Nate will be the host and interviewer. He provides the technical ability to record that I simply don’t have. He understands me, knows many of the stories, and can bring out of me what I may have forgotten. But Nate also brings his own level of expertise. He’s served in some really good leadership roles for his age and done some really hard things. I personally think he’s one of the best leaders I know. (And yes, I’m biased.)

We are working out some of the technical issues, but we have a good backlog already recorded. Stay tuned! And please listen, like, review (positively) and share.

I have learned over the years – many times when I’m not up to par in my leadership or life – it’s simply because I’m tired. Recognizing this is paramount to maintaining productivity and for preventing burnout.

This has been truer in 2020 than any time in my career.

When I’m tired:

I become irrational about the flaws in others,

There is difficulty concentrating.

I display less patience and get frustrated easily.

My work is less effective.

Leadership suffers.

Our team suffers.

Here are 7 remedies I’ve discovered:

Take a nap (Some think you should take one everyday.)

Exercise (My adrenaline and energy grows when I sweat.)

Change perspective – Read a book, watch or listen to something other than where I’m currently working. (It can even simply be entertaining.)

Engage with motivating people. (There are people who naturally fuel others by their presence.)

Take extended time away from my work. (The busier the season the more I need to discipline myself to get away and rest.)

Evaluate my priorities – freeing myself for what’s most important. (We can easily get captivated by things of lesser importance which drain our energy.)

Call it a day and prepare for another day. (There have been days it is just best to go home and start over the next day.)

Sometimes things, which at the time seem unproductive, actually end up being among the most productive. I’ve learned I’m not very helpful to the team when I’m extremely tired. Addressing it quickly makes me a better leader. Things aren’t likely to improve until I improve.

Many leaders try to operate from an exhausted position and never realize they are the problem on the team.

Leader, be aware when you are the problem.

Don’t be afraid to admit you’re tired, leader. Most likely the team already knows it.

If a church or organization is to grow it must find new volunteer leaders. 

Of course, equally vital is the quality of leaders being discovered. Good leaders learn to look for qualities in people which are conducive to good leadership. If you want to have a culture which reproduces leaders, read THIS POST first.

But where do you find these people who can be future servant leaders?

I find it helps to look for certain qualities, which all good leaders need or qualities which, consistently over time, seem to make good leaders. Of course, in context of the church, the Bible gives us clear guidance in selecting senior leaders. But my church is always in need of new leaders – from the parking lot to the hallways every Sunday.

Where do we find a continual pool of new leaders?

The following are traits I look for in leaders I hope to develop or with whom I want to work.

10 valuable traits when looking to find new volunteer leaders:

Concern/Love for others 

You can’t lead people effectively if you don’t genuinely love them. I’ve seen people in positions who have great power, but they don’t appear to love others. These leaders often produce followers, but they never reproduce leaders.

Not a complainer 

Candidly, leadership encounters complainers regardless of what we do. I certainly don’t want to add complainers to my team of leaders. A positive attitude will get my attention every time.

Teachable and open to suggestions 

A person who thinks they have all the answers will repel other leaders. People with no desire to keep learning rarely find their place on my team of leaders.

Excellence in following 

This is a biggie for me. I try to follow people I lead, because there are times they know more than I do. Someone who isn’t willing to follow is seldom ready to lead.

Reliability 

Leadership is about trust. Trust is developed over time and consistency by doing what you said you would do. I look for people with this quality.

Interest 

The people with a burning passion for the church often make great leaders. You can train someone to lead others, but you can’t train them to have interest.

Good character 

Character counts. Not perfection. Not flawless. But good character is necessary to be trusted on a team. A humble desire to always be improving as a person of integrity – this kind of character.

Potential 

God always saw potential in others they themselves couldn’t see. I try to have eyes to see potential in people.

Confidence 

Leaders have to move forward when others are ready to retreat. This takes confidence. Not being prideful, but a genuine willingness to lead through the hard times – to do what others aren’t willing to do.

People skills 

This goes without saying, but you can’t lead people if you can’t communicate with people. You don’t have to be the life of the party (I’m a strong Introvert), but you do have to be able to engage people and make them feel a part of things.

Those are some traits I look for to find new volunteer leaders. Do you have other traits you look for in recruiting leaders?

Good leaders are appreciative of the people they lead. I must admit, I’m not naturally wired for this. Truth is, I can be guilty of expecting too much from people. I don’t always feel the need to acknowledge “normal” work people do – especially when they are being paid to do it.

All of us enjoy hearing we did a good job. Some people are even fueled by it. So, I’ve learned that offering praise is a necessary part of a leader’s responsibility. We should all do it whether we are wired to or not.

Here are 7 tips for a leader to praise their team:

Be specific

Tell the person in specific rather than general terms what he or she did well. Make sure they know where they are excelling.

Be honest

Make it genuine. False praise is easily recognized and seldom appreciated.

Be intentional 

Some of us have to discipline this into our leadership. That’s okay. It’s worth it. Don’t assume the person receives enough praise. (I try to observe and intentionally praise at least 2 or 3 people per week among staff and volunteers.)

Be timely

People shouldn’t have to wait long after a job is done well to receive praise for it. 

Be creative

Find unique ways to offer praise. Send a handwritten note. Give an extra day off. Recognize them in front of others. And, of course, don’t forget the personal, face-to-face approach. 

Be unique

Don’t say the same thing everyone else is saying or the same thing to every person. Find the thing or aspect to praise that no one else has noted.

Be helpful 

Offer praise which helps the person recognize strengths and encourages them in that area.

It does take intentionality to be an appreciative leader. Our staff would probably tell you I have much work to do. I would have to agree with them. But I do recognize the value and keep striving to improve.

Do you ever struggle to keep the keep the leaders on your team motivated? How do you motivate a leader?

Certainly, you want the maximum potential out of the team. You want their best contributions to your team. Learning how to motivate leaders on your team is a critical step in leading well.

It may not be as difficult as you may think. Most leader-types share some common traits. They may lead entirely different – they may have different causes and interests, but most leaders are motivated by similar influences.

7 ways to motivate leaders on your team:

Give them a challenge to meet

If you tell a leader it “can’t be done” expect to see some motivation accelerate. Most leaders love to strive for the impossible. Give them something that seems out of their reach and you are likely to get them on board.

Celebrate results

When leaders celebrate a win, it fuels their desire for another. Leaders thrive on accomplishment. Something in the DNA of a leader loves to win.

Share enthusiasm

Paint an exciting and compelling vision and you’ve likely got a leader’s attention. (This is also why you have to continually repeat the vision.)

Involve some risk

Tell a leader something is “risky” and he or she may be motivated to attempt it. Leaders love a challenge. In fact, one way to tell the difference in a potential good leader and a good manager (we need both) is the amount of risk they are willing to assume.

Embrace change

Leaders, by definition, are creators of movement. When things get stale, throw a little change in the mix and a leader has a new incentive to lead. When a leader gets too comfortable they get bored. They’d often rather live with drama than staleness or routine.

Invite chaos 

It sounds strange, but even a little controversy or conflict can fuel a leader. When the situation is overwhelming a leader goes to work. Leaders love to fix things – improve them – make things better. It may even be messy along the way. (Which is also why every good leader needs a good manager.)

Have big dreams

Leaders are visionary. They want to accomplish something bigger than today. The bigger the dream, the bigger the motivation for the leader.

In my opinion, it is useless to have leaders on your team if you don’t lead them lead or use them to their full potential. If you want to get the most out of a leader – you have to learn how to motivate them and keep them motivated.

Are you a leader? Which of these motivate you most?

The first few years of church revitalization were hard. I’ve told people they were some of the hardest years of my career. I had to learn how to remain sane.

But we survived.

And even thrived. Now I have the opportunity to speak to thousands of pastors attempting revitalization.

I have learned there may be a few secrets to lasting through the hard days of revitalization.

7 secrets to staying sane in church revitilization:

Dogmatically protect your time.

Established churches will eat your calendar if you’re not intentional. I needed to focus my energies in a few key places. There will always be interruptions, but I needed sufficient time to plan, meditate on Scriptures, and prepare for Sunday.

Someone else controls my calendar.

It is easier for someone else to say no. And no was said a lot. In order to be strategic, I had to control my calendar if it wasn’t an emergency and delegate all that I could to other staff members.

(I realize some pastors don’t have staff to rely on like I did, but many of the requests I received could have also been handled by a volunteer.)

Don’t cower to the few bullies.

There are always a few people who will try to derail anything positive taking place. Most people don’t like change, especially if it makes them personally uncomfortable. But you can’t allow a few people to dictate the direction of the church.

Save encouragements.

In my experience, people complain more fluently than they take the time to encourage. So, I have a file to save encouraging notes and emails. This was incredibly helpful in days where there seemed to be more negativity. Reading through this file reminded me there are people who supported us.

Pick battles carefully.

Some things are simply not worth the fight. Plus, I didn’t want to steal the culture from the church in the process of revitalizing it. Not everything needed changing and some things I could live with even if they never did.

Pace myself.

We couldn’t do everything at once. I tried to focus on no more than two or three major objectives at a time. We took up to a year to make most of the major changes. Staying sane in church revitalization requires a long term approach.

Slip away frequently.

I knew going in I wanted to protect my marriage and my heart. During the busiest and most stressful seasons, Cheryl and I took more time away – not less. I was working plenty, but I knew we needed this time. These times refueled me to continue the journey.

Here’s to you staying sane in church revitalization. If I can help you through my coaching or consulting ministry, please let me know.