How To Use a Simple Tuning Fork to Drive Organizational Clarity

As a leader, one of the most under-rated instruments in your toolbox is a simple tuning fork. You might not carry the actual instrument with you, but I’ve learned that watching for “tuning fork moments” can be a crucial leadership tool. I learned this in conversation with a teammate who didn’t seem to understand the…

How Mile-Markers Add Traction to Vision

Originally posted March 1, 2011 A recent post by Seth Godin contains a nugget that could add rocket-fuel to church leaders across Canada casting vision to those they lead. In his brief, but insightful post, Godin wrote: A powerful marketing tactic: tell me exactly when I’m going to get it. “This project will be done…

Why Fast Agreement Raises a Caution Flag

Originally posted November 22, 2011 Your biggest obstacle might be the person who agrees with everything you say. If you’ve been around leadership circles for any length of time, you’ve no doubt experienced this phenomenon for yourself. The scenario might go something like this. You’re in a leadership meeting where you present an idea for…

How to Bring Clarity Through Tuning-Fork Leadership

Take a minute and ask yourself these questions: Is everyone in the organization clear on our overall direction? Is everyone clear on our highest present priorities? Does everyone see how their contribution fits into the big picture? If any of these questions cause your leadership alarm bells to go off, it might be time for…

Why Leaders Need to Think Beyond the Group

In any organization one of the most potent threats to clear, effective leadership can be “groupthink”. And perhaps no organization is more susceptible to groupthink than the local church. The term and concept was coined in the early ’70s by social psychologist Irving Janis, and refers to what can happen when judgment is short-circuited through…