FLS: Week Four
Week Four – The Five Levels of Leadership
Why did you sign up for leadership school?
Hopefully, it’s to grow in your leadership. There is nothing more fulfilling than being an effective leader.
My leadership has helped me be a better husband.
My leadership has helped me be a better parent.
My leadership has helped me be a better innovator and entrepreneur.
My leadership has helped me a better pastor.
My leadership has helped me be a better communicator.
My leadership has helped me be a better organizer.
My leadership has helped me be a better counselor.
My leadership has helped me be a better person.
I see leadership as the hub of the wheel for everything in your life. All your gifts, talents, skills, and education are synthesized, optimized, and made successful by leadership.
For example, let’s say you want to make a cake. You can have flour, but if you don’t have leaven or baking powder in it, the cake will not rise. Leadership is what helps everything in your life rise.
Let’s assess where you are in your growth as a leader by looking at the 5 positions of leadership.
- POSITION LEVEL
They follow you because they are required. Most people think that leadership has to do with position. At this basic level, your influence will not extend beyond the lines of your job description.
Eg: Policeman. His influence is short-lived. He only has it when he is in uniform.
Leadership has little to do with position. It can involve your role in a position, but the position itself will have no lasting influence. Only the person in the position can really influence a person’s destiny.
- PERMISSION LEVEL
They follow you because they want to. People on this level have discovered that you care. Now, they want to find out what you know.
You can’t influence people without loving them.
Q: WHO HAS HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE?
Write down the names of 3 people.
Why did you choose those 3? The answer is relationship.
SOME TIPS:
- Possess a genuine love for people.
- Make those who work with you more successful.
- See through other people’s eyes.
- Love people more than procedures.
- Win.
- Include others in your journey.
- PRODUCTION
People follow you because of what you have done for the organization.
This equates to the level of goals and targets being set and met.
At this level, people start to enjoy being together to work on a project. At this level, team building results start to become obvious.
- PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT
People follow because of what you have done for them.
You win the hearts of people by helping them grow personally.
- PERSONHOOD
- People follow you because of who you are and what you represent.
- Your followers are loyal and sacrificing.
- You have become a statesman/consultant and are sought out by others.
- You have spent years mentoring and molding leaders.
- Your greatest joy comes from watching others grow and develop.
- You transcend the organization.
Few ever make it to this level.
SOME TIPS REGARDING LEADERSHIP:
- The higher you go, the longer it takes.
- The higher you go, the easier it is to lead.
- The higher you go, the greater the growth.
- When you start a new position, you start at level 1.
- You have to go 1 step at a time. You can’t skip steps.
Where are you on this ladder of the 5 levels of leadership?
1. Thinking leaders don’t just listen; they interpret what’s being said and why?
2. Thinking leaders never believe it’s as hard as everyone says it is.
3. Thinking leaders will always save the group over the one. (99 vs 1)
4. Thinking leaders expect people to trust them first before they give out trust.
5. Thinking leaders can learn, unlearn, and relearn. The illiterate of the future are not those who can’t read or write but those who can’t learn, unlearn and relearn.
6. Thinking leaders create special moments for people to bond with their leadership.
e.g. Jesus and his disciples
7. Thinking leaders understand how important their leadership is to minimize people’s insecurities.
e.g. When Moses was gone only 6 weeks, the people got so insecure that they built a golden calf to worship. Without Godly leadership, it only took them 6 weeks to forget God.
8. Thinking leaders find leaders who have, forged by experiences, a strong bond with the church.
e.g. Matthias was chosen for a reason.
Acts 1:21-26
Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism until the day Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. And they prayed, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen to take up this ministry and apostleship, which Judas abandoned to go to his rightful place.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
MANY ARE CALLED FEW ARE CHOSEN.
Think about Matthias. He had to have been there from Jesus’ baptism. He had to have been at the cross, at the feeding of the 5000. There is nothing like someone who is fully bought in, fully engaged, and fully leaning in at home, at work, and at church.
TRAINING VS TEACHING
The difference between teaching and training is knowledge versus competency.
Knowledge makes you think you know.
Competency shows that you know.
Knowledge inflates.
Competency empowers.
e.g. The difference between teaching and training is like comparing a football coach with a school teacher. One deals with knowledge, the other with competency. It doesn’t matter how much you know about football; it only matters if you can play.
e.g. Mirror neurons in the brain appear to let us “simulate,” not just other people’s actions, but the intentions and emotions behind those actions. So, when you see someone smile, your mirror neurons for smiling fire up too. This creates a sensation in your own mind of the feeling associated with smiling.
WHY DID JESUS TRAIN?
Jesus trained to help people rise to the level needed to change their world.
Everything rises and falls on leadership. Leaders are the problem and leaders are the answer.
- TRAINING IS GOD’S METHOD TO REACH THE WORLD
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” ( 2 Timothy 2:2)
The explosive coronation of the church in the book of Acts was no fluke. God had been planning to create a big bang for a long time, but one that would be sustainable. What happened in the book of Acts could have never translated into world change if 12 men hadn’t been trained, if the 70 hadn’t been trained, and if the outer level of Jesus’ leadership team of 500 weren’t trained. Without this, the explosion of energy and power could not have been transformed into anything sustainable.
Let’s look at Jesus’ model for leadership development because we want to follow Jesus at Influencers church.
Jesus’ example of leadership development followed the Jewish model of training.
- The Greek model of training was to study the information that the teacher was giving.
- The Hebrew model of training was to study the trainer and learn from everything he is, not just the words he says.
And Jesus had a clear method of training. It’s found in Matthew…
Stage 1: Matthew 4
- He spends 40 days praying and fasting and then is released into His power ministry. The result is that crowds begin to follow.
- If you’re a leader you will attract a crowd. If you want to know if you have a leadership gift, look behind you and see how many people are following.
Stage 2: Matthew 5-7
- Jesus chooses His disciples and starts to deal with their character. The whole of Matthew 5-7 is really a training time for the disciples as Jesus begins to teach the principles and requirements of His kingdom. Information is important, but putting action behind the information is what turns information into character.
Stage 3: Matthew 8-9
- Jesus then begins to develop the disciples by showing them what to do and how to do it.
Stage 4: Matthew 10
- Jesus releases the disciples and sends them out on their own to minister. This reinforces what He has taught and shown them.
How do we train leadership at Influencers?
- We believe that you all are leaders.
- We create enormous opportunities.
- Whether you want to serve in Alpharetta on a Sunday as a member of the church, be in vocational ministry, or part of a global vision, whatever your passion is, we are interested.
- Quik Trip -> 7-Eleven -> Kroger -> Avalon
- We give you the privilege of serving the Bride of Christ – the Church.
- Leadership is not assessing how someone else does, but how you do. If you see something while serving on a Sunday that seems like it could be better, it probably could and you are probably the one to make it better.
4. We convert the classroom into a field trip.
5. We direct you.
6. We coach you.
7. We support you.
8. We delegate and release responsibility to you.
New Information= New Information
New Information + Action Points + Accountability = transformation.
CYCLE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Rise is so important. Why? Jesus asked us to do 2 things – win lost people and help create fully devoted followers of Jesus.
It is the purpose of something that determines the outcome.
When we combine excellence and community, plus discipleship and evangelism, we are doing the most for God.
We’ve all been a part of big things. We’ve all been a part of small things.
Our purpose is to train people to be like Jesus and to lead their lives and others.
People need small groups that have a purpose and produce relationships.
How we do RISE
The secret is not what you teach but how you teach.
A). Our RISE groups are small in size, 5-7 max.
- Why? This size allows everyone the opportunity to contribute, and relationships are forged.
B). Our RISE groups engage every person in the reading of the material.
- We ask each person to take a turn and read out loud.
C). Our RISE groups stop at a point where we feel the Holy Spirit is stopping us or when people ask questions.
D). Our RISE groups create a call to action at the end of each session.
- This might be memorizing at least 2-3 scriptures over a week. It might be studying a passage of scripture and coming back with revelation (e.g. Ephesians 3 with a revelation about the Church). It could even be praying before every appointment when studying the lesson on keeping your first love.
E) Our RISE groups create positive pressure.
- Follow through on a call to action happens if everyone has to “perform” in front of the group the following week. (e.g. Ask everyone to recite their memorized scripture.)
F) Our RISE groups don’t allow people to miss a week.
- There must be commitment up front otherwise it’s just another class.