5 Critical Challenge Questions for Leaders (Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church)
1. What is your current challenge level at work?
Most employees fall into the upper under challenged/lower appropriately challenged area (see yellow box). People's best work is accomplished when they are working/functioning in the lower third of the dangerously over-challenged level (see red box).
As leaders - are those who work under you being challenged enough? What can you do to bring them up (or down) to the appropriate challenge level?
As employees - what are you doing for yourself? It is your responsibility to get yourself to the appropriate challenge level. If under challenged, create something new, start an initiative, launch a new venture, etc. If over-challenged, get help.
2. What is your plan for dealing with challenging people?
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| The Line Exercise |
As a leader, how long do you tolerate bad attitudes?
As a leader, how long do you tolerate poor performance?
As a leader, how do you tolerate a good/loyal/hardworking employee when the organization outgrows the employees capacity?
Your organization should have a plan, and the plan should be followed, in order to effectively deal with these challenging people.
3. Are you naming, facing, and resolving problems in the organization?
When issues and problems arise, are you identifying them as such, or are you calling them something else besides problems? Call the issue/problem what it is, do not try to run or hide from it, face the problem and resolve it.
4. When was the last time you re-examined the core of your organizations purpose?
Do you remember why you do the work you do? Do you know what your organization exists for?
List five things that your organization is about (without using terms associated with your industry). Working through this exercise, will help bring you back to the core purpose of your organization.
5. When was the last time your leadership bell was rung?
What was the last book you read, or conference that you attended, or interaction with other leaders that you had that made you see something new, or gain a new view of your leadership? If your leadership is lagging, perhaps it is time to seek out a "bell ringing" opportunity.
All the Money in the World: This is a very interesting read. It tells of the people whose names have made it on the Forbes 400 list of richest people. It is separated into three categories, "how they make their money", "how they keep their money", "how they spend their money". I highly recommend this book, as it is very informative, and offers a glimpse into a life that few of us know.
A Painted House, by John Grisham: An exceptionally written, coming of age story (no law involved). This is the story of a summer (set in the '50's) in the life of a cotton farm family. Although this is an excellent story, I more prefer stories with a conflict that end in a resolution. This story just kind of ends, with nothing to really be resolved, just telling a story about something that happened.
Pagan Christianity, by Frank Viola: I highly recommend this book for anyone involved in a church. Frank Viola [reimaginingchurch blog] goes into great detail describing how the way we do church, the church traditions, is taken, not from the Bible, but from various pagan practices that have been adopted (under false scriptural pretense) into the church. His solution is to do church according to the New Testament, believers meeting together in homes, sharing one anothers needs. I highly recommend this book as it has the power to change your church, and deepen your relationship with God.
Harvest, by Chuck Smith: This is the story of the Calvary Chapel church movement. This book tells the story of several Calvary Chapel pastors, their past, where they came from (the sin that God delivered them from), and how God is using them today. Profiles include Greg Laurie, John Courson, Raul Ries, Jeff Johnson, Skip Heitzig, Mike Macintosh, and more.
Eat Mor Chicken, Inspire More People, by Truett Cathy: What make Chik-fil-a such an exceptional business? The secret is out with this book. Truett Cathy's principals for starting and running his Chik-fil-a restaurants can, and should, be applied to your business, ministry, or personal life. I highly recommend this book for those that want to achieve the next level of success in their work/life.
You Were Born Rich, by Bob Proctor: A self-help guide on being wealthy and successful. This books have some value, some of the principals are good principals for personal/business growth. However, there is more to life that one needs in order to have true wealth and success, the missing ingredient from these types of books is always, Jesus Christ.
Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham, by Harold Myra: Great book for leaders. This book outlines the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) success, the principals that make Billy Graham a great leader, and how you can lead the same way. This is a must read for leaders in ministry.
The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas Stanley: Loaded with facts and statistics on wealth (obtaining it, keeping it, investing it, giving it, spending it). This book talks about how the people who are the most wealthy often do not appear to be so, they are typical normal people in a normal neighborhood. The so-called wealthy living in the extravagant house, in the gated community, driving the luxurious automobile, wearing thousand dollar suits, are often not truly wealthy. These type of people spend all they get, while, in order to be truly wealthy (monetary worth), money must be saved and properly invested. Interesting read on the wealthy.
Plague Maker, by Tim Downs: This is a fiction book, some parts based on actual events. The premise of the story is that a Japanese man has created a plague and plans to spread it to kill all Americans. The story incorporates actual events from World War 2, including a bio-chem organization known as Unit 731, and the dropping of the atomic bomb. This is a good fiction/suspense/thriller novel.
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