“The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.” – John C Maxwell

We have to do a better job at our church in developing leaders. This week’s posts are more about what we could be doing better rather than what we are doing right!

When I feel like there is an area of my game that needs to grow I start looking around for other people that are doing it well and try to learn from them.  Sometimes I’ll call them up and ask them for 15 minutes of their time to pick their brain . . . sometimes I’ll just track them from a far.

Today I want you to take a look at three different leadership development approaches that I’m tracking.  I’ve been wondering about what we can learn from these approaches and how we can apply their lessons to the local church.

This post is about looking through the links and trying to frame up your thoughts on how that might apply to leadership development at your church.  The post is just the entry way to the real content.

University of the People [Link] – The promise is a big one . . . tuition free online university.  Universally accessible full programs from qualified instructors!  Adults learn what they believe they need to learn.  Providing an online platform of development opportunities that our people could access at any time would allow people to learn at their own pace.  Want to brush up on dealing with tough leading a tough life group? . . . take this three part online class . . . delivered to your email box over a the next three weeks . . .  with video and activities to try.  Empowering our people to get in the driver’s seat of their development is a powerful idea.  How can we harness that?

The Leadership Studio [Link] – Muskoka Woods is a resort in the midst of one of the most beautiful areas in Canada.  (Declaring my conflict of interest on all things Canadian!)  Last year they launched a new leadership development studio focused on adventure based learning approaches.  What if we took our people away to an incredibly beautiful location and got them out of their comfort zone through Dog Sledding or Training as a Fire Fighter or even feeling what it’s like to be in the pit crew at a Nascar race?  Then we would use that as a backdrop to talk about leading within our environment.  Taking leadership development out of the “classroom paradigm” and getting it into an experiential space would propel the learning to a whole new level . . . and make great photos for facebook!  😉

Life Coach Movement [Link 1] [Link 2] – The whole life coaching trend is booming . . . it’s hard to deny that.  Executives are looking for outside help to navigate the waters of decision making and political intricacies.  People are looking for a trusted advisor to help steer through life.  What if our church assigned all our leaders a “life coach” that would meet with leaders on a monthly basis . . . either over the phone or in person . . . and helped provide some next steps direction in their development.  (I know this sounds like mentoring!)  The person being coached would provide some direction on the sort of growth they are looking to get out of the relationship.  The coaches role is to try to help that individual grow towards those goals.   It’s like a concierge service for personal development.

Did any of those approaches to leadership intrigue you enough into action?  As I look to the future, I want to craft a new approach from my teams that leverages the lessons learned from these approaches for my people.

On Friday I’m going to take some time to look at some of the self leadership development I am doing this year . . . plus I’d love to hear how you are growing in your leadership this year!