Month: December 2020

December 23, 2020

In the last issue we looked at the second action of the The Serving Leader Model^TM*, Raise the Bar, and examined how Jesus clarified values to His disciples. Jesus also clearly Blazed the Trail as He modeled for His disciples how their success would be measured.

⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹⁶ “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” ¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” ¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:-11, 16-24).

Jesus clarified what success would look like on His team. He taught them to be successful and removed obstacles that would hinder their ultimate success. He Blazed the Trail for His followers and shows serving leaders how to do the same. 

Serving leaders clarify success with communication.

Jesus sent His team out with clear communication about the way success would be measured. Their mission was to proclaim the message He had given them. But their success would be tied to the great purpose or vision which He had shared with them, that workers would be raised up for the “harvest field.” He now tied their success to the accomplishment of that great purpose. He is clear that some would welcome their message and others would reject it. Their success was not tied to the responses. When they came back from their work and attributed success to the miracles accomplished, Jesus reminds them that their success is only tied to their names being written in heaven.

Serving leaders find a way to communicate clearly what success will look like on their team. It may be sales targets, transformed lives, new attendees or customers. Whatever the measurement, serving leaders communicate clearly what success looks like and what it is not! And they always tie success to their great purpose.

Serving leaders coach for success by teaching.

Jesus didn’t simply clarify what success would look like, He provided practical teaching for His team that helped them be successful. He instructed them about the message they were to share and gave them specific instructions. He wanted them to succeed and coached them.

Serving leaders provide the training and coaching that is needed for their team to reach success. They serve others by teaching which sets their team up for success.

Serving leaders compound success by removing obstacles. 

Jesus knew there would be problems on the road to success. So, He removed the obstacle of rejection by telling the disciples to expect it! He removed the obstacle of pride when they returned full of joy with what they had done. He reminded them that their success was not measured in the outcomes but in their relationship to Him.

Serving leaders anticipate problems on their team and remove them. They find ways to help deal with unexpected obstacles so their team can succeed.  

Serving leaders recognize that their success comes when those they lead succeed. So they focus on clarifying how success is measured and train and coach for success. And they remove obstacles along the way. They blaze the trail!

For further reflection and discussion:

• Read the entire passage of Jesus sending out the 72 disciples in Luke 10:1-24.  Reflect on what He was doing as a leader and how it demonstrates Blazing the Trail by clarifying success, teaching for success and removing obstacles to success.      
• Does my team understand clearly what success looks like? Have I communicated clearly how success is defined by our great purpose? Does my team know what standards do not measure success?
• What have I done to coach my team for success? Are there specific areas on which I need to plan more training for them? When will I do this?
• What obstacles to success does my team face? What have I done to remove these obstacles? Are there systems or regulations that are wasting time and energy on my team? What can I do to remove these?

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

In the next issue, we’ll examine how Jesus built on strength as He sent His disciples.

Copyright, Center for Serving Leadership 2020. 

*The Serving Leader Model^TM, was developed by Dr. John Stalh-Wert, author of “The Serving Leader.” See www.CenterForServingLeadership.com for more information.       

December 9, 2020

In the last issue we looked at the first action of the The Serving Leader Model^TM*,Run to Great Purpose, which determines our vision or why we lead.  In addition, effective leaders raise the bar for those who follow by identifying the values that guide their work. They call everyone to behave in ways that align with those values. Jesus did the same with His disciples when He sent them out.

³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. ⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. ⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. (Luke 10:3-24).

Here Jesus models the second action, Raise the Bar, by identifying the values He wanted to instill in His disciples. Serving leaders learn from His example how values shape their leadership. 

Values shape the methods of our work.

Jesus gave detailed instructions about how the disciples were to go. “Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road….Do not move around from house to house.” He called them to keep things simple, to focus clearly on the task, and to remain consistent. As He provided these instructions, He was sharing with them the values that were important to Him. If He would have used a bulletin board to post the values of His team it might have said, “We value simplicity, focus, and consistency.”

The vision or great purpose determines why we lead while values define how we lead. Serving leaders identify and define the core values for their teams. They may include the team as a part of this process, but they don’t delegate the responsibility to clarify what values are most critical.

Values shape the message of our work.

Jesus was clear about the message He wanted His disciples to carry to the villages they would visit. He called them to proclaim the message, “The kingdom of God has come near you.” This was the message that would help accomplish the great purpose. Jesus wanted His followers to share a message that reflected their values. This alignment allowed the disciples to authentically carry the message they were tasked to convey.

Serving leaders work hard to make sure that the message they value is communicated clearly and frequently throughout the organization. They check often to make sure that the message, values and great purpose are closely aligned.  

Values shape the models for our work. Jesus provides illustrations of two types of persons who would receive His disciples–one welcomed them, and one rejected them. Why did Jesus provide these models? He wanted to reinforce His values in the stories He told and the models He provided. He wanted His disciples to understand how their values would be lived out in the real world and what it could cost them to be faithful to their values.

Serving leaders carefully choose their models. They share stories and recognize behaviors on their team that reflect their values. Where they find gaps, they correct and coach to bring alignment with the values. They raise the bar by clarifying and implementing values.   

For further reflection and discussion:

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

In the next issue, we’ll look at how Jesus blazed the trail as He sent His disciples.  

Copyright, Center for Serving Leadership 2020. 

*The Serving Leader Model^TM, was developed by Dr. John Stalh-Wert, author of “The Serving Leader.” See www.CenterForServingLeadership.com for more information.       

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Effective leaders raise the bar for those who follow by identifying the values that guide their work. They call everyone to behave in ways that align with those values.

The vision or great purpose determines why we lead while values define how we lead. Serving leaders identify and define the core values for their teams.

Serving leaders don’t delegate the responsibility to clarify what values are most critical.

Serving leaders work hard to make sure that the message they value is communicated clearly and frequently throughout the organization. They check often to make sure that the message, values and great purpose are closely aligned.  

Serving leaders carefully choose their models. They share stories and recognize behaviors on their team that reflect their values.

Where serving leaders find gaps between values and practice, they correct and coach to bring alignment with the values. They raise the bar by clarifying and implementing values.