Every leader needs a safe place to vent. Cultivate that. But do that intentionally.
Have a small team around you where you can solve your problems and talk honestly. Sometimes that’s a few people on the governing board or the top leaders around you. Or it might be a colleague from another town.
Two rules of thumb:
Make sure the number of people in that circle can be counted on one hand. Otherwise, it’s gossip and can quickly become unhelpful.
Focus the conversation on solutions, not problems. Otherwise, things will become destructive, not constructive.
If you don’t have a small circle of trusted people with whom you can solve problems, your frustration will leak out all over and do damage that can be difficult or impossible to repair.
Never complain about the team to the team if you want a great team.
5. AT LEAST WE’RE DOING BETTER THAN _____.
If that’s your standard, get a new standard.
Please.
6. MY PEOPLE WON’T LET ME…
I hear this all the time:
My people won’t let me spend money on leadership coaching.
My people won’t let me change the way we do music.
My people won’t allow us to consider that kind of ministry.
Your people won’t let you? Really?
