Leadership

Develop Your Leadership Effectiveness (4)

Life-long learners constantly cycle through a developmental process to sharpen their leadership skills. It may be intuitive or it may be intentional. But the 6 steps they follow are real:

 LEARN-EMPOWER-ASSESS-DECIDE-EVALUATE-REVIEW

The fourth step in the leadership developmental process is DECIDE: know how and what to measure to ensure the vision, the goals and the team member’s contributions are on track.

Goals can be measured in four key areas:

  1. Quality
  2. Quantity
  3. Cost
  4. Timeliness

I’ve had very similar conversations in both the business and ministry context. It seems to come down to this – You measure, what matters!  Quantitative data is the easier to come by.  For example, the number of bodies on seats each Sunday.  Cost and time are concrete.

Qualitative measures are a bit more complicated to track; but can be done.  Bottom line, effective leaders track the measures that are the best indicators of, or lack of, progress against the goal. In their book The 4 Disciplines of Execution the authors introduce Wildly Important Goals (WIGs). From their experience, the challenge comes not to create the goal; but when the team executes the plan to reach the goal! To support leaders, the authors break down Wildly Important Goals (WIGS) into Lead and Lag Measures.

 Lead Measures are focused on the outcomes you are aiming for in the WIG – these are:

  • Predictable – if you accomplish this, then you can expect certain results (“this” then “that”).
  • Influenceable – something you can influence.

A good Lead Measure might be: Increase the giving by 20% over the next 12 months

Lag Measures are focused on one of the following:

  • the goal OR
  • measurement of result.

A good Lag Measure might be: Quarterly Review of Giving.

I’ve found it extremely helpful to distinguish between Lead and Lag Measures when coaching leaders. The exercise helps clarify what they are aiming at in their WIG and understand the strategic activities a team must execute to reach their goal.  Here are five questions for you to use as you coach and empower the leaders around you!

 5 Questions for Your Reflection:

  1. What is your WIG?
  2. Which are Lead Measures?
  3. Which are Lag Measures?
  4. How will you gather the data?
  5. When was the last time you assessed your teams Wildly Important Goals (WIGS)?

Deciding is an important step in the Leadership Development Process. But Deciding in itself is not enough. In fact, going to a workshop, listening to a podcast or even receiving a degree in leadership does not guarantee a person can lead. I’ve found that many people have knowledge but lack the experience of actually leading a team. Applying the knowledge and learning from success, as well as failure is critical in the developmental process.

The next step in the journey to develop as a leader is – Evaluate the performance of the team as well as the individual members of the team. I will address this in the next blog.

 

Colin is the Directory of ResourceZone International.  He has 30 years of ministry experience as a pastor, college lecturer and consultant/coach to consultants, denominational leaders and local church pastors.  he can be reached at info@resourcezone.com.au

 

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