**Disclaimer**
This is not an original thought or thoughts.
These are six questions that every leader should ask, according to Andy Stanley.
1. Who needs to be sitting at the table?
Are your people there capable of making the decisions your organization/church needs? Are they making a decision about a group/department/etc. that no one has any personal involvement with? Do they represent the group as a whole? The county, the church, the community, etc.
2. Where are you manufacturing energy?
Are you creating excitement that's not there? See in a lot of churches we have this radical idea that more programs will create more attendance/visitors/etc. We manufacture all this energy with a if you build, they will come mentality. (that's for you, MJ) That's not the fact. We shouldn't have to manufacture energy. If we are pushing ourselves to do things for the sake of doing them and no one wants it, then why are we doing it?
3. Where do you make the greatest contribution to the organization?
Think about that. Where do you actually make the best contribution? Are you a faithful musician that knows the songs, the chords, the spirit of worship? Are you a Sunday School teacher that is faithful in that task? What do you do?
Also, Andy Stanley said that as organizations grow, the leaders should do less! What a novel concept! Think about it. The more you grow the more workers there are to labor together. You shouldn't continue to take all the burden upon yourself because God has sent you people to help.
In our churches, we have to stop taking it all. We have to train people up to carry the mantle AND ACTUALLY GIVE THEM THE MANTLE!!!!
4. Who is not keeping up?
Andy Stanley says that sometimes people just can't keep up. They were fine when your church or organization was going at 40pmh but struggle to keep up at 60mph. It's part of it. BUT, there is no such thing as a non-essential person. Those people that can't keep up doesn't mean that they can't be of use or help. Maybe they just need to refocus, reassign, or find another function in the body. It's okay.
5. What have you fallen in love with that's no longer the best way to________?
Worship. Reach the lost. Welcome visitors. Insert whatever it may be.
You can also say, "What have we become accustomed to that's no longer...."
"What have we enjoyed that's no longer..."
Think about it. We may love the fact of what we are doing, but is it working? It may be great, but if it's for ritual and tradition rather than function and purpose it may be time to re-evaluate.
6. What would a great leader do?
When you are determining how or what to do, ask yourself what would a great leader do? Think like the great leaders of the past do? How would they think about this?
I think that these 6 questions that Andy Stanley poses are absolutely amazing. This is on point for leaders. To hear it straight from the horse's mouth checkout his podcast here:
Six questions every leader should ask by Andy Stanley.
