It Begins With a Wheel

If you're going to talk about bicycles, you had better start with the wheel. The wheel is the most crucial element of the bicycle: it allows the rider to roll over the ground with great speed and efficiency. A bicycle wheel needs to be able to handle a variety of forces. Besides holding up the weight of the cyclist, a wheel must withstand the forces of pedaling and braking and the jarring effects of the road surface. The resistance to the motion of a wheel can vary tremendously depending on the surface on which it is traveling. The treads of bike tires can affect performance.

Even the earliest bicycles used spokes of one sort or another. A spoked wheel can be made as strong as a solid one and have only a fraction of the weight. It's easy to think of the spokes as columns supporting the wheel and helping it retain its shape. But, the "support" that the wheel receives is created by pulling the spokes towards the center of the wheel (tension) rather than pushing out from the center (compression).

Many aspects of the wheel make it crucial for the success of a bicycle. But this isn't about bicycles so much as it is the leadership you provide to the organization you lead.

What's your leadership "wheel?" There's a lot of right answers to this question, so you will have to figure it out for yourself. Here's my suggestion:

Trust.

Trust is the foundation of leadership. To build trust, a leader must exemplify these qualities: character, competence, and chemistry (Bill Hybels). In order to develop these qualities, Posner and Kouzes have suggested six disciplines of credibility or trust:

1. Discovering your self
2. Appreciating constituents
3. Affirming shared values
4. Developing capacity
5. Serving a purpose
6. Sustaining hope

Leadership exists only in the eyes of those who follow you - are your "wheels" on right?

The Physics of Cycling...

...or, what cycling is teaching me about leadership.

I'm heading into the final two weeks of preparation for my 6th annual 24 Hours of Booty charity ride. I'll being joined by over 1,200 cyclists as we ride the 3 mile "Booty Loop" in the Queens College area of Charlotte. It's a lot of fun, it's for a good cause, and it's become a tradition unto itself - the ride usually sells out in a couple of weeks each January. If you're interested, here is my personal web page at the 24 HofB site. You can find out anything you want to know about the ride, and if you're  so inclined, you can even make a donation to my efforts! But I digress...

Normally, I prepare for rides like this and other distance events by long, repetitive hours of time in the saddle. I'm not in this for speed, and I just try to condition my legs, butt, back, and aerobic system for hours of riding. This year, however, I am behind in training time. There's no shortcuts, but I am going to take any advantage I can find - which leads me to the physics of cycling.

At it's simplest, I am trying to move my body mass over a fixed course at maximum efficiency so that I can ride for several hours at a time. I only have the muscles of my body (and the energy stored within them), my bicycle (the system that will convert energy to motion), and my computers (my brain and my bike computer) to accomplish the task. In order to ride at maximum efficiency, I'm going to have to really let the physics of cycling dictate my training and ride times.

As I was on a training ride this past weekend, it occurred to me that the physics of cycling have leadership lessons as well...

...want to join me on a ride?

A First for Me...

So, it's been a long, busy week for both Anita and me. As a surprise, I told her it was a date night when she walked in from work this afternoon. Birkdale Village was the destination: dinner, a movie, and Barnes and Noble (with cafe - for dessert) was the plan.

Brixx Pizza provided the dinner: we split a Mediterranean salad and chicken Florentine pizza. After a quiet supper, we strolled down to the movie theater to see "Knight and Day." So far, so good. I asked for two tickets, and the young lady, very cheerful, said "Here you go - have a great evening!" I didn't really think about it till I got to the door.

The tickets were senior price - $3 off the normal price. Each.

Okay, I do have more silver and gray than brown in my hair. I do have a middle-age spread (I prefer to think of it as my best years are in front of me). And I am a grandfather once (and fixing to be again).

But really - senior prices?

AARP can't be far behind.

Maybe "No" Should Be Your Default Word

If I'd listened to customers,

I'd have given them a faster horse.

-Henry Ford

It's so easy to say yes. Yes to another feature, yes to an overly optimistic deadline, yes to a mediocre design. Soon, the stack of things you've said yes to grows so tall you can't even see the things you should really be doing.

In "Rework" by Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson (founders of 37signals), the authors encourage us to get into the habit of saying no - even to many of your best ideas. The power of no can help keep your priorities straight. You rarely regret saying no. But you often wind up regretting saying yes.

People avoid saying no because confrontation makes them uncomfortable. But the alternative is even worse. You drag things out, make things complicated, and work on ideas you don't believe in.

What about it? Can you say "no" today?

Does Your Leadership Group Function as a TEAM?

I’m not a Raving Fan of NASCAR, but I do follow it from week to week. Since I have lived in the Charlotte area for the past 15 years, I have met many people involved in racing: team owners, drivers, crew chiefs, pit crew members, business team members, associated industry employees, etc. However you measure it, racing is a big deal in our region.

I don’t really have a favorite driver, but I do admire the Hendrick Motorsports organization. Their four drivers may be the most public face of the group, but it’s the organization behind them that gets the job done week in and week out.


The hundreds of mechanics, engineers, technicians, and support personnel contribute thousands of hours each week so their team drivers can have a chance at a win on Sunday. Yes, it’s a business, but it’s more than that: they know the importance of teamwork.

Wouldn’t it be great if the same level of teamwork could be present in the ministries of your church?

Keep Influencers in the Loop with the Scoop

Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan, writing in their book "Simply Strategic Stuff." have some great advice for leaders. Read their advice below, then apply it at your next opportunity.

We’ve all seen it happen. We’re in a meeting, and the presentation has been made. An awkward silence ensues as we wait to see who will ask the first question. We’re not sure yet which way the decision will go. Eventually, all heads turn toward her. She is the one from whom all others take their cue. It may stem from her tenure, wisdom, personality, or opinionated style – but there is no doubt she is the leader. She doesn’t even have a leadership title, and she’s not sitting at the head of the table, but she is definitely the leader. If she’s in favor of the proposal, it will pass. If she isn’t, it will fail. End of story.


These people are called influencers. There is always at least one person who must be convinced before you can progress. It might be one teacher in your children’s ministry planning group. It may be one member on your deacon or elder board. It may be one musician in your band.

It’s pretty easy to identify an influencer. As you meet with the members of your group, watch their eyes and their interactions. You’ll se who in the group is respected, who is feared, and who will lead. You’ll find your influencer.

Once you’ve identified the influencer, follow this rule from John Maxwell: “Don’t skip the meeting before the meeting.”

This one principle will help you so much. It’s timeless. You’ll never have enough tenure in a church or strong enough relationships with a congregation for this not to be true. Anytime you want to start something new, make a change, add a program, or expand the budget – make sure you don’t skip the meeting before the meeting. Be sure to meet with every key influencer ahead of time. Ask influencers what they think, tell them you need their insight, and ask them what questions they have and what additional information they need. By doing this, you will accomplish several things:

• You’ll discover the holes in your presentation


• You’ll communicate to them that they are hugely valuable


• You’ll get new ideas about implementing the change


• You’ll prepare the influencers for your presentation

Follow this advice for quick and painless meetings. Don’t surprise your influencers; be proactive by holding the meeting before the meeting.

If you liked this little nugget, their book is full of many more just as vaulable. Pick up a copy today!

How Larry Hubatka Models the 19 Es of Excellence…

In honor of my Campus Pastor, Larry Hubatka, at Elevation Uptown:


Enthusiasm! Be an irresistible force of nature! Exuberance! Vibrate –cause earthquakes! Execution! Do it! Now! Get it done! Barriers are baloney! Excuses are for wimps! Accountability is gospel! Adhere to the Bill Parcells doctrine: “Blame no one! Expect nothing! Do Something!” Empowerment! Respect and appreciation rule! Always ask, “What do you think?” Then listen – go - celebrate! Edginess! Always dancing at the frontier, and a little or a lot beyond. Enraged! Determined to challenge and change the status quo! Motto: “If it ain’t broke, break it!” Engaged! Addicted to MBWA/Managing By Wandering Around. In touch. Always. Electronic! Partners with the world 60/60/24/7 via electronic community building of every sort. Encompassing! Relentlessly pursue diverse opinions – the more diversity the merrier! Diversity per se “works!” Emotion! The alpha. The omega. The essence of leadership. The essence of marketing. The essence of creativity. The essence. Period. Acknowledge it. Empathy! Connect, connect, and connect with others’ reality and aspirations! “Walk in the other person’s shoes” – until their soles have holes! Ears! Effective listening: Strategic Advantage #1! Experience! Life is theater! Make every activity contact memorable! Standard: “Insanely Great”/Steve Jobs; “Radically Thrilling/BMW. Eliminate! Keep it simple! Errorprone! Ready! Fire! Aim! Try a lot of stuff and make a lot of booboos and then try some more stuff and make some more booboos – all of it at the speed of light! Evenhanded! Straight as an arrow! Fair to a fault! Honest as Abe! Expectations! Michelangelo: “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” Amen! Eudaimonia! Pursue the highest of human moral purpose – the core of Aristotle’s philosophy. Be of service. Always. Excellence! Never an exception!

If not Excellence, what?

Let every detail of your lives – words, actions, whatever – be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way

Colossians 3:23, The Message

 
The 19 Es of Excellence come from Tom Peters' great book, "The Little Big Thing."