Leadership – Page 9 – Chad Stutzman

July 23, 2014

Lessons Learned at Eight Days of Hope

Last week I went on a mission trip to Tupelo MS with the organization Eight Days of Hope. This was the second time I’ve gone on one of these trips with 8DOH. Back in late April of 2014 Tupelo was hit with a devastating tornado. The damage was far reaching and the city is still trying to rebuild and regroup.

Basically 8DOH goes into a community and works with local churches, non-profits and the government officials. They only go to communities that want the help and are open to a Christian organization. They focus on homeowners that are uninsured, under insured or that need help beyond what insurance will pay.

3,023 volunteers from 37 states served at Eight Days of Hope XI. There were around 60 people from NewPointe Community Church that went. We worked on 235 homes, multiple churches and multiple parks. We finished 451 jobs with 159 homes being completed. Three homes were built from the ground up. Total amount of work done exceeded $4.4 million dollars. BUT…the most important thing was we had a chance to share the joy, the hope the love of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Here are some lesson’s from this trip:

Team work is vital in accomplishing big things – This trip showed me once again how important teamwork and unity are in getting a lot of work done. It takes humility, patience and trust to make it all happen. It takes multiple leaders, taking responsibility and working toward the same goal.
When planning and hard work meet up with God amazing things happen – A lot of planning and preparation happened before and during those eight days, but God was invited into the process and He accomplished more than anyone would have expected. God moments happened every day.
Every job is important – I was reminded that every project was important because it touched a person or a family. Whether it was cleaning up a yard, building a fence, roofing a house, building a deck or fixing a door, it’s all important. No job was too small or too big, it all mattered, because it was an expression of love.
It’s important to serve the volunteers and minister to them as well – 8DOH did a great job of serving the 3,000 volunteers and focusing on ministry to the many people that were giving such a significant amount of time and energy. They had programmed times for worship, fellowship, entertainment and free time.
People love to tell their story – I heard several stories from the local people about how this storm had impacted their lives and how 8DOH brought hope back to them and their families. Talking about their story helped the people to move forward and get past the tragic event of the past. I also got to hear stories from other volunteers and got to know them better. Ask questions and find out more about the people around you.
You get to know people much better when you work along side them – on a trip like this you get to see the real person. You get to see them when they are tired, frustrated hungry and uncertain. You also get to see the fun side of people when they let down their defenses and be themselves. I encourage everyone to consider going on a mission trip at some time in their life. Here is a picture of the group from Millersburg:
It’s all because of Jesus – The reason people give up their vacation or personal time to go on a trip like this is because they love Jesus and want to help other people. We are the hands and feet of Jesus and this is one way we as followers of Christ can show love to other people.

I’ve been on many mission trips and every time I have been deeply impacted in a positive way. I have gotten to know other cultures and other people in different parts of the world. I gotten to talk with people I would never have met, if I wouldn’t have taken the risk and decided to go. Maybe God has been nudging you to consider go on a trip like 8DOH or maybe another mission trip. But the cool thing is we don’t need to go on a mission trip to love and serve people. There are many people in our own communities that are in need that we can serve and love and help. All it takes is a willingness to give some time and talent and muscle or to listen and encourage.

If you would like to get involved in changing your local community or want to go on a mission trip, please contact me via email – cstutzman@newpointe.org

June 7, 2014

Summer Time

Summer is a great time of the year. For many families it’s when you take vacation and spend a bit more time together. It’s easier to have social functions with friends, cooking outs, camp fires, camping, outdoor sports and more. I’m on a softball team and love to get away and have fun with some other people.

I remember summer as a kid, not having to go to school and spending long days out exploring my grandpa’s farm. I spent hours looking for arrow heads and flint after the fields where plowed and was even known to go skinny dipping in the creek from time to time.

Summer for me has become a time of building. I try to approach each summer as a time to sharpen myself as a follower of Christ, a husband, a leader and a friend. It’s a time to work on relationships, read good books, plan for the rest of the year and relax and have a little fun.

I try to read a lot, because that is one of the ways I learn and keep my mind sharp. Each summer I try to put together a reading list that I try to knock out over the months of June, July and August. Here is my list for this year:

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield – book about creativity and self-discipline
Sticky Church by Larry Osborn – This book is all about how to help people stay at church and get connected and growing.
Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath – I am reading this one with my staff, it’s a good self awareness book
On My Worst Day: Cheesecake, Evil, Sandy Koufax, and Jesus by John Lynch – Spiritual growth type book, I heard him speak live and immediately bought the book.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman – This book is all about how we thing and why
What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell – Fun read about odd stories and why we do some of the things we do and some of the extraordinary things that happen in our world
The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials For Becoming A Change Maker by Brad Lomenick – leadership development for me.
Great By Choice – Uncertainty, Chaos, And Luck – Why some Thrive Despite Them All by Jim Collins – Another leadership development book from one of my favorite authors. I’ve had the book two years and finally am going to read it.
The Bible – I’m reading through the New Testament as well – Spiritual Growth and Connecting with God.
TBD – I usually find a book or someone recommends a book that I just have to read.

Have a great summer but remember to include some reading. Even if you are not a reader, try to read one book this summer. Reading helps you to focus, use your brain and relieve stress. Reading also feeds you spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. If you want to change, grow or just get better as a person, then start reading. If your into sports you read all the article about your favorite teams, so you can do this – Give it a try this summer.

May 30, 2014

Getting Results

If your in any kind of leadership position, whether leading your family or a major corporation, you want to be productive and get results. You want to see your family communicate and grow closer together and for your children and spouse to develop and grow. You want your company to be profitable and your employees to succeed. You want to deliver on what you promise.

There is always resistance to getting results or productivity. Every day we wake up and that resistance is there to greet us. Here are some of things we must face everyday and overcome in order to be productive and get results.

Procrastination – we can over-analyzing things, and talking ourselves out of doing something. We convince ourselves that we will do it later.
Interruptions – every day we have distractions. Things that are urgent, things that pop up, people that pop in and bunny trails we pursue.
Stress – The higher the level of stress the harder it is to function, make decisions and get results. Stress limits our thinking and allows emotions to overcome us.
Multitasking – No one can actually multitask. Some people are better at jumping from one thing to another, but when you do that, you are distracted and end up not doing either thing well. You also don’t tend to finish things.
Blaming Others – When you start blaming other people it shifts the focus onto things you cannot control. It also distracts you from seeing how you contributed to the problem or allowed it to happen.
Fear – fear can stop us in our tracks and feeds all of the things I mentioned above. Fear of failure, rejection, being misunderstood, not being good enough – those are just a few of the fears that greet us daily.

So what can we do to overcome these forms of resistance and be productive on a consistence basis?

Commit to Excellence – whatever you do, do it the best you can. This is not perfection but doing it right and not cutting corners. When you do it right the first time, you don’t have to go back and do it over later.
Plan – This is probably the most important step. Putting a plan together with clear, specific goals and timelines will help get results.
Focus – People that have the ability to block out all the resistance and distractions and focus for an hour at a time on a project get great results. To keep that focus, take frequent breaks and refresh your mind, then come back to the project.
Do the Hard thing first – If your facing a difficult conversation, complicated problem or hard task, tackle it right away. The faster you accomplish that hard thing, the more productive you will be the rest of the day.
Stick with it – people that get results have the ability to hang in there and keep at it until it’s finished. It’s having the tenacity to work through all the obstacles and keep focused on the bigger picture. It’s showing up every day and doing what needs to be done.

Everyone can improve in this area of productivity and getting results. Think about one thing that if you finished it would bring great results or move you further along as an individual, family or organization. Now go do it.

May 21, 2014

Above the Line

Being healthy emotionally is hard work. It’s easy to fall into a victim mentality and feel like everyone is against you. In their book The Oz Principle, Roger Connors, Tom Smith and Craig Hickman give some clues on when we are stuck in the victim cycle or living below the line.

You feel “held captive” by your circumstances
You feel you have no control over your present circumstances
You find yourself blaming others and pointing fingers
Your discussions of problems focus more on what you cannot do, rather than what you can
You fail to confront the toughest issues you face
You find yourself being “sought out” by others so they can tell you what someone else did to them this time
You find yourself unwilling to ask probing questions about your own accountability
You repeatedly find yourself in a defensive posture
You site your confusion as a reason for not taking action
You avoid people, the meetings, and the situations that require you to report on your responsibilities
You find yourself spending valuable time crafting a compelling story detailing why you were not at fault
You repeatedly tell the same old story about how someone took advantage of you
You view the world with a pessimistic attitude

So how do we avoid this victim mentality? How do we get unstuck from these destructive patterns and habits. The keys are taking responsibility for your own actions and bringing accountability into your life.

According to the authors you can improve your own ability to remain “above-the-line” by watching for the following clues that indicate accountable attitudes and behavior.

You invite candid feedback from everyone about your own performance
You never want anyone, including yourself, to hide the truth from you
You readily acknowledge reality, including all its problems and challenges
You don’t waste time or energy on things you cannot control or influence
You always commit yourself 100 percent to what you are doing, and if your commitment begins to wane, you strive to rekindle it
You “own” your circumstances and your results, even when they seem less than desirable
You recognize when you are dropping “below the line” and act quickly to avoid the traps of the victim cycle
You delight in the daily opportunity to make things happen
You constantly ask yourself the question, “What else can I do to rise above my circumstances and get the results I want?”

Whether at work or at home staying above the the line of accountability is vital to emotional and relational health. When we are below the line we ignore or deny reality, we say it’s not my fault or my job, we point fingers, we say we are confused, we cover our tails and we wait & see. When we are above the line we see the issue, we own our part, we work on a solution and we take action on what we can control.

Make a commitment today to be more accountable and responsible in all your relationships. Work at staying above the line and don’t focus on things that are out of your control. Focus on your own thoughts and behaviors and own your part of the problem. Get help and counsel from others to help keep you above the line. If you do that you will grow in character and leadership and be much healthier all the way around.

April 26, 2014

Lessons From Sheep Shearing

I was watching some video’s on how to shear sheep. It’s pretty interesting, but I’m not ready to give it a try. If you want to watch click here. The reason I was watching the video’s is that I had heard that sheep have to be sheared before summer or they could actually die from the heat. So I started researching this to find out more.

The first time a sheep is sheared it puts up quite a fight and I am sure feels like its in danger. However once they experience what its like after being sheared they are much more cooperative the next time. They soon discover that without all that wool it’s much cooler and they don’t get sick as easily. So the next time they sit quietly while the shearing happens, because they know they are not going to be hurt, but helped.

As I was thinking about that I realized that many of us need to be sheared as well. We have weaknesses that cause us to fail and struggle and overheat/stress out. We need to have the layers of sin, bad attitudes, hurts and hang-ups cut away. But when someone tries to do that we fight and kick and are scared or angry. You see we can’t shear ourselves, we need the help of other people. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” That is the point of accountability, caring enough about another person to respectfully shear away the layers of life.

If you want to be sheared here are three things that must happen:

Take responsibility and admit your weakness – You are the only one that can decide to change or allow someone to shear you. It takes humility and self-awareness to take this first step, but without doing this nothing will change. I believe this is only possible with Gods help, by asking him to reveal the things we need to own and shear, and then asking for the courage to take responsibility.
Raise your expectations for yourself – We talk ourselves into and out of a lot of things. Over the years we tend to lower our standards and accept things we would not have before. In 1 Peter 1:13-16 it says this “So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, ‘I am holy; you be holy.'” So don’t settle for mediocre, God has a greater purpose and plan for your life.
Find a trusted partner – If you really want to change and be sheared, you will need some trusted friends to help along the way. Shearing is not a one time thing, it needs to be done over and over again. It’s the same with us, we need to be held accountable over and over again. That’s why we all need some people that we can confess too, that we can listen too, that we can talk too. If you don’t have someone like this in your life start praying and ask God to bring the right people into your life that can be on your shearing team. Remember after the shearing you will feel so much better, after the confession is great freedom.

The cool thing about this whole process is that when you allow someone else to sharpen you or shear you, you can in turn sharpen and shear them. That only happens when you you are open and honest. If you hide your stuff it can’t get sheared. Happy shearing!

April 16, 2014

Easter

This time of the year is an exciting time as new life springs up with the warmer weather, at least in Ohio. Easter is also an exciting time for Christians as we celebrate Jesus Christ. As we prepare for Easter 2014 I thought I would share some thoughts on the significance of what Jesus did that causes us to be celebrating over 2,000 years later.

Jesus died in our place – This is known as substitution, Jesus subbed in for us. He took our punishment for us. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 “He was made sin for me.” and in 1 Peter 2:24 “He bore my sin in his body on the cross.” What happened on the cross was personal. Jesus the perfect, sinless Son of God had your sin put on him. All the garbage, all the junk and ugliness he assumed it all.
Jesus made us right with God – This is known as justification or in legal terms we were acquitted and found not guilty by God the Judge. Acts 13:39 says “Through him (Jesus) everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.”
Jesus made peace with God possible – This is known as reconciliation, which means bringing together two people who have suffered a breakdown in their relationship. Jesus, by his death on the cross, gave us the opportunity to have our relationship with God healed and renewed. 2 Corinthians 5:19 says “God was in Christ, making peace between our world and himself…God did not hold the world guilty of its sins. And he gave us this message of peace.” So Jesus created a new bridge between us and God that had been broken.
Jesus made us a part of God’s family – This is known as adoption, meaning God went through a lot in order to bring us into his family. He considers us as his own children. In Romans 8:17 it says “And since we are his children, we will share his treasures-for all God gives to his Son Jesus is now ours too.”
Jesus purchased our salvation with his blood – This is known as redemption, which means being set free. In 1 Peter 1:18-19 it says this “God paid a ransom to save you from the impossible road to heaven which your fathers tried to take, and the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver, as you very well know. But he paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”
Jesus satisfied God’s justice – This is known as propitiation which means that Jesus completely satisfied or fulfilled all of God’s righteous demands. God demands holiness and perfection and Jesus satisfied that demand. in 1 John 2:2 it says “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Jesus sent our sins away from us – This means forgiveness. In Colossians 2:13 it says “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.” God put all of our sins on Jesus, even though he was innocent and pure. When our sins are put on him, we never see the guilt of them again. God’s forgiveness is final and complete.

So there you have it, that is what Jesus Christ did for us. That is why we celebrate so big during Easter, because all of this is amazing, unbelievable, undeserved and completely free. Salvation is not by works but by grace, it’s not initiated by us but by God and its not an afterthought with God, it is his eternal plan.

March 24, 2014

Encouragement is Incredible

Being positive and encouraging people is more important than you might think. If you want to turn around your workplace, your company, your marriage or your relationship with your children this is the way to do it. Here are some interesting quotes from a great book called How Full Is Your Bucket by Tom Rath:

The number #1 reason people leave their jobs (relationships) is they don’t feel appreciated
Bad bosses (spouses) could increase the risk of stroke by 33%
A study found that negative employees can scare off every customer they speak with-for good
65% of Americans received no recognition in the workplace (home) last year
9 out of 10 people say they are more productive when they’re around positive people
The magic ratio: 5 positive interactions for every 1 negative interaction
Extending longevity: Increasing positive emotions could lengthen life span by 10 years

So it’s clear that the majority of people don’t get the positive reinforcement they need. I believe this is true at work and at home. Some people are just naturally more positive than negative, but all of us can get better at this. Here are a few simple things you can do this week to be more positive or encouraging:

Say Thank-you – this simple gesture goes a long way. Be sincere and specific.
Write a note – hand-written notes take time and are more meaningful than emails or texts
Smile – your face matters
Listen – when you actively listen people feel valued
Slow down – Take some time to actually get to know someone or have a meaningful conversation
Touch – a high-five, knuckle-bump, touch on a shoulder etc sends positive signals. With your spouse this could be a hug, kiss, holding hands etc.

One thing to be aware of as you work on being positive is to be careful what you are taking in. What you watch on TV, what you read, what you listen to, all affect how positive or negative you are. Feed your mind positive good things and you tend to be more positive to other people.

Lead On

February 12, 2014

Love in Action

I’ve been thinking and studying this idea of love. I have to say that I need to work on this area of my life. I think most people would say they can do a better job of loving others. But for most of us we don’t know what that looks like. I work at a church so what I look to in order to learn and grow is God’s Word. I was reading this today and it really struck me and challenged me. I hope it does the same for you. This is found in Romans 12:9-21 in the New Century Version of the Bible:

9 Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good. 10 Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves. 11 Do not be lazy but work hard, serving the Lord with all your heart. 12 Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times. 13 Share with God’s people who need help. Bring strangers in need into your homes.

14 Wish good for those who harm you; wish them well and do not curse them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and be sad with those who are sad. 16 Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but make friends with those who seem unimportant. Do not think how smart you are.

17 If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. 18 Do your best to live in peace with everyone. 19 My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: “I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them,”[a] says the Lord. 20 But you should do this:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him a drink.
Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head.” Proverbs 25:21–22

21 Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.

Just that first sentence, your love must be real is enough for me today. You can’t fake love.

Love is all about doing and taking action. It’s about how we think about ourselves, others and God. The best way we can worship God is by loving others well.

January 2, 2014May 30, 2016

The Six Core Competencies of an Effective Leader

There are many competencies that are needed to be effective and just having these 6 does not mean you don’t have or need others. I have identified 17 that I try to work on and develop in myself. However, these six are the ones that I have identified as critical for leaders to have for long-lasting, high level leadership success.

The best leaders are people that work on developing themselves. This takes self-awareness to know what skills they need to work on to go to a new level of leadership. It’s similar in marriage or parenting, taking responsibility for yourself and working on your own issues and building on your strengths leads to better relationships.

I am a campus pastor for a church that currently has five campuses. I have been with this church for over thirteen years and previous to that I was a manager in the business of banking and accounting for 15 years. These competencies are important for mid-level to executive level leaders. I have tried to define each in practical ways so that you can evaluate yourself on how you are doing with that particular competency.

Here they are:

Accountability

Defines objectives and strategies to meet customer/member requirements and organizational goals and objectives.
Manages performance to achieve expected results.
Keeps informed of performance through face-to-face meetings, written communications, analytical reports, and performance measures.
Keeps supervisor informed of progress, issues, and potential problems.
Maintains a cost/effective balance of controls and risk-taking to ensure effective and efficient operation within budget.
Identifies and addresses areas of weakness that may affect organizational performance.
Freely shares information with team members and superiors
Takes full responsibility for results.

Building Trust

Communicates an understanding of the other person’s interests, needs and concerns.
Makes and meets commitments that contribute to addressing the other person’s interests, needs, and concerns.
Takes time to get to know people and genuinely cares about them.
Identifies and communicates shared interests and goals.
Identifies and communicates differences as appropriate.
Addresses perceived harm to the other person by fully acknowledging any harm done, clarifying intentions, and finding a suitable remedy that affirms the value of the relationship.
Is quick to admit mistakes and errors.
Asks for and gives forgiveness.
Uses a win-win approach to resolving conflicts or conducting negotiations.
Develops, maintains, and strengthens partnerships with others inside or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support.
Demonstrates honesty, keeps commitments and behaves in a consistent manner.
Shares thoughts, feelings, and rationale so that others understand personal positions.
Remains open to others’ ideas and opinions even when they conflict with their own.

Developing/Coaching Others

Clarifies responsibilities, authority, and expectations.
Provides timely guidance and feedback to help staff accomplish a task or solve a problem.
Provides guidance in how to strengthen knowledge and skills to improve personal and organizational performance.
Provides new assignments and experiences to develop the employee’s capability.
Communicates clearly & effectively and develops subordinates.
Conducts performance appraisal and feedback on a regular basis.
Provides helpful, behaviorally specific feedback to others.
Works with employee behavior problems.
Shares information, advice, and suggestions to help others to be more successful.
Gives people assignments that will help develop their abilities.
Regularly meets with employees/leaders to review their development progress.
Recognizes and reinforces people’s developmental efforts and improvements.
Expresses confidence in others’ ability to be successful.
Helps others learn new systems, processes, or programs.
Collaboratively works with direct reports to set meaningful performance objectives and then holds them accountable.

Emotional Intelligence

Demonstrates an ability to control and filter emotions in a constructive way.
Exhibits consideration of the feelings of others when/before taking action.
Demonstrates recognition of the various psychological and emotional needs of people.
Expresses feelings clearly and directly.
Understands ones own fears and unhealthy emotions
Is willing to get help when needed.
Exhibits humility and persistence.
Balances feelings with reason, logic, and reality.
Demonstrates an appreciation of the differences in how others feel about things.

Establishing Focus/Setting Direction

Acts to align own campus/department goals with the strategic direction of the organization.
Ensures that people in the campus/department understand how their work relates to the organization’s mission.
Ensures that everyone understands and identifies with the overall mission and values.
Ensures that the campus/department develops goals and a plan to help fulfill the organization’s mission.
Uses effective techniques to define outcomes and expectations.
Clearly identifies the target and then sets objectives to focus on.
Sets goals for self, campus/department and expects the same from all direct reports.
Reviews those goals and objectives in regular one-on-one meetings with direct reports.

Interpersonal Skills

Considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of different situations.
Relates well with others.
Maintains confidentiality.
Is likeable and approachable.
Communicates in a clear way.
Demonstrates consistency and fairness.
Anticipates and resolves confrontations, disagreements, and complaints in a win-win way.
Is tactful, compassionate and sensitive, and treats others with respect
Provides timely and honest feedback in a constructive and non-threatening way.
Listens with the intent of trying to understand before being understood.

Lead On

December 27, 2013

Leadership Lids

LEADERSHIP LIDS

Every leader has lids on his life. The issue is never whether you have lids. The issue is what you are going to do about them.

Lids that limited us:

Fear
Impatience
Denial
Impulsiveness
Deceit
Jealousy
Anger

Most of these have to do with character. If you are more concerned about keeping up appearances than cleaning up your character these lids can limit you.

Lids that did not limit us:

Family
Leaders
Background
Youthfulness
Inexperience

What lids exist in your life?

What character flaws do you have?

What is your attitude toward those lids?

Are you taking responsibility for lifting them?

Are you willing to allow someone else help you lift them