Tuesday at 2:00pm with Russ

It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)

Currently, I'm exploring different leadership quotes on this blog post, and pulling out some application for all of us. This is part of my personal journey to keep growing, learning and being stretched! Join me each Tuesday at 2:00pm (PST). It will take you just a few minutes to read through the 2 sections of this post, but don't miss the final section where I share some of the things I'm reading, listening to and enjoying this week.

Russ

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"If you want it, measure it. If you can't measure it, forget it." Peter F. Drucker

What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

When I first read this quote from Drucker, I'm not sure I understood it. Now I think I do.

Throughout my years of leadership, I have spent a lot of time, energy and resources working on things that I haven't been able to measure. I've been busy, I've been working hard and I've initiated some really good things, but some of these things, well, really MANY of these things haven't produced results.

It's easy to confuse "being busy" with "being focused on the right things".

Figuring out what to measure is always the most important work because it provides you with a goal, with a way to evaluate and a finish line.

Think of something you're doing right now that is just BUSY WORK. It's not measurable, it doesn't move you in the direction you want to go, and it's absorbing much of your time and energy.... What would happen if you just STOPPED doing this today?

DEEPER STILL:

One of the most important steps in determining what to measure, is simply to ask yourself, "What does success look like?"

What is the GOAL?

Until you define this, everything we do is simply busy work.

I remember early in my Youth Pastor days, as a young 21-year old, I had the goal of having 250 high school students attend an outreach event. I worked hard, alongside some of my students, to put this event together, to invite young people, and to create a great program. (Oh yeah, and free pizza... the true driver of any event for high school students).

The event came and we had about 270 students show up. It was amazing. Everyone was talking about it. The church leadership was impressed with my leadership, parents were talking about the great youth program we were running, and there was a buzz in the church.

Here's the problem... my goal was to get 250 students to attend. I achieved that goal. I didn't have a follow-up goal. Those 270 students came and went, and the only thing people remember was that there was a great event with a bunch of kids. It didn't create anything lasting. I was measuring the wrong thing and was focused on the wrong thing. In the end, it was a lot of work but didn't create any lasting results, any life change, any fruit.

I wish I could say that this was the only time I made this mistake, but the reality is that over the years I have often chosen the wrong measurable and then spent a lot of time and energy getting something accomplished that doesn't really matter.

Think of a time you missed the target like I did... what did you learn from that experience? Now think of a time you identified the right goal... what was the result?

 

Things I'm Reading, Listening To and Watching This Week:

Source: www.leadermundial.org