People, Programs and Places

By Dr. Brian Simmons

God entrusts to steward leaders time, treasure, talent and relationships. The most precious of these good gifts is relationships!

As transformational steward leaders we are called to love and serve God by loving and serving others! And we often are called to be agents of change.

Picture a room filled with the employees of the organization you lead. Now, picture the room as three questions are asked.

First question… “Who wants change?” All hands go up!

Second question, “Who wants to change? All hands come down!

Final question, “Who wants to lead change?” The room is empty!

Looking back over my career I have been called by God to either create something new or help existing organizations change.

Both of these kingdom assignments require transformational steward leaders to follow the same three steps… people, then programs then places (facilities).

People first! Jim Collin’s famously said that leaders need to get the right people on the bus, off the bus then in the right seats on the bus.

I have learned through the years that if I lead with clarity some people opt out because they are self-aware enough to see that they no longer align with the goals of the organization. Some continue to faithfully serve in their current roles. Others accept new assignments. And a few must be asked to leave. Strategic leadership requires a team approach where everyone on the team is rowing in the same direction!

Picture a rowing team.

The “crew” refers to the people in a boat, and the “team” works in perfect sync, with each member playing a specific role, steered by a coxswain, to move the boat forward in unison. And they row facing backwards facing the coxswain. The coxswain sits facing forward, steers the boat, motivates the crew, and calls the race strategy.

Faithful steward leaders seek the will of the Lord for the organizations God has entrusted to their care including the people they are called to lead. Only after seeking the purposes of the Master, God, for all He has SO graciously entrusted to the care of the steward leader does the steward leader seek to move others onto God’s agenda.

Once the team is energetically rowing together, faithful steward leaders can then and only then address organizational problems.

Why?

Because as the team collaboratively embraces a strategic planning process including a SWOT analysis, the team identifies strategic initiatives with corresponding Specific, Measurable, Assigned and Agreed upon, Realistic and Time bound (SMART) goals. Rowing is analogous to moving forward in unison accomplishing organizational goals!

Then, leaders turn their attention to places (facilities). Facilities “facilitate” organizational purposes!

So, lead well as we enter a new year as faithful, transformational steward leaders!