WEIRD Leadership

“If you want what normal people have, do what normal people do. If you want what few people have, do what few people do.”

Over the last several weeks at LifeChurch, our pastor, Craig Groeschel has been in a series called “Weird.” He has challenged us to be weird – in a God-way – because normal isn’t working. He has talked about being weird in a God-way in terms of relationships, sex, finances, the use of time, and our values.

I want to extend the WEIRD paradigm to leadership. I think we need to become weird leaders, because … normal leadership does not work. As I thought about this paradigm extension, I decided that Legacy Leadership is weird!

What does weird leadership look like? Here are a few weird – Legacy -leadership principles:

1. Legacy leaders are weird because they understand that leadership is not about them, but that it starts with them. They know that leadership begins within and works its way out. Their being – character and integrity – determines their doing.

2. Legacy leaders are weird because they are intensely intentional about investing themselves in others. This is really weird because some of the people we invest in will leave our organization and join other organizations. Legacy leaders are weird because they think that is OK. They invest deeply in people to help them become all that God designed them to be, and they are comfortable with the idea that in order for people to flourish they may need a different environment.

3. Legacy leaders are weird because they measure their impact by changed lives, not market share, revenue growth, building campaigns, or the size of the audience.

4. Legacy leaders are weird because they are intensely intentional about creating more legacy leaders.

5. Legacy leaders are weird because they take the idea of legacy seriously. They understand that living and leading a legacy is about being a blessing to others now and for generations to come.

As leaders, I think it’s time to get weird! Because normal is not working.

Read Early, Read Often

I hated reading when I was a kid. My mother would take me to the public library in Odessa and I would check out books based on the number of pictures. I just didn't like to read.

When I went to Austin College, something happened. I became enamored with the world of ideas, and started to read. I became obsessed with reading. That obsession continues to grow. Some would even say I have a book fetish! There are books everywhere in my house and my office.

I really love to read. And I read a lot - as you probably know by now. I am not a fast reader; but, I am a diligent reader. I read every morning during my "quiet time." ( I really don't like that phrase, but I don't know what else to call it.) I read while riding the stationary bike at the gym, and I read every night before I fall asleep. I read early and often.

The pace of my reading is off some this year. I am reading some really long books, so the quantity isn't at the same pace as the last few years. But so far, I think the quality is up. Here's the list so far - a kind of first quarter report (for those of you who are conditioned to think in terms of quarterly reviews):

1. An Object of Beauty, Steve Martin

2. House Rules, Jodi Picoult

3. What I Didn't Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World, Jay Barney & Trish Gorman Clifford

4. South of Broad, Pat Conroy

5. Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, Ree Drummond

6. 1776, David McCullough

7. Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese

8. Happy to Do It: Get Your Snap On, Randy Draper

9. Heaven is for Real, Todd Burpo

10. Beach Music, Pat Conroy