Everyone gets better with a coach. The best leaders know this. Tom Hanks has an acting coach. Steve Jobs had a business coach. Tiger Woods has a swing coach. Michael Jordan had a coach named Phil Jackson. LeBron James has a skills and shooting coach. Venus Williams has a tennis coach. I could go on and on. The best leaders all have coaches. Coaches help you get better.
When it comes to pastoral coaching, I know no better coach than Shawn Lovejoy, founder and CEO of Courage To Lead. I was reminded of this when I listened to his latest podcast Signs Of A Distracted Leader. Shawn’s insights are always spot-on, very practical, easily implemented, and most importantly, provide proven quality resources.
If you are a church leader and looking for a coach, you should click HERE and have a conversation with Shawn and his team. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
The following are 3 Differences Between A Distracted Leader And A Focused Leader I gleaned from Shawn’s lesson along with his supporting comments:
A distracted leader constantly checks their phone. A focused leader initiates more than they react.
- “If you’re constantly checking your phone it’s basically indicating you react to every little fire and crisis that comes up. You’re putting out fires all day rather than staying in your lane and focusing on the most important things.”
- “There is a difference between doing what’s important and doing what’s urgent. Doing what’s important, in the grand scheme of things, is usually not that important.”
- “A focused leader initiates more than they react.”
A distracted leader fails to execute on plans and deadlines. A focused leader follows through and models the way.
- “If constantly got excuses why you didn’t get it done, you’re a distracted leader.”
- “Do you really believe God would call you to do something and not give you enough time to do it?”
- “70-90% of plans fail… Because the head honcho fails to execute and hold his or her team accountable.”
- “A focused leader follows through and models the way.”
A distracted leader pursues new potential at the neglect of improving existing processes. Focused leaders are ruthlessly and boringly consistent.
- “You don’t need something new.”
- “Everything we do is more important than anything we do.”
- “What will make us successful is everything we do to make it excellent to impact the end-user.”
- “Focused leaders are ruthlessly and boringly consistent. That’s what focused leaders are. They are ruthlessly consistent. They are boringly consistent.”
- “If you are consistent, it puts you in the top 5% right way.”
- “When you get better, the organization’s going to get better. And when you execute consistently on the things you’ve committed to do, the organization’s going to be healthier.”
- “Elite talent can’t stand to sit around in meetings and talk about what we’re going to do and nobody ever follows through on it.”
So after reading Shawn’s comments, I have two questions for you – Are you a distracted leader? If so, what steps are you going to do to become focused?
My recommendation would be to get a coach and there is no coach I recommend more than Shawn and his team at Courage To Lead. Click HERE and start a conversation with them today about what one-on-one coaching looks like.
Speaking of focused leaders, during the 2019 college football season, fans were given a gift when legendary coach Urban Meyer joined Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff preview show as a studio analyst. As a three-time national championship head coach, Coach Meyer’s ability to deliver complex leadership principles with brevity and concise terminology created a compelling experience for educated and “smart” fans. Throughout the season, I captured Coach Meyer’s best leadership quotes from this weekly show. I wanted to make them available to you in this new complimentary resource Urban Meyer 2019 Fox Sports Big Noon Kickoff Ebook.
The contents includes Winning Cultures, 3 Types of Teams, Strategy and Competition, Recruiting, Rivalry Games, Personal Performance, and much, much more. Click HERE to get your complimentary copy today! Trust me – this resource will make you a better leader.