One of the questions that come up with every coaching network I lead is, "How do I get it all done?"  Generally, I would share some principles that have helped me be more productive.  However, I felt as though I needed to be a bit more comprehensive to help leaders be as effective as possible.   That's why I recorded "The Productive Leader". This resource contains 24 of the most powerful productivity insights I have ever come across. These are also the same principles that I use in my own life.   So with a new year around the corner, … Read More

You have several types of resources:  – Financial – People – Energy If you want to be highly productive, the key is to get all 3 of these in alignment. That's why I believe we need to take inventory of our strengths and the strengths of those around us.  Once you know what your sweet spot is, you focus on that 80% of the time.  If everyone in your organization was spending 80% of their time focused on their strengths, there would be no stopping your organization.  If your budget was driven by focus, there would be no stopping you.  … Read More

Most leaders that I know have a "to do" list each day. But that doesn't mean their time is focused.  The problem is, a "to do" list isn't enough. Most "to do" lists have no rhyme or reason to them. Item #1 may say, "Write Sunday's Message". Item #2 may say, "Check voice mail".  Both items matter, but they need to be categorized and prioritized. That's one of the keys to prioritizing your time. You need a "To Do" list that not only has the tasks that you need to accomplish, they need to be in order of priority.  That's … Read More

I know I'm going to sound like an anal-retentive, non-creative type here, but humor me for a moment:  if you want to be more productive, you've got to clean up your work space. You can't be productive and disorganized at the same time. The guy who says, "I know where everything is in this mess" is kidding himself. Why? Because although he may be able to find that proposal he wrote in the piles of papers surrounding his desk, the 20 minutes is took to locate it is gone forever.  So here's what I recommend: take the time to organize … Read More

I believe that the key to productivity is focus. The reason many of us find is difficult to be more productive is because we're being pulled too many directions. However, focus isn't easy. There's distractions everywhere. The phone, people, email, Twitter and blogs.  The key to focus then is to have 3 things:  1. The Space to focus 2. The Time to focus 3. The Resources to focus I'll talk about each of these this week. If we want to be more productive in 2010, we have to make changes.   For a resource that will help you become more productive, … Read More

– Great day today! Here are the highlights… – I rocked a suit today. Yes, it does happen on occasion  – I taught Luke 1:26-56. The message was called, "Mary of Nazareth". I focused on Mary's reaction to hearing the news that she was going to carry the Messiah. Lots of great feedback.  – The band did a great job today!  – Also, we put together a children's choir that did a great job. (Btw – parents just love this stuff :)  – For the record, the weather was unbelievable! It was about 60 degrees and sunny. Doesn't get any … Read More

Awesome question! Here's the tools I use: – Omnifocus for my Mac and my iPhone – The Getting Things Done system that David Allen outlines in his book.  – I listen to resources that have helped me create my life in a way that maximizes my productivity.  What I've done is take all the best ideas I learned from others (and a few I came up with on my own) and created a resource specifically for church leaders to get organized and become more productive.  It's called, "The Productive Leader" and it's a resource that has helped a lot of … Read More

"Mini-Easters" is a phrase that I use to talk about big Sundays that churches can have throughout the year. They happen when the church has an event that the entire congregation can rally around and invite friends to.  I teach guys is my coaching network that they can have 8-10 "Mini-Easters" throughout the year. Here's a 3 ways to do that:  #1 – Build on Sundays that are naturally higher than regular Sundays – The Sunday after President's Day. The Sunday before School lets out. 2 Sundays after Labor Day. Time change Sunday in November. All of these days are higher … Read More

I got this question recently and here's how I answered it:  "I think I understand the heart of your question, but I would rephrase it to: How can I raise the commitment level at my church?  The truth is, when we have to enforce church attendance, we're in trouble. Having said that, I believe that a strong Membership system should outline what it means to be committed at your church.  When you don't have a membership system that outlines what commitment means, people decide that for themselves. If they think attending once a month means their committed, that's what they'll … Read More

This is a great question! We follow up with Catholics the same way we follow up with everyone else.  What I have found in my experience with Catholics who come to know Jesus is that they know a lot about God, but just don't know Him. (I know I'm generalizing and that this can be said of many people, so please forgive me for painting with a broad brush.) But one thing that I've seen in Catholics when they invite Christ into their lives is a hunger for God's Word. They want to learn God's Word. That's why any follow … Read More