At Church Community Builder, nothing is more important to us than maintaining a work culture where our people have a sense of ownership in what we do, are empowered to use their gifts, and genuinely enjoy their work. Last weekend, the entire staff took a few days in the mountains to do just that. We ate, played, and worshiped together. We had an opportunity to be together as a team and thank God for this crazy journey on which He's brought us. It was super refreshing and very meaningful.
I’ve found two resources that unpack ways to improve your church culture. The common denominator for these books is that morale at work rises and falls on leadership. I encourage you to buy a copy of each of these for everybody on your staff. Then take time during your weekly staff meeting to talk about the material. I did this with our Sales team recently and it was powerful!
Here are two books I found useful in nailing down practical ways to improve your workplace culture:
- Leadership Is an Art by Max DePree
In this book, Max unpacks some practical tips for effective leadership, such as how to:
- Stimulate effectiveness by enabling others to reach both their personal potential and their institutional potential.
- Take a role in developing, expressing, and defending civility and values.
- Nurture new leaders and ensure the continuation of the culture.
Leadership Is An Art offers a design for achieving success by developing the generous spirit within all of us.
- Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute
The Arbinger Institute’s book focuses on the concept of self-deception, which they define as “acting in ways contrary to what one knows is right.” This cognitive dissonance is connected directly with leadership problems. According to the book, “however well intentioned they may be, leaders who deceive themselves always end up undermining their own performance.”
This book helps identify patterns of self-deception and helps leaders improve teamwork, commitment, trust, communication, motivation, and leadership.
What is your biggest challenge within your church’s culture? Have you successfully changed the tide? Have you seen firsthand how changes in leadership affect everyone else? Please share in the comments.