Really quick read … the meat of which is in 150 words that highlight 6 key themes for leading a rapidly growing organization
I spent last week in Charleston, South Carolina at Seacoast Church with Pastor Josh Surratt and Jeff Jones, lead pastor at Chase Oaks Church and a group of young pastors who are experiencing rapid growth in their churches. Yes, rapid growth is still a thing, post-Covid.
We learned a lot together, not the least of which was the way that Seacoast Church had and was continuing to mobilize relief efforts in the devastated areas in their region. We talked about staff and giving and leadership development. We spent time with Jenni Catron talking about culture and I will share more about that conversation in a future post.
One of the highlights was time spent with Mike Hogan. Mike is a layperson at Jeff’s church in Plano, Texas and he’s a mastermind on rapid growth. He currently serves as the Head of Corporate Development for Earned Wealth (www.earnedwealth.com), a role focused on acquisition. He has seen and driven rapid growth from a number of perspectives. He served as Chief Marketing Officer for 13 years at Pepsico, was CMO at Dean Foods in a season where they grew from just over $1B in sales to $10B in sales and during his time at GameStop he ran the transformation of the business away from physical games which included 40 acquisitions and creation of three new $1B businesses from scratch. Following are a handful of the major themes garnered from his experience and lots of learning.
Vision and Culture
This is the number one, most important thing … even more than a plan and a strategy.
Question: Is this your number one thing? If not, what needs to change?
Change
Be prepared to change, expect that you will change and actually drive change. Successful startups generally pivot at least 2 or 3 times along the way. And organizations that don’t change, die.
Question: Where are you in the change cycle?
New Models Required
Recognize that what got you here won’t get you there. Be prepared to rethink a lot of what you know, and give yourself permission for decisions you might have made in the past.
Question: Are you living with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach or are you reviewing the data, discerning new needs and exploring new ways of meeting those needs?
The last three follow a few notes on how we might serve you.
If you are intrigued by the insights gleaned for great leaders like Mike Hogan, I would encourage you to consider applying for one of our LeadWell Cohorts. The wisdom of well seasoned mentors and expert resources from multiple disciplines empower participants to tackle some of the most pressing issues and opportunities of our time. This collaborative community helps leaders bust through their leadership lids and create plans for accelerated results.
The groups are full for the fall, but spring dates will be available soon.
Note: Cohorts are by invitation only. If you're interested, contact me ASAP at greg@ligongroup.com or schedule a call here.
A couple of the themes for success in a rapidly growing organization are also principles that are critical in succession.
Getting it right in the succession selection requires separating the decision from the person because often times the current leader is gifted and wired in a way that is different from what will be needed once a new leader is in place. An understanding of this principle helps churches focus on getting the right leader for the season, not just a new version of what we’ve had … no matter how good that leader has been.
And the final theme of “go slow to go fast,” is probably the most counterintuitive part of succession. Collectively, Dave and I have sat with dozens of succession, search, elder, trustee teams responsible for leading the charge to identify the next leader. Without exception, there is a sense of urgency to get going, find the next right person, move quickly because “times-a-wastin’. But you have to go slow to go fast. You have to go slow to get not just the next leader, but the right leader. The leader that will allow your church to maximize your ministry momentum.
I’m excited to partner with Dave to bring the Pastor Smart Succession process to support you and your church as you enter the succession zone. We’ll walk with you each step of the way, helping you shape a “framed fit” for your future.
If you’re beginning to consider what’s next, I’d love to connect, learn more about your needs, and share how we can assist. You can schedule a call here.
And now back to the details on the final three themes.
Separate the decision from the person
You can’t be shy about making tough people decisions, but need to still find a way to treat people right. Also, often the right person to build something is not the right person to run it.
Question: Have you addressed all the “tough” people decisions? Or, to put it another way, is there someone on the team that is creating “drag” when you are trying to multiply momentum?
Hire great people.
Over the long term that will make more difference than anything else.
Question: Do you operate from the truth that “it’s all about people, people, people,” is more important than the oft-touted, “it’s all about location, location, location?”
Go slow to go fast.
Keep it simple and find time to rest.
Question: When’s the last time you had day off? Where have you created a beast of complexity that needs to be tamed to a simple routine, principle or practice?