Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

Articles

How To Advance Your Leadership

By

 

The best leaders are consistently learning and challenging themselves. They are not content with the status quo. Neither are they content with leading the way that they’ve been led or simply according to their gut instincts. The best leaders are on a lifelong journey of learning because they know that when they stop learning, they stop leading.

However, it’s not just about learning because any good leader knows the importance of learning.

The thing that sets the best leaders apart from the pack lies in Todd’s quote above. The best leaders not only strive to become experts in their field, but they also broaden their field of vision.

The best leaders have the rigour to learn outside of their field of discipline #leadership

Click To Tweet

When you develop this discipline, you begin to see connections between seemingly disparate themes, ideas, and concepts. You develop the ability to integrate diverse perspectives into a collective whole. It’s like a light turns on in your brain.

As a pastor and as a church leader, I love to read spiritually formative books. I love to read books from thought leaders in my discipline, like:

However, if I stop there, then my leadership will only go so far.

To move further faster, you need to develop the rigour to learn outside of your field of discipline

Click To Tweet

That’s why these are the books that I’m currently reading to challenge and grow myself:

1. How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don’t Know – Byron Sharp

  • What are the things that you want your church to do? How do you want your church to be known in the community? Marketing is not just for businesses trying to gain market share.

[Read more…] about How To Advance Your Leadership

Tuesday’s Thought – Parker Palmer and Vocation

By

If you are on a journey to discover your calling in life, then you should acquaint yourself with the works of Parker Palmer. If you want to think deeply about your vocation, then you need to read Let Your Life Speak: Listening For the Voice of Vocation by Parker Palmer.

Here’s Parker Palmer’s perspective on vocation:

Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you.

 

Tuesday’s Thought – John Wooden and Leadership

By

Today’s Tuesday thought comes from John Wooden, the renowned coach nicknamed, the “Wizard of Westwood.” Over a 12 year period as the head coach of the UCLA basketball team, they won 10 NCAA national championships!

To learn more about him, you can check out his site.

Here’s his perspective on leadership:

You have to really love your people to get the most out of them.

John Wooden - Tuesday's Thought

Tuesday’s Thought – Wesley Clark and Strengths

By

Every Tuesday morning, I’ll be posting an intriguing quote or thought related to ministry, leadership, or culture.

For our very first Tuesday’s Thought, I wanted to share this powerful insight by Wesley Clark, a retired General of the US Army and a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander.

When asked, “What do you make of all the how-to books and seminars on leadership? What true leader would ever take a leadership seminar?” here is his answer as first appeared in this New York Times Magazine Article.

I’ve never met an effective leader who wasn’t aware of his talents and working to sharpen them.

Tuesday's Thought - Wesley Clark and Strengths

How Do You Decide on Change or Transition?

By

How do you decide on transition or change in your life?

  • Do you look at others who are doing what you want to do and try to emulate their steps?
  • Do you think of transition when things get tough at work or in life?

I find that there is a spectrum of change that all humans fall into. On the one end of that spectrum, we love the thrill of the unknown and get excited about change. On the other end, we love stability and are resistant to change.

Where are you on that spectrum?

My intention in this post is not to create a complete framework for discernment or change, nor is it to list out all of the Biblical passages that are relevant towards decision making. This post is intended to help you begin the conversation on how you process change by gleaning insights from this passage.

Don’t let your heart envy sinners; instead, always fear the Lord. For then you will have a future, and your hope will never fade. Listen, my son, and be wise; keep your mind on the right course. (Proverbs 23:17-19 HCSB)

Here are four insights on transition and change from this passage:

[Read more…] about How Do You Decide on Change or Transition?

Is This The Future of Group Life? Small Group Network Interview

By

smallgroupnetwork

I was recently interviewed on GroupTalk @ SmallGroupNetwork.com about mid-size communities!

 

Carolyn Taketa, the Executive Director for Small Groups at Calvary Community Church, is a friend of mine and she interviewed me about all things mid-size communities.

In this Group Talk, we cover:

  • Creating an environment for those not likely to ever join a small group.
  • Keys to developing mid-size communities (MSC) for greater assimilation, discipleship, and multiplication.
  • How does a mid-size community compliment or conflict with existing SG structures?
  • Why is having a leadership team (instead of a single leader) critical to a healthy MSC?
  • Tips on overcoming leadership resistance to MSCs

I’d love to hear your thoughts and continue this conversation with you!

Be sure to check out the interview here.

How To Determine Your Next Staff Ministry Hire

By

In every growing organization, the order in which you hire your next staff member is critical to your growth trajectory. Resources are limited and every staff hour counts. How much more true is this in a non-profit organization like a church? Especially when it’s primarily a volunteer movement?

Is your next hire an administrator or a children’s pastor? Is it a youth worker? A worship leader? A groups pastor?

Peter Drucker, in his book The Effective Executive, gives us timely advice for this question:

One should only have on a team the knowledges and skills that are needed day in and day out for the bulk of the work. Specialists that may be needed once in a while, or that may have to be consulted on this or on that, should always remain outside. It is infinitely cheaper to go to them and consult them against a fee than to have them in the group to say nothing of the impact an underemployed but overskilled man has on the effectiveness of the entire group. All he can do is mischief. (Location 673)

What a great framework to determine who your next hire should be!

After all, “contracting out” various aspects of your ministry is now easier than ever. For example:

[Read more…] about How To Determine Your Next Staff Ministry Hire

3 Simple Ways to Become Efficient

By


Since time is the only commodity that cannot be gained, multiplied, or banked, here are three simple ways for you to become more effective in the use of your time:

1. Stop doing the things that don’t really matter

  • Peter Drucker sums it up well in his book The Effective Executive. Ask yourself “‘What would happen if this were not done at all?’ And if the answer is, ‘Nothing would happen,’ then obviously the conclusion is to stop doing it.”

2. Delegate, delegate, delegate

  • If you find yourself doing the same thing over and over again, record the steps and find someone else who can do it for you. They may even do it better than you, and it will free you up to do what only you can uniquely do.

[Read more…] about 3 Simple Ways to Become Efficient

The One Thing 2014 Ministry Report Book

By

The One ThingI’m so excited that The One Thing 2014 Ministry Report ebook is finally out! Not just because I wrote a chapter on “Why You Need to Rethink Your Small Group Ministry,” but because Darren is a dear friend and a sharp leader. He had the foresight to ask the important question:

What is the one new thing that has helped your ministry excel over the past year?

I want to encourage you to go download this free ebook here to learn the 11 aha moments from over this past year:

  1. Exploring New Paradigms for Effective Evangelism – Brent Dolfo
  2. 15 Characteristics of Today’s Unchurched Person – Carey Nieuwhof
  3. Mobilizing Student Missionaries – Jason Ballard 
  4. Sermon Series Planning – Phil Bowdle
  5. Execution: The Secret Sauce of Every High Functioning Leader – Darren Herbold
  6. Making Vision Real – Paul Alexander
  7. Why You Need to Rethink Your Small Group Ministry – Daniel Im (that’s me!)
  8. How to Engage a Healthy Staff – Ron Edmondson
  9. 7 Killer Mistakes Church Leaders Make – Scott Williams
  10. Wanted: A Killer Digital Strategy – Tim Nations
  11. Why Your Vision Does Not Stick – Tim Peters

Different Leadership Styles for Different Cultures

By

Are you aware of your cultural biases? Are you aware of how they affect the way that you lead? Do you understand that your way of leadership may be so infused with your cultural biases that you may not be able to lead beyond your existing culture?

Since I am a Korean-Canadian who has worked in several different cultural contexts in different parts of this world, I am keenly aware of my own biases and those of others. How aware are you?

Did you know that British linguist Richard D. Lewis charted out the different ways that leadership happens in different cultural contexts around the world? He does this in his book When Cultures Collide.

Check out this great summary article on Lewis’ book and a chart of the 24 leadership styles that Gas Lubin wrote on Business Insider.

when cultures collide