15 Practices Of Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations

Every leader I know wants to build a great church or organization.  But are there certain practices you can do to be positioned for success?  One of this year’s best stories in college football is head coach Dan Mullen and the top-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs.

In the October 13th edition of Sports Illustrated, writer Pete Thamel profiled Mullen’s strategy for building the program.  As I read Thamel’s article, I discovered there were a number of applications for any leader in a church or business environment.

The following are 15 Practices Of Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations:

1. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Do Not Listen To Negative Voices – When Mullen was considering taking the head coaching position at Mississippi State, he was told, “You can’t win there.”  The Bulldogs did in fact have a 23-57 SEC record the previous 10 years.
2. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Make Changes – Upon arriving, Mullen called in everyone (faculty, secretaries, coaches, staff, etc…) who had anything to do with the program.  He declared, “You are part of the problem.  We have to change everything.”
3. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Take Advantage Of What They Do Have, Not What They Do Not Have – Located in rural area, Mullen began attracting athletes who enjoyed hunting, fishing and the school’s culture.
4. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Leverage Undervalued Resources – In Mullen’s first recruiting class, he signed Gabe Jackson, who resided 23 miles from the closest McDonald’s, along with Johnthan Banks, whose graduating class was 30 people.
5. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Develop Personnel – While the Alabama Crimson Tide consistently recruits four and five-star players, the average rating of a Mississippi State recruit is 2.9.
6. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Evaluate Differently – Rather than relying on recruiting services, the Mississippi State coaching staff evaluates potential recruits through diligent film study.
7. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Embrace Desperation – Mullen said, “These kids are desperate to be great and came here wanting to develop.”  For more on the power of desperation click 10 Reasons Why Desperatin Can Be Your Best Friend.
8. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Take Care Of Themselves Physically – Defensive Coordinator Geoff Collins said, “Once fatigue steps in and your brain stops working, we have no chance.”
9. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Are Creative – As Urban Meyer’s offensive coordinator at Utah, Mullen began creating the spread offense.  Team quarterback, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, Alex Smith said, “They were literally inventing the spread offense while we were there and Dan was the driving force.”
10. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Remove Barriers From Making Their Teams Successful – Mullen works very hard to isolate his athletes in space.
11. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Focus On Fundamentals – Though it appears very creative, Mullen’s offense is actually based on a power running system.  For more on the importance of quality systems over smoke-and-mirrors, click HERE.
12. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Build A Team Of Leaders – Upon arriving at the school, Mullen added strength coach Matt Balis from Virginia Tech, director of operations Jon Clark from Florida, and recruiting guru Tony Hughes of Southern Miss.
13. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Are Distinctive – Athletic director Scott Stricklin said, “We don’t want to be different (from other SEC schools).  But we realized if we’re like everyone else, that’s not good.  We have to be different.”
14. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Have Leaders Who Want To Lead – Tim Tebow said, “To really have a special team you need someone (quarterback Dak Prescott) that has a will to lead, will to win and will to run over people.”
15. Leaders Who Build Great Churches Or Organizations Eliminate Distractions – On selecting to attend Mississippi State over LSU, Prescott said, “Bourbon Street is 50 minutes down the road, so I don’t know what that could’ve done.  Starkville is hours away from anything that’s crazy or tempting or anything to do.  I knew I could stay focused.”

Of this list of 15 practices, what is one thing you can do today to have a more successful church or organization?

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