WOW, What a Book

I just finished Jim Collins' book, Good to Great and The Social Sectors and I highly recommend that all church leaders read it, especially those of you who are primary leaders. Collins had my full attention at the outset when he said, "We must reject the idea--well-intentioned, but dead wrong--that the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become 'more like a business.'" I picked up the following three important lessons from the book.

1. How to get things done within a diffuse power structure. One of my favorite quotes from the book is by Frances Hesselbein (former National Executive Director of the Girl Scouts). When asked how she transformed the Girl Scouts into a leading nonprofit organization without concentrated executive power, she said, "Oh, you always have power, if you just know where to find it. There is the power of inclusion, and the power of language, and the power of shared interests, and the power of coalition. Power is all around you to draw upon, but it is rarely raw, rarely visible."
2. One of the best ways to "get the right people on the bus" (as Collins puts it) for a non-porfit organization is to use "early assessment mechanisms." In other words, rather than make someone a small group leader for life try having them serve for three months, at which time you evaluate their ability to fulfill the responsibilities.
3. The Hedgehog Concept. You'll have to read the book to find out what it's all about.

The book is very short, only 34 pages, so it won't take you long to finish. Once you're done however, you'll need to take some time to think about what you've read and how you're going to apply it. As usual, let me know what you think!