Michael Warden, Leadership Coach

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6 Questions to Ask When Strategies Fail

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me ~ watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” ~ Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

The rules of engagement and the definitions of success are not the same for Christian leaders as they are for leaders who do not follow Christ.

May 7, 2012 in Leadership, Transformation with 0 Comments

The Big Trap of Performance-Based Christianity

I’m excited to welcome Jenn Peppers to the blog today. Aside from being one of my closest friends, Jenn is a terrific leadership & business coach, and is the co-author (along with Tara Miller) of the insightful yet practical book Finding the Flow: A Guide for Leading Small Groups and Gatherings. You can find out more about Jenn’s life and work by visiting her site at www.vergecoaching.com.

So, it’s easier for me to talk about this topic if I share a quick personal story first. When I was in my mid-30s a series of things happened that led me to have a season of performance anxiety. One of the worst attacks happened the night before I was planning to run a 5K. I did not sleep that night and never ran the 5K, but I did realize something important: my sense of self-worth was extremely closely tied to how well I performed.

April 30, 2012 in Culture Change, Leadership, Team Dynamics, Transformation, Uncategorized with 4 Comments

How Coaching is Changing the Landscape of Leadership

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Eric Bryant (virtually speaking) and have a conversation about the impact coaching is having on leadership in the Church today. I wanted to share it here on the blog for those who couldn’t join us live:

Total time: About 27 minutes. And like I said at the end, if you’re a Christian leader in any context and you’re curious about coaching, I offer a free exploratory coaching session to anyone who’s interested in learning more about what coaching is about. Just click here and drop me a line, and we’ll set up a call soon.

April 9, 2012 in Leadership with 0 Comments

The Top 3 Ways Men and Women Leaders “Miss” Each Other

I’m so pleased to welcome Jenni Catron to the blog. Jenni serves as the Executive Director of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN. She leads the staff of Cross Point and oversees the ministry of its five campuses. Her passion is to lead well and to inspire, equip and encourage others to do the same. She is the founder of Cultivate Her, a community whose purpose is to “connect, engage and inspire” women leaders. She speaks at conferences and churches nationwide, seeking to help others develop their leadership gifts and lead confidently in the different spheres of influence God has granted them. Discover more of Jenni’s life and work at www.jennicatron.tv and www.cultivateher.com.

I’ve had the privilege in my career to work with some great teams both in the marketplace and in ministry. Great teams are essential to accomplishing the purpose and vision you are working towards. Building a great staff and developing a dynamic team culture is core to a healthy team environment.

April 2, 2012 in Leadership, Team Dynamics with 2 Comments

The Defining Story of Your Life (Part 3)

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” ~ Catherine of Siena

(This post is part 3 of a series. Read parts 1 and 2 here and here.)

So what if you suspect you are living the wrong story? How do you change your Defining Narrative?

March 19, 2012 in Contemplative Sojourn, Transformation, Uncategorized with 6 Comments

The Defining Story of Your Life (Part 2)

“You think you can find me? I’m dust. I’m the wind. I’m the darkness in your shadow…” Tennessee Williams

(This post is part 2 of a series. Read Part 1 here)

We develop our own Defining Narrative quite unconsciously, fairly early in life, in a kind of interpretive dance with our circumstances and the people in our lives. The basic process goes something like this:

March 13, 2012 in Contemplative Sojourn, Transformation with 2 Comments

What is the Defining Story of Your Life? (Part 1)

“One’s real life is often the life that one does not lead.” ~ Ocsar Wilde

I’ve been thinking a lot about the shaping power of story. In particular, the incredible power of the stories I tell myself about who I am, where I come from, and the person I am capable of becoming.

We are an innately narrative species. It’s impossible for us to perceive the universe outside of the context of story. We understand things and people by constructing stories around them to explain them to ourselves.

Our stories tell us who we are. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say it this way: We become defined by the stories we tell ourselves. I don’t just mean the shallower mini-tales promoted by New Age philosophy and positive psychology, such as “I am smart and successful and people really like me” or “I am not a smoker, I am not a smoker, I am not a smoker,” etc. Those have some power, or not, depending on how much the one saying them is willing to buy into his own PR. No, what I’m talking about are the deep stories that live inside each of us. That unique foundational story you embrace that defines who you are, and who you aren’t. It’s the primary story you are living in, and living out, every day. It’s the story you have created to explain yourself to yourself, to define your identity and your role in the world.

In other words, your Defining Narrative.

March 8, 2012 in Contemplative Sojourn with 4 Comments