Tag Archives: inner circle series

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Three Steps To Develop Your Inner Circle – Part 3

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inner circleThis is the fifth post in a series on developing your own inner circle of leadership in your business. We are on step three of Dave Anderson’s three-step process from his book, How to Run Your Business by The Book. The first steps in developing your inner circle dealt with choosing, investing, and empowering them. In this post, we will discuss holding them accountable for results.

Higher Expectations

While it is common business sense to hold individuals accountable for results on a day-to-day, project-by-project basis, this concept goes even further with your inner circle. If you, as the business owner or leader, are going to carefully select, invest in, and empower a few of the higher-potential members of your team, then you are certainly going to expect a higher degree of “fruit-bearing” from them.

Jesus’ Example

Your goal should be multiplication of impact through your inner circle, just as it was Jesus’ goal with His disciples. Jesus did not expect His disciples to just go around winning people one at a time. He taught them to multiply themselves. That is why they delegated the feeding of the widows to the deacons in Acts 6:1-7.

This idea is also illustrated in the story of Jesus’ encounter with the fig tree in Matthew 21:18. Most people notice that it says Jesus was hungry and was therefore upset at the fig tree with no fruit to eat. But have you ever thought of the other God-given purpose of the fig’s fruit? The fruit of the tree is where the seeds are – its God-given system of multiplication! Could it be that Jesus was more upset about this than His hunger? What are the possible parallels here?

The fig tree was accountable to Jesus for fruit. As a result of its lack of fruit, Jesus cursed the tree and it died.

The lesson of the vine (John 15:1-8) is another example of Jesus holding us accountable for our fruit when He said the branches not producing fruit would be thrown in the fire. While I do not recommend this exact punishment to be inflicted on members of your inner circle, it certainly shows us a clear example of accountability!

Your Inner Circle

So how do we apply this to your inner circle? I think there are several things to consider in holding your inner circle accountable.

    1. Where did they start? If you began with really green members of your inner circle then your expectations are going to be different than if you started with tenured and experienced leaders. You need to refer back to Part 1 of this series when I told you to look at where your group is right now and determine the gap.
    2. The key is progress. Regardless of where you started with your group, are they making progress? Are they growing as a result of the development efforts you are making? Look at them both as a group and as individuals. Are they moving forward together? Is any one individual holding up the progress of the group?
    3. Address shortfalls. If there are shortfalls in their progress – either as a group or as individuals – you must address it. Find out what obstacles are in their way and remove them. Help them see the gap between your expectations and where they are. Then help them close that gap.
    4. Cut the fruitless branches. In the event you chose poorly or if outside influences have taken one of the members of your inner circle off course, you are to try to correct that. But if your efforts to do this have been ineffective and the gap remains, then you must act. It is better for you, the team, and the company as a whole, to cut this member from your inner circle than to continue trying in vain to bring them along. While this is certainly a decision that requires prayer and a lot of thought, it must be made.

Are you holding your inner circle accountable?

If so, are you pleased with their progress (and yours)?

If not, what are you missing? What do you need to do next?

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Three Steps To Develop Your Inner Circle – Part 2

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This is the fourth post in a series about developing your own inner circle of leadership in your company. I am following the three-step process outlined in Dave Anderson’s How to Run Your Business by The Book. In my last post, we discussed how to identify your inner circle and how to intentionally invest in their development. Now we will turn our attention to the next step in the process – Give up power to go up higher!

inner circle

You Cannot Do It Alone

If you have been in business for long, you already know that you cannot do it all alone! If you want to grow and expand your business (and the eternal impact that comes as a result), then you must learn to get more done through others rather than doing it all yourself.

Giving up control is tough for most business owners and leaders – even when it is a simple task. So asking them to give up real power and authority to anyone else is almost incomprehensible! Unfortunately, this very issue causes many entrepreneurs to fail (worst case) or stunts their growth (best case).

Give Up Power To Your Inner Circle

If we are going to avoid this issue, we must learn to give up power in order to grow. In the context of our inner circle of leadership, this is going to require us to give up more than just day-to-day tasks to them. We must be able to let go of some of the more executive tasks as well.

Of course, this is not a step to be taken lightly. Nor is it a step that should be taken quickly. We must slowly and methodically grow into this or we could run into serious trouble.

Examples From The Bible

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples of giving up power from the Bible. First, consider Acts 6:1-7. The early church ran into a situation where there was too much for the twelve disciples to do alone so they were forced to delegate some of the daily tasks to others.

Note verse 7 in particular – “So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.” As a result of their wise delegation, the church saw tremendous growth!

What about Jesus’ actions in Luke 10:1-12? Here He sent out 70 disciples and gave them power over demons and power to heal the sick. He gave them clear instructions about what He wanted done and how He wanted it done. What was their response when they returned to Jesus in verse 17? “They returned with joy!” What about Jesus’ response in verse 21? “In that same hour, He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit…” It looks to me like it was a success!

Practical Tips

What can we learn from Jesus’ example here? Here are some practical tips we can pick up from this passage.

    1. Give clear instructions and expectations – Jesus was very specific in His instructions to the disciples. When delegating to your inner circle, don’t expect them to know what you are thinking. Make clear your vision of the process and the expected results. This will help you to avoid many problems!
    2. Have them report back – Jesus did not just send them out and hope they did what He asked. He had them report back to Him with their results. We don’t know if there was a specific time frame for this reporting back, but that certainly would be helpful if it makes sense. This puts urgency in the process.
    3. Coach them upon their return – Jesus was clearly pleased with their results (v.21), but He also took the opportunity to coach them in verses 18-20. This is critical for their development and future growth.
    4. Celebrate success and build them up – As we see from verses 21, Jesus was excited about their progress. He praised God and “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” when they returned. He also took an extra moment to build them up and strengthen their confidence in verses 22-23. Don’t miss this step if you want your inner circle to continue to grow!

What else can we learn from Jesus in developing our inner circle?

Are you willing to give up some of your power in order to grow?

What is the first step for you to take?

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Three Steps To Develop Your Inner Circle – Part 1

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In my last two posts, I described why you need to develop an inner circle of leadership. We looked at several compelling reasons you need an inner circle, including the example that Jesus set for us. I also identified and answered several common objections to this idea. Now that you are convinced that you simply must have an inner circle, let’s take at look at how you do it!

inner circle

In this, and the next two posts, I am going to break this process into three simple steps using material from Dave Anderson’s book, How To Run Your Business By The Book.

The first step in developing your inner circle is to:

1. Identify and invest more into those with the highest upward potential

Identify Your Inner Circle

Let’s start with identifying the people with the highest upward potential. So, exactly how do you go about doing this? Well, first and foremost, I would pray about it. I would pray for wisdom and discernment as I reviewed my employees for prospects. Ask for Him to reveal qualities and characteristics that you may not already be aware of. Pray for patience as well. Jesus prayed all night!

Next I would look at your current leadership structure. The easiest people to choose are already in your key leadership positions. Hopefully, assuming you have these positions, the people you have here are trustworthy and have the potential you are seeking. Mutual trust is mandatory.

For me, it was fairly clear because I had been fortunate enough to have people in my key management positions that fit this role perfectly. Not only did they have the highest potential, but they also shared the same values and beliefs and were quickly bought in to the mission as I presented it.

Your situation may not be the same. If not, you may have to spend more time on this step. You also may see that you are not positioned well with your key people. While that is likely not something you can change quickly, it is certainly something you need to address over time.

Here are three keys to choosing these people:

    Ready – The people you choose must be ready to take on the additional learning and responsibility. Regardless of where they are now in their leadership growth process, they cannot be immature, unstable, or short-sighted. They need to be ready to take on the challenge you will place in front of them.
    Willing – Another requirement is that they must be willing, even eager to join this group. You do not want someone that you are constantly having to sell on the idea! They need to see the opportunity you are presenting and value it.
    Able – The actual level of each members’ ability to take this on depends on the general ability level of the group. While every member of the group does not necessarily have to be on equal ground with all of the others, they need to be close. If you have one potential member that trails the others by a significant amount, you may want to consider another path for them. Otherwise, they will likely hold back the progress of the group.

One note, it is my opinion that you may need to start with only one individual that IS the right fit rather than trying to force two or three others that are NOT a good fit. Think quality over quantity! Personally, I have a total of five. I am not sure there is a magic number, but I would not have many more than this. Intimacy is also important for this group.

Invest In Your Inner Circle

This step will be different for each leader, depending on the level of the members of the inner circle. Depending on your industry or your company’s mission, you may already have a ready-made path for leadership development. If not, you may have to create your own. The key here is to be intentional about their development.

Here are some simple steps to consider:

    Determine the gap – Look at where they are as a group right now. Look at where you see them in x number of years after you have invested in their development. Now try to plot out a path to close that gap!
    Gather material – Choose material that will reinforce your mission while moving them down the path you have chosen. Make sure it is not too far above or below their ability to absorb. Obviously, the internet is an almost infinite source of material! Consider joining a C12 group as one source!
    Schedule time alone with them – Jesus spent time with the crowds, but He also carved out time just for His twelve. He then carved out other time for the three. You have to do the same.
    Monitor your progress – Take time along the way to stop and check your progress. Document what you are doing. This will give you a sense of how far you have come as a group.
    Celebrate growth – Take time to celebrate your progress! While there is a lot of work to be done in this process, you need to enjoy the fruit of it as well!

Are you ready to choose your members?

What are your challenges here?

What is your next action step?

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Common Objections To Developing An Inner Circle

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In my last post, I told you why you need to develop an inner circle of leadership in your company. If you have not read that post, stop now and go back and do so. You really need to be committed to doing this if it is going to be effective.

Now that you know why you SHOULD develop an inner circle of leadership around you, let’s address some common objections to doing so.

inner circle

It Is Not Fair!

One of the first objections that arises at this point is, “But it is not fair to everyone!” The idea here is that those you choose for this inner circle will have unfair advantages and opportunities over the rest of your group. Folks, as Andy Stanley put it in his session at Catalyst recently, “Fair ended in the Garden of Eden!”

It is not your responsibility to give everyone in your organization equal and fair opportunities with your time and energy. Jesus did not pass around a sign-up list to those in the crowd, giving everyone an opportunity to be in His small group of twelve disciples. Nor did He give those twelve equal opportunity to be in His inner circle of three.

Instead, it appears that each time He intentionally chose those with more potential than the rest. Just like the master in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), you should give of your time and energy “to each according to his ability.”

I Don’t Have Anyone Qualified For An Inner Circle

What if you feel you really do not have anyone qualified to be in your inner circle? Well, there are several ways I could answer this.

First I will assume you have enough people from which to choose, but you do not see any clear stand-outs. In this case, remember you are looking for those with the most upward potential. You may have to start very small and do a lot of developing. You may have your standards too high or you may need to relook at your hiring process! Regardless, it will be worth it.

What if you truly do not have anyone with even a remote hint of potential for this type of group? What if you are such a small company that an inner circle would have to include all of your employees to be considered a group? In these cases, I would advise two things. First, find someone else to mentor you and help you develop as you grow your organization. Second, keep this inner circle in mind as you hire. Do not hire people that could not eventually be considered for this opportunity.

But I Am Not An Expert!

Another argument may be that you do not yet feel like an expert yourself. You do not feel worthy or qualified to gather an inner circle around you for furthering their development. Good point. You are not. Unfortunately, you will never be qualified! If you wait until you are, it will never happen!

To again quote Andy Stanley, he said “It is not your responsibility to ‘fill their cup’, only to empty yours!” You are not an expert, and as long as you keep learning, you never will be! But you do not have to know everything there is to know about your job or role in order to teach them what you do know. Empty your “cup” of all you know – that is your only responsibility here.

Lack of Time

You may object to developing an inner circle by saying you do not have the time to pour into them. This could be a legitimate short-term argument because some leaders truly do not have the time right now to spare for something like this. However this argument virtually ignores the long term necessity and benefits of doing so.

Instead of accepting your current situation, you need to take immediate action to work towards creating this time in your schedule through delegation and elimination of less-critical tasks. By replacing these less-critical tasks with leadership development of an inner circle, you will actually free up more time in the long run than you can imagine!

Do you already have an inner circle? Is it working?

If not, are you now convinced to start working on it?

What is your next action step? Have you prayed about it?

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Why Do You Need An Inner Circle?

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On two separate occasions during a 24-hour period last week, I had two members of my inner circle of leadership hold me personally accountable on mission-related issues. In both cases, they were “spot on” with their comments and delivered their message with perfect sincerity.

I needed the nudge in both cases, but was not exactly excited to accept their recommendations. At the same time, I knew they were right and I was glad they were comfortable telling me.

inner circle

My Thoughts

As I thought about these situations, I simply thanked God for the privilege of being able to work with people of this caliber and the mutual trust we have established. I have had an inner circle in place for over five years and continue to see benefits!

Of course, my next thought was that I really needed to share this on my blog! So as a result, I am going to give you my reasons for having an inner circle. In the next post, we will look at some common objections people bring up when discussing this topic. I am also going to dedicate the next several posts after that to laying out HOW to develop your own inner circle. I will include some recommendations for additional reading material for further help.

Jesus’ Example

So, we will begin addressing the WHY by doing my favorite thing…looking at the Bible! Let’s consider how Jesus managed His three-plus year ministry on earth. We have to assume that He knew He was operating with limited time to establish an ongoing ministry that would continue after His death (and resurrection!). We can also assume that He would have the wisdom to know the best way to make that happen, right? So how did He do it?

Choosing Twelve

Well, He started with a crowd that was following Him from place to place for various reasons. In Luke 6:12-13, we see that He spent all night praying about who to choose for his small group of twelve disciples. It does not appear that He took this task lightly! The next morning, He chose His small group of twelve disciples from among the crowd.

His Inner Circle

Next, we notice in Mark 5:37, Luke 9:28, and Mark 14:33 that he called out three of the disciples from the small group to go deeper with Him. On several occasions, we notice that He spent additional time with these three, exposing them to opportunities that the other nine did hot have.

Benefits

I may be simple-minded, but I am one who believes if Jesus saw enough value in the process, then I should as well. However, in case there are some of you out there who need more convincing, I will keep going!

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of developing this inner circle.

    You will learn in the process! – As you go through the steps I will lay out for you over the next several posts, you will realize that this process will teach you as you go through it. Not only will the members of your inner circle benefit from the increased development, you will also learn as you take the time to pour into them. If you are one who does not feel you need to learn, then please stop reading and click on the little red “X” at the very top right of your screen.
    You will raise the bar for all of your leaders! – Not only will those in your inner circle become better leaders, those outside of the inner circle will respond to the higher expectations. They will work to improve their performance and potential because you have shown them this is the way to get your attention.
    You will all gain strength! – While you may think your team members are all on the same page right now, by drawing a small number of them into your inner circle, you will increase the effect of their combined focus. Just like Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”
    You will gain accountability! – Just as I described in the introduction, we have established such a mutual trust in my inner circle that they feel comfortable enough to call me out. Whether we like it or not, we all need accountability!
    You will perpetuate your mission! – Just as Jesus did through his small group of disciples and, to a greater extent through his inner circle of three, you will exponentially increase the odds that your mission will continue long after you are gone.

Do you already have an inner circle? What benefits do you see?

If so, how could you improve it?

If not, what are you waiting for? Why not start now?