Fail Forward

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” -Thomas Edison

I’ll start this post by retelling you of the infamous corporate-style urban legend. A new products executive was running with a major initiative and the company had invested $10 million. It failed. The executive went to the CEO with his resignation assuming a failure of this magnitude meant finding work elsewhere. The CEO said, "Are you kidding? I just invested $10 million to train you and now you have a better understanding of how to make this project successful - the last thing I want to do is let you walk out the door."

When I began working at the WCA last year, I experienced something interesting in the syntax of the culture. A common phrase was: Failure is not an option. When this phrase is too dominant, it means the culture has gone beyond a focus on excellence into the danger zone of process perfectionism. And this means taking all variability and chances of failure out of the equation. No risk-taking. We identified that phrase as anti-innovation and have been working to remove it from the language. Embarking on the journey of creating an innovative culture can mean some major shifts, including viewing failure as an integral part of the organization. But there is a huge chasm between one-and-done failure and learn-as-we-go failure. The first is static, present-past oriented. The latter is moving, future-oriented.

Gary Hamel, Innovative Business Thinker, reminds us that it’s necessary to generate and work through hundreds of ideas just to have the best one emerge. Fail forward. Training people to think about innovation is really about training how to problem solve. Innovation is not just coming up with innovative ideas in a vacuum and innovation isn’t just for people who are born creative - it’s totally different. It’s problem solving and encouraging people that all of us can solve problems with innovative ideas. However, it requires giving people permission to fail and experiment.

An innovative culture needs risk-taking in volume.

Encourage movement. Move forward.

Try a lot. Fail a lot.

Learn. Be encouraged. Take more steps forward.

Fail again. Try again.

Success can happen if you fail forward.

As a leader, are you failing forward? What is something that you can do this week to encourage this aspect of innovation in your culture? What is something that you need to do to spark innovation within your culture?


by: Craig Terrill (@craigterrill)
Innovator, WCA

PS- Join us Tuesday, March 30 at 11:30 CDT for Becoming an Innovative Organization Webcast with Gary Hamel.

If You Could Ask Jack Welch 1 Question

It’s energizing to experience a one-on-one interview with one of the dynamic leaders of our era. In the next couple months, Bill Hybels will be sitting down with Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, and filming an interview for the Summit. As we’re prepping for the taping, I’d love to have your suggestions for questions Bill could ask Jack.

If you could ask Jack Welch one question about leadership, what would it be?

by: Corinne (@cbkferguson)

Executive Producer for The Global Leadership Summit, WCA

Function Trumps Form

As I prepared for my recent visit to 5 European countries with John Burke and the WCA the question on my mind was what will the churches be like. As a veteran pastor and ministry leader, but rookie world traveler, I was curious how reality would line up with what I’ve read.

My conversations with leaders revealed a culture that carries with it shadows of what the church used to be and the bright lights of what the church is.

During my days of travel I was constantly confronted with the interplay between form and function.

Food – I ate some great meals, but they weren’t always what I expected. Hotel breakfasts included sliced meat and cheese, which always made me wonder if I’d slept late and arrived for lunch.

Transportation – I never needed a rental car. For the most part trains covered the distance from airport to hotel. When no train was present, a taxi ride meant a very well kept Mercedes not a “will it survive the 2 mile trip” Chevy.

Toilets – forgive me for going there. Some had levers you had to work more than once. Some had buttons you pushed. Others had rods you pulled. I don’t remember seeing a single motion sensor flush, which is now found in almost every public restroom in America.

The lesson – many forms can accomplish the same function and the function is what matters.
I believe churches would be more effective if we applied that lesson to the expression of our faith. Jesus said, love God, love people and, make disciples. Three functions that can be accomplished with a multitude of forms – some of which we have yet to imagine.

What about the rest of you? How are you challenging form in your communities? What are the obstacles you face?

Craig Whitney (@craigwhitney)
Executive Director, Emerging Leadership Initiative

Innovation Beyond Consumerism

I am weary of conferences, conversations, and forums for the church on the “big next thing”. Regardless of my preconceived notions, I showed up for a gathering with Gary Hamel on how to spark innovation within the church. I did so with a fair amount of skepticism and a basic commitment to catch up on my emails as I “participated” in the conversation.

I find myself tired of trying to grow our church. I am weary of what is necessary to reach that next individual and exhausted at the thought that I may have to do this till I die (which may be sooner than later if I am not careful).

The team from my church lovingly challenged me and pushed me to look beyond the constructs of consumerism at play in the church and begin to dream about why we do church. It occurred to me that perhaps innovation can be about empowering our people see themselves clearly and to do the work of the church. Marvel idea...I know.

After two days of dreaming about what could be, our team constructed an idea that (we hope and pray) will unleash that natural innovation born into each and every believer. We hope the focus is not on our church, but on those who do not attend our church and to be clear do not care one bit about our visions, missions, or strategies. I even put my iphone in my bag and began to learn and watch the people around me innovate- not in regards to better worship environments but on the actual church- the people of God.

Missional Innovation is what I call it, for now. It’s the application of that basic human ability to create and make things that proclaim the Gospel in a contextual and creative manner so that a person’s life actually makes others pay attention to God. So I remain the skeptic I once was, only now I am a little more sanctified and entirely encouraged that conversations like this exist to press on people like me and churches like ours to make us dream and create once more.

I challenge the skeptic in you to dream about and create true innovation for the Church, not just for consumers.

JR Kerr (@jrkerr)

Teaching Pastor, Park Community Church

The Heart of an Artist

At the heart level, I’m not a leader. But I’ve often led things. A vacation Bible school. The WCA’s creative team. The K-5th grade parent teacher association. Our adult community at church. Over the past four years, I’ve had the joy of leading a weekly small group with a dozen high school girls.

During a Summit webcast on March 17, Gary Hamel talked about innovation, using Apple as an example of excellence. He said, “Apple innovates with the mind of an engineer and the heart of an artist.” That word picture spoke to me beyond the topic of innovation. It lit a light bulb in my head that explains my relationship to leadership. I have the heart of a communicator. My gifts rest in mercy, hospitality, and encouragement. But through intentional input, especially the influence of The Global Leadership Summit I’ve been developing the mind of a leader.

So when it comes to leadership development, don’t count yourself out, even if your heart rings more brightly with something other than leadership. Your mind is ready and able to learn. And leadership skills are great traveling companions when your heart starts to follow its passions.

New video featuring Gary Hamel, Innovative Business Thinker.

by: Nancy Gruben (@NancyGruben)
Communications, WCA

Be the Church

There is much research and conversation chronicling the impending demise of the church as we know it in the United States. While some still want to bury their head in the sand, others are content to “incrementalize” change at a rate I fear will meet with the same fate.

Is the goal of church innovation to get more people to come to (consume) our church or to get more people to be (transform) the church?

True innovation cannot simply be iterative – a slightly different way of doing the same thing. I look at Jesus – the ultimate interjection of Innovation to a church system with a long and storied history. He didn’t seek to add free coffee or text messaging to the synagogue; He destroyed the whole system and replaced it with a radical relational conversation based on loving God and loving your neighbor. 2,000 years later, why do we feel content to tweak a few things – clever videos, cool jeans and social media? Shouldn’t we “do what Jesus would do” and revolutionize the whole thing? Or at least probe the question.

What is the ultimate goal of church innovation? For business it’s easy – more profits for as long as possible. Let’s say the goal of church innovation is conversion and sanctification (you know, from the great commission – make disciples and baptize them). Well, you can (in theory) measure conversions/baptisms, but how do you go about measuring discipleship?

How do we as churches know whether or not we are actually impacting people in their pursuit of full devotion? For thousands of years that question has seemed to elude the church, primarily because (as the Pharisees would tell you) it is much easier to measure outward activity than the inner heart.

We still seem to be focused on attendance and giving (easily measureable) and struggle with measuring devotion and spiritual maturity. It seems because it’s difficult to measure, we’ve given up trying and put extra focus on “largest” and “fastest growing” or even the size of our capital campaigns. I think we can do better. We should do these things not because they are easy, but because they are right (no offense to JFK).

I wonder if true innovation mirrors Jesus’ approach. He could have done anything and yet he chose a small group of people to mentor- a group of 12 with an inner circle of 3. Could we as church leaders “innovate” in a way that equips our church leaders – pastors, staff, volunteers – to learn how to invest in the long conversation, life on life, with a focus of knowing and being known. No survey needed. No abstract diagnostic program. Let’s start measuring the long conversation, the life on life investments.

by: Mike (@gogism)
Mike is an elder at Park Community Church and is a Partner, The Aitreni Group, a social entrepreneurial venture focused on catalyzing the creation of social good in a variety of sectors by joining movements of influence with movements of justice

*Photo compliments of @gerrytrue

Surprising

Innovation guru Gary Hamel (aka: powerful communicator of complex organizational topics and user of relevant examples) said something that made me wonder. Apple’s core values are rooted in the elements of innovation. Is that just a marketplace thing that churches should ignore? Or does it have paradigm shift potential?

One of Apple’s core innovation values is to ‘aim to surprise the customers’. They want to cause their customers to shout WOW! when they use Apple’s products or services. Gary went on to say that employees believe deeply in what they are offering and want to make a magical experience for their customers. And get this, they make it a cultural norm to act wild and passionate when their customers are surprised!

This might sound like a beneficial outcome commercial companies strive for with customers... but does it apply to churches? If Apple is aiming to surprise, it seems many churches are simply aiming to please. Surprise is experiencing the unexpected. To be pleased is to experience the expected.

Jesus, a great innovator, often created unexpected moments that surprised his followers in ways that drew them closer to God. Do churches do that? Is this an innovation concept that has merit for a local church? Or do we write it off because it seems like the pursuit of commercialism?

by: Craig (@CraigTerrill)
Innovator, WCA

You can hear Gary Hamel share his insights on innovation and the Church at the WCA’s March 17 free webcast!

Leadership is Over Glorified

Following well is a form of leading. Have you ever thought of following that way? For me, this video highlights the gift of leading in a whole new way. It’s the followers that start the movement. After all, what would a leader be without followers?

by: Alex Scott (@xandy_scott)
International Coordinator, WCA

Every Leader Is a Reader

Yesterday I received a facebook message from a friend at Summit host site. She asked where I get my reading list.

One of the fringe benefits of working at Willow is the connection to information. I get to learn about some amazing things that are happening with leaders in organizations around the world.

Anyway, I’d like to share a reading list from Bill Hybels.

Any recommendations for books we should add to our reading list at the WCA? What books are you into right now?

by: Hanna (@hannaksays)
Marketing, WCA

Not every reader is a leader, but every leader is a reader. –David Gergen

Burned Out Sector

I just read a Fast Company article that states, “According to a poll by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, 45% of not-for-profit employees surveyed said their next professional move would be to leave the sector”. (Do Something: Six Tips to Reinvent Non-Profits)

Gasp.

I love the church and nonprofit sector. After a year of unsatisfied hours stocking produce at a Super Wal-Mart, I was invited to take a job at a local church. That was the first step on a career track I’ve (almost) never regretted and that I’ve even based my education around. To anyone who works in a nonprofit- you know that it can be hard consuming work.

I can’t help but wonder: what are nonprofits doing that causes such burnout? How can we prevent the burnout?

by: Hanna (@hannaksays)
Marketing, WCA

Movements of God in Germany

In the midst of the daily ups and downs of doing the work of God, we are sometimes blessed to experience remarkable victories that take our breath away.

Through The Global Leadership Summit, we have seen strong movements of God all over the world in the past several months. I’m humbled by, and deeply grateful for, His dynamic activity among the nations.

I’d like to highlight one recent event. Several weeks ago, in Karlsruhe, Germany, Corinne and Greg Ferguson and team produced a live GLS experience for a stadium full of 8,300 eager German leaders, with an additional real-time satellite feed to Winterthur, Switzerland. The live faculty included Bill Hybels, Craig Groeschel, John Ortberg, and Larry Crabb, along with several key German speakers, and was supported by a blended German and U.S. worship and arts team.

The attendees were envisioned, inspired and challenged to fully give themselves to God’s cause and calling. Stories abound of leaders deeply moved and taking new steps of growth. Here are two that were recently sent to WCA International Director Gary Schwammlein:

Dear Willow,
Being at the conference I found out that we had representatives from the Lutheran, the Catholic and Free Churches in attendance all coming from my home town. This could not happen just by chance. So after the conference we all met for the very first time. We hope this will be the start for a new way for the churches in our city. Thank you for organizing such events... We have already registered for the next one.

Dear Willow team,
We came here with a team of twelve. Our ministry is in former East Germany with a low percentage of Christians, but huge problems with youth unemployment, drug use and crime, and general hopelessness among many people. We attend every Willow conference because they give us the power, the energy, the faith and the passion to continue in often hopeless situations. God has blessed us way beyond our expectations and many young people have found Christ and live a God honoring life. You played a role indirectly in all these life changes. Thank you for your willingness to continue bringing us the conferences.

We have heard from so many pastors and leaders that hundreds of Churches in Germany have become more like the Acts 2 Church. This is a stirring encouragement for all of us to press on--to fully and vigorously carry out our calling through the GLS in countries all over the world.

With amazement and joy,

Jim Mellado (@JimMellado)
President, Willow Creek Association

10 Symptoms of Emotionally Unhealthy Spirituality

Angela, in explaining why she had not attended church for over five years, asked me privately, “Why is it that so many Christians make such lousy human beings?”

Jay, one of our church members, recently shared with me: “I was a Christian for twenty-two years. But instead of being a twenty-two year-old Christian, I was a one-year-old Christian twenty-two times! I just kept doing the same things over and over and over again.”

Ron, the brother of a member of the small group that meets in our home, upon hearing the title of this book, laughed: “Emotionally healthy spirituality? Isn’t that a contradiction?”

Our problem revolves around misapplied biblical truths that not only damage our closest relationships but also obstruct God’s work of profoundly transforming us deep beneath the iceberg of our lives.

THE TOP TEN SYMPTOMS OF EMOTIONALLY UNHEALTHY SPIRITUALITY

The pathway for your spiritual life I describe in the book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality is radical. That is, it very likely cuts to the root of your entire approach to following Jesus. Trimming a few branches by, for example, attending a prayer retreat or adding two new spiritual disciplines to an already crowded life will not be enough. The enormousness of the problem is such that only a revolution in our following of Jesus will bring about the lasting, profound change we long for in our lives.

Before I prescribe this pathway, it is essential for us to clearly identify the primary symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality that continue to wreak havoc in our personal lives and our churches. The following are the top ten symptoms indicating if someone is suffering from a bad case of emotionally unhealthy spirituality:

1. Using God to run from God
2. Ignoring the emotions of anger, sadness, and fear
3. Dying to the wrong things
4. Denying the past’s impact on the present
5. Dividing our lives into “secular” and “sacred” compartments
6. Doing for God instead of being with God
7. Spiritualizing away conflict
8. Covering over brokenness, weakness, and failure
9. Living without limits
10. Judging other people’s spiritual journey

Download entire chapter to read detailed descriptions of each symptom.

by: Peter Scazzero, an excerpt adapted from Emotionally Healthy Spiritually

This article is excerpted from the book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. The material from his book has been expanded into an all-new 9-week church campaign, available through WCA, with substantial discounts to Member Churches. Click here to learn more.

You may also interested in attending the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Conference being held at Pete Scazzero’s church in New York, April 31-May 1. Click here for details and registration.