Ron Edmondson

MAY 23, 2023

There are some hidden fears shared by many leaders. And those fears, if left to do as unanswered fear does in our life, can be dangerous. As leaders, there’s a charade we can be tempted to play about how we are feeling. It’s as if there’s an unwritten rule we have to hide our true emotions. Falsely we can believe that if people knew what we were really feeling they may not respect us, may not follow us, and – just being candid – may not even like us.

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Learning-by-Doing Follow-up Maturity Leadership Styles 66

Ron Edmondson

APRIL 13, 2023

There are many mistakes we make as pastors. I’m certain I make one nearly everyday. This post is only about one mistake. Only one, but one of the worst mistakes pastors make. Frankly, I’m as guilty of this one as anyone. I think most of us are prone to making this mistake – in any realm of leadership. Here is one of the worst mistakes pastors make in leadership: Allowing a few negative voices to overwhelm us.

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Audience Edmondson Energy Leadership 74

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 8, 2023

Often teams get in trouble by confusing activity with progress. This principle works in many areas of life. You’ll find it helpful in businesses, organizations, churches, relationships and in your personal life. Co nfusing activity with progress can be costly. I once wrote that growth covers over a multitude of problems. (Read that post HERE.) I know many organizations and people that mistakenly believe for a time (before it catches up with them) that busyness means things are moving in the r

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Short-term Long-term Objective Edmondson 58

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 7, 2023

The Challenge for me as a senior leader is to regularly communicate the big picture vision I have in my head. Of course, the idea behind those cute, well-worded statements is to communicate vision and mission. Yet, those are usually very broad statements. They can be lofty and aspirational even. And they should be. They will often last a long time. I am referring to the dreams I am currently dreaming.

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Edmondson Reference Objective Team 67

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 24, 2023

I have some default actions in my leadership toolbox. There are a lot of gray issues in leadership. So many times I simply don’t know what to do. I try to lead by consensus building, but even with the strongest teams there will always be decisions about which we just aren’t certain what is the best decision. This is why I like to have some default actions in leadership.

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Learning Curve Commitment Consensus Learning-by-Doing 76

Ron Edmondson

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

Here are 25 leadership nuggets I’ve learned over the years – many of them the hard way: If you know the answer is no, say it now. Don’t give people false hopes for a yes or maybe that isn’t coming. The more a leader says “I”, the less the team will feels like a “we”. Equally, if it’s “my” team then it will always be dependent on “me” Trust is the fuel of healthy relationships and healthy teams.

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Leadership Edmondson Resistance Learning-by-Doing 81

Ron Edmondson

OCTOBER 18, 2022

I’ve learned over the years that if you want to have excellence on your team it will often come with quirks. I heard of a very well known band who demanded Skittles and M&M’s in their dressing room prior to the show. But there was always one color, which had to be removed. And the color consistently changed. If the band showed up and the requirement wasn’t fulfilled exactly as requested they would pitch a fit.

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Edmondson Learning-by-Doing Team Creativity 72

Ron Edmondson

OCTOBER 17, 2022

Are you an easy to follow leader? I might ask – are you followable? Followable may not be a Scrabble approved word – or even a word, but the application and the intent of the word is huge. Leaders who are easy to follow inspire people to join them on a journey and they develop loyalty from their team. A couple of good questions to ask yourself: Do people want to follow my lead?

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Quality Loyalty Edmondson Learning-by-Doing 67

Ron Edmondson

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

In this episode of The Ron Edmondson Leadership Podcast Ron and Chandler Vannoy discuss some good reasons for a leader to say no. Most leaders struggle at some point with overcommitment. We take on more than we can or should do and it impacts the quality of our leadership and personal life. Perhaps we simply need some good reasons to say no. In this episode, good reasons for a leader to say no.

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Edmondson Consultative Review Quality 67

Ron Edmondson

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

How does a team become idle? . Team idleness is a term I use to describe a team failing to move forward towards its desired goals and objectives. The term simply means things have stalled. Therefore, team idleness means for a span of time there is no – or very little – forward progress for the team. It could be a month or several months.

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Team Long-term Brainstorming Objective 53

Ron Edmondson

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

As I write this I’m preparing to meet with someone with much more experience in leadership than me. If I had one word to describe him it would be wise. Wisdom is critical to the field of good leadership. Being wise in leadership comes with time and experience. My hope is simply to soak up some of that wisdom during our time together. . All of us can have moments of wisdom.

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Leadership Reputation Learning-by-Doing Planning 76

Ron Edmondson

AUGUST 29, 2022

I’m a leader. Yet, many times I submit to people I lead. We need good leadership. I might even say without leadership – in a big picture perspective – nothing of great value ever happens. I spend a bulk of this blog trying to speak into the practice of good leadership. But, as much as leadership is important, without good followers nothing of great value ever happens either.

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Delegation Edmondson Learning-by-Doing Commitment 69

Ron Edmondson

AUGUST 2, 2022

Pastors and spouses can find true friends. Really, they can. Of course, people talk. People gossip. People love to share what they hear. And that’s true of what they hear from a pastor too. So, if the pastor talks about personal life, shares a concern – heaven forbid shares a sin or weakness – people will talk. I’ve personally been burned several times by trusting the wrong people with information.

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Travel Long-term Bond Edmondson 61

Ron Edmondson

AUGUST 4, 2022

As a result of planting two churches, I’ve spoken with dozens of people wrestling with a call to be a church planter. They want to discuss the biggest challenges they will face in planting. The challenges are the same almost every time. These are usually transferable to all church pastorates, but especially planters. 3 challenges for every church planter: Finances.

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Maturity Edmondson Budgeting Finance 58

Ron Edmondson

JULY 11, 2022

I believe a leading reason for stalled growth and low morale in an organization is a controlling leader. Over time, I have developed some theories of how someone becomes one. Under a controlling leader’s watch, leadership development is virtually non-existent. As a result, pride is rampant. Ideas are squashed. Momentum is curtailed. People are miserable.

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Long-term Delegation Edmondson Morale 70

Ron Edmondson

MAY 3, 2022

In this episode of The Ron Edmondson Leadership Podcast Ron and Chandler Vannoy are unpacking 5T Leadership. This may seem to be a self-serving podcast – and in some ways it probably is, but in this episode, I share more about the model of consulting and coaching I am doing these days. I actually think unpacking this might spur some needed conversations in your organization.

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Edmondson Leadership Consultative Review 60

Ron Edmondson

MAY 2, 2022

I once consulted with a church struggling to move forward. The pastor had been there a couple years, had a great vision and was supported by most everyone, there were adequate resources, the community needed a healthy church (as all do), but they never could get any traction. I quickly assessed that they needed to create unity in the church in order to move forward.

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Influence Maturity Planning Cooper 62

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 23, 2022

In this episode of The Ron Edmondson Leadership Podcast Ron and Chandler Vannoy discuss the primary frustration of some people in leadership today. Yes, leadership is hard. And it is harder today than ever in my career. But there is one primary frustration for leaders today that hasn’t always existed. Or, at least, it exists more today. In this episode, we discuss the primary frustration for leaders today.

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Edmondson Review Career Leadership 65

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 3, 2022

Pastor, I am convinced one of the most kingdom-minded things you can do for your church is to lead the church as if you aren’t going to be there next year. (BTW, this may equally apply to other fields of leadership.). Yes, you were probably called there to lead. The church looks to you for that role. But the reality is you don’t know how long you will be there.

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Long-term Edmondson Follow-up Consultative 73

Ron Edmondson

NOVEMBER 1, 2021

Years ago, I read an article by Raymond P. Rood’s entitled “ How Then Should Organizations Live ”. (I can’t find a link for the article now. ) Rood made the point that every organization has three basic needs. This philosophy resonated with me and, based on my experience, I can see how it relates to the churches, businesses, and non-profits I have led. 3 things every organization needs to thrive: Growth.

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Organization Maturity Bureaucracy Edmondson 62

Ron Edmondson

OCTOBER 11, 2021

The beginning days are critical in leadership transitions. I’ve learned the impressions created in the initial days – positive or negative – are often hard to overcome. The momentum a new leader should have can be jeopardized by the environment created during the opening days of his or her leadership tenure. Therefore, I make three requests of teams I lead in the opening days of my leadership transition.

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Leadership Learning-by-Doing Bottom-up Team 60

Ron Edmondson

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Leader, if it is “ driving you crazy” (Which is a phrase I often hear leaders say about their organization, their team members, or things that are impacting them at the time.) . Whether it’s a systems issue, a personnel issue, or an issue with the progress (or lack thereof) from your team, there are not many options. You can boil them down to a couple of main decisions. .

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Edmondson Content Motivation System 41

Ron Edmondson

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Want to “shoot yourself in the foot” as a pastor? Hopefully, through this blog and my conference speaking I have established myself as someone that loves pastors. I came into vocational ministry mid-career and it gave me a unique perspective on the role. I want pastors to succeed. Of course, no one would intentionally cripple their ministry, but I have seen some ways pastors get into trouble if they aren’t careful.

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Edmondson Conference Motivation Career 69

Ron Edmondson

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

Let me introduce you to something I’ve been working on for years, but formalized over the last few weeks. Introducing 5T Leadership. In my previous post , I shared that we were in another life transition. Here’s part of what’s next. 5TLeadership. Ron (and his strategic partners) coach and consult churches, organizations and leaders in 5 critical areas of leadership.

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Leadership Restructuring Team Building Edmondson 76

Ron Edmondson

AUGUST 12, 2021

There is one hard truth about leadership every leader must understand, but is difficult to receive by some leaders. The probability is good you won’t like this truth either. The one hard truth of leadership: Not everyone will agree with you – or even like you – if you are a leader. That’s hard, isn’t it? All of us – at a certain level – like to be liked.

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Leadership Edmondson Energy Organization 78

Ron Edmondson

APRIL 1, 2021

There are times I’m a better leader than other times. Over the years, I’ve observed that many times there are things that simply weaken my leadership. When I allow these things to get in the way I am less effective as a leader. Sometimes this is my fault. Other times the cause is unavoidable. If we can identify what interrupts the effectiveness of our leadership, we can become better leaders.

Leadership 74

Leadership Edmondson Learning-by-Doing Conference 74

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 11, 2021

In this episode of The Ron Edmondson Leadership Podcast with Ron and Nate , Ron shares how leaders create capacity. Capacity can be defined as the ability or power to do, experience, or understand something. We all need more capacity. A leader can only do so much. The team can only do so much. Capacity helps us do more. Great leaders know the more capacity the organization has the more potential it has to accomplish its mission.

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Edmondson Review Power Organization 80

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 19, 2020

But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. Luke 2:10-11. As I read the Scriptures, the ability to have joy is a gift. We may not always be “happy” with our circumstances, but we can have joy.

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Edmondson Letter Commitment Planning 76

Ron Edmondson

NOVEMBER 30, 2020

Clarity is often king in organizational dynamics. Words do matter and clear communication is vital for healthy teams. As hard as it is for me to zero in on one idea, I know a huge part of my job as a leader is to help people understand our vision and where we are going next to try to realize it (as well as I know at the time). At the same time, there will be a certain fuzziness on a healthy team. .

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Team Edmondson Bureaucracy Resistance 52

Ron Edmondson

NOVEMBER 9, 2020

I try to always be strategic in leadership. All leadership involves change. You can’t avoid it and lead. Sometimes you can change simply because you have a new idea. I have learned, however, there are some times when leaders must strategically introduce change. There are times the “gut call” comes in handy for a leader. Leaders often must make quick and decisive decisions. 2020 taught us that if nothing else.

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Resistance Strategic Planning Energy Edmondson 54

Ron Edmondson

OCTOBER 21, 2020

My story is simple. While enjoying starting a church , my established home church was struggling. It caused me to question what would become of all the established churches. That burning question in my heart lined with a church in need of revitalization. I agreed to be their pastor. The rest is my history. We have help start two churches and helped revitalize three others.

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Long-term Edmondson Energy Review 83

Ron Edmondson

OCTOBER 1, 2020

I’ve learned there are some common – often hidden – objections to change. These are secret objections. No one admits to these, but they are real. In fact, they may be the biggest obstacles you’ll have to face in implementing change. Show me an objection to change and you’re almost guaranteed to find one of these hidden in the crowd somewhere.

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Objective Edmondson Resistance Power 48

Ron Edmondson

AUGUST 18, 2020

You’re familiar with the common scenario where someone half-jokingly asks for advise for a “friend” Everyone knows the “friend” is actually the person asking the question. Well, that scenario happens in leadership all the time. I call it: The question behind the question. The question behind the question may be the more important question.

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Edmondson Follow-up Motivation Examples 56

Ron Edmondson

AUGUST 17, 2020

Good leaders are appreciative of the people they lead. I must admit, I’m not naturally wired for this. Truth is, I can be guilty of expecting too much from people. I don’t always feel the need to acknowledge “normal” work people do – especially when they are being paid to do it. All of us enjoy hearing we did a good job. Some people are even fueled by it.

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Tips Team Edmondson Long-term 50

Ron Edmondson

JULY 6, 2020

I spend a good amount of my ministry investing in younger leaders and I love it, because it fuels me to know something I’ve learned – often through trial and error – might help another leader avoid my mistakes. This is one of those type posts. Here are 5 nuggets of wisdom, young leaders: The more specific you are the more other people can help you.

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Edmondson Learning-by-Doing Advice Succession 56

Ron Edmondson

JUNE 17, 2020

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God…” Deuteronomy 29:29. Make your plans. Work your plans. That’s good leadership. I’m an advocate of strategic leadership. I don’t believe the church should run from leadership. We need it, just as does any other organization of people. God uses men and women to lead His people.

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Leadership Edmondson Planning Cost 47

Ron Edmondson

JUNE 15, 2020

In a previous post, I wrote about the emotions of a pastor or leader’s spouse during a time of ministry transition. You will need to read the post HERE for this post to make complete sense. This post has always resonated with readers dealing with this issue. In coaching leaders through transitions, they often want to know how they can help their spouse transition well.

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Tips Stress Edmondson Environment 48