Hang Ten

Ready for a surfing lesson?  Disclaimer: I've never surfed.  Also, I was raised in the corn and soybean fields of the upper Midwest where on Lake Michigan the largest wave is seldom more than a foot or two.  Let the surfing lesson begin.

The term is "hang ten."  Most of you reading these words, if you take off your shoes and count the phalanges or more familiarly your toes, you'll count to ten. To "hang ten" is a surfing technique. It seems that when you're on top of the surf board to control to the speed and direction of the surf board--I believe it is actually to slow down the board--the surfer scoots to the front of the board whilst shooting down the face of the wave and slows down by hanging ten toes over the front edge of the board.  That is to "hang ten."  In other words, it's a surfing control technique.

Surfing, church leadership--connection?  Yes, there is a connection.  No one will argue that management requires staying on top of things.  For example, how does one keep track of one's finances without balancing your checkbook balance, etc?  Why do we understand this concept regarding our money, but take lightly to hanging ten on leadership?  Whether or not you discriminate between the meanings of management versus leadership; please, I insist that leadership requires staying on top of the surfboard, ergo, to hang ten.

Leadership in the church is not so much happening by preaching a sermon and running committee meetings.  But it is hanging ten, on top of the board.  So what does hanging ten look like as it relates to church leadership?  Let me offer just a few ideas:

--In between the meeting, do you ever hang out and share with key leaders in your church and ask “What's going on?” and “What you're trying to get done?”

--MBWA--"ManagementByWalkingAround" or in this case, leaderhsip by walking around.  Check in routinely with your key leaders.  Ask “How's it going?  What's the struggle?  How can we help one another?”

--Ask people what are they doing, and how what they're doing connects with your purpose or mission?

It's not enough merely to cast a vision, but to hold the team in contact with the vision, and accountable to the vision.  That's staying on top of the board, that's hanging ten.  No warning or alarmism intended, but surfing is all over if one doesn't stay on top of the board.  So it is with leadership.  It's being just as intentional about what we're doing as the surfer is to be on top of the board.

Joyfully - Dale Patterson