Core Checklist

A few years back we did a series of round-table discussions with several dozen leaders asking them the following two questions:

What are you looking for in your next hire?
Why did you, or your executive pastor, have to fire someone on your staff?

After speaking with about 80 leaders across denominations, and from churches of all sizes we landed at about 150 general answers. We took this spreadsheet and had it printed at Fed Ex Kinkos (it was quite large) and hung it on the office wall. We didn’t want a seminary or a college to answer these questions. We wanted church leaders because we fundamentally believed that this is their question to answer. We were surprised by our findings, and this list became the core 20 soft skills that Lp focuses on today.

Years later we still are seeking to answer the question: Why do people get fired? And what ends ministry careers early at churches? In other words, where are the gaps in the skill preparation of how we are preparing people for ministry?

The gap does not appear to be in theological education.  We're good there. Our seminaries are full, and there's a ton of content online.

The gap does not appear to be in discipleship. You may argue that there aren't many disciples and that's fine, but I'll point you to this week's list of books and resources, and last year's landfills. 

Here are the twenty topics that we continue to coach and help churches prepare leaders for in their future:

Self Care

Teachable

Failing Forward

Time Management

Managing Details

Communication

Initiative

Self-Awareness

Flexible

Work Ethic

Personable

Decision-Making

Influence

Continual Growth

Conflict Management

Leading a Meeting

Leading a Team

Delegation

Developing Others

Networking