Sing

One of the recent treats for our family was seeing “All-University Sing” at Baylor University. One hundred percent student run, Sing is 18 different acts that are packed with intricate choreography, artistic sets and, of course, singing. With up to 100 students on the stage for just one act, it represents untold hours of planning and rehearsing as they compete for the trophy that is awarded to the best act. It’s impossible to describe the quality of the production in words. Sing is a great example of two important leadership concepts that Patrick Lencioni describes in The Advantage. The first is the power of a clear, overriding objective, or as Lencioni calls it, a “thematic goal” or “rallying cry.” For these students, Sing is their top priority for several weeks. They are clear that the goal is to produce a near-flawless act that can win the competition. That’s not to say that Sing is the only thing that these students are doing during that time. They’re still going to classes, taking tests, playing intramurals, and having fun. All of those other activities are important – but they’re arranged to make room for the top priority. As Lencioni points out, most organizations lack this kind of clarity. They can’t answer the question, “What is most important, right now?” And without a clear and unified answer, then confusion, misalignment, and conflict become inevitable. The second concept is the power of peer accountability. Each student organization has a “Sing Chair” who has overall responsibility for their act. But the chairs have no formal authority over the other participants from their organizations. If someone misses practice or isn’t taking the rehearsal seriously, there is very little that the chair can do. And yet, the best acts have an incredibly high level of commitment. Why? Because the individual members are clear about the goal and because their peers will put pressure on anyone who isn’t doing his or her part. It’s a culture where peer accountability is the norm. So how is your church, ministry, or non-profit doing in the application of these two leadership concepts? Do you have a rallying cry that is widely shared? Do you have a culture where peers hold each other accountable rather than the leader having to be the enforcer? It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>