MikeSing, I described two important leadership lessons from the Baylor University’s student-led production, “All-University Sing.” Patrick Lencioni’s concept of a “rallying cry” is one of those lessons. Students can’t afford to devote 100% of their time to a single priority (such as a musical production) – they still have classes and tests and friendships and jobs to attend to. But they can make something (like Sing) their highest priority, and so can you. Church and ministry leaders typically raise two objections to Lencioni’s “rallying cry” concept. The first is that they can’t imagine narrowing down to a single priority. It’s important to keep in mind that “priority” doesn’t mean neglect of everything else and that this particular priority is only for a season, not forever. It also helps to reflect on your past experiences with multiple priorities. How did that work for you? Probably not very well. The second objection is that they’re not sure how to identify the right rallying cry. It needs to be something that will significantly advance your mission and that is broader than a single department. What might that look like?
- A church decides to overhaul the Sunday morning experience to make it much more inviting to visitors. Doing this will take several months of effort that involves changes in the schedule, worship services, small groups, children’s programming, facilities, and greeters.
- A non-profit wants to grow its donation and donor base by 50%. While this may seem like a department-specific goal, success requires creativity, support, and involvement from the entire leadership team. The time that senior leaders spend on this priority means that they have less time for other initiatives.
- “Everyone engaged in mission” is the new emphasis for one church. Even though it will take several years to fully implement all the different elements of this strategy, the first 12 months are a critical time for teaching (in worship and small groups), identifying mission partners, recruiting leaders, and creating the support systems (registration, measurement, training).
