Huntley Leadership Blog

How to Consistently Recruit Great Volunteers for Your Team

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 15:11:03 GMT

Use the FACT method to start building your leadership pipeline.

To consistently recruit great volunteers, it’s essential to ensure you’re selecting the right people who will thrive in their roles and contribute positively to your mission. To help with this, we use a simple acronym called FACT, which stands for Faithful, Available, Contagious, and Teachable. This method helps you to evaluate potential volunteers before inviting them to join your team. Here’s a breakdown of how you can apply FACT in your own ministry or organization.

Read to the end for a free resource to help you start building your FACT-based volunteer team today!

F is for Faithful

When evaluating potential volunteers, start by asking: Are they committed to the faith and to the mission of the Church? Keep in mind that the level of faithfulness required may vary depending on the role. For leadership positions or roles with more responsibility, a deeper level of commitment to the faith and the Church is essential. Meanwhile, for other positions, you might be looking for someone who is still growing in their faith but shows promise and a willingness to deepen their relationship with God. The key is to match the level of faithfulness with the demands of the role, ensuring that each volunteer is equipped to thrive in their position while contributing meaningfully to the mission.

A is for Available

Next, consider their availability. Are they willing to commit the time and energy necessary to fully dedicate themselves to the role? A volunteer may have a heart for service, but if they’re unable to consistently show up, it can negatively affect the team. Choose people who will reliably invest time and effort into their work.

C is for Contagious

A positive attitude can make a world of difference in any team setting. When we say contagious, we mean that their enthusiasm, energy, and joy should spread to others. A contagious volunteer will inspire those around them and create an atmosphere that encourages everyone to do their best.

T is for Teachable

Finally, assess their teachability. Are they humble and open to learning, growing, and being coached? A teachable volunteer doesn’t need to know everything right away, but they should be willing to develop new skills and adapt to different situations. This attitude of humility is key to creating a team that grows together and continuously improves.

Putting FACT into Practice

Now that you know how to use the FACT method, it’s time to put it into action! By evaluating potential volunteers based on these four qualities, you’ll be able to create a team that’s dedicated, reliable, inspiring, and eager to grow.

If you’re ready to start building your FACT-based volunteer team, we’ve got a helpful resource for you. Click here to download a free cheat sheet on how we invite FACT volunteers to join our team. It’s a simple guide that will help you find and recruit the right people with ease.

Discerning the Call for Leadership Coaching

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:11:50 GMT

Discerning the Call for Leadership Coaching

Amidst the myriad of responsibilities and the spiritual weight of priesthood, recognizing the moment when one might benefit from leadership coaching can be as subtle as discerning the whisper of the Holy Spirit. In this edition, we explore the indicators that suggest it might be time to seek leadership coaching and how this can enrich your ministry and personal growth.

This blog post was adapted from Ep. 164 of the Huntley Leadership Podcast with Ron Huntley & Lorraine McCarthy.

Watch the full episode on YouTube here .

Understanding the Call for Leadership Coaching

Leadership coaching is a personalized process designed to enhance an individual's capabilities, perspective, and effectiveness within their leadership roles. For clergy, this translates into a deeper understanding of one's self, improved collaboration with staff and key volunteers, and more effective management of church resources resulting in missional momentum. But when does one know it is time to seek such guidance?

Signs You May Benefit from Leadership Coaching

Feeling Overwhelmed From Time to Time: The demands of ministry can be relentless, leaving little time for self-care, reflection or prayer. This is a symptom of an organizational structure that is not serving your mission. Learning to empower people of capacity to step into roles of influence and responsibility is something we help clients with.
Encountering Repeated Challenges: Facing the same issues repeatedly without resolution can be a sign that you are not getting the root of the issue and new strategies or perspectives are needed. A leadership coach brings a fresh set of eyes to help identify underlying issues and develop new approaches to overcome these challenges.
Transitioning into New Roles: Moving into a new leadership position within the Church can be daunting. Coaching offers support in navigating these transitions, ensuring you can lead with confidence and clarity from day one building strong teams that help you make consistently wise decisions.
Seeking Additional Growth and Impact: Leadership coaching isn't only for addressing problems. It's also a powerful tool for maximizing your impact and reach, helping you to grow in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and leadership intelligence that leads to sustainable fruitfulness.
Desire for Enhanced Communication: Effective communication is at the heart of missional movements. If your diocese or parish is looking to improve how you connect with others, a coach can provide techniques and feedback to enhance your communication skills.

The Journey Forward

Embracing leadership coaching as a clergy member is a step toward acknowledging the complexity of your calling and the importance of continuous growth, both spiritually and professionally. It's about equipping yourself with the tools to serve more effectively and fostering an environment where the church reaches its full redemptive potential through your leadership.

How Huntley Leadership Can Help

At Huntley Leadership, we specialize in providing tailored coaching that respects and enhances your unique talents and charisms. Our approach integrates individual and team sessions with proven leadership principles, offering a pathway to greater impact and fulfillment in your ministry.

If you're feeling the nudge to explore leadership coaching, or if you are a lay disciple who understands the impact this support could have for your pastor speak to him and consider investing in your pastor or Bishop with your financial support of this initiative, we invite you to reach out. Together, we can discern the next steps in your leadership journey, guided by faith and a commitment to excellence in service.

Visit us at huntleyleadership.com to learn more or to schedule a consultation.

How to Breathe Vision in Parish Leadership

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 10:00:02 GMT

How to Breathe Vision in Parish Leadership

Your vision can be 20 pages long, but how do you breathe it into your organization once you have it? How do you embody it so that it’s lived out across every level of your organization?

This blog post was adapted from a written transcript of Ep. 95 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast with Ron Huntley & Christian Huntley.

Watch the full episode on YouTube here .

Having vision vs. breathing vision.

There's a difference between having a vision and truly bringing it to life for your people and organization.

It's more than just a catchy statement; it's about embodying the vision and making it a consistent part of the organization's culture and actions.

How do you breathe vision so that it’s lived out across your entire organization? Breathing is natural! It’s not something you have to think about–You just do it. It's consistent.

How do we embody vision in that same way so it becomes natural and consistent? Because if we have a vision but don't act on it, it likely won’t come to fruition.

That's often the case, not just in the church but also in businesses, sports teams, or other areas of ministry.

How do we embody and live out the vision we feel called to pursue?

A vision felt at every level.

My passion is leadership; my first love is Jesus and His church.

When I can apply leadership within the Catholic Church so that more people can come to know Jesus, that’s where I find true purpose!

I remember the first place I experienced leadership in the context of church.

It wasn’t in a Catholic Church. I'm not saying that doesn't happen or can't happen in the Catholic Church; that simply wasn't where I first experienced it!

I was living in Moncton, New Brunswick, at the time, and a neighbour invited me multiple times to attend their church. I basically told them, "I'm Catholic... I don't want to go to your church. I'm sure you have a lovely church, but I don't want to do church more than once on the weekend!"

Yet, the more I cared about them and got to know them, the harder it was to say no to their invitations.

They knew I liked music, and one day, they mentioned that a guest band would be playing at their service and once again asked if I’d be willing to attend.

Reluctantly, I agreed.

At this point, I was thinking, "okay, I'll come this one time. But please stop asking me after this." So I went! After attending Mass first, I headed over to this service.

As soon as we arrived, I was struck by the energy and enthusiasm of the people at the door. They seemed confident and happy, and the welcoming atmosphere was unlike anything I’d seen anywhere else.

The service was different from what I was used to in the Catholic Church, but it was a fantastic experience! The music was great; the preaching was engaging. But the thing that most struck me was that, from the moment I arrived, I could tangibly see the leadership and vision of the church lived out at every level.

Their people were engaged and empowered as they created an environment that fostered ownership and participation.

I didn’t hear anyone talk about the vision; I experienced it! I could see it. They were breathing vision on every possible front, and I received it right through the organization.

Their pastor, Pastor Laurel Buckingham, exemplified what it means to empower people. Even though I didn't understand their organizational structure, I could see and hear the same culture, desire, and hope through everything.

And I just thought, "what is happening here?"

It was clear to me that there were many things this church was doing that could also be applied to the Catholic Church!

Nothing I saw detracted from our liturgy or sacramental experiences. Instead, it sparked a realization in me that there were ways to make our faith more engaging and empowering!

And that was the first time I'd experienced something that changed my entire paradigm of what's possible.

Embodying vision rooted in conviction.

So what stops us all from achieving that level of breathed vision?

I believe one thing that holds many of us back is that it's often much more challenging than we expect.

Think about Moses leading God's people out of Egypt.

If he had known how difficult the journey would be, I suspect he might have reconsidered his decision. Knowing he would be up against numerous challenges, such as complaints from the people, resistance to his leadership, and the worship of false gods, it might have crossed his mind to reconsider.

But just like Moses, we all have a promised land that God calls us to. We all have God's calling on us to positively impact the world in whatever our area of influence.

When faced with pushback, many leaders second-guess their vision or commitment.

If we're not rooted and embodying God's conviction in our hearts, we'll fall apart like a house of cards.

To avoid this, we must consistently tap into that vision and conviction through regular prayer, mentorship, and a supportive team that can remind us of the greater purpose, even when things get tough.

Leadership can become isolating and ineffective if we don't surround ourselves with support and guidance!

The inside and outside of the cup have to be the same.

You can't fake vision.

It’s incredibly frustrating when people see your values printed beautifully on a wall but then experience something radically different in how those in positions of influence treat them in real life.

Our actions have to align with our words!

If we say our purpose is to live like Jesus and show his love to those in our sphere of influence, but then we turn around and treat our people poorly for the sake of a "noble mission,” that's not good enough.

The inside of the cup and the outside of the cup must be the same.

When we bring integrity to our leadership across every ministry, breathe vision through all of it, and embody that vision in how we treat people, we start seeing real engagement and buy-in from our teams.

Not because of a catchy vision statement printed across somebody's t-shirt or that fancy sign on the wall; People will get behind the vision when they see it breathed through the entire organization!

But how do we enculturate people so that they, too, embrace the vision?

Prayer is always the foundation.

The foundation of any successful vision is a deep connection with God. Through prayer, we can discover our heart's genuine desire and the calling that God has placed on our lives.

I love how Father James Mallon speaks of "holy discontent’; a restlessness that tells us that something is not right and that we need to change.

This is the starting point for uncovering your vision!

Go to God in prayer and let the Holy Spirit guide you as you listen and walk in obedience.

We need to create environments where we’re held accountable for the gap between our vision and actions. We do this by surrounding ourselves with mentors who help us tap into our full potential and also by leading from a team that has permission to hold us accountable to the vision.

As you reflect on this topic, ask yourself some crucial questions:

● Who does God say you are?

● What have you been called to do?

● What type of person do you feel called to be?

When you unpack those questions, it becomes easier to evaluate whether your actions align with your vision!

What's percolating in you that says, "This isn't good enough"? Go there in your prayer. Let the Holy Spirit transform you.

It's not something that happens overnight; it’s not even something you can do in a week or a month.

I genuinely believe it requires a lifetime of listening and walking in obedience as you uncover God's call on your life!

God’s calling won’t always make sense.

God is calling us to do things that don’t make sense; He's asking us to live supernatural lives and bring alignment to everything we do.

He’s calling us to be the leaders the church needs in this generation!

Our mandate is to have a disproportionate impact on the world around us.

This will require something of us that isn’t normal; it may even feel impossible at times!

But there are steps we can take to set ourselves up for success.

It all starts with committing to walking in obedience every day.

The results in your church will not improve unless you, as a leader, are willing first to improve yourself.

It's not just about having great ideas; it's about being a great leader with a clear commitment to follow God's call on your life!

Leadership requires humility and a willingness to step out of our comfort zone.

We must create a leadership culture that enables our team to live out the vision across every area of the organization.

Once everyone is aligned on what we’re aiming at, we need to have courage to chase after those convictions with everything we are–and the humility to let everything else go.

It starts with saying to God, “I want what you want. I can't be stuck in my ways anymore. I need help, and I need the Spirit to come and move in me.”

Pray for conviction on what the right things are.

Ask God to reveal how you can get everyone aligned on the vision, and then ask Him for the courage to follow those convictions through to the end.

And when you do? Just watch what God will do through you!

This blog post was adapted from a written transcript of Ep. 95 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast with Ron Huntley & Christian Huntley.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: ‘How To: Breathing Vision into Catholic Ministry’

Growing The Relationship between Pastor and Associate

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 12:41:33 GMT

Growing The Relationship between Pastor and Associate

Not all associate-pastor relationships go particularly well. And even when things are good, issues can still arise. How can pastors and associates invest in their relationships to maximize their impact?

This blog post was adapted from a written transcript of Ep. 96 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast with Ron Huntley, Fr. Sammie Maletta, & Fr. Declan McNicholas.

Watch the full episode on YouTube here !

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RELATIONAL IMPACT

The relationship between a pastor and their associate is crucial .

The pastor acts as the spiritual leader, guiding the congregation in their spiritual growth, while the associate supports and assists in the daily operations and spiritual growth of the parish.

However, in my experience, not all associate relationships with the pastor go particularly well. These relationships can often be very complicated for a number of different reasons.

Even when things are in a great place, issues still tend to arise from time to time.

Remember that this is a normal part of any relationship. But it's also essential to address these challenges head-on and work towards finding a healthy way forward.

In this post, we'll explore how pastors and associates can invest in their relationships to maximize their impact and unpack how to create stronger, more collaborative leadership environments within the parish. We'll talk about building trust and finding common ground, embracing your unique giftings, and healthily working through issues.

Because let's face it:

Disagreements and miscommunication are going to happen. It's a part of any relationship!

But by understanding and embracing the unique ways God has gifted each of us as individuals, we can work together to achieve tremendous success in our mission to serve and lead the communities we’ve been called to serve.

THE ROLE OF A FATHER

The role of the father in the church, much like in a family, is to guide and support the growth of individuals within the community.

When it comes to the pastor-associate relationship, this includes fostering an environment that allows the associate to make mistakes, learn from those experiences and become a stronger leader as a result.

Pastors should act as mentors and guides to their associates while also providing them the freedom to make their own decisions, take ownership of their actions and learn from their experiences. By doing this, a pastor can help their associate become more effective in their roles and, ultimately, have a greater impact on the parish.

One of the most practical ways pastors can do this is by allowing their associates the space and safety to make mistakes.

It's important to keep in mind that mistakes are a natural part of growth and learning.

When you create an environment where associates feel comfortable taking risks and trying new things, you allow them to expand their capacity. By providing guidance and support, pastors can help their associates navigate challenges and become stronger leaders!

Of course, this is a process. Trust takes time to develop!

But when associates are given the space they need to grow, without the fear of what happens if they mess up, it allows them to rise to the challenge, grow in their leadership, and become more effective in their roles!

Ultimately, this leads to them having a greater impact on the community within your parish. That's what makes us stronger as leaders!

It's often the lessons we learn on our own that hold the most profound memory for us.

Pastors: Allow your team the space & safety to mess up.

When associates feel supported by a leader who has their back, they’re much more likely to bring all of themselves to the table, knowing it’s safe to do so.

EMBRACE YOUR GIFTINGS & INVEST IN GROWING TRUST

Trust plays a crucial role in building a strong pastor and associate relationship. Trust allows for open communication, understanding, and the ability to let go of certain ideas or perspectives to work together for the betterment of the parish.

In episode 96 of the leadership podcast, Fr. Sammie Maletta shared his experience working alongside his associate, Fr. Declan.

Fr. Sammie & Fr. Declan are quite different in their leadership styles and approach.

During our conversation, Fr. Sammie shared the question he asks himself when a team member shares a vision for something that he doesn’t necessarily understand or see eye-to-eye with.

He says to himself "Is there anything about this that could be helpful?"

This question can often lead to a realization that the team member is doing just fine, their ideas are good, and it’s maybe not necessary to push back.

By taking the time to evaluate what could be helpful or useful and letting go of the parts that make him uncomfortable, he can re-evaluate the feelings and thoughts inside of himself and put them on the table against that trust and chemistry!

I love that way of reflecting and self-evaluating!

It’s a great exercise in letting go and giving your team the space they need to lead as their most authentic selves!

With that trust in place, they can work together to achieve a greater impact for the parish.

But it's important to understand that trust doesn’t happen overnight! It’s something that needs to be constantly nurtured and cultivated.

By investing in that trust, the pastor and associate can create a powerful dynamic that benefits the parish and the community in incredibly profound ways!

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR BOTH PASTORS AND ASSOCIATES

The pastor and associate relationship is a critical component of a thriving parish.

It requires that both the pastor and the associate be intentional about collaborating to maximize their effectiveness and impact.

Pastors and associates need to have open and honest conversations to define what success looks like, how they can best work together and support one another, and what their expectations and working styles are.

This allows you to begin building trust and appreciation for one another and likely prevents a whole lot of frustration and misunderstanding!

Embrace what makes you both unique as individuals, and celebrate the different ways God has gifted you.

When you can do this successfully, you experience the joy of living out your calling to its full potential.

As leaders, we’re called to serve and lead the community God has placed around us.

It's important that we continually strive to get our ego out of the way as we fix our eyes on the greater mission and the impact we’ve been called to have on our communities.

But keep in mind that trust takes time.

It won’t be built overnight, and it requires constant nurturing and cultivation.

When you spend the time required to build a firm foundation of trust, the pastor-associate relationship becomes a powerful dynamic that benefits the parish in incredibly significant ways.

As a final word of encouragement, don't waste any opportunities to grow, be intentional and invest in the relationships that God has placed around you!

By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to lead and serve your community as God intended.

This blog post is adapted from a written transcript of Episode 96 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast with Ron Huntley, Fr. Sammie Maletta & Fr. Declan McNicholas.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: Growing the Pastor-Associate Relationship | Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast

A Note to Associate Priests:

I’d love for you to join me & a group of other associates for a monthly roundtable discussion where we dive deep into the unique challenges that can arise during this time in your ministry. The roundtable is intended to help you make the most out of this season of your priesthood and maximize your growth before getting to the big seat someday.

Because, the truth is, it's way harder than you think it is when you get in that big seat. So don't waste any opportunities between now and then to grow, be intentional and take responsibility for this season and this opportunity in your life!

If you’d like to learn more, head to ronhuntley.com/associate-priests for all the details and to sign up. I hope to see you there!

Setting a Foundation for Parish Renewal

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 11:00:02 GMT

Setting a Foundation for Parish Renewal

God’s given you a vision for your Parish, and you want to walk in obedience as you live out your calling. But when it comes to turning a parish around, where do you actually start? How do you go from simply having “nice ideas” to actually executing on the mission?

This blog post is adapted from a written transcript of Ep. 93 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast, with Ron Huntley, Lorraine McCarthy and Llewy Berchy.

Watch the full episode on YouTube here !

Recognizing a Need for Renewal

I believe that the Church is at a crossroads.

So many of us are realizing the need for change and renewal in our faith communities. The question is, how do we take those steps?

In many ways, we’re entering uncharted territory. And as we do, we need to be prepared for the fact that not everything will work out as planned or expected.

But if we approach this with faith in God, I believe we can rise to these challenges and find new ways to live out our faith in a relevant and transformative way for our communities.

What does this mean at the parish level?

It means that as leaders in our communities, we need to be open to doing things differently than before.

We need to be willing to ask questions about how and why things are done the way they are to determine the most effective way forward. And then, we need to invest time and energy into implementing those changes so that they stick and become part of who we are as a parish community.

Parish Renewal Starts with Personal Renewal

As leaders within the Catholic Church, we often hear the phrase "parish renewal" thrown around. But what does that practically mean? At its core, it means committing ourselves to growth and change, both as individuals and as a parish community.

But it starts with personal renewal .

Personal renewal is about being willing to put in the work to see change happen and being open to new ways of doing things. It's about looking for inspiration in other leaders within the Church who have dared to lead in new ways and learning from their experiences.

When we renew ourselves as leaders, we become better equipped to empower others and bring them into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

We see the faith of our parishioners come alive, and we experience the joy of watching our parishes grow and flourish.

When we can grasp this concept and commit to doing the work of growth and change, we’re better equipped to lead our parishes toward a brighter future. We don't have to do this alone; by doing it together, we can achieve more extraordinary things. Many of us might think that having a team diminishes our authority as leaders, but a team typically increases our authority and influence. By working with a diverse group of individuals, we make better decisions and have a more significant impact on our parishes.

Empowering a Mission-Minded Team

To create real change within our parishes, we need to assemble a team of individuals who are teachable, contagious, and open to new ideas.

This is particularly important when launching new evangelization tools like Alpha, designed to help people develop a deeper relationship with Jesus.

By growing new disciples, we expand the pool of people available to work in other areas of our community and create a foundation for building a stronger leadership team.

As the team starts to gain traction and identify individuals with capacity, it's essential to look at the existing leadership structures within the parish and select a leadership team open to growth and change.

After you’ve brought these people together, begin investing heavily in them! Meeting with your team and discussing the issues they are facing, both personally and tactically, is the most practical way to invest in and develop a mission-minded team.

But it's important to remember that this process can be challenging.

Life throws curveballs, and misunderstandings and hurt feelings may arise in relationships and leadership.

But with patience, understanding, and a willingness to work together, we can empower a team capable of bringing about real change in our parishes and bringing them to a deeper relationship with Jesus.

Realize That Culture Doesn’t Change Overnight

If you’re embarking on the journey of parish renewal, keep this reality in mind:

Renewal never happens overnight.

It’s a slow and gradual process that requires consistency and perseverance.

We've spent a lifetime doing church the way we do it now, and it will take a long time to see significant cultural change.

In our conversation on the Leadership Podcast, while discussing the long-term vision for their work, Llewy Berchy & Lorraine McCarthy talked about the importance of keeping the long-term vision in mind.

They shared how, like Moses and the Israelites, not every leader will reach the Promised Land in our lifetime––but that shouldn’t impact our efforts and desire to get there.

Cultural change on a macro level can take decades, but you can already see glimpses of the fruit throughout the micro-cultural changes that have begun happening!

Hope and passion are coming alive in parishes. People who have historically been disengaged are now stepping forward to be hosts, helpers, or leaders of Bible studies. These are substantial changes taking place on a micro level, even though the significant cultural change may take a long time to see the full effects.

It's important to realize that the journey to cultural change is messy and complex.

We may struggle with how to handle existing parish councils and leadership teams, and it can be easy to want to throw in the towel.

But as we work through the difficulties, we will see progress and excitement begin to spread.

It's a reminder that change takes time, but it's worth it in the end.

Faithfulness isn’t enough; we need transformation!

Focusing on structures and programs is easy, but lasting change can only happen when people have a transformative encounter with Jesus.

When people encounter Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit, their passion and generosity for the church increases, making everything easier.

We have a lot of faithful people, but it's important to remember that more than faithfulness is needed.

Transformation is possible, and it's exciting to see it happen in people's lives.

But it's easy to get discouraged and feel like giving up when things are complex and not going as planned.

Stay focused on the vision and keep going despite difficulties and uncertainty. I promise it will be so worth it!

This blog post is adapted from a written transcript of Ep. 93 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast, with Ron Huntley, Lorraine McCarthy and Llewy Berchy.

Watch the entire conversation on YouTube: Melbourne Taking Aim at Supporting Parish Priests | Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast #93

How to Build a Healthy Parish Leadership Team

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 18:09:07 GMT

How to Build a Healthy Parish Leadership Team

When you lead out of a team and build the mission alongside people that share your vision, your capacity for impact increases far beyond what you could ever achieve on your own.

This blog post was adapted from Ep. 84 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast. Watch the full episode on YouTube here !

What’s a leadership team, and why do you need one?

When I started coaching in parishes seven years ago, I decided I wouldn't coach anyone unless they were willing to work out of a team.

Why?

I don't have enough confidence in any one person other than Jesus himself. And even He, I would argue, had Peter, James and John, who he invested in disproportionately.

Jesus also said, “when I send the Holy Spirit, you'll be able to do even greater things than I did.” I truly believe a team plays an instrumental part in that.

Our discernment is more robust when we share the weight of leadership with people aligned on vision and willing to have the conversations necessary to lead effectively!

And the reality is, your most competent people are the least likely to seek you out! They know how busy you are, and they take that into account, and they don't want to bother you.

When this happens, it often results in leaders spending the least amount of their time with the people who could have the biggest impact. And who do they spend the most time with? The least competent people (who also tend to complain the most).

That's a terrible strategy for Parish renewal.

If we spend all that time trying to live up to everybody else's expectations of us, we'll likely have very little time for the important things and people. We need to prioritize and understand who God has placed around us and then disproportionately invest in those who can have the most significant impact!

I genuinely believe that you, as the pastor, need a team around you that brings out the best in you. These are the people that will help carry the weight and responsibility of the work and remind you of the greater mission on the days when you forget.

At its core, I believe an effective leadership team acts as a decision-making machine. As a group united in your vision of success, you can have difficult conversations with one another; you can be vulnerable and own the areas you’re responsible for.

Where you are now and where you're going to be in five years directly relates to the quality of the decisions you make between now and then. The better your decisions are, the more likely you are to accomplish a vision that will inspire and make a difference.

When you bring high-capacity people around you who align in their heart and vision to transform the church, you begin making better decisions and seeing more significant results and impact!

“If you want to go fast, go by yourself; if you want to go far, go as a team.”

When we lead out of a team, rather than doing everything on our own, we tend to be much more successful in the long run!

If you're leading from only your own perspective, there are often gaps that you don’t realize. No matter how much education you have or how wise you think you are, collective wisdom will trump individual pursuit every time.

If you want to be successful, you need people around you who are better than you. And by better than you, I mean they have different strengths than you do! They'll bring out different things in you and help you expand your perspective.

How do you identify the right people for your team?

So you’ve realized the importance of having a leadership team. Awesome! But what does it look like to start that process?

How do you identify and build that team and ensure that it's effective?

Building a parish leadership team can be daunting for many pastors. There are many reasons this is the case, a big one being: It can be hard to ask!

You think, “I don't want to ask these people – they're busy; they have families; they have other jobs.”

In reality, your people likely love you as their pastor, respect your priesthood, and love God and the church! They would lay their life down to serve with you and help impact the mission if given a chance.

I often recommend leaders complete APEST and Strength Finders to understand who they are as a leader and the people they might need around them. You can even get the people you're inviting on your team to go through these, which may help you further discern who would most complement your own strengths!

Identify the people who will bring out the best in you based on your strengths.

As you continue asking, “what else do we need?” you begin to put the pieces into place as you identify highly competent leaders.

When considering who to bring on the team, a great reference is “F.A.C.T.”

Are they faithful?
Are they available?
Are they contagious?
Are they teachable?

1. Are they faithful?

Are they passionate about Jesus and faithful to the teachings of the church? Are they aligned on vision and feel called to build the mission in a leadership capacity?

2. Are they available?

You can't lead at a high-capacity level with people that you can't count on. Do they do what they say they're going to do? That's incredibly important.

3. Are they contagious?

You might know the smartest, most committed church member and feel they’d have so much to offer. While this may be true, there must also be a relational capacity with others. If they can’t connect with other people, they don't respect you, then you're not going to have the level of influence that is required to lead at that.

4. Are they teachable?

Teachability is mutual respect. You may disagree and debate from time to time, but at the end of the day, if their idea isn’t the winner, do they have the humility to embrace that? It takes a level of humility and a willingness to work together.

If you’re just starting down this road of building your parish’s team, this is a great tool to help you identify the people whose strengths are complementary to yours.

But beyond that, you’re able to identify people you genuinely enjoy spending time with and have chemistry with. This frees you up to spend more time on mission rather than managing relationships starting from a place of brokenness or lack of united vision!

How do you know your leadership team isn’t working?

Leadership often starts with a sense of opportunity, possibility, and hope. But if you lead for any length of time, you’ll realize that sometimes you run into periods where you get stuck.

This is perfectly normal and does not inherently mean that you have the wrong people around you. You may just need to adjust your approach or call your core team back to the greater mission!

But maybe you find your team is repeatedly getting stuck. People are shutting down and not fully showing up the way they once did. Perhaps you’ve seen a shift in their body language or noticed their output and excitement declining.

One of the most prominent signs is that you can't have honest conversations anymore, or maybe outside meetings have started happening separately from the team meetings because the level of honesty and rigor has gone down.

That's how you know it's not working. And you need to deal with those problems sooner rather than later.

This isn’t something that will happen overnight.

When you have the wrong person, you don’t typically just wake up one morning and go, “oh, that's the wrong person!” You see signs of it over time. And you have an opportunity to check in with them.

It might be something as simple as, “Hey, I notice in meetings that you're a little edgier than you normally would be. Are you okay?”

Ask the question. Don't let it sit for three months and then ask the question because sometimes the damage is already done. So notice those things quickly! Having this conversation helps you get a better perspective of where they’re coming from and to learn how you may be able to support them better!

You may find a solution immediately and be better for it. But you also may realize through these honest conversations that a change is needed.

If your goal is impact, competency and fruitfulness, the reality is there will be times when people tap out in terms of their ability in certain areas.

This is both normal and okay, and it includes you as the leader! You have to continue evolving, learning, growing, and drawing yourself back to the core mission that you’ve been called to.

Advice for someone being asked to join a leadership team

One of the things I see time and time again, and I find it so beautiful, is that when someone is asked to join a leadership team, they often don't feel worthy.

“I could never do that. I'm not that person. There’s someone better than me!” I just love that humility.

Some people feel entitled to be in specific roles, and that's a red flag! You should be willing to play whatever role you're invited to for God's glory and the impact of others!

Leadership teams aren’t just support or a sounding board for the pastor; they’re actually sharing the pastor's leadership.

A leadership team for a pastor is sharing your chariot with the people that God has placed around you and who possibly have even more capacity than you do for influence and wisdom. It's surrounding yourself with people even better than you!

So if your pastor is asking you to join their leadership team, it's because he believes that you will make him better. He believes that you can have an impact in your Parish that will glorify God and reach others!

If you're being asked, don't say no! Give it a try. For six months or a year, and then re-evaluate. I guarantee your faith and understanding of the church will be transformed! You don't have to be ordained to make a significant difference in the world.

See who God has placed around you!

Time and time again, I’ve watched pastors realize the value of leading alongside a team. Once they see it, none of them go back because leading out of a team helps them make decisions that are way better than they ever made alone!

It also forms friendships that become like family in ways that are so life-giving and beautiful. Leadership starts to feel less stressful and isolating, and we can share the responsibility and burden with others who are grateful for the opportunity to take it on. It's not a burden for them. They want to be beside you!

I pray you'll consider leading out of a team.

And if it’s fear that’s holding you back, I hope you’ll confront that fear. Invite the Holy Spirit into it, and be honest with yourself.

And I also pray that God will put people you can lead with and trust in your life.

When you have that sense of identity as a church, and you’re working together to free people up to thrive in their calling, you will begin having a greater impact and seeing results you didn’t believe were possible!

This episode was adapted from an audio transcript from Episode 84 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast, 'How To: Building Your Leadership Team’

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: How To: Building Your Leadership Team | Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast #84

Embodying Your Values in Catholic Leadership

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 18:09:07 GMT

Embodying Your Values in Catholic Leadership

What we do comes from who we are. Understanding how God has hardwired you is the first step!

This blog post was adapted from Ep. 83 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast. Watch the full episode on YouTube here !

God created you with intention.

As a pastor or leader within your organization, God has hardwired you for greatness.

Embracing who God created you to be is an incredibly important step for any leader. It isn't until we have the courage to embrace what we value that we can start to affect others to do something great.

So much freedom comes from understanding yourself and the beauty and essence of who you are! You start seeing those values drive your agenda, parish, and renewal through difficult times. When that begins taking place, I see priests and other leaders experience a whole new level of freedom, passion and joy, and that's what sustains them in the long term. And without it, the reality is it's never sustainable for long.

People can read us like a book. They're very intelligent–intuitively, relationally–they get it. So when we start going through the motions, it shows! If you're trying to live somebody else's values and vision, you'll find yourself getting exhausted. And if it's not your true passion, you'll ultimately burn out.

When you understand your values and have the courage to live and lead out of them, everyone around you can see your authenticity and passion on display. Your organization becomes aligned around a common vision.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by all the things you've been told to do as a leader—and if your heart isn't totally in it—it might be time to take some time to get clear on what really matters to you.

Once you know what truly matters to you, you can start thinking about how those values will guide your leadership. You won't be held back by what others expect of you; instead, your actions will flow from an internal sense of purpose and passion.

With that in mind...

What is it that you truly value?

Have you asked yourself this question recently?

"What do I truly value?"

As leaders, we know the importance of making good decisions. But for those decisions to be truly effective, they need to be informed by a leader's core values—the things that matter most to them.

For example, one of my core values is fun! If something's not fun, I don't want to do it. And while this may sound frivolous at first, it's actually very important to me. As a leader and as someone who coaches leaders every day, I know how easy it can be to get caught up in the daily grind and lose sight of why we're doing all this in the first place—to make a difference in people's lives!

If something's not fun, I don't want to do it. I don't think church and fun are mutually exclusive. I don't think leadership and joy are mutually exclusive. And sometimes we're so focused on results and getting things done in a particular way that we can suck the fun right out of the room, right out of a team, right out of a church, and that's not good enough for me.

So even in my coaching - if I'm not having fun, that's a flag for me; because it's one of my core values. It doesn't mean that I have fun all the time; it doesn't mean I'm full of joy all the time. But if I go a period of time and I recognize, "I'm harsh right now; I'm dry right now," that's a problem.

When you embrace who God created you to be and understand that who you are isn't something you have to kill, you become freed up to be the best version of yourself.

God's calling you to embrace how he's hardwired you; you were fearfully and wonderfully made in His image, and He's placed a unique calling on your life.

So what are the things you value?

Until you know what you value, it's hard to get clear on what's most important. If you don't have an understanding of your own values and what motivates you, why would anyone else?

A healthy vision places people over programs.

Vision needs to be spoken into everything. We have to ask ourselves, "if we're wildly successful, what could this look like?" Because your vision is going to be such an important part of how you recruit great people.

A healthy vision will always require sacrifice.

And so often, people aren't going to lay their life down for programs, best practices, or a particular model; but they'll lay their life down for their kids, friends, family, and neighbors.

"Who are we going to save? Who are you going to mobilize me to help?"

It's always about people. That's what ignites passion within our organizations.

When we will lay down our lives to help others reach the people they love and care for, and when we're intentional about equipping the Church to be the hands & feet of Jesus to the ones that God longs for, people get behind that!

And ultimately, your team will watch you as the leader to see what you're willing to sacrifice for.

If you're telling people what to do but aren't willing to lay your own life down for it, those around you will be able to feel it. And if your team believes that you're dialing it in, they will do the same.

The level of interest, passion, and sacrifice you bring to the vision will inspire your team around you!

A perfect example of this type of leadership is what Jesus did on Holy Thursday. With all the power on heaven and earth, Jesus knew who He was, He knew Whose He was, and He knew where He was going. He's staring his passion right in the face, and he literally got on his knees and washed his apostles' feet.

And Peter tries to say, "You can't wash my feet."

But Jesus essentially responds, "You don't get it. If you can't do this for each other, you have nothing; This is what I do! This is what leadership looks like in my game. You have no part of me if you're unwilling to do this. So let me wash your feet. I want to show you what leadership looks like. I don't just want to tell you."

I think, as leaders, if your vision & values are rooted in passion, people will see it. You're going to sacrifice for it, and you're going to live in it. It's going to bring you energy, and that's going to invigorate your whole team around you!

It's so exciting. It brings your vocation alive in ways that you'll thank God for every minute of every day, even in the suffering. Just like St. Paul, he was glad to suffer for the Gospel. He was laying his life down for the right thing, the right purpose, the right reason, and the right person.

Find that passion in your own leadership! When you do, the team around you will know they're loved and cared for, and you'll experience a whole new level of loyalty and buy-in.

God made you on purpose. Embrace it!

You matter. God made you on purpose; lay person, clergy, and bishops.

Your leadership will have an exponential impact as you lean into how you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. Getting in touch with your values ignites your passion and brings ministry alive in a whole new way.

God created you for impact, so do the work to determine exactly what that means.

And if you find yourself in situations where you're perpetually misunderstood and not welcomed to be you, reach out to someone for help. Because it kills your spirit; it kills your soul. And you're meant to be you.

You're God's A-plan for what you do.

Cast a vision grounded in values and built around people over programs. Understand yourself as a leader, and build your organization around it! Show your team that you're willing to sacrifice for the mission, and watch as others get on board and begin to lay their life down for the same.

Embrace who you are; give thanks to God for who you are! When you do, you'll begin to be freed up again; you'll begin to have passion again, and that passion will drive your vision for what's possible in your organization.

Thanks for reading!

God Bless

Additional Resources on this Topic

Want to learn more about your own leadership strengths? Check out these tools to help you put language around how God has hardwired you.

* These are not sponsored links; I simply believe these tools could be of value to you!

The CliftonStrengths® Assessment (previously Clifton StrengthFinders)

From their website: “Your customized CliftonStrengths reports and guides will give you an ‘aha’ moment as you experience new ways to understand what makes you so unique.”

APEST Personal Vocational Assessment

From their website: “APEST is a ministry assessment emerging from the most comprehensive statement of ministry structure, that of Ephesians 4:7,11-12. Within this passage, we find the fivefold ministry of APEST: apostolic, prophetic, evangelist, shepherd and teacher; But to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned. It is he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be shepherd and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”

This episode was adapted from Episode 83 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast, 'How To: Your Values, Your Vision’

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: Your Values, Your Vision | Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast #83

Leading from a Place of Encounter

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 18:09:07 GMT

Leading from a Place of Encounter

Your story of encountering Jesus is transformative and contagious. If you can't clearly point to a moment in your life when you felt called to make an impact, it’s going to be problematic to your leadership!

This blog post was adapted from Ep. 82 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast. Watch the full episode on YouTube here !

The ‘burning bush’ moment

As Catholic leaders, our calling is to drive renewal and transform lives from a place of intimacy with God. Short of that, we're just doing good things as good people with good intentions.

But we're called to WAY more than simply being “good people”!

We’ve been called to impact and inﬂuence the world around us, and show the love of Jesus to people who are desperately in need of him, and that really does start with our own encounter stories!

So what do I mean by ‘encounter story’?

Your encounter story really is your ‘place of the burning bush’; or your ‘on the Road to Damascus getting knocked off a horse’ moment.

For many of us as “cradle Catholics,” we've just grown up gradually in faithful families, and that's amazing!

Yet, at some point, there is likely a place and time when you know for yourself that you were closer to God than ever before. If you can't articulate that moment, it’s going to be problematic for your leadership.

Why? Because your encounter with Jesus is transformative and contagious!

And if you lose sight of that in the midst of the busyness and whirlwind of ministry, your impact as a leader is going to be affected.

What I often see us doing as leaders in the church whether with clergy or lay leaders–is that we lose touch with those moments of encounter, and we start functioning more like a ‘professional Christian’, rather than someone who is passionate about their calling.

I don’t know about you, but that is far less motivating and inspiring to me!

And it's certainly not going to lead to Parish renewal.

So ask yourself - when was that time in your life when you felt closest to God?

Intimacy with God; intimacy with others

The reality is, Parish renewal is relational, not linear. It’s about building depth based around trust and love. That's what changes lives. That's what's changing the church. That's what will change your Parish. It's building that intimacy and trust – that love!

And if we're building on anything other than our encounter with Jesus Christ, I think it’s very easy to start losing sight of the main reason we felt called to this mission in the first place.

That’s why I never grow tired of hearing people's stories; I never grow tired of watching someone tell their story, because I see the shift as they realize that their story has power, and it's making a difference.

Our faith isn’t meant to be about following a set of rules or completing a weekly task list; it's about an encounter with the person of Jesus!

And when you can dust that story off and bring it to life again, it gives you purpose, passion, and power. It invites people to get a glimpse of your heart, and why you believe so much in what you’re doing!

Building trust and leading from the heart

It’s easy to try and rush this process of trust-building and sharing your heart. After all, we’re all working toward the same thing, so everybody should just get on board, right?

But oftentimes we don't ﬁrst stop to ﬁnd that common ground. We start from a place of, “We should do this; you should do that.”

What if, instead, we stopped and took the time to unpack who you are and who I am? What if we understood each other’s heart, rather than just seeing actions without context?

When we get to the ‘why’, it's usually profound and beautiful, and you can’t argue with that. It's a generous display of intimacy and vulnerability, and we can build up from that common ground!

We can get caught up in the details of our opinions and perspectives, but when we bring that lower–when we go further down to the core of who you are and who I am–then we can build up from a common ground.

So often we take good ideas, programs, best practices and everything else, and we just try to implement them right away; but trust takes time! It's an investment, and it's risky.

But trying to bring about Parish transformation without trust is impossible.

Trust and intimacy are really the essence of transformation.

When we have these, even in the midst of disagreement, we’re still able to go back to what we share in common!

Leadership is influence, not authority. Share your story!

Authority isn't the best form of leadership anymore; inﬂuence is!

And inﬂuence doesn’t come from our role or our job title; inﬂuence comes from a place of authenticity when the team around you understands who you are, and why you believe in the mission you’ve been called to.

So ask yourself this week: What is MY encounter story? What was the point where you felt the closest to Jesus, and the trajectory of your life shifted towards Him?

Spend some time thinking about it. And if you're frustrated and feeling like you really don't have one, pray about it! Continue to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the time in your life when you felt closest to Jesus.

Then go there and articulate it. Spend the time.

And once you’ve done that, ask someone on your team the same question: What was the moment in your life when you felt closest to God?

Wouldn't it be cool if it became normal in every Catholic church to share our encounter stories with one another?

Know your story! Not just your vocation story, but your encounter story.

And then share it with someone around you - there’s power in sharing your story!

This episode was adapted from Episode 82 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast, 'How To: The Encounter Story’

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: How To: The Encounter Story | Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast #82