3x5

Today we have our weekly staff meeting. As the Pastor of Leadership Development it is my responsibility to set the agenda and lead our meeting. Today we are going to do a SWOT exercise. SWOT stands Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (or Challenges). The first two deal with the internal and the second two deal with the external issues. We are going to look at our church and use this metrics as a tool to begin some deeper analysis of our mission and ministry. 


A few years ago I read the autobiography of General Norman Schwarzkopf, titled It Doesn't Take A Hero. It was a length tome and I found it to be inspiring as you looked into the heart of this leader and discovered what made him tick. One of the daily exercises that he performed was with a 3x5 card. On one side he wrote at the top "Opportunities" and on the back he wrote "Challenges".  He indicated that the challenges he faced where not the corporate leadership issues but the private core and character issues of his own life. Every day of every year this was a discipline that he performed; a simple 3x5 guided his daily path.

As I think about coming along side my pastor, Jason Warren, I know it is important for us to discover the SWOT of this church. But as I thought about the process I know that we must first discover the SWOT in our own personal lives. We lead from whom we are. Leadership is about growth and change and before the organization grows and changes the leaders must first grow and change. 

Paul wrote to Timothy, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV). The leader must understand competent and competency begins in the heart, the core of a person. I don't believe Paul had 3x5 cards but he knew that if Timothy was to grow as a competent leader he had to understand himself in view of God's plans and purposes. 

If you were to have a 3x5 card in front of you today what would you write as your SWOT? It could be overwhelming as you fill up the card. Why not try doing what the general did and just answer the following about today...what are my opportunities and what are my challenges. Every leader must be able to answer these two questions.