Breaking Through Stagnation: Three Essentials for Effective Leadership

Hey, this is Tim Pratt Jr. and I want to welcome you to the Student of Life podcast. Listen, we're going to get into so many transferable truths throughout the content of these episodes that I believe God is going to use to help you apply, because he's going to reveal what's already been there the entire time. Enjoy. Hey yo, what up? So this is episode 4 and I'm back. I know I've been away for a little minute, uh, life be lifin', life be lifin'. But nevertheless, man, we— this is Episode 4. Uh, I do want to kind of jump back on it, uh, what we kind of been on. I know we've been doing like a faith-based leadership, faith-based, and now we are doing another leadership episode. Uh, so look, I believe this is community. I believe that you all are family. Uh, man, the downloads have consistently been just amazing me for how you all have been supporting this podcast. Um, and you know, I just want to share a little bit Uh, because I do believe that we are called to be— I'm always called to be authentic no matter where I am. Uh, I don't— I'm not one to believe that I'm supposed to be highly transparent with everyone because I just believe I'm modeling the scriptures. I do believe that I should be transparent, but I believe that there's levels to it. And that being said, like, you, you all that rock with me consistently, like, I don't really know how many subscribers that it is, uh, that, that are, that are subscribed to this episode, but nevertheless, I do know, like, in downloads It has to be a fair amount, uh, just because of how I see every time an episode drops when I go look at the analytics, um, and I see just how you all again are rocking with this content. Uh, so I just want to like say, you know, what is this? This is right now, I'm actually recording this live like at this moment as of October the 27th, and I just, uh, flew back from Canada. We had an ADM on-site, Agile Delivery Manager, and on-site with my leader, my fearless leader Arlene, uh, and just my team of Agile practitioners, uh, that we basically share the same— we basically do somewhat of the same thing in different ways. And right before that, about a week before that, my wife officially deployed out, um, and for our deployment stateside, of course, thank God it is stateside, but it's still a deployment, it still has its challenges. And so that's going to be a journey Uh, but right before she deployed out, it's kind of crazy, man. We— so our kids started with my oldest, Cam, uh, his birthday is the 22nd. Then my middle son's birthday is October 3rd. So Cameron's birthday is September 22nd, DJ's birthday is October 3rd, and Navy's birthday is October 15th. And so we had just overspent, you know, it might have been dad and mom guilt with the deployment coming up and all that type of stuff. Uh, and so we were prepping, my wife had done all this planning for my daughter's birthday, and then she had this spend her birthday in the hospital because she got extremely sick. And so she was admitted for about 3 nights, and it was literally running up against the clock when my wife was about to deploy. And so she got a, you know, an exception to come in late. And so I dropped her off at the airport that following Friday morning because she was supposed to leave out that Wednesday. Uh, and like I said, you know, of course she was going to do everything in her power not to leave, uh, until our daughter was out of the hospital. And so it was a very emotional night Thursday night. We were able to spend some time with the kids. And then that Friday morning, super emotional. My wife is my ace, man. That is legit my best friend. I know a lot of people might be like, your wife, your best friend? No, she is, man. That's my rider. Uh, of course, like, we have been through so much. I'm sure we will continue to go through things, um, and, you know, some things were— are very challenging. That we're, we're going to get into marriage content sooner or later, and, you know, God is going to help us communicate that message and in a way that's safe for us But at the same time, hopefully it leads to transformation for you all, or just being young and committed, especially in like at this day and age. Uh, but that, that's my ace, man. I love her. I love her so much. And just on her deployment, you know, like I said, we've been through so much, uh, and, and it still has its challenges to this day because of the things we've been through. But nevertheless, I always say it like this, and I used to be afraid to say this because I'm not looking at my wife as a thorn, and I don't believe my wife looks at me But at some point in life, you know, there are certain things— because she is proven, I know she is for me— there are things that personally, like, I will contend with and wrestle with for the rest of my life, as long as I be— I'm graced to be with her. And that's, that's beauty in that. I hope that makes sense. I'll probably elaborate on it later. But again, like I said, I'm not saying my wife a thorn, and I'm not saying she's saying that I'm a thorn, but I just believe that there's things in life You know, that if I could go back and do it another way for myself, for sure I would. But nevertheless— and I'm not going to overuse that word— but man, that is the love of my life. So that's not the episode for today. I just want to share that, uh, but that's what we kind of been going through. Of course, like, you know, I, I have my pros and cons with the military. I— my wife loves it. She was in the game before we got married, um, and, you know, she— I believe she's called to this space and God is going to use her mightily as a chaplain. She is an officer chaplain in Army Reserve. And so again, just keep us in prayer on that front. But this episode today is a leadership episode, a leadership management type episode, and we're gonna call it Breaking Through Stagnation. Breaking Through Stagnation: 3 Essentials for Effective Leadership. Or you can say management, but breaking through stagnation. Um, let's just get straight into it. So, you know, I— let me back up from the mic, it's coming a little high, right? Um, excuse me. I believe today a lot of leaders feel very stuck and frustrated. Like, we, we live in a knowledge age, and a lot of times this, this frustration comes, or feeling stuck, uh, comes from a lack of progress under your leadership, under our leadership. And I just want to say to you that you're not alone. Like, it is a common struggle. Like, we in leadership— yes, you can— like, I told my oldest son the other day, Um, I can't really make you do anything. All I can do is influence your behavior. And being his father right now— of course, you know, I have two other kids— but as his father, as their father, um, I can only influence— I have a level of influence over what I can do. And what I mean by that, so Seven's like, I said, I can't technically make my son take out the trash, but however, I can influence him to. Now I can say, hey, Cam, will you take out the trash? Uh, and if he doesn't do it, then, you know, I can't like just like pick him up and beat the crap out of him. I mean, yes, some people probably would do this. I'm gonna whoop your butt, and that might be a way of your punishment. And I'm not, you know, whatever, whatever rocks your boat. But what I'm saying that, and I'm not against the rod in proper context, and I'm not using, hijacking the scripture, just let me be clear, uh, there was a spare the rod. But I'm just saying, you know, that's, that's just me. I'm just talking in this context. So what I'm saying is like, I'm not going to beat him to death, um, to make him do it. Now I can say, hey, you can't play your game, you can't do this, you can't do XYZ, 1, 2, 3, uh, until you take out that trash. And so that is all I'm doing is just influencing, you know, because I have the authority right now to give certain consequences or reward certain behaviors. So it's kind of influencing what he does. That might be hard for a lot of parents that watch this episode, or as if you're a teenager, because I do kind of primarily target a younger audience, um, you might be like, oh wow, I'm not saying you walk in the room and say, hey Mom, Dad, you can't make me do anything. No, we're not playing in that game. But what I'm trying to convey here is that technically, in the, in, in this context, we really can't make people do anything. Now, we can enforce, and like I said, again, you know, most people say, hey, if you don't do this, most people are going to do it because they want their job. And I don't want to lead in that way. I don't want to lead in that capacity. Now, again, let's be clear, I, I'm a senior agile delivery manager trying to transition to agile coach role, and I don't have any direct influence, meaning that at this moment, no one reports directly to me. However, I still see myself as a, a leader, primarily a servant transformational leader, uh, because I'm responsible for serving the team, trying to help them transform day by day. No day looks the same. And so in that way, like, I technically can't make anyone do anything, but I try to inspire them. Now, I manage processes and I try to support them in that nature with making sure, like, I'm governing over certain things the right way, that can help them carry them along. But for the most part, I am trying to inspire them. But if, if I'm honest, as a leader, some of that inspiration that they're aspiring for is to get up and get their check, you know, whatever it is every 2 weeks, that bonus and all of that, and provide for their family if they have it, or themselves of that nature. So I said all that to say that at the end of the day, it is really about influencing. We, we just really can't make people do anything. But, uh, but in this context, again, like I say, but there's a way forward. And today, like in this episode, we're going to look at 3 critical areas that can help move us from frustration to fulfillment as a leader. I believe if we really take the time to sit with these things, these principles will challenge us to rethink our approach. Like, it will really make, make us rethink our approach and inspire us to lead from a greater impact as a leader. Like, I, I really wholehearted. So I'm just going to give them to you real quick. So point number 1, if you're writing, taking notes Uh, we're going to define your north. You need to define your North Star as a leader. Define your North Star. And point number 2, position people well. I think I've done a whole episode on this, I think a video, YouTube videos and things. I love talking about positioning people well. And then number 3, build strong systems. Build strong systems. So let's, let's jump into it. No scripture this time, uh, in this context. Uh, so the first area that we're going to talk about is the North Star. It's North Star. Lord help me, my words. The North Star. So the North Star, basically, I want you to think about is, is essentially a clear vision that provides direction for your team. So whether you're a pastor, whether you're an associate pastor, whether you're an executive, whether you're a manager, whether you're over a department, uh, shift lead, shift manager, whatever it is you want to make sure if you are leading people, you have a level of influence. The company has trusted you with a level of influence that they have promoted you to a leadership or management type position. And so you want to make sure that you have a clear vision that provides direction. Listen, I, and I was guilty of this. You don't know how many people, whether I'm spanning across as a Scrum Master, working as a Scrum Master, whether I'm working on more at the high level strategic part, whether I'm coaching or facilitating things for church and ministry leaderships, goals are not clear. There is no clear North Star. And Zig Ziglar said it best: if you don't know where you're going— or no, if you don't know where you're aiming, you'll hit it every time. Because wherever you throw the target, that's where it sticks, because you weren't aiming at nothing anyway. I might be butchering his statement, I promise you, uh, it's something like that. But it's like, if you don't know where you're aiming, if you don't know what you're aiming at, you're going to hit it every single time because the target is just whatever you throw it at. And that, that sucks when we lead teams, especially when we lead organizations or ministries of that nature. So without a clear goal, you know, even the most talented team— like, when you look at the great teams out there, whether it be football, basketball, baseball, soccer, whatever it is— the most talented teams, like, they are just a collective group of individuals working in different directions um, without a goal. Like, what do I mean by that? Like, they are just a collective group of people, individuals working in different directions, because everybody is just everywhere, uh, when they don't have a common goal. But what makes them switch over to basically like a unified body? It's that goal. It's, it's that goal. And so, uh, just like I said— yeah, as a matter of fact, I just searched it right here. So as we were talking, if 'If we aim at nothing, we will hit it every time.' So I believe I was on par with that. So if we aim at nothing, we hit it every time. So as a leader, you know, we have to take responsibility to ensure, like, really ensure everyone knows what they're aiming at. Like, we have to know, we have to take for sure, for one, that we know that what we're aiming at, and ensuring the team, although they might have different paths of getting there, they're all aiming at the same thing. So I just want you right now, just take some time and ask yourself as a leader, is your vision compelling and clear? Like, if someone— if I say, hey, what's the vision for your organization? What's the vision for your business? What's the vision for your team? Is it really compelling and clear? Like, just really take some time and think about it and say, if I talk to everybody on my team, could they really state the vision? Could they really state um, that it is clear. Like, I really— I'm not talking about the organization goals. I'm not talking about, uh, the goals that in this case, if you're the senior pastor or like a senior, senior type leader, then yeah, that's a dangerous game because you got to think about you have leaders and leaders up under you. But just right now in the context, if you're just over a team, I'm not even talking about— make sure it's in alignment with the, the pastoral or leadership or whatever organizational business goals. But do you have a clear and compelling vision for your team? Like, your team. And then, like I said, again, if you are that senior pastor, that senior leader, or whatever may be, um, is the whole organization— if I talk to 4 or 5 leaders up under you, or 3, 4 associate pastors, or just people in your leadership and leadership roles under you— would they be across the board? Well, that's going to automatically tell me, especially if I put my coaching hat on, that you don't have a compelling vision and it's not clear. It's not clear. And oh my God, like, don't we— like, we really miss this mark in the context of ministry because a lot of times we point to the scripture, which there's nothing wrong with that, but it's like, hey, what's the goal? What's your North Star? Winning souls for Christ. Okay, cool, that's the North Star. Winning souls for Christ. How are we doing that? How are we winning souls for Christ? How are we maintaining souls for Christ? Are we winning souls for Christ over the internet? Are we winning souls for Christ in our local community? Uh, like, what is it? What plans do we have in place for winning souls for Christ? See, like, we just— we have to be clear and compelling. Like, we have to tie to a why. And so, like, that's what I would just challenge you. I was about to do an example one, but I'm gonna challenge you to play with it. You got Google and ChatGPT out there now. Like, just, just play with it. And, and again, like I said, let's just really dig deep and ask yourself— like, I think I've done an episode before, kind of like on goal setting or SMART goals in the context of leadership. If I— I'm gonna go back and look. If I haven't, I will drop one, but I believe I have. But does this guide your team decisions and actions? Like, does it really guide them? Or again, are they just a collective group of individuals just going to and from and don't know what they're pointing to? Because if your team doesn't know where they're going You cannot, as a leader, trust me, hear me when I say this, if your team does not know where they're going, you cannot expect them to get there. And so that's one of the, one of the key, one of the first reasons I see a lot of leaders sabotage theirself or stay in stagnation because they did not take the time to define a clear north star. Their team doesn't have one and they think they're leading, but, and when they're really not. So just spend some time with that. I would even pause it right here and just, just spend some time and stay right there. So yeah, so man, so as we track along, uh, let's get into point number 2, uh, position people well. So again, like I said, I think I did an entire episode on this one before, but, uh, this one right here, the second area, is all about placing the right people in the right roles. Uh, you know, I think that— who was it, man? Jim Collins, Good to Great, probably one of the most referred to business books, and just to be real with you, some books, like, a lot of people love them. I'll read the CliffsNotes sometimes, I'll listen to it, listen to a sample of it, all of that. But it's been so quoted a lot that I have not read that book. But anywho, um, a lot of people always talk about it's about getting the right people on the right bus. And I've heard so many, like I say, in messages, in leadership talks, podcasts, and all of that. And I believe Clay Scargens later on challenged that because, like, what is— what are the right people? Uh, but in this context, I said that for this, to set this up. I believe the right people, uh, in this context, again, I just said that, uh, is putting the right person in the right role. Um, and I think you have to have a lot, a great level of intentionality. You have to know your people as a leader. Um, and so this can be one of like the toughest challenges for any leader because again, you may not always have the perfect team and sometimes you might say, well, I— what, again, what is the right person? So in other words, it's like, it's the right person for the right role. And if you say, well, I don't have the right person, uh, but I have to put this person in this role, or you might just— I'm not going out, like, I'm going to find something else as a lead. Like, I'm just going to kind of look and say, okay, we're going to go without that because I don't want to put this person in that role, uh, just for the sake of it. So I'm going to keep them here and I'm just going to find a way to maybe do this role by committee if I can. Like, I'm just try some different things until I can get that right person in the right role. Because sometimes we can do more damage with just putting a person in there because it's just by default, or you had nowhere else to turn. And so that's a very, like I said again, challenging situation to be in as a leader. I believe people in the ministry as well as like in the secular organizational, more so, context, uh, deal with this. But you have to make the most of the people that you have. You have to. We have to. It's like Like, again, like in the sector that I work in, like I don't have people to directly report to me, but nevertheless I have to work with people that I would say I don't really think they're in the right role, but I have to still go to war with them, for lack of better terms. And so sometimes this means, again, it means going to battle with the team that you have. I've heard, I read this in a book one time, like sometimes, like I said, I want the best soldiers, but I got to go up front. I gotta go on the front line. I gotta go to war with the soldiers that I do have, and I just have to continue to try to develop them and so on and so on. So you have to be faithful in how you develop your team, is what I'm trying to say as a leader. Because this is where, in my opinion, this is where like being in leadership, uh, you might even have to consider, okay, as a leader, I only know so much. I can take this team so far, so I need to bring in like a development leadership coach. Like, this can be very valuable to you as a team. Because a lot of times what happens is we try to take on all the things ourselves. We try to do the coaching, we try to write the leadership development plans, we try to do the facilitation of, um, facilitating certain events or environments, or what am I trying to say, like meetings or things of that nature. And sometimes it's just like, okay, see if a coach would do it pro bono. Is it an up-and-coming coach? There's somebody with the skill set that's really dedicated to this and say, hey, Okay, I am going to take over the leadership because some people truthfully are— they're just undercoached. Like, you're saying all the right things, you're bringing in all the right voices, and, and then it's almost like this zeal, and it, and it, and like, you know, it creates this zeal and everybody's on fire for that moment, but then right when they go back into the day-to-day hustle or the volunteering for ministry or whatnot, it's like it phases out. And because they might not be a self-starter, so it's like putting them on a coaching plan. I see so many people that have so much potential, but a lot of leaders just don't know how to coach. Like, a conversation or one-on-one is just not coaching. Like, coaching is intentional. And with me, I have somewhat of a seminary counseling background. I've counseled youth, some people in ministry. Outside of the coursework that I've done, but I do a lot of coaching and I love it. And it's— I'm not saying I'm the best coach out there, but I'm a dedicated coach and I know my lane. Like, I'm not going to try to— I used to start out, I started out coaching like in finances before it just became a buzzword. So I started there, got away from it, then I moved more into like, I say, like Scrum Mastery, and I just have perfected the skill through, of course, the grace of God, but I perfected the skill also just through hard work. And I've refined it with working with kids, like coaching in sports for almost like 6 years, I believe. Uh, of course, coaching in the Agile Scrum Mastery space, uh, as a Scrum Master, Agile Delivery Manager, like real deal coaching. Then coaching on the other side of it, just coaching leaders, coaching teams, working across ministries. So I spent a lot of time, like I said again, just doing one-on-one teams of teams coaching and a little bit of senior leadership coaching, more so on the ministry, ministry side. I'm just starting to teeter in it within the secular, more so with— let me stop saying it— within my profession per se. And so I know it's going to be a challenge, but this is something, again, like I said, that I'm dedicated to. And you— it's all about finding the right coach. So I primarily don't deviate like out of things, like I'm not going to coach anyone in fitness, I'm not going to coach anyone in health because although like I do enough research and I have had a coach in those areas, I don't do it enough to be considered a coach. I'm not, I'm not touching those areas. Like I'm not going to try to be a coach in like— I'm just trying to think of something like educational stuff for that matter, like I'm like the actual school system. But when it comes down to like just pure leadership, like peer leadership, stewardship, uh, what's another one? Leadership, stewardship, uh, ministry type things. Just, just some of those parallels. Like, yes, I'm gonna do— coach my tail off, uh, just being straight up with you. And so for me, um, again, like, now I know leadership might transition to some of those things. Like, you may say, well, what about a healthcare professional? Well, we're just going to stick to leadership and coaching you as a leader, then yes, I believe it's broadening and transcending. But I'm talking about trying to more so coach in the context, like, if trying to coach some— Lord help me, like, how can I— I guess I'm just trying to sound like health. Like I said, okay, come in and I want you to help us and use your, uh, SME experience or whatever, like being a subject matter expert coach around helping put together fitness plans and that nature. Yes, I can probably coach up to a certain point, but I'm not going to be as effective as someone that's dedicated to that space, is what I'm trying to say. So we have to like really think about that as leaders, saying like, can I really— like, do I, as a pastor or as a— like, do I really understand team dynamics? Do I really understand like organizational dynamics and value streams and how to align things? Because if you don't, then you have to assess yourself and say, okay, let me identify someone that I can bring in to kind of help me in these gaps that I have, and then I can make the most of my team's potential. Because also too, I'm willing to be coached. And so then we just kind of create a well-rounded team, well-rounded leadership And, uh, a well-positioned team can turn the most challenge— the— a well-rounded team can turn challenges into great opportunities is what I'm trying to say. But we have to make sure, again, it kind of goes back to, are we taking the time to position people well? Uh, that's, that's essential. And again, it's not just in the coaching, but it's, it's in the— and you don't want to be an inconsistent leader. You want to drive accountability. You want to be consistent. And again, like, these are things that a coach can start with you first as the leader. Before you introduce the coach to your team, I would say introduce them to you. Maybe start 3 months so they can just kind of get an understanding of you and put them in an observation setting with your team, and then allow them and turn them loose and say, hey, you know, I want you to be extremely transparent with me. You know, most coaches, you don't even have to tell that, but sometimes if someone, you know, if they're working with you in the context of like, you know, they're close and you're saying like, I don't really have the money to pay for this coach like make sure that they're comfortable with talking to you in a very transparent way. So all that being said, like you really want to make sure that you position people well. And a lot of times, like I said, a coach might be able to help with that. And if you can't afford a coach, like read some books together, like, and stay consistent. Again, like, uh, do it by in, in the open with community. Uh, go get it, like I said again, go get a book, like read some leadership books or team leadership books and allow people to share their perspectives and create plans and all of that type of stuff. And just start there. Um, and so that being said, the last point is build strong systems. So in this one, man, this is probably one of the most overlooked areas, but it is so crucial because systems, from my perspec— perspective, they are structures that empower your team to achieve their goals. And this is another area— you don't know how many times I see leaders with a good North Star. They have took the time to position people well, but their system sucks. Because James Clear once said, we do not rise to the level of our goals, but we fall to the level of our systems. Let me say that again. We do not rise to the level of our goals, but we fall to the level of our systems. In other words, what he is saying is that you can have the clearest vision, the best people, but without effective systems in place, progress will be slow and inconsistent. We just said that in point number 2, because a lot of us— and you've heard me say this many times— we are consistent at being inconsistent. And a lot of times when that frustration and stagnation come, it's like, man, I believe that I'm clear, that people say that I'm clear. I believe that I put everybody in the right position, but I'm not getting anywhere. Look at the system. Are you optimizing the system? Are you adding things on to the system without taking things away? Like, or have you refactored it? Like, just these are things to ask because like sometimes we go to these conferences like, oh, I want to try this. And we're not thinking like, man, does this conflict with the system? Does it enhance the system? Like, we have to look at these things and ask real questions as leaders. Like, what is my system? Not just for me, but whatever I am over. Does the system, um, does the system show— let me say, Lord help me say this the right way— does the system drive accountability? Does the system drive transparency? Does the system drive the need to adapt? And, you know, inspect things of that nature? Does the system create a sense of like, hey, this should be bubbling up here? Like, we have to really look at those things as a leader. And so we have to take a look at our processes and we have to ask ourselves, are they helping or are they hindering our team? Because effective systems can like real deal streamline the work. And so you want to, as a leader, you want to eliminate again, eliminate all the unnecessary stuff, eliminate all the unnecessary obstacles, like, and create a culture of accountability through your system. It is not going to work work if you don't have that primary accountability and transparency. Transparency and accountability, I believe you have to have it in your system, and you have to model that. Like, if people are being transparent and they failed at something, do you just come on and make it where they won't speak up anymore? Do you like help them say, okay, how are we failing forward? You know, I don't want to keep seeing you fail over the same thing over and over and over, but what is the context behind that failure? Because if they're trying to innovate, it might be a lot of failing, but it might be failing in new ways, failing forward and failing fast. And so You just want to look at those things, um, as a leader. And so I would just say with all of these, like, moving in the right direction, it requires more than just effort. Like, as a leader, I want you to really stick with that. Like, moving in the right direction, it requires more than just effort. It requires alignment. And alignment, like, you have to have people that are transparent. You have to have people to make sure they're getting an understanding. You have to have that clear vision and a well-positioned team with an effective system. Like these are not just things that get us out of stagnation. These are things, um, from my perspective, that are effective for successful leadership. Like, I'm being real with you because again, like, as a senior ADM, a senior— was senior agile delivery manager and working more in an executive pastor context, uh, before you address any frustration or slow progress as a leader, you have to take a deep look at the areas that you are responsible for. Like, the buck stops here. That, that's the mindset. You have to take a deep look at the areas that you are responsible for, because at the end of the day, whether you inherit it, whatever— like, if you inherit it, then, and, you know, sometimes I get it. Like, I've seen more so middle management, middle leaders, where it's like they inherit a situation and they can't get any support. Uh, I've experienced it myself. I'm not going to say— like, and on both sides, like, I've in ministry and in, in what I do, but I still have to keep showing up. Yes, I get frustrated, but I still have to show up. And I'm just consistently trying to align that North Star and position people well and establish strong systems. Like, a lot of times we talk about self-organized, self-management teams, but— and sometimes, like I say, this— these are not the right people to have a self-organized, self-management team. But nevertheless— and I know I've used that word a lot today, but I have to keep trying and chipping away at because sometimes things do move from a coaching perspective to like, man, this is just a personal problem or a personnel problem. Like, this person needs counseling and therapy, not coaching. So, you know, with these things in place, I just believe that if we stay true to them, you know, we'll see a true transformation like in ourselves and the people that we're called to lead. And just a side note, uh, I just want to say this like more so in the context of the balance of authority and responsibility. Uh, as a leader, you can only delegate authority but not responsibility. I'm gonna say that again. You can only delegate authority but not responsibility. Your team will always look to you for direction and support. If you are the leader, they're always going to look to you for direction and support. If you allow someone else to take that, you might as well say you are allowing them to be the true leader. I don't care what your title is, I don't care what you've been called to do, You cannot delegate authority. I mean, you can delegate authority, but you can't delegate responsibility. So if you allow someone else to be responsible for that and you give them— delegate the authority and make them responsible, they are the true leader. Again, I don't care what your title is, that's just the truth, because the team is going to start looking to them for direction, support. All they're going to do is respect your title, but they're going to look at them as the leader. And again, like I said, I know you might be saying, okay, what if I sit here and it like— no, okay, that person, like, they're the— like, you're not the leader of that particular team. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying like you might be— this is more so like for middle management, but let's say if you're a leader of leaders, then that's different because there's no way you can lead 100 people, uh, like in close proximity, if that makes sense. So you have to lead through other leaders. But I'm saying like, let's say for instance you have 10 leaders and all those 10 leaders have 10 people reporting to them. Well, if those 10 people, say, if you delegate it to maybe 2 people in that group, the team that you're responsible for, and there's 2 people that's really taking things and they like— no one here, like, I understand you might say hands off and all of that. Like, if one person rises up in that group and start to, you know, have the authority that you delegated and the responsibility to move things forward, what I'm saying is within your team, 9 of them are going to be looking to that other person as the primary leader. And it's like, why are you here? And so, and again, I'll confuse that with, you know, if leading well, leading yourself out of a job— that's not what I'm saying. Because again, sometimes it's just a lot of inconsistent leadership. And I see this more in the local church. I, I haven't seen it enough— I read about it in books, but I've seen it a lot in the local churches. Um, so you just always need— I guess what I'm trying to say is that, you know, you'll always need them to achieve your vision But leadership is a partnership. It's not a solo act. So you just want to lead with purpose and watch your team thrive. Like, again, lead with purpose and watch your team thrive. So, man, I hope this episode— this was one that's a little bit longer, uh, but I— this was near and dear to my heart. I think we're tracking it over 30-something minutes now, but I really want to thank you. And I just hope you remember, you know, effective leadership isn't about just working harder, you know, it's about working smarter with that, that clarity and that alignment and support from your team. And I just want you to really take some time to really, really reflect on these areas and challenge yourself, like the real deal. Challenge yourself to lead your organization with a greater level of intention— attention, like just attentionality. So I'm trying to say, like, I want you— I really want to challenge you right now and say, man, based on everything that was talked about, am I leading with this level of intention? Like, am I? And if you're not, it's time to go to work. Hey, what's up? I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to the Student of Light podcast today. If this content has impacted you in any kind of way, please take some time to share it on your social media feeds. And also, if you want to connect with me or just learn more about me, go over to www.timothyprattjr.org. Once again, thanks.