Tag: leadership development

Episode #28 – SPECIAL GUEST Les McKeown, Author of Predictable Success

Replant Bootcamp

00:00 / 37:01

Leader, author and business expert Les McKeown stopped by the bootcamp to share his insights regarding life cycles of organizations and churches.  The guys talked to Les about we need to know as we navigate the new realities of doing and being the church during Covid19.


Consult the overview and glossary of terms as you listen along: Predictable Success Overview

Biblical Background: Ephesians 4:11-16


The Predictable Success Model is about recognizing what happens in organizations-Les added vocabulary and codified what happens in each stage.

The stages: Early Struggle, Fun, Whitewater, Predictable Success, Treadmill, The Big Rut, Death Rattle.

For new things to grow (i.e. campuses, church plants) they must go through the stages on their own-organically.

On the Treadmill stage: this is a dangerous stage-it is the last of the seven that you can do anything about. If you can challenge, push back you can move back into predictable success.

On the Big Rut stage: all the Visionaries have typically left and the Synergists are keeping everyone happy. It is a lovely place to work-but you are in danger.

In the Church world: the Visionary may stick around until they retire-leadership gets handed off to someone else without a thought about what could happen to the vision and the church begins to struggle.

When a church is in the “big rut” or “death rattle” you have to jump back to early struggle in order to restart.  In the for profit world-you have to “decapitate” or completely change the leadership at the top.

What are some key characteristics of the leaders who can bring life back to an organization either in the business or the church world?

  • In the for profit world that individual typically has the VO (Visionary/Operator) or VP (Visionary/Processor) style.
  • In the not for profit or church world that individual typically has the VS (Visionary/Synergist) or OS (Operator/Synergist) 

A key insight:a Synergist finds the people decisions to be very difficult. So they struggle in making the hard decisions involving people.


Covid19 Applications 

During a crisis or major event, the force of that event will push you down the side of the curve on which your organization finds itself. 

If you just recently started something-you may want to press pause

If you are on the decline side, the force will push you down toward the Big Rut or Death.

You have to relearn to innovate.

Statement from Les: if you are one of the older established churches that has been saying that online worship is (insert negative comment) you better rethink that very quickly.

The depth of permanent behavioral change that this crisis is creating and will create is going to fundamentally change everything about the way we do what we do. 

For instance: online communication via zoom will only accelerate and change the way we interact. This will impact the way people interact and do church. 

If your organization is struggling you need to find and let Visionaries lead and find Operators to help them implement the vision.


Q: What is the importance of identifying Leaders/Lay Leaders in your church or organization?

Start with the Visionary: let that person select their leadership team who are Operators. This is not a true leadership team-it is a group of enablers who can make the vision happen. 

During Whitewater: develop a true leadership team, you need people who possess strategic capabilities who can help you navigate the complexities of this stage. At this point you need Processors who can help the organization move forward. This is the stage where you begin to experience conflict on the team and this requires the team develop Synergist skills and stay committed to the Kingdom goals.

If you want to have fun, and stay at the mom and pop level you just need Visionaries and Operators (and a few mini-Processors to keep things legal)

If you want to scale and grow, you have to have Visionaries, Operators, Processors and Synergists working together.  A VOPS model.

Predictable Success by Les McKeown


Episode #7 – How NOT to Build a Lasting Elder Team

Episode #7 – How NOT to Build a Lasting Elder Team
Replant Bootcamp

00:00 / 26:00

In a Replant high capacity and qualified leaders are likely to be in short supply.

Don’t let the urgent need for leaders be a primary driving process for your seeking to install Elders.

Do not confuse excitement and enthusiasm as good indicators that you may have found the right person to engage as a leader.

The past church experiences of the leaders you are considering installing as leaders matters, do not ignore conflict that occured in previous churches. Discern the circumstances, issues and let that inform your decision regarding their leadership.

An Elder process is important-develop one and stick to it.

Elders share the load and burden of ministry.  It is important to develop leaders/elders who work together, especially when you as a Replanter are needing help or hurting.

Lessons Learned

  1. Go slow 
  2. Give them some weight to bear-some guys just want to give advice rather than serve.
  3. Never give someone a position of leadership if they are not already serving.
  4. Spend time together as families, dinners, and parties. Observe how they interact with their spouse and children.
  5. Give them an area of ministry to lead, especially leading others.
  6. If you have pause or question regarding an Elder candidate, stop the process.
  7. Pray with and consult with your spouse regarding the candidates you are considering for Elders.
  8. Don’t install an Elder unless and until you have a conflict or disagreement with them and have resolved it successfully. 


Church Elders by Jeraime Rinne

Biblical Eldership by Alexander Strauch

The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne

The Shepherd Leader by Timothy Whitmer

ACME Janitorial

© REPLANT BOOTCAMP | Website by OneEighty