Tag Archive for: Organization

Where Does Momentum Come From?

Where does momentum come from? And how is it created? These are good questions. I’ve been wrestling with these questions for some time and do not have the answers to them.  However, I know this, everybody wants it personally and organizationally. People might say momentum comes from the Holy Spirit. They would be right. They would also be wrong. Momentum is a sign that the Holy Spirit is moving through a gifted group of people. But momentum is also a sign that a specific group of people are working intentionally to create outcomes they want to see happen within their context.

Nothing is random when it comes to momentum, everything is intentional. But two things are for sure when creating momentum.

  1. Unity among the team = ownership of the vision
    • People who own the vision have an emotional connection with it.
    • People who own the vision contribute to it with their finances, labor and ideas.
    • People who own the vision will sacrifice faithfully for it.
  2. Every team player must be a doer = a driver of the vision
    • A driver of the vision is one who looks for opportunities to enhance, expand and grow it.
    • A driver of the vision is more concerned about what we can do, rather than what we can’t do.
    • A driver of the vision are the ones who breaks the rules, think outside the box and hates average thinking.

Look around your team. A key indicator amongst individuals that own and drive the vision are those that can influence and make things happen. There’s too many leaders in ministry today that talk all the time, but never produce. They have tons of seminary knowledge, but no fruit. They love meetings…all kinds of meetings: prayer meetings, staff meetings, board meetings, conference meetings, revival meetings, etc. And, with all those meetings, nothing changes. Everything within that organizational culture or context just becomes another meeting, another service or another church activity with no traction or momentum. If you want to kill momentum in your ministry context, hire or recruit the people that talk all the time, but never own or drive your vision. But if you want to create more momentum, then recruit leaders that get it done. These type of leaders will do anything but sin, to drive your vision forward.

When we talk about momentum there is so much to be said on how to create it from different perspectives. But I believe the most basic principle is to surround yourself with the leaders that will own it and drive it with everything they have. Leaders who own it and drive it will produce momentum in your organization. The question is who are they and where are they? Who is intentionally creating it? Who is unintentionally killing it? I’ll never forget the Jim Collins principle from his book, “Good to Great” It’s time to get the right people on the bus. You might have the right people, but in the wrong seats. It’s amazing what a little game of musical chairs on a bus can do to create stronger momentum in your organization.

Your Thoughts?