Leadership Tips & Training A Leader + A Follower + A Goal = Success

There are many components of a First Place class. However, I would like to suggest that only three essential ingredients are necessary for creating an effective First Place class: A leader, a follower, and goals. These three components together form a productive First Place class. A leader must be able to motivate and equip their members (followers) to do what is necessary to accomplish set goals. Without a leader, there is no accountability or guidance for the followers. If there are no followers, then you have no class! If there is no goal, then the leader is merely the person in charge of rounding up a bunch of wandering followers.

Since this is January, it is the perfect time to take a look at how the leader can ignite their members to pursue dreams by first setting goals and developing plans to reach those goals. Colossians 1:28-29 contains this charge to a leader: “And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” (NAS) The leader’s goal is to have members who develop into complete and balanced believers, who are serving God better and longer! The following acrostic G-O-A-L reminds leaders what they must give to members in order to better equip them to reach their goals.

Guidance in Setting Goals
Members tend to set themselves up for failure by setting goals too high or making them too general. To help your members set smart goals, have them follow these guidelines:

Specific – Encourage members to be specific with their goals, avoiding generalizations. For example:

        * General – I will exercise this week.
        * Specific- I will walk two miles, three times this week.

Measurable- Goals should be measurable to see if they have actually progressed. For instance, I can measure the specific goal above, by seeing if I actually walked two miles on three different days.

    Attainable -Help members set goals that are attainable in one session. Also, guide them to make goals that are reachable, given their specific strengths and weaknesses. An attainable goal would be to say all 10 memory verses at the end of the 13-week session. Saying the entire 119 Psalm would not be very attainable within that period of time.

    Realistic - Being realistic and honest is very helpful for setting goals. It would not be very realistic for me, a 40 something woman, to set the goal of being able to run a marathon at the end of a 13-week session, but I could have the goal of walking in a 5K walk/run. Have the members take an honest look at themselves and set goals that are realistic for their lifestyle, age, strengths, weaknesses, and even personality style.

    Trackable- Smart goals can be tracked over a period of time. Ask members to keep track of their progress by using the CR. They should have goals that are physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Using the CR each day they can check off the exercise, Bible study, and food selections. If their goal is to drink all eight glasses of water each day, then they simply go to that section on the CR to check if they are meeting that goal. That is a trackable goal.

Opportunity to Reach Goals
Give members many opportunities to succeed. All members have that one weight-loss goal they are striving to attain. However, having just one long-term goal can be discouraging. Give your members a weekly goal, then reward them for meeting the goal. Have members write out at least four goals for the session that will include all four sides: emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual. The more short-term goals they set and reach, the more confidence they will gain in seeking to meet the long-term goals.

Accountability Along the Way
Having members weigh in each week is not optional. Weighing each week is a way to call members to accountability. The numbers on the scale are an indication of how well or how poor they are doing in regard to reaching their goal. If they do not weigh, the leader does not know how they are progressing. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” People need other people to be accountable to in order to grow and in order to meet their goals. On the other hand, lack of accountability leads to members floundering and getting off course.

Love Unconditionally.
Above all, love your members, no matter what the results. Extend grace and mercy along with the accountability. Communicate to your members that you accept them just as they are, but desire for them to be their very best – to be all God created them to be!

Begin this New Year focused on the G-O-A-L of giving your members guidance, opportunity to succeed, and accountability with love. Have a blessed New Year!

Love,

Nancy Taylor
Leadership Training Director



Nancy Taylor is the First Place Leadership Training Director and joined the First Place staff in 1997. Nancy teaches leadership principles to First Place Leaders throughout the country and at Houston's First Baptist Church where she coordinates all the First Place groups. Nancy also speaks at First Place workshops, rallies, retreats, and conferences, where she delights her audiences with humor and encourages them with boldness. She writes a monthly article, which includes helpful tips for leaders, for the First Place E-newsletter, and was a contributing writer to the Today is the First Day devotional book. Nancy is the resident First Place Bible Concordance because of her love for Scripture memory.