EGWolfe

Showing all posts tagged #leadership:

Practice GTD in All Parts of Life

Posted on March 13th, 2020

I wrote the following response to a friend who just read the David Allen book Getting Things Done. I thought it might help this audience too.

Huge fan of GTD in all of my life. It has helped me to far better be the out-of-the-box thinking, spontaneous, creative leader that I’m actually wired to. Apply it to your whole life. Practice it. Make it true for you. Practice it more.
I’ve followed it for a dozen or so years. I keep getting better at it.

Last year I switched from digital to Bullet Journal. Integrating GTD methodology into the BuJo world has vaulted my creativity and productivity at a rate that I never would have even hoped. I wish I would've done so half a decade sooner.

I’m happy to share coaching...

Leadership is a Craft

Posted on December 13th, 2019

Leadership is not a burden or a right. It’s a craft.

Maximize the Potential of the Wind

Posted on September 23rd, 2019

Know what your "ship" is; know who your "crew" is. Understand what they are capable of. Define a high standard and point in the right direction. Then adapt along the way to maximize what the "wind" offers. It doesn’t even mean changing course; it only means changing tactics. Enjoy the journey. "Sailing" is fun. The stories are treasures.

The pessimist complains about the wind.
The optimist expects the wind to change.
A leader adjusts the sails.
—William Arthur Ward

Ideation Fibonacci

Posted on September 6th, 2019

"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen."
—John Steinbeck

Care well for initial musings; the flow of ideation will pour out as fruitful bounty.

Culture

Posted on August 28th, 2019

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast"
—Peter Drucker

I like this quote. I’m a big fan of strategy. But I know that ethos is even more important.

Ward Planning Process

Posted on August 18th, 2019


As the Creative Director, I’m responsible for leading us in the tactical now, the strategic near, and the vision of what we’re steering toward.

Now - Every weekend we have another event! I’m responsible for everything that is presented in each of our 3 venues.
  • I directly lead the Worship Directors to lead the art and presentation in each of their venues.
  • I lead the Production Department to support and enhance the art and communication with excellence - not only for the live experience, but also the broadcast audience web streaming and listening to radio.
  • I am coaching the hosts and teachers in navigating transitions and delivering their content with authenticity, tone, and clarity.
  • We’re always iterating and we’ll make any audible to the plan necessary to better tell the story and inspire life.
Near - We have Production Meetings every Monday. We break the meeting into three parts:
  • 3-Weeks-Out - PCO (our online production order and scheduling tool) 60% - The production order is mapped out with at least placeholder elements ("Song 3" or "Focus") in place to estimate timing of the day. Casting roles band/vocal positions are slotted.
  • 2-Weeks-Out - 85% - Order is filled in with specific song names and intended feel of moment in Producer column. Casting of band/vocalists is scheduled.
  • Week-Of - 95% - Order is detailed with who is leading each moment and talking points are outlined. Arrangements for every song is uploaded with accurate detail of what will be rehearsed. (If a change is realized during rehearsal; that’s totally fine, but we communicate any alterations by noon on Thursday) Musician backline support requests are fully detailed with what they want from Ward and what they’re brining.
Far - In the winter and spring, we begin mapping out the following year.
  • We try to maintain a road-map that is over a year in advance. I have created a master document for every event (weekends and special event) that happens in our main venues.
  • By 12-weeks-out, I work with the lead teacher for each event to write a paragraph of vision for the narrative of the experience, the angle of the teaching, and the hope for response. I’m also working with our Executive Staff and key Directors to make sure that we know any necessary elements, promotions, or calendar notes that must be factored in to the planning.
  • I have lead us to be 12-weeks-out in that "treatment" that we can plan from. I lead our team in a meeting where we look at each sermon series and we brainstorm ideas we might plan. We fill up the whiteboard with ideas, sketches, stickie notes, and optimism.
  • I followup with our Worship Directors and Lead Teacher and we hone in on what we want to develop. Storyboarding, writing, "braintrusting", re-writing, producing, designing, ordering, shooting, editing, prototyping, etc.

Invent the new, Break paradigms, Strive for magic

Posted on August 16th, 2019

A repost originally from 5 years ago:

Invent the new - artistically, with technology, and by helping people realize a better process.
Break paradigms - dare to bend the implications of what people think they know.
Strive for magic in relationship between technology and art.

(August 28, 2014)

Bend The Curve

Posted on August 8th, 2019

At Global Leadership Summit today. Craig Groeschell with the first keynote on leadership influence:
"Bend The Curve" rethinking traditional ROI cost:quality graph. The ideas are available if we have the courage. Innovate.
Make it better; offer hope; change the world.

Leadership and Design Principles

Posted on August 1st, 2019

Create excellent systems and ideal processes to best support a brilliant team.
Intentionally develop what is usable and useful by focusing on the end experience.
Imagine the experiencer’s situational hopes and needs; then dream further about how to care for what they don’t even yet realize would be better.
Empathize with the misfits of society; never settle in curating only for those in the middle of the bell curve.
Design for humanity.
Strive for justice and peace.
Love everyone along the journey.
Consider every perspective.
Pursue sustainable excellence.
Refine continually.
Enhance the good; discard the clumsy; innovate the untapped potential.
Illuminate the future; building toward virtuous legacy and health for all.
Pioneer possibilities.
Optimistically always forge ahead.
Be ambassadors of hope and beauty.
Value effective as well as efficient.
Multiply intuition and knowledge.
Relentlessly pursue the greatest intersection of stewardship and creativity.
Coach and reveal beauty to enhance story and experience.
Maximize ideation and strategy.

Measurements of Good Design

Posted on July 17th, 2019

What are "measurements" that we can use to determine what "good" design (or etc.) is?

Attendance? Giving? What else? Certainly engagement - with those who interact with the design…

It’s usually obvious when something is good...
Eric G Wolfe

Creative Director | Process Architect. Design Strategist. Leadership Coach.