What the church could learn from Springsteen //01

image US News and World Report (via MSN) published a great article on what The Boss can teach CEO’s.  I think it is a must-read for church leaders. 

I admit that I am a recent convert to Springsteen.  A friend of mine is a HUGE fan and drug me to my first concert with the Boss a few years ago.  I was hooked.  Talk about a guy full of passion. 

The article breaks down 4 lessons we can learn from The Boss.  I’ll expound on each of them, and how they relate to the church in separate posts.  So, drum-roll please (or as Bruce would say:  “1-2-3-4”).

  1. Never let your customers rest.

If you have ever been to a Springsteen show, you know that the man is a powerhouse of energy and might as well be running a marathon.  US News and World Report says:

When Springsteen performs, most of his songs end like this: “1-2-3-4!” That’s because he’s starting the next song before the current one has even ended. The Boss continually races to the back of the stage to change guitars, so there’s no lull in the cadence of the show. In the audience, nobody sits down or gets a breather until the man on stage decides it’s time. By keeping the crowd on its toes, the band keeps demand at a fever pitch . . .

The church has done a pretty sad job at never letting people rest. Somewhere in history, we got lazy.  We decided the church had been innovative enough.  We sat down and said “it has been hard work getting here.”  In the meantime, culture changed and we wondered why customers lost interest.  They lost interest because there were not challenged.  People want to be challenged.  We don’t want to rest.  We want a cause.  We want to be engaged, to do something.  We say of exchange that we are a community of people who follow Christ and serve in his cause.  We never want to rest.  His cause is too great and there is too much to be done. 

Good leaders see further and clearer than others.  Be thinking of the next song before you end the current one.  Continually put vision in front of people. Continue to talk about strategies.   Continue to look over the horizon.

What song are you in and what song is coming next?  As a leader you should be able to answer that with clarity.  Hmm.  I think I have some work to do. 

Check in next time and we will explore what a Sr. Rocker can teach us about innovation.

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  1. Awesome! It\’s amazing that you can take the words of such a rock legend as Springsteen and put them to work in the church, in corporations, and, I think, in your own family. Can we not have this same mentality about everything we do in our daily lives as a family and even as individuals? As I read I see ways that such forward thinking can be used with my employees at work, with my children at home, with everyone I interact with on a daily basis. Constantly being ready for the next step, knowing what\’s coming next, will not only help me in my career and help me to become a better father (that one might take a little more thought, but I know it\’s there somewhere), but I believe that if we are constantly aware of what\’s coming next, we can be better witnesses and better stewards of the Word.

    And I have to say, I for one have noticed a renewed passion and a renewed vigor in the eXchange service since our shiny-headed Pastor has returned from abroad. Each and every Sunday has brought a new and enlightening experience, to include my wife\’s recent Baptism and our very serious consideration of membership at Maryland. The blessings never cease!

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