How is your inner world? This month’s Defining Moments was strategically selected to help you prepare for the busy ministry season ahead. Bill Hybels and Jim Mellado revisit Wayne Cordiero’s classic Summit talk “Dead Leader Running” (which we posted in its entirety earlier this week). Following a brief excerpt from the talk, Bill and Jim respond to the topic, identifying the sources of burnout and the questions that leaders must address in creating a replenishment strategy. (WCA Members, click here to watch this month’s Defining Moments.)

During the clip, Wayne draws the picture of a tank, with a drain at the bottom. He then encourages us to identify what fills our tanks and what drains us. For him, he is filled by sports, riding his motorcylcle, paddling in the ocean, reading, doing devotions, and traveling with his wife. He’s drained by too much counseling, unresolved problems at home or with his staff, overtaxed schedule, or an inability to say no. These are different for everybody, but Wayne encourages us all to know what is filling our tanks and make sure it outweighs the time we spend draining them.

We encourage you to spend 40 minutes listening to this month’s episode (or watch Wayne’s Summit talk) on your own and reflect on these questions:

1. Do you like who you’re becoming? Why?

2. Identify what fills your tank. As you think about your last couple weeks, when did you most feel alive? What were you doing? Where were you doing it? Who were you with?

3. What is your replenishment strategy right now? How do you need to innovate your replenishment strategy based on your current season of life?

4. Do you agree with Bill’s concern that email can put a leader on the defensive too much? Are you spending more time in “move ahead” or defensive mode?

5. What is your daily replenishment strategy? Are you so depeleted in one day that you can’t start tomorrow at zero? Weekly? Monthly? Annually?

Then, we encourage you to watch the video with your team and discuss:

1. Describe your best moment you’ve had this week. What were you doing? Where were you doing it? Who were you with?

2. What drains you and what fills your tank these days?

3. In what ways does working in your organization support your sustainability?

4. How does your team culture support your personal sustainability? Do you support each other’s days off or interrupt? Do you know what activities fill/drain each other?

5. What are your replenishment strategies?

Every year at the Summit, by design, we challenge leaders to tune into their souls. Internally, we call it the heart session. We believe in leadership that is fueled by a sustainable, healthy soul.

How about you? How do you sustain a healthy soul behind your leadership? What does your replenishment strategy look like? What fills and drains you?

By: Andy Cook (@wca_andycook)
WCA Membership Experience Leader
Church Planter