Start with the Ask

By Chris Hodges

I met John Maxwell a little more than 20 years ago at a critical time in my life. I was just starting a brand-new church and looking for mentors who could help me understand leadership. I had been introduced to John through his books several years earlier, but one day I had the chance to go see him speak live. I was anxious about the possibility of meeting him but found an opportunity to introduce myself. From there I began to pursue a relationship with him, and a few years later he agreed to personally mentor me. His influence on my life means more than I can say.

I knew John had what I needed, and being mentored by him has shaped how I mentor others. I believe good equipping should always answer the question, what do other people lack? That’s the essence of effective equipping. And that’s exactly what John did for me—he was giving me what I lacked. Are you answering that question for the people you’re equipping? Are you finding the gaps or holes that need to be addressed?

It’s no secret that many leaders struggle to equip other leaders. After all, it’s hard enough to lead yourself, much less equip someone else to lead. But what is it specifically that makes equipping so hard? Is it the lack of time? Or maybe the lack of confidence in those around us who we would consider developing? Maybe for you it’s a totally different reason altogether—maybe you just enjoy doing things for yourself. There are many reasons why we have such a hard time equipping other leaders, but I want to encourage you. No matter where you are on the leadership journey, you can learn to become a great equipper.

Equipping should be every leader’s number one responsibility. Because the only way to truly multiply your influence is by equipping others.

One of my favorite John Maxwell books is The Leader’s Greatest Return because it’s all about developing leaders to be able to develop other leaders. Basically, it’s all about equipping! John has this great line in the book, “A leadership development culture is modeled from the top, but it’s grown from the bottom up.” Think about that for a moment. If you are going to create a culture marked by leadership development, you have to model it from the top. But ultimately you don’t have control over whether or not it grows. That happens from the bottom up. You can model an equipping culture, but the extent to which it grows will depend on the people who are being equipped.

So many of my favorite moments with John have happened around the dinner table. He never misses an opportunity to be intentional with the time by asking questions. The questions come in all forms. Some of them make you think deeply, others make you laugh hysterically. But there is one thing all his questions have in common—they open the door to learning.

Equipping begins with questions.

Here are five equipping questions that I have used for many years to help you, no matter what context you’re in:

1. The Clarifying Question: What is the measurable win? People need the leader to make the goal clear. Imagine a football game with no end zones or goal posts. How long would the players be interested in playing the game with no measurable win in sight? What would be the purpose of playing if no one knew the desired outcome? In the same way, your people need you to answer the Clarifying Question.
2. The Action Question: What are you doing to accomplish the vision? This question is about the systems that deliver the vision. Now before you say, “I’m not a systems person,” can I just tell you that everyone is a systems person—we just don’t use the same systems. Some systems are simple and some are complex, some systems work well and some are inefficient, but you don’t accomplish a vision without some sort of system to get you there. Problems arise when there’s a disconnect between the vision and the systems. That’s why leaders need to constantly ask themselves the Action Question.
3. The Reality Question: How are you doing? Growth is not possible if you don’t know the truth about how you’re doing. I’ve taught this simple process for many years: collect data, evaluate results, celebrate wins, confront facts, and get better. In every organization I lead, we are consistently running what we do through this five-step filter. And it works. If you want to equip people well, make sure you ask the Reality Question.
4. The Culture Question: What are the keys to success? Culture is so important, and so hard to teach. Because you can’t build a culture, you can only be it. Culture is about how it feels. And culture trumps everything! Think about it, you’re always projecting something and they’re always receiving something. What do people feel when they’re in your leadership environment? If you don’t have a plan for this you’re already behind, because culture will be created whether you’re intentional about it or not. Every leader who’s led anything well has answered the Culture Question.
5. The Now Question: What is most important right now? This question is about priorities. What one thing, if it got better, would make the biggest difference? It’s easy to fall into the fire drill trap, where everything is urgent and there’s no time to stop and think. But the leaders who earn the greatest return on their investment understand where their time is best spent. It may require saying no to some things on your calendar, but you won’t regret asking yourself the Now Question.

Leaders equip to help other leaders do the same. One of the most inspiring quotes I’ve ever read is by a man named Dale Galloway, “Some leaders want to make followers. I want to make leaders. Not only do I want to make leaders, but leaders of leaders. And then, leaders of leaders of leaders.” That’s what I want my life to be about. Multiplying influence that reproduces through generations of leaders. It all starts with equipping.

I am where I am today because of the people in my life who poured into me. Who are you pouring into? Do you have a strategy for equipping? Here’s a simple one if you don’t:

1.  I do it. The Modeling Phase
2.  I choose people to do it. The Recruiting Phase
3.  I do it and they are with me. The Training Phase
4.  They do it and I am with them. The Coaching Phase
5.  They do it. The Empowering Phase
6.  They do it and someone is with them. The Reproducing Phase

Equipping is not always easy, but it comes with the best reward: changed lives. And one of the greatest gifts we give people is teaching them how to live a life poured into others. A life that is more like a river than a reservoir. A life that is marked by generosity, willing to invest into other lives. This can be challenging at times, but it’s always worth the effort.

If we apply the Clarifying Question to equipping, the measurable win is that it’s reproducing. In other words, if you are training someone but they aren’t preparing to train someone else, you haven’t completed the task of equipping. The desired outcome should always be reproduction.

In his book Equipping 101, John reminds us, “Great leaders—the truly successful ones who are in the top 1 percent—all have one thing in common. They know that acquiring and keeping good people is a leader’s most important task. The asset that truly appreciates within any organization is people. Systems become dated. Buildings deteriorate. Machinery wears. But people can grow, develop, and become more effective if they have a leader who understands their potential value.”

John has taught me so much over the years, but the lessons that have made the greatest impact are how to recruit great people and build great teams. Today, I have the honor and privilege to serve as the senior pastor of Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, as well as the founder and chancellor of Highlands College, a ministry training school that trains and launches students into full-time ministry careers. I also founded Grow Leader, which specializes in training and resourcing pastors and churches to help them break barriers and reach their growth potential. All of this is a testimony to John’s investment in me.

Here’s what I know: These equipping principles work everywhere and in organizations of every size. I’ve seen them work in churches, businesses, and in places all around the world. That’s why I’m so excited about helping others along the equipping journey. I’m going to do everything I can to help develop the leader within you so you can develop the leaders around you.