In this issue:

Credibility Essential for Leadership

Can We Learn from Toyota?

The Right Question

Evaluation is an act of leadership, not just reporting.

Sarah B. Drummond

Credibility Essential for Leadership
By Lovett H. Weems, Jr.

Credibility is the foundation upon which all effective leadership builds. It is the "operating capital" from which leaders draw to advance the vision. There are different types of credibility.

Prevenient Credibility

Those from a Wesleyan theological tradition are likely to be familiar with John Wesley's use of the concept of "prevenient grace," by which Wesley referred to that basic love of God available to all people at all times. Prevenient means "to come before." Wesley sometimes referred to prevenient grace as the porch of true religion. However, for Wesley, prevenient grace was not the same as saving or justifying grace.

In a similar manner, a new leader always comes with some degree of prevenient credibility. It is prevenient credibility that permits the new leader to assume responsibilities. In most cases, prevenient credibility leads to various expressions of welcome and openness to leadership changes. The degree of prevenient credibility an individual leader can assume upon arrival will vary depending upon several factors.

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Can We Learn from Toyota?
by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.

My Wesley faculty colleague Jessicah Duckworth called my attention to a National Public Radio story about the mistakes that led to the recall crisis Toyota is now facing. After listening to the "Morning Edition" segment on the web, I agreed with Jessicah that there was a lesson here for church leaders.

For many years, Toyota has been regarded as a model of leadership and management. The Toyota Way guided their work, one part of which is The 5 Whys. This is a Japanese philosophy of repeatedly asking Why? to find not only the direct sources of problems, but also the root of those sources. The process begins with naming the problem, such as "the gas pedal sticks," followed by asking Why? A first answer might be, "Because the pedal gets caught in the floor mat." But the process does not stop there. Again and again, the question is asked: Why? Normally five rounds of asking Why? will get to the root of the problem.

The Right Question

Leaders do not need answers.
Leaders must have the right questions.

Maxine Fears, logistics coordinator at Impact Church in Atlanta, has good questions she asks when any group brings an idea for a new program or project. Among her questions are:

Who will be affected by this?
Who needs to be involved for this to be a success?
What is the best way to communicate with each of these people?

Editors:  Lovett H. Weems, Jr. and Ann A. Michel
Production and distribution: Carol Follett