GrowLeader Podcast with Chris Hodges

Episode 67: Essential Year-End Questions
Release Date: December 2, 2024
Host: Chris Hodges with co-host Matt

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Hodges and Matt discuss the art and importance of year-end reflection for leaders, focusing on the essential questions leaders should ask themselves and their organizations as they transition into a new year. The conversation moves beyond general reflection, providing practical steps and specific questions that help both individual leaders and church teams assess their vision, progress, energy levels, and growth opportunities. The tone is insightful, warm, and direct, mixing deep wisdom with approachable humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Embracing the Year-End Reflection Season

• December as a Season of Exhaustion and Opportunity:
  Chris opens up about the intensity of the holiday season—balancing large church outreaches, personal family traditions, and deep reflection.
  • "For 41 years now, I've approached the holidays... not thinking about the movies and the cookies... I just love serving the Lord in this season. It's his birthday, for heaven's sakes." (03:15)
• Making the Most Out of Christmas Outreach:
  The Christmas services at Church of the Highlands have become the primary way people find the church, emphasizing the spiritual focus and evangelistic opportunity.
• Balancing Ministry and Family:
  Chris emphasizes that while he invests heavily in ministry, he also prioritizes family health.
  • "I'm not sacrificing my family on the altar of ministry. We have very healthy family..." (03:55)

2. The Power (and Practice) of Reflection

• Intentional Reflection:
  December is Chris’s biggest season for reflection—he meticulously reviews his year through his camera roll, calendar, and meetings with teams.
  • "I'll actually go through my entire camera roll and try to relive my year... look at every event and make notes about it." (05:57)
• Contemplative Life:
  Matt shares advice he received about the contemplative life, saying it’s an often missed piece in younger leaders’ lives. Chris affirms this and underscores slowing down and asking the right questions.
  • "Reflection is what contemplation is." (07:03, Matt)
  • "It all begins by not just having reflection time, but by asking the right questions." (07:17)

3. Seven Essential Year-End Questions

Chris outlines the seven core questions he asks to spur meaningful reflection and improvement, both personally and organizationally. He encourages writing out answers for focus and depth.

[1] Why Do I Exist? (Vision & Values) [09:00]

• Ask both for yourself and your church/organization.
• Reaffirm your core purpose and guiding values.
  • "Was our church joyful this year? Was our church excellent this year? Did we really love people?" (10:20)

[2] What Are We Doing? (Programs & Calendar) [11:13]

• Inventory your actual activities and systems against the vision.
• Evaluate your weekly life; rewrite your daily schedule if needed.

[3] Is It Working? (Measuring Results) [12:47]

• Look objectively at results—review numbers and data, not just impressions.
• "Numbers are indicators of health... because you can't eyeball some of this stuff." (12:57)

[4] Where Am I Manufacturing Energy? (Energy Audit) [14:12]

• Identify areas where energy or enthusiasm is forced.
• Decide whether to reignite your passion or eliminate the task/program.
  • "Maybe they've run their course and this is not something, you know, something that we used to be in love with, but that really needs to change." (14:34)

[5] Do We Have the Right People in the Right Seats? (Team Evaluation) [16:01]

• Review who’s exceeding, meeting, or falling below expectations.
• Take responsibility as a leader for developing and positioning staff.
  • "They're not the problem. I am. I think it’s healthy leadership to say, well, it’s not their fault. I’m their leader." (17:35)

[6] What Would a Great Leader Do? (Perspective Shift) [18:15]

• Step out of your usual mindset—imagine what a respected leader would do in your position.
  • "What would Craig Groeschel do if all of a sudden, in just an instant, he became the pastor of Church of the Highlands?" (19:01)

[7] What’s Most Important Right Now? (Narrowing Focus) [19:35]

• Identify the "one thing" that, if improved, will make the biggest impact.
• This focus question drives alignment and accountability across the organization.

4. Growth Drivers: Turning Answers Into Initiatives

• Developing Strategic Focus
  Chris emphasizes not just identifying areas for improvement, but developing focused "growth drivers" for the coming year. This means directing resources, prayer, and team energy toward one or two critical areas at a time.
  • "I call them growth drivers. These are the initiatives that we're going to step into 2025 with..." (21:30)
• Examples from Church of the Highlands
  • Past focuses: Staff health, membership engagement, making church feel like a home (relational environment), strengthening student/children’s ministry.
  • Initiatives like the "two-minute mingle" and story-telling Sundays were practical responses to identified needs.

5. Unwavering Priorities: Small Groups, Dream Teams, God’s Presence

• Small Groups & Dream Teams
  These remain foundational and must be actively maintained.
  • "Just because you have them, don’t think they’re going to be maintained... They come for one reason, but they stay for a different. They stay when they're needed and when they're known..." (27:05–27:55)
• God’s Presence as the Ultimate Growth Driver
  Chris stresses the need to never lose dependence on God—no matter what practical drivers are in focus.
  • "The last growth driver that you cannot forget... is just the presence of God... Truly the most important growth driver there is is God’s presence." (30:28–31:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Exhaustion and Commitment:
  "Nothing exhausts me more than these things because I go to every service. I just love it. I shake hands before and after... I love laying it all out on the field, so to speak, to honor God on his birthday." (03:30)
• On Honest Self-Assessment:
  "If you’re having reflection time and you’re not asking the right questions, you won’t get the right answers. You only get answers to the questions that you ask." (07:24)
• On the Dangers of Avoiding Hard Questions:
  "Wouldn't you love it if the federal government... would say, you know what, this program used to be important, but we don't need it anymore. Time has passed..." (14:48)
• On Team Leadership:
  "They're not the problem. I am... Maybe they needed more training, maybe they needed more budget, maybe they needed more meetings and mentoring time with me." (17:35)
• On Real Organizational Alignment:
  "When you don't do it... you're allowing the team to redefine it in their own terms. They’ll come up with what the vision should look like... that kind of misalignment creates havoc." (22:40)
• On What Makes People Stay:
  "...they come because of the preaching and the worship... but that's not why they stay. They stay when they're needed and when they're known and needed, they need to be on a team serving." (27:55)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:50 – Chris describes the spiritual focus of Highlands’ Christmas services
• 05:22 – Annual reflection practices and end-of-year lead team meetings
• 07:17 – The importance of asking the right questions
• 09:00 – The seven essential year-end questions (starts)
• 14:12 – On manufacturing energy and letting go of outdated programs
• 16:01 – Evaluating team members: “Right people, right seats”
• 19:35 – What’s most important now? The focus question
• 21:30 – Using “growth drivers” for organizational alignment
• 27:05–27:55 – The lasting importance of small groups and Dream Teams
• 30:28 – The irreplaceable value of God’s presence

Actionable Takeaways

• Set aside intentional time for honest reflection and ask deep, focused questions.
• Evaluate both personal and organizational alignment with core vision and values.
• Be willing to change or let go of programs or methods that no longer serve the mission.
• Assess and reposition team members, investing in their development where needed.
• Narrow the organizational focus to one “growth driver” at a time for the coming year.
• Never lose sight of the indispensable place of God’s presence in all plans and efforts.

Final Thought

“Let’s be generous. Let’s reach people and remind people that we have a King Jesus and He is here with us.” (31:45, Matt)

For full notes, resources, and upcoming Grow One Day events, visit growleader.com/podcast.