Curtis Wallace - Leadership Gap: Motivate and Organize a Great Ministry Team

Copyright 2011Curtis Wallace

All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Please note that Destiny Images publishing style capitalizes certain pronouns in Scripture that refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and may differ from some publishers styles. Take note that the name satan and related names are not capitalized. We choose not to acknowledge him, even to the point of violating grammatical rules.

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ISBN 13 TP: 978-0-7684-3973-1

ISBN 13 Ebook: 978-0-7684-8933-0

For Worldwide Distribution, Printed in the U.S.A.

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The Leadership Gap is dedicated to my beautiful wife, Julaina. Our partnership together and the life and family we have built are the great accomplishments of my life. If you want happiness in your life, simply marry a woman who is smarter, wiser, and funnier than you could ever hope to be.

Curtis Wallace has written a tremendous resource for church, business and community leaders. Thorough, concise and engaging, this is a must read.

Jay Sekulow

Chief Counsel

American Center for Law and Justice

Curtis Wallace lives at the intersection of faith and business. In his new book, The Leadership Gap, he provides the unique insight and perspective that will give you the tools you need to build and maximize a great ministry. If you are serious about going to the next level, The Leadership Gap is a must read!

Tim Clinton

Beginning as an attorney and later as Chief Operating Officer of TDJ Enterprises, Curtis Wallace has worked alongside me for 15 years. Our work together has taken us from the construction of The Potters House in Dallas to the world of Gospel Stage Plays and, most recently, to success in Hollywood. At the end of the day, few people can match his experience and insight when it comes to the intersection of the worlds of faith and business.

For anyone trying to build a ministry or a business, The Leadership Gap provides real world, practical advice that will help you get to the next level. This book is not your typical leadership book filled with inspiring platitudes written by someone who hasnt done it. Instead, you will get real solutions to real problems that you can implement now in your ministry or business.

I have a passion for transferring knowledge and taking steps to insure that we prepare the next generation of leaders in the world of faith. Curtis Wallace shares my passion and his book is a reflection of that passion. If you invest the time to read and implement the strategies in The Leadership Gap, you will see a return.

T.D. Jakes

A s books on leadership go, this book is unique in three respects. First, unlike most leadership books, which are written by people who either lead their organization from the top, like a CEO, or someone who are self-proclaimed leadership expert but dont actually have any significant operation, this book is written from the perspective of the number-two guy.

Following my legal career, I spent the last decade in the trenches serving as chief operating officer for TDJ Enterprisesthe business organization of Bishop T.D. Jakes. Accordingly, my insights and observations are based on actual experiences, not theory. Additionally, my perspective as the number-two guy means that this book has specific messages for the leader of the organization as well as specific messages for the organizations staff. Third, while the book is applicable to those working in any type of business or organization with a visionary leader, it includes information specifically aimed at those individuals who are challenged with trying to grow and maximize a thriving religious organization.

The book is titled The Leadership Gap because I am of the opinion that far too many organizations suffer as a result of a few key gaps in the areas of people, structure, and motivation.

One of the primary goals of the book is to act as a guide or a translator. Using my experiences and the many valuable lessons I have learned during my time with Bishop Jakes, I will explain to you who are leaders what your staff isnt telling you but really wants you to know. Likewise, I share some insights with you who are staff (particularly senior executives) that will hopefully give you greater insight into your boss.

At the end of the day, remember that a small group of highly motivated individuals can indeed change the world. How do we know that to be true? Because it is the only thing that ever has.

This book will share some thoughts and truths about how your organization can build, motivate, and support that small team as it goes about its work of changing the world.

T his book exists for a singular purpose. My goal is to provide practical steps and tools to get you and your ministry over the Leadership Gap that is between you and real, meaningful success.

In my years of experience working with ministries, churches, and faith-related businesses, I have repeatedly observed that a few common but correctable challenges face most organizations as their leaders attempt to guide them from infancy to their potential. These mistakes and challenges create a Leadership Gap that the organization seems to be unable to overcome. The leader can see the promised landthe problem is that a divide that looks like the Grand Canyon (or worse, isnt seen at all) is between the organization and the success that otherwise seems so close.

The great news is that the Leadership Gap can be conquered. By assembling the right team of highly qualified, talented, and motivated people and by working within the proper structure and with the proper resources, you and your organization can win.

There is no time to waste on trying. The challenges faced by and the demands placed on churches and ministries have never been greater. At the same time, the opportunity has never been greater. Quite simply, it is time to get something done.

The pages that follow provide a map to help you along the way. Enjoy the ride!

B efore beginning the first chapter, I think it is important to share a couple of thoughts. First, although this book and the lessons that are shared here are meant for everyone who works in your organization, it is key that the decision to embrace the concepts and ideas set forth on the following pages comes from the top. It is up to the leader to set the tone, pace, and priorities. If something (be it embracing the concepts in this book or something as simple as starting meetings on time) is not important to the leader, it will not be important to anyone else in the organization.