Being Known

I am so pumped about the impact we are already seeing from this theme of KNOWN we introduced last week at Catalyst in Atlanta and will be continuing through the spring of 2014 with Catalyst West and Catalyst Dallas. The overwhelming response is a direct affirmation that God has His hand on this message and I wanted to take a moment to share how this theme has affected and impacted me over the last few months. Over the last 14 years, every Catalyst theme we've ever had has been personal. Mainly because these themes always flow out of felt needs for our team. They are personal to us. Every time. And this year is no exception. It's personal to me.

What do we mean by Known?

Well, the simple idea is that to lead well, you have to wrestle with 3 key areas - Identity, Calling, and Legacy. We need Leaders who are leading from who they are.

Your identity starts with understanding that you are both fully loved and fully accepted by your Creator just as you are. That the God who KNOWS all truly KNOWS me. Yep, all the stuff that you don't want anyone else to know or anyone else to see. He KNOWS. And He LOVES. Period. Such an unbelievable but radically incredible concept.

And getting to the heart of being known means you understand as a leader that being comes before doing. That what we do is always determined by who we are. As Cory Booker referenced last week, "Who we are speaks so loudly that others can't hear what we are saying." Our significance and security is found solely in the fact that we are beloved, adopted sons and daughters of Jesus. If I'm allowing my identity to be built off of anything besides this fact I will not know myself, I will not be known by others, and I will not know what my calling is in this world. Who you are determines what you Do.

These concepts are rocking my world. So much that I'm intentionally stopping. Taking a timeout.

Stopping at this point in my life to intentionally answer these questions:

1. Who am I? Really? Truly? Is my identity rooted in who God says I am?
2. What has God called me to do for this season of vocational life, and even into the next season?
3. What do I want to be KNOWN for?

For the last 12 years, my own personal identity and calling has been wrapped up in being "the Catalyst guy," which is amazing and has always been a huge honor. But again, I think it's imperative for leaders, and I mean every leader, to stop. Take a pause. Rest. Recover. Refresh your mind, heart and soul. Reevaluate. And reimagine.

So what does that mean?

I'm taking a 3 month sabbatical starting this week. In my 12 years of being a part of Catalyst, I've never really taken any extended time away. So, I will not be available through the end of the year. On sabbatical.

The sabbatical will be a time for me to rest, recharge, connect with some of the key people in my life, spend some time doing a major leadership intensive and 360 feedback evaluation, and creating space in my life to think, dream, pray, and most importantly, hear from God about what's next for me. This is something I'm incredibly grateful for. Everyone I've talked to says that taking a sabbatical gives fresh vision and perspective, and you return better than when you left. Leaders- we all have to step away at some point to get fresh perspective and vision. I've noticed in my own leadership the need to pause. Even this summer, I had several conversations and realizations that pointed to my own personal leadership getting stale. I was in a rut and needed to step away for an extended time just to refresh.

After the sabbatical my plans at this point are to return to Catalyst, but not be in the same role that I've been in the last 12 years. Not sure what a new role will/should look like, but part of the strategy of this sabbatical is for me to step out of the day to day running of Catalyst, and let someone else step up. The plan is for Tyler Reagin to step up and run the day to day of Catalyst, and we'll figure out how I fit in going forward. Again, part of the goal of the 3 month sabbatical will be to gain clarity on what the next season looks like for me, through study, prayer, reflection, conversations, and rest.

So why do I even share this with you?

Well, I want you to be in the know, but I also think there is a powerful leadership lesson here that I am getting the chance to live out. WhatI I've realized is that in many ways I am a case study for this theme of KNOWN. And I want my story and journey to be an example and encouragement for you to ask yourself these same questions.

Handing something off that you love is not easy. Stepping into a different role even though you feel like you are just starting to settle into something is not easy. Allowing those around you to take on more leadership and stewardship and make decisions differently than you, and go in a different direction than you would have is not easy.

But it's time for me to pass the baton. This is a requirement of leadership. If we are going to do our job well, part of our responsibility is to pass the torch. To create a proper trail of succession. To realize that you are not the reason for the success, and the organization doesn't revolve around you, and to come to the humble understanding that life will go on once you've stepped into a different role.

I am passionate about raising up the next generation of leaders, and I want to make sure I am passing the torch of Catalyst to the "next generation" way before I need to. I think this is a demonstration of proper stewardship and generational transfer. I've watched way too many organizations, and type A "founder" type leaders, hold on for way too long and continue to lead even when all the signs pointed to it being time to step aside. That is unacceptable.

I want to be clear that there is no story behind the story in this case. No performance questions, no moral or personal failure, no personality conflicts, nothing outside of the continual pursuit of what is best for Catalyst, and pursing what it is that God is calling me to do. All of this started with me talking with a good friend, Steve Cockram (some of you know him), and us having a conversation about Catalyst and what the next 5-10 years look like. In that conversation, I realized I want to make sure I hand off the running of things before I really need to, and also make sure I'm in a role that continues to challenge me and fits my skills and gifting, positions me to best live out my calling for this next season, and ultimately leave a legacy.

I'm also working on a 2nd book, so will be spending significant time writing, and look forward to sharing some of my learnings and discoveries once I return.

I covet and appreciate your prayers during this time. May we all take the risk and experience the freedom that only comes from being fully known. Thanks for being part of the journey with me!