135: THE 4 FACTORS THAT FUEL MOMENTUM

EPISODE NOTES
Thank you for joining the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast!

Positive momentum is a leader’s best friend, but negative momentum can be a leader’s worst enemy. In the
next couple of episodes, we’re talking about momentum. We’ll learn how to build it, how to keep it, and how
to get it back if you’ve lost it.

Momentum is the force that propels your organization forward and is greater than the sum of all your
leadership, strategy, and resources combined.

Creating momentum is like launching a rocket.

You’ll use a disproportionate amount of energy to get off the ground, but once you overcome the force of
gravity, you can maintain your momentum with minimal effort.

There are four forces that can hold back your momentum:

• What’s known
• What’s safe
• What’s easy
• What’s comfortable

To overcome these forces and start building momentum, you’ll need to change what you do. Remember: If
you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve already got.

Below are four factors that fuel momentum. If you have these factors in place, then your team is ripe for
building positive momentum.

But first, name the area of your life you’d like to see momentum: (Financial, relational, physical, etc ... )

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1. Momentum Is Ignited by Vision.

Action Statement: You inspire action with an unwavering white-hot vision to fulfill your mission.

The very essence of leadership is a compelling vision.

One of the biggest mistakes most leaders make is to undervalue the power of vision.

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If you lack momentum, it’s very likely that you lack vision. If you want momentum, your entire team needs to
know the vision.

Your vision must be clear, consistent, and compelling. It gives the why behind every what.

So, what is the driving vision for the area of your life you want to develop?

In every scenario, lead with vision. When you think you’ve shared enough vision, you’re just getting started
because “vision leaks and culture drifts.” Vision and culture need to be consistently bolstered by vision or
they’ll fade away.

Warning: The more compelling your vision is, the more progress you’ll make. The more progress you make,
the more options you’ll have. The more options you have, the less focused you’ll be tempted to be, and the
fastest way to lose momentum is to lose focus.

2. Momentum Is Activated by Faith.

You have to believe that what you’re called to do is imperative and possible.

Action Statement: You lead with a third-line-crossing, big-thinking, risk-taking faith.

You might have a dozen good reasons why you aren’t accomplishing your vision, but you can make
excuses or you can make progress but you can’t make both.

If you don’t believe something is possible, you’ll prove that it’s not.

“You can make excuses or you can make progress but you can’t make
both.”—Craig Groeschel

What does third-line-crossing mean, and why do you need it?

This is an idea from Craig’s book Lead Like It Matters. In each organization, there are three levels of buy-in.
Craig describes them as crossing three lines:

• Line 1: “I believe enough to benefit from the mission.”

• Line 2: “I believe enough to contribute comfortably to the mission.”
• Line 3: “I believe enough to give my life to the mission.” ß This is where momentum is built.

3. Momentum Is Supported by Systems.

Action Statement: You create the intentional systems that support, sustain, and propel your mission
forward.

Why does this matter?

The right intentional systems will sustain your momentum. Wrong or even unintentional systems will hurt
your momentum.

What is a system? A system is how you accomplish your what. It’s who does what, when, and how.

If you want a specific result, you need to build an intentional system to accomplish that result.

Your systems are a combination of what you expect and what you allow. So if you want different systems,
change what you expect and audit what you allow.

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Here’s the good news: You don’t have to create all the systems as a leader. If you’re clear about what you
expect, reward it when you see it, and correct it when you don’t. The team will build the right systems within
those rewards and corrections.

4. Momentum Is Sustained by Grit.

Action Statement: You’re compelled by a white-hot vision that’s so intense it produces a grit that won’t
quit.

The key ingredient in most successful leaders is not their knowledge, skill, or desire, but their resilience.
Resilience is the ability to bounce back, to thrive in the face of adversity.

So how do we grow in resilience?

Start with mindset.

You need a mindset that knows leadership is incredibly difficult. Leading people will be a thrill and a burden.

In fact, if leading people isn’t simultaneously your greatest gift and your greatest burden, you probably
aren’t doing it right.

“If leading people isn’t simultaneously your greatest gift and your
greatest burden, you probably aren’t doing it right.”—Craig Groeschel

So if you want to build momentum, develop the skill of showing back up.

How Can Leaders Stay Passionate?

The key to staying passionate decades into leadership is ensuring your vision is about something bigger
than you.

Why does Craig do this podcast? It’s because he believes in you and your leadership. He shows back up for
you.

So again, what area of your life do you want to develop momentum?

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Here are exercises you can do to grow as a leader—ask yourself and your team these questions:

1. Which of the four factors do you need to develop the most? What practical step can you take this
month to grow in that area?

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2. When was the last time you had to exercise your resilience? What were the negative thoughts you
had during that hard time, and what have you learned now that you’ve pushed through?

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3. Think about your professional life. What is one area where you’ve unintentionally lost momentum?
What is a system you could build to get momentum back?

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8 HABITS OF GREAT LEADERS

What sets great leaders apart? Great leaders are fanatically consistent with a few strategic habits.

Get Craig’s easy-to-reference guide outlining eight of the habits great leaders have in common here:
https://www.life.church/greathabits/

PODCAST RESOURCES
• More from Craig: www.craiggroeschel.com
• Download Leader Guides: www.life.church/leadershippodcast
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: www.go2.lc/cglpitunes
• Subscribe on YouTube: www.go2.lc/cglpyoutube
• Free Church Resources & Tools: www.life.church/churches
• Get Craig’s book Lead Like It Matters here: https://go2.lc/LLIMCGLP

CONNECT WITH CRAIG

• Ask questions: www.craiggroeschel.com/connect
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craiggroeschel/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/craiggroeschel
• Instagram: @craiggroeschel

THREE KEYS TO SHARPEN YOUR LEADERSHIP

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