Exponential CEO Todd Wilson joins Exponential President Dave Ferguson to kick off the HeroMaker podcast series. Here, the two leaders focus on the importance of hero making to Exponential’s “4-10” mission (to see the number of reproducing churches in the United States increase from less than 4 percent to greater than 10 percent) and why these statistics represent a leadership problem in the church.
Wilson candidly addresses the realities that are keeping leaders from becoming hero makers:
“I think the operating system we’ve created is the biggest barrier,” Wilson says. “The average pastor wakes up each day and there’s a well-established system in the church that revolves around budgets and attendance—a hero kind of scorecard that values accumulation over multiplication. We have to intentionally put a value on investing in other people and build platforms for others vs just making our platform bigger. People will emulate what they see, especially in those they look to as leaders.”
Together, he and Ferguson explore each of the five essential practices for becoming a hero maker and share inspiring stories and examples of how the hero makers in their own lives are carrying out these specific practices:
Multiplication thinking
Permission giving
Disciple multiplying
Gift activating
Kingdom building
“If you’re not seeing the majority of your volunteer leaders investing in others,” Wilson asserts, “there’s a good chance they’re not seeing it modeled. It has to start with your leadership. We have to embed it into the value system of our churches.”
Todd Wilson is the CEO of Exponential and author of multiple books, including More: Find Your Personal Calling and Live Life to the Fullest and most recently, Multipliers: Leading Beyond Addition. Visit exponential.org/2018 to learn more about becoming a hero maker and leading a Level 5 multiplication culture.
