Rob Little on Comedy, Dealing with Rejection, and Creating New Material

Rob Little is today's guest!  Having established himself as one of the funniest, most progressive, comedians in the country, it’s easy to understand why The Detroit Free Press selected him as the “Best up and Coming Comedian,” and he was selected as a feature performer at the Chicago and Boston Comedy Festivals.  Rob was excited to be named Budweiser's “Real Man of Comedy."  Last Comic Standing on NBC named him, “The Happiest Comic in America”. Campus Activities Magazine named him “College Comic of the Year” and Maxim Magazine named him "Comedian of the Year".  

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Subscribe now to The Fearless Leadership Podcast and grab more free leadership resources at JonathanHerron.com and on all social media platforms @HighFiveJon!

How to Deal w/Chronic Critics Online and in Your Church

This was a Facebook livecast of a Staff Meeting from 7 years ago. The content is still great so I thought I’d share it here!

15 Keys to Building a Fearless Board of Directors

Every good church needs a Board of Directors/Elders that will serve the church by leading the church on big picture issues (not day-to-day issues) and holding the lead pastor accountable.

Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety”

To that end, I submit to you these 15 keys to building a fearless Board of Directors, one that is built for the current realities of 2025 and beyond.

I will in fact be using this list of criteria, first suggested by Josh McPherson, when adding new people to Life Church’s Board in the future. For what it’s worth, I share it with you.

1. Unity, not Diversity. People are already wildly distinct, and so we want a Board that represents leaders united around the church’s vision. God blesses unity (see Acts 2) and so we want to emphasize unity on our Board of Directors.

2. Heaven Down, not Pew Up. The Board does not represent the people, the Board uniquely represents the Lord to the people. We want a Board that hears from God and does what He says. There’s no room for fear or manipulation by man.

3. Monarchy, not Democracy. Board members do not represent constituencies within the church as this causes divisions (see #1 above!). We listen to God and do what He says. This is a kingdom outpost, not a popularity contest.

4. Govern, not Pastor. The Board’s job is to represent the King’s agenda for the church. This is not a shepherding role but rather a governing role.

5. Strengthen Pastor, not Throttle Pastor. The Board doesn’t protect the church from the pastor but rather the reverse! God gives the vision to the lead pastor who then stewards it wisely with wise counsel (Board of Directors). The Board’s job is not to hold back on the strategy but rather to strengthen the pastor’s hand wisely.

6. Special Operations, not Large Platoon. The church is supposed to act like an insurgency in a dark world. Opportunities require the Board to be nimble and small enough to make decisions quickly. When the Board is under 10 people, it creates an atmosphere for healthy questions and curiosity. When the Board is over 10 people, it becomes disunified because members are advocating for their positions. At Life Church, our Board was only 3 people for the first 7 years of our existence, followed by a Board today of 5 people. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has an axiom: No team can be larger that can share one pizza for a meal. The Lord never anoints a team in the Scriptures; He always raises up a leader to quarterback the vision that is then aided by a team (think Moses). The purpose of a team, biblically, is to strengthen the leader’s hand.

7. High Relational Unity, not Resume Building.

8. Offense Oriented, not Playing Defense. We want seize-the-opportunity leaders, not minimize-the-risk leaders. I’m looking for people who only need 30% of the information to make a decision, not waiting until 110% of the info comes in.

9. Generals, not Soldiers. CEO’s and leaders understand the role of Board Members better than non-leaders.

10. Leaders of Men, not Pastors of People. We want people on the Board with the gift of governance.

11. Gift of Governance, not Gift of Compassion.

12. Solid Wife, Solid Life. This is true! I once hired a guy who was steered by his wife too much. It led to a church campus falling apart and gossip-bombs spreading in its wake. Like Dave Ramsey says, always interview the wife.

13. Not Emotionally-Manipulated. You want someone on the Board who has severed the need to be liked.

14. Mob Proof. This person should not be scared of online backlash to decisions. The loudest boo’s always come from the cheapest seats! We’re in the business of faith; you must have a high level of risk tolerance!

15. Men Who Have Been Attacked Before. You don’t want a fresh newbie on a Board where he may be eaten alive. As I always say, we don’t receive criticism from anyone we wouldn’t seek counsel from.

What criteria would you add?

Don't Waste Your Life

“I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus." 

- Jim Elliot, martyred 69 years ago today.

Friends, we all have but one life to live.

Don't waste your life.

Seize this new year, ripe with divine opportunities, for the glory of God.

Drink deeply of spiritual truths, inhaling the world and exhaling the gospel.

Use your one shot at life to help make heaven more crowded.

Don't allow a setback to paralyze you.  Press forward with selfless ambition.

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You Can Do This, I Can Help

God's heart is to see you lead your church to growth.

You can do this.   I can help you GROW!

Let me personally coach you toward quickly reaching more people far from God.

🚀 LEARN MORE

You Are Not a Failure

Everybody wants to experience a miracle in their lives, yet we run from the impossible situations that precede miracles.

If your back is up against the wall, good; you are well positioned to experience a miracle!

God found Gideon in a hole.

He found Joseph in a prison.

He found Daniel in a lion's den.

God has a curious habit of showing up in the midst of trouble, not the absence.

Where the world sees failure, God sees future.

Embrace tough situations and see what God can do through you!

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You Can Do This, I Can Help

God's heart is to see you lead your church to growth.

You can do this.   I can help you GROW!

Let me personally coach you toward quickly reaching more people far from God.

🚀 LEARN MORE

Tall Trees Attract Wind

As you begin to dream big this year, beware of dream-killers and vision vampires.

The greater the leap of faith, the greater the noise of opposition will come from every side to keep you on the ground.

Every great hero from Scripture encountered opposition.  Take Nehemiah for instance.  He dreamed of rebuilding Jerusalem's walls.  Against all odds, he rallied a team to get to work and make the vision a reality.  That is when the dream-killers and vision vampires appeared:

When Sanballat heard that we were building the wall of Jerusalem, he was very angry and upset. He started making fun of the Jews.  (Nehemiah 4:1)

Remember, the loudest boo's come from the cheapest seats!

You don't have time to take your eyes off the prize for peripheral non-threats.  Ignore the haters.  After all, tall trees attract wind!

If you have critics that arise, good.  It means you're doing something revolutionary and the world needs more of it.

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You Can Do This, I Can Help

God's heart is to see you lead your church to growth.

You can do this.   I can help you GROW!

Let me personally coach you toward quickly reaching more people far from God.

🚀 LEARN MORE

Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New

‘Wisdom comes to the heart that is hungry for God.’ (A.W. Tozer)

Whenever I feel discouraged and want to quit something, I remember the words of my then 3-year-old after she puked carrots all over the living room floor: “I’m gonna need more carrots.”

‘As a leader, you will have to make decisions that those whom you lead and even spectators won’t understand for years.’

(Dr. Eric Mason)

Leaders are targets for the Enemy. If you’re leading out front, then of course you’re going to be on the receiving end of fiery darts. Expect it.

Misunderstandings and miscommunications will happen.

You cannot control other people’s perceptions. You can only control your own actions and reactions.

Be careful with what you hear about someone. You might be hearing it from the problem.

As soon as we step into condemnation instead of conversation, we can no longer see that person clearly.

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‘A perverse man sows strife and a whisperer separates the best of friends.’ (Proverbs 16:28)

People don’t own you when they hurt you. They own you when your entire life is defined by that hurt.

If you’ve been burned, heal. If someone has an issue with you and they’re telling everyone except you, they don’t have a real issue with you. They just enjoy the attention they get from talking about you.

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‘Love God and He will enable you to love others even when they disappoint you.’ (Francine Rivers)

The only way to handle ‘prodigals’ is to let them go, give them to God, and pray for their return with tears. And when you see them on the horizon with their head hung low, wrap your arms around them and welcome them home.

We are all rough drafts of the person we are becoming.

Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a chance to build something better this time!

Sure, the winds feel strong and your team is small.

Stand firm.

If you set your anchor, you won’t drift.

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You Can Do This, I Can Help

God's heart is to see you lead your church to growth.

You can do this.   I can help you GROW!

Let me personally coach you toward quickly reaching more people far from God.

🚀 LEARN MORE

Answers on the Fly

One of my favorite Sundays of the year is when we do Answers on the Fly: Live Q&A via texting. 

Instead of a regular sermon with notes, we invite the audience to instead text-in questions anonymously that I then answer live on stage. 

It creates a safe place for people to wrestle with their faith while keeping me sharp and on my toes!  Everyone loves the accessibility and trust this creates (i.e. "This guy really does know what he's talking about!").

For what it's worth, here's our latest Answers on the Fly featuring questions about Yeshua, abortion, LGBTQ issues, and more!